"Milady... You're awake..."
I immediately wiped my tears and turned to the person who walked in. She was wearing a black and white maid outfit that one would see in victorian movies. She was staring at me with wide eyes as if she's seen a ghost.
I stood up but before I could utter a word, she dropped the blankets that she was holding and immediately ran out of the room.
I blinked, befuddled. /Why did she ran away?/
I looked at the mirror again to check if there was something on my face but there was none. Other than the mirror reflecting a very beautiful girl there was nothing that could cause someone to be so scared they'd ran away.
My nose was slightly red and eyes puffed from crying but it didn't make the girl in the mirror look a little bit ugly. Instead, it made her more alluring. As if someone you'd want to protect.
I sighed. This is too good to be true. I want to picnh myself to see if this was real or just a dream. But I'm afraid that by doing so I would shatter this beautiful dream and see myself walking to the afterlife.
/Maybe this is the afterlife./
I jumped in surprise when the door opened with a loud 'bang' then came hurried footsteps. I turned around and saw people standing near the door. There were six of them. There were four maids including the girl who ran away a while ago, an old butler, and a man who looked like the head of this household. They were all looking at me in surprise yet their eyes held different emotions. The three maids were looking at me with fear while the other held her head low, avoiding eye contact with me. The old butler recovered from his surprise and composed himself by clearing his throat, immediately putting on an expression of indifference.
It was the man in the middle whose gaze softened and relief washed over his face. He walked towards me and I stood there rooted to the ground unsure of what to do. I just stared at him as he slowly narrowed the gap between us. I hitched my breath when he suddenly gathered me in his embrace.
My heart thumped and my body stiffened. The man had a tall stature, my face was pressed against his chest and I could hear the fast beating of his heart. His arms tightened around me as he heaved a sigh of relief.
My body relaxed when gentle hands started stroking my hair. The embrace was warm and it felt so strange yet so comforting. It was something I've never felt before.
"I'm glad you are fine," he whispered. "I'm glad..." The man's voice was deep and modulated, yet it was gentle and soothing.
But just as I was about to give in to the man's embrace, he said, "My daughter..."
The man set me free from his embrace and a very dashing man entered my field of vision. A face that seemed like it rarely shows emotions held worry and concern.
/This... This is the original's father?/
"Are you hurting somewhere?" he asked. "Does it hurt anywhere? Tell me, Henrietta..."
The old butler announced, "Marquis Lovell, the physician is here."
"Let him in. Tell the kitchen to prepare food to nourish Henrietta's body."
The people inside the room immediately busied themselves but I paid them no heed. I stayed at my spot frozen.
This man is the original's father.
He called me /Henrietta./ The original soul's name is Henrietta.
The old butler called the original's father, Marquis Lovell.
Henrietta Lovell.
That's right, how could I forget the novel I read a few weeks before my death?
How could I forget the dumbest cannon fodder ever?
Henrietta Eloise Lovell.
I pinched myself.
/"Ow..."/
I wish this was a dream.
After that, I fainted from shock.
"The Sun's Empress" is a novel I've read from a flashdrive I found during a clearing operation. I thought the flash drive held a very improtant information that can be used to track down a notorious terrorist group that was wreaking havoc that time at the southern part of the country. After obtaining the flash drive, I immediately went home to check its contents. And to my disappointment, it contained one single PDF document named "The Sun's Empress". I opened it hoping I would be able to find encrypted messages in there. Turns out it was just some cheesy fantasy romance story that I ended up reading up to the very end.
It's a story about a girl named Adelia and how she helped Alaric, the second prince of the Sunnivan Empire, ascend the throne. She was originally a daughter of a vassal king who was promised to marry whoever ascends the throne as a reassurance of their allegiance to the Sunnivan Empire. Of course, Adelia would only become one of the many concubines the future emperor will have.
Adelia met Alaric when she was 16 years old. As a daughter of nobility, and a princess at that, she made her debut in high society in the imperial capital when the imperial palace held a banquet to celebrate the empire's founding anniversary.
During that time, Alaric was the unfavored second prince who was sent to the western border to defend it. It was obviously another scheme of the first prince's faction. They suggested the idea to the emperor as a chance for the second prince to gain merit but it was obviously a death trap. If the second prince died in the battle, the first prince wouldn't have any competition with the throne. Alaric has been defending the border ever since he was 14 yrs old and only returns to the capital during important occassions that requires his presence as a prince.
