Chapter 02: The Unexpected Confrontation

A new, but strange familiar surrounding came to sight. A huge wooden grandfather's clock placed across this ragged bed, a huge glass window covered with gray curtains resulting in a dark and dim place. A bed with no comforter, only in wearing a nightgown.

"N-nightgown?"

I can feel a  throbbing pain on my skin as the cold wind wraps around me. 

“Where am I?..” I whispered trying my best to utter a word “What's this place?... Is this a dream?” I added while trying to warm my trembling body from cold and pain. Judging from it, I doubt it's a dream.

I got up from the bed and I went towards the mirror beside me, strangely limping and hurting. 

When I saw the feature in the mirror; Teary blue eyes that resemble the warm sky, long curved lashes that feel like a cat's silky fur, and dainty exquisite lips that seemed unreal and showing a sophisticated pinkish color. Her black curly hair is adequately beautiful and refined as a black swan's feathers. Despite the beauty I see, her pale white skin is now throbbing in pain. 

"Luziana?" I walked around for a bit and tried to process every single thing. "Do I have powers?" I put my hand in the air trying to release some force, but nothing happened. "How did I enter the game? I remember I was playing it, but that's all there is to it." hopeless and in disbelief, I gently fell to the floor. "What about my body in my original world? Did I die?" I turned my attention towards the mirror.

"To look this beautiful, is maybe the price of her death.” I commented while caressing her hair, pinching my cheeks as I slapped my face hard. “Ouch... Wake up! This isn't you.”

I rub my cheeks to soothe the pain as I am suddenly drawn to a strange object placed in the vanity table. A lighted candle.

A flicker of light coming from the drawer caught my attention. I attentively went to open it, and I was shocked by what I saw; Luizana's diary.

I slowly, cautiously picked it up and gently placed it on the old wooden table.

The book suddenly rummages through every page by itself as memories came rushing into my mind. I saw how the maid bullied Luziana resulting in a throbbing pain on her skin, how she was despised by her Step-brother, ignored by her Father, as well as she knew how her own Mother fell ill, yet not everything.

The dates of every letter leads me to one conclusion, this is the month before it all began. Before Luziana's and Ivory's coming of age.

'I still have time'

Luziana's mother remarried to a successful Duke with two children. One that excels as the Prodigy of the Prominent Oldenburg Academy, and a Saint, the main butterfly in every social gathering. Last but not the least, the black swan of the Ambrose Family.

The ugly sister, the other sister, and the unlucky sister of the main characters as people say.

'Its really all similar to the game'

"I really...I am Luziana." Tears fell down on my cheeks and they burn as they trace the curves of my face. I quietly whimpered to the agony of a little girl who did nothing, but lowered her head to those predators. My vision slightly blurred from my sight as the journal turned its last page with a handwritten message.

"Please, save me."

'The date was yesterdays, did she ask for me, specifically? Is she the one who called me here?'

The journal suddenly, aggressively closed its own covers and revealed a magical yellow liquid in a small glass of bottle that looked like a medicine or a potion floating above it. It glows with dots of light surrounding the magical potion.

"I'll help you." I uttered while wiping the tears falling. I smiled to assure her that she'll never have to die again, and I'll make sure she gets her happy ending. In that way, I can go back to my world then.

...

I woke up to the sound of birds singing, the sunlight brushing my skin. I noticed that someone entered my room without even knocking, stomping their feet aggressively and I got up to see a girl in a maid’s clothing. 

“Who are you?” I ask yawning with the best sleep Luziana has ever had. I traveled my sight around me only to realize the scene from last night.

" I really did transmigrate..."

MAID'S POV

I entered the Manor's animal shelter as usual and caught her yawning like she had her best sleep for years. "Tch." 

 As I head towards her, her skin excludes a glowing healthy-

"H-huh? W-what happened!" I exclaimed and confused about what I see. I searched her skin, panicking to see nothing! And there I witness for the first time... Luziana's eyes.

They were looking straight at me. A different look that can see the lies within me.

She really is a beauty, far more beautiful than the girls I know in this empire. But I don't care about her, since it's not my job to take care of her.

"W-what are you glaring at?!” Her skin is flawless as I hide the fact that I want the opposite one.

'Does the water I gave her yesterday isn't the rotten one? but I made sure that it has a rat's urine in it.'

I watched her get up from her bed and her behavior seemed different.

'Nah she's just a weird girl'

The water may not be working, but the water I'll serve her later on... ‘I'll make sure she won't leave her room forever.

I chuckled at my own thoughts as I went to fetch the water from the trolley as I carefully, cautiously tried not to spill it on me. When I slowly turn towards her-

"Wash your face then I'll serve your breakf-"

*SPLASH*

I was too stunned to move, I can't think straight in my realization that a sudden splash of the water I deliberately was holding brushed my face, I saw how the mop water that I mixed with a rat's blood last night run down on my skin. As I turned angrily towards the lady, she suddenly slapped me.

"W-what's h-happening … " I uttered a simple word grasping the situation I'm suddenly in.

"What did you do! You peasant!" I throw myself at her aiming to pull her hair and to return the slap she gave me.

