"Aah"
I woke up with a loud scream that brought commotion in the room.
"Are you okay?" I heard the sound of the girl yet my eyes were not focused. All I could feel was the exerting pain that had killed me. But when my eyes became clear, all I could see was my room. The same old cracked walls and bed in which I used to sleep before my marriage was decided.
But how..
"I… definitely"
Died. I had died.
I could still remember the man who had used his sword to kill me. The sharp blade touched my neck and separated it from my body. It was a frightening and terrifying memory. I trembled without realizing, feeling the way my head was cut off. What was more was the feeling of fear. But how?
Was all that a dream,' I thought but the pain felt so real. And I could still feel the pain in my legs which had bent when I was trying to run. My feet! My eyes widened when I touched my feet which were still red and swollen.
Was that all a dream or this was a dream. I moved the old bed sheet that was covering my skin and inspected my whole body that was looking just like it was before. I would have believed that everything was a dream but I could still feel her red cold eyes on me, the swelling on my legs and the pain in my neck.
Did that mean, I really had faced that catastrophe? But then how was I here? I remembered my last words. "If.. if i ever get a chance to come back, i would make sure to burn them to ashes. I will ruin everyone who has broken me." Then I died. If that was not the dream then was it a dream?
But what if all this was a dream, I touched the rough bed mattress, the touch definitely felt real. But to be more certain I pinched myself hard. "Aah". I felt the pain and the red mark formed on my fair skin. It was now certain that I was alive.
Did it mean that I have become alive again but how? didn't it only happen in the stories? Then how did it happen with an abandoned girl like me?
No one had ever loved me in my whole life. No one ever cared for me. They all hated me, killed me and left me to die there alone.
But if I really had another chance then I would make sure that I would fulfil my promise and take my revenge from each one of them. But before that I need to be sure of what time it was and what my age was. How deep had I already fallen into their trap?
I looked down at my body with confused eyes, trying to assess my current age.
"My lady, the Count, has asked for your presence." Said the lady in waiting, bowing her head.
Although her head was bowed, I could see the disgust in her eyes. It was not only her, everyone's eyes were filled with disgust. They all disdained me. I was the eldest daughter yet no one loved me as I was not the legitimate daughter of the Count. I was born from a lowly maid whom he had an affair with.
He did not even want to have me. It was my grandfather who took me in as they believed, i still have their blood, but once he left, i was treated like maids. No! Even maids were treated better than me. I was given torn and rough things, used things that even maids did not wear. My presence was not allowed in the public.
Every Time i was invited to a social event, they made excuses that I was sick and could not attend the party or function. I was called the ghost daughter of the Count.
Yet not even once i complained. I always hoped that if i behaved well, if i had been good enough, then they would notice me and love me too. And Amelia was there to love me too. Only her name was enough to burn my heart. My grip on the bed sheet tightened as if I was strangling her throat.
"Did you not hear what I said? The count would not prefer waiting." their real form came out so quickly. Just look at their faces filled with malice. But I was not that weak girl anymore. I looked at her sharply and she shivered.
She blinked only to see the meek Hazel back. I stood up and followed her. Snorting, she started walking ahead of me. But this time the girl following her was not the same.
Entering the big dining room, I saw the family of three happily eating. The scene was looking picture perfect. And here I was the thorn of their life.
Amelia turned and smiled at me. If it had been the old me, I would have felt warm and forgotten about the cold faces of the other two men, but this time, I felt numb. I had thought that I would be angry, frustrated or sad when I look at her but as if the tears have left me alone too.
I did not feel anything except the numbing of my heart.
Finally my father turned to look at me but his eyes were devoid of any emotion.
He wiped his mouth elegantly and stood up from his seat.
"I have some urgent work to handle in the royal ministry. I will return late, do not wait for me." the lady frowned listening to his reply.
"But what about the matter of marriage?" oh! So that was why I was called. We had this conversation in the past too where they had asked me to give up on the marriage between me and the only son of Duke Hellhard, lord Jonathan which my grandfather had fixed before dying. All hell broke and I died only because of this marriage.