Adelia and Alaric were both lonesome people with no friends in the imperial capital. So to get away from the fancy yet noisy banquet, they both went to the imperial garden to get some fresh air and met each other there /under the light of a thousand stars/. Despite being cold and aloof, the ice surrounding Alaric's heart was melted by Adelia's smile. They talked the whole night, finding out that they have similarities in terms of preferences. The conversation led to sharing their aspirations for the country. Without knowing it, /love blossomed between the two.
They contacted each other by exchanging private letters. Sometimes, Alaric would visit Adelia during the times when the western border was peaceful and they would spend time together. Of course all of their interactions were done in secret due to Adelia being bethroted to the future emperor. If the two were seen togerther, it would seem like Adelia's vassal state is supporting the second prince.
The two encountered political shenanigans and fought the first prince's faction together, solidifying the bond between the two. Alaric, with the help of Adelia, ascended the throne by gaining merit after merit, victory after victory. He married Adelia and made her his empress. And Adelia did not disappoint. She was loved by the people. Thus, the title "The Sun's Empress", with Alaric being the sun that shines on his empire.
And who is Henrietta?
She's just one of the many cannon fodders that will die in Alaric's hands.
Henrietta is the pampered daughter of the Marquis Lovell of Hutchrene. She's impulsive and envious. She loves to look down on others. What she wants, she gets by throwing a tantrum. Her existence alone is enough reason for Alaric to kill her.
She was bethroted to Alaric ever since they were children. She fell for Alaric the first time she saw him and it was because of her 'commendable' attitude of getting anything she wants that she was engaged to Alaric. The Emperor approved of the engagement since him and the Marquis Lovell were bossom buddies when they were at the prime of their youth.
Henrietta was very possessive of Alaric. She even placed a spy in Alaric's army at the Western Border to send her information on who he interacts with. She attacked every girl who got near him, destroying their reputation and making sure they receive a slap from her. And of course, Adelia didn't escape her wrath. Henrietta humiliated her every time they meet. If not for Alaric acting as Adelia's prince in shining armour, she would've received a beating from Henrietta's hoard of social climbing friends.
When Alaric married Adelia, he also married Henrietta. But this was only to honor the previous emperor and late marquis' friendship. He never visited Henrietta's palace, never called for her, in short, she never crossed his mind. All of Alaric's favor went to his empress. This made Henrietta furious that she could no longer contain her jealousy. She did every method to harm Adelia even resorting to dark magic to curse her. She was successful in inflicting the curse but she was caught in an instant. Harming the empress, especially using taboo magic, was more than enough reason for Alaric to get rid of her. He didn't even pass a verdict, stating what kind of capital punishment Henrietta would receive, he just unsheathed his sword and slashed her without blinking an eye.
/Too tragic. Too tragic. But well-deserved./
I massaged my temples. But I shouldn't be saying those things now that I am in her shoes. I would be experiencing what she went through.
Come to think of it, I have an advantage in changing her fate. Henrietta died because she loved Alaric. She died because of jealousy, and her stupidity. And I, Dianna, don't know Alaric as a person. I don't have feelings for him. I don't even know how he looks like apart from his 'golden eyes, black hair'. I just have to leave Adelia alone and let them have their happy ending for all I care.
This is the second chance I desperately wished for before I died. I can't let it go to waste.
My shoulders slumped when I remembered something.
"Even if I don't die in Alaric's hand, there's still his supporters," I whispered.
The Marquis of Hutchrene has always been neutral, neither supporting the the two princes. The engagement between Henrietta and Alaric made an uproar in the nobles faction at first. Everyone knew that the Marquis of Hutchrene gained the emperor's favor again so showing support to any of the princes is a big deal. The commotion only died down when news about the engagement being a result of Henrietta's tantrums and not at all related to the Marquis showing his support for the future ruler.
But after Henrietta's elder brother became the new Marquis Lovell of Hutchrene, the household became the biggest supporter of the first prince. Despite this, the marriage between Alaric and Henrietta was still bound to happen. The nobility saw this as the Marquis of Hutchrene /hitting two birds with one stone/. If the first prince failed to ascened the throne, the marriage between the second prince and the young lady of the Marquis household will be used to remain in power.