LUZIANA'S POV

"What did you do! You peasant!"

'Ugh with all of that scream, she can wake them up.'

She ran towards me like a mad woman, and I'm too entertained to stop her hostility. When she is finally an inch closer than me before even touching me, I grab her hair ruthlessly and violently push her to the floor. The floor thud loudly and I saw her face aching with disbelief.

"This is for all the mistreatment you did, and that ain't enough." A warning, rather a promise to torment her just like how she tortured Luziana. I glared at her while I calmly sat on the wooden chair beside my vanity table.

" Y-YOU! I-I'LL CALL AND TELL THIS TO THE DUKE AND HE WILL KICK YOU OUT!" She screamed and widened her eyes out of anger and then gritted her teeth.

"Tell what? That you planned on pouring that water on me and I accidentally spilled it on you?” I added, lowering my gaze upon her. I stood up and took to the rotten meal she served and I immediately rubbed it hard on her face. "And why would they care about you?" I faked a pity look on my face and smiled afterwards as she struggled to resist me.

*Cough* "Did you know that if I told the headmaid about this, she would make your life more miserable than it already is?!" She threatened me while wiping the crumbs on her shameless face.

"No remorse, I see. " I smirked and grabbed the small amount of water she gave while walking slowly towards her. "Have you not had enough? Should I tell my Father, the Duke about this?"

"I-I THERE'S NOTHING IN IT" she excused with a nervous smile, her hands fidgeting while kneeling and looking down.

"If you tell me who ordered you to do this, maybe I'll go easy on you." I smiled at her as she widened her eyes, her sight started to hesitate in looking directly at mine. She stayed silent, confirming my assumption.

"You're not speaking?" I glared at her like I'm trying to silence her arrogance. She began trembling in anger, but she can't even lift up her head. I can clearly see the panic in her eyes, the hesitation on her hands, and the resistance on her mouth.

"How about I tell my father about this right now and let us see whose head will come rolling down on the ground first?" I gently lift her face and witness how it changes.  Her complexion scared, her lips trembled, and her sight was looking far.  She began to wheeze like a child and cried like an animal.

" I-i ...f-forgive me my lady." she bowed and trembled. "I d-deserve to be punished please don't tell it to the duke!"  She begged, holding my dress to express her despair.

"What is this commotion?!?" A deep authoritative voice hollowed the room. I turned to him as He scanned the room and witnessed the dirty water on the floor, the scattered rotten food, the room in a messy condition, and a maid kneeling in front of a weak lady.

'Aldric Ambrose, the Kingdom's Genius Academian. Luziana's Step-brother'

"What are you doing Luziana?" He scoffed and brushed his hair. I stared at him for a while and the maid took the chance to get away.

"You know what Luzy? Why are you so childish? Just forgive that mere maid and let it go this once!" He rubbed his forehead before looking at me, I stood up levelling him. 

"Oh, the knight in shining armor. Why invite yourself in to a party you're not even wanted?” His eyes widened in shock, but he quickly replaced it with his glare.

"Are you telling me I look dumb entering here?"  He scoffed, but he suddenly changed and the smirk on his face faded.

"What's wrong with you, damsel?” He sarcastically said while I wiped my hand with a towel. He walked towards me and he patted me on my shoulder as he whispered some words.

"I don't care if you hit your head or something. But, let me remind you Luziana, just stay quiet like the rat you became."  He concluded but, behind that anger in his eyes, I can see the confusion and the change of his gaze upon me.

“Is this your new way of getting our attention?” he added as I shrugged his hands off me. I look directly into his eyes piercing through me.

The original Luziana would tremble at this sight, but I won't.

“You’re right, are you threatened?”  I smirked and I furrowed my eyebrows immediately at him. His eyes completely lose their sanity, his once piercing eyes now stunned with thrill. He laughed saying “Threatened?"

"Know your place, Luziana. Find out whose neck I'm holding.” I clenched my jaw, but I replaced it with a blatant smile.

“Oh my, what a Shakespearean remark.” I laughed as I mocked his statement. While I looked at him amused, his furrowed eyebrows displayed. 

“Don't tell me, you forgot all the things you did. Because, I'll never let you forget about it.” He provoked with a mock astonishment leaving me stunned.

“Did you forget when you broke Ivory's portrait? When you stole her dresses, when you faked your wounds and pain, and even caused a scene?” He said in a sarcastic tone as he looked at me with a serious look. “Grow up, Luziana. You're not a real princess here.” 

“Are you here to dictate my achievements or something?" I pleaded frankly, he was taken aback from what I said. 

“Now, you're not even hiding who you are. Is this the real you, Luziana? The witch who deceived us all along?”

I sarcastically smiled and laughed. “I'm not a deceiver; you're just fools. We're both wasting our time here, aren't we?" I smiled at him and he was too stunned to move. 

“I thought you hit your head, but now I think you've gone mad.” 

"Oh come on, Aldric. Don't pretend to be normal in front of me, is this why you came in my room for?"  His face looked like a cat getting bathed for the first time. I warned almost like a whisper. He frowned and immediately left my room.

...

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