Little did everyone knew that the new Marquis of Hutchrene was the biggest scum ever. His selfishness cannot be compared. When Alaric became the crown prince, he brainwashed the first prince and lead an army to assassinate the second prince. Of course, Alaric having the golden finger¹, managed to subdue the rebelling army, capturing everyone who was involved. The first prince was killed during the battle and the entire Marquis household was annihilated. But to honor the emperor's dying wish, he kept Henrietta by his side. It can also be said that him marrying Henrietta was his way of protecting her.
I rolled my eyes heavenward. But who knows how much Alaric wanted to eradicate this annoying brat.
The nobility wasn't happy with this arrangement. The Marquis of Hutchrene has always been a thorn ever since that even the previous emperors felt threatened by them. So how could they let the opportunity of finally eliminating the greatest thorn on their side slip? Henrietta being alive still pose as a threat. As long as the blood of the Lovell family is still flowing, they could never be at ease. But even before they could do anything, Henrietta dug her own grave.
And they all lived happily ever after.
It's been three days after I woke up in this body. I locked myself in this room, refused everyone who wished to see me and only allowed people to deliver food. It took me a long time to process everything. This is really something that only happens in fiction and for it to happen in real life is hard to believe. I am aware that everyone in this mansion is worried but I just don't know how to face them. After all, I am completely unrelated to them.
I stared at the huge painting of Henrietta above the fireplace. I removed the cloth that was covering it yesterday and kept staring at it. In the painting, Henrietta was wearing an elegant red velvet dress embroidered with her favorite roses and embedded with beads and crystals. Her golden hair was tied in a high bun and decorated by silver hair pins with roses as designs. Her ring was the same color with her eyes that shone as if it was a real jewel.
That person... is me now. I am now the pampered young mistress of Hutchrene, Henrietta Eloise Lovell and not the formidable Captain Diana Cruz.
We are a complete opposite of each other. Her hands were soft and smooth, showing how she never did any hard labor. While mine was calloused and filled with small scars from trainings and missions. She dresses flamboyantly and I wore dull looking clothes aside from my military uniforms. She's surrounded by people, while I prefer to be alone. She's determined to do what she wants, while I settle for what's in front of me. She does anything that makes her happy, while I do stuff that is beneficial to me or stuff I get something in return. She's carefree, I'm too cautious. She's loud, I'm quite. She's dumb, I'm kinda smart. At least there's something I am superior in.
I averted my gaze from the painting towards the flower vase in front of me. The roses were already withering. The edges of its petals were already tuening brown. I touched one of its petals still thinking.
It would be strange if the Henrietta they knew suddenly changed.
She wasn't mentioned a lot in the novel. I don't know how to behave in front of everyone that wouldn't make them suspicious. Changing fate would be hard if I don't want to make everyone think that something changed.
I sighed again.
This whole second chance thing... I asked for it. I desperately wished for it. So I have no right to complain with my current situation. Whether I like it or not, I am now Henrietta. What happened to her in the novel will happen to me unless I change it.
Unless... I change it.
I lifted my head. Unless Henrietta changes.
Come to think of it, her demise was her own doing. How many times did she dug her own grave, even carving her own name to her own tombstone? Everything that happened to her was a result of her impulsiveness. But, I am her now. I was a military officer known for my strategies and tactics. I have always defended the country's interests. While in service, I've lead countless missions against terrorists in the south, hostage cases, fixed border disputes, arrested corrupt officials. I've been in countless rescue operations and humanitarian relief. I escorted the president, the british royal family, and the pope. I was even invited to overseas trainings and forums. I know how to weild weapons. I know how to defend myself. I can fight.
This is Henrietta's body. But I am Dianna. Now that I'm in her body, I don't have to be her and follow her fate. I don't have to follow the novel's flow because... This is my second chance.
I stood up and started pacing back and fort. Countless ideas were flooding my brain.
"That's right... I can start a new life here," I muttered to myself. What I regretted in my previous life, I can fix it here. But to do that, I have to ensure my survival first.
Getting killed by Alaric can be avoided. I just have to show him that I don't like him anymore and I want to cancel the engagement. People does not have a good impression of Henrietta anyway. Dealing with Alaric is easy but dealing with the other nobilities will take some huge effort.
This self-saving plan of mine must be planned thoroughly.
I stopped and stared at the door.
Behind this door are the people who cares for Henrietta. They don't know that their young lady has long left this world.
To be able to commence with this plan, I have to start with this mansion.