As the slave girl gingerly removed her hood, a collective gasp rippled through the room, echoing off the opulent walls of the Marquis mansion. The Marchioness, adorned in regal attire, stood frozen, her eyes widening in disbelief as she beheld the face before her. It was no wonder that such a reaction ensued, for the features of the slave girl bore an uncanny resemblance to none other than Lady Liyana herself.
"I told you my lady. She looks just like you." An old maid said to the shocked lady, who had her fan opened and looked disturbed.
Ruhi, the slave girl in question, stood with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity as she observed the stunned expressions around her. With a flicker of amusement dancing in her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder at the melodrama unfolding before her. It wasn't entirely unexpected, of course. Ruhi had overheard the not-so-subtle whispers of the knights who had escorted her from the bustling auction house to this grand abode. Still, the reality of the situation left her feeling a tad bewildered.
Her mind buzzed with a whirlwind of thoughts as she tried to make sense of it all. How had she, a mere slave girl with not so humble origins, found herself at the center of such intrigue and drama? And more importantly, what did fate have in store for her now that her identity had been unveiled? With a wry smile playing on her lips, Ruhi braced herself for the whirlwind.
'They are not going to kill me right?'
She looked at their faces that had displeasure on them, especially the lady was looking at her as if she was some kind of clown.
Ever since Ruhi's memories flooded back, life had been nothing short of chaotic. She never imagined herself thrust into the world of a novel, let alone not knowing which novel it was. But then again, considering her penchant for devouring books in one sitting, only to forget them by the next, it wasn't entirely surprising.
And in her defense, all the stories were similar these days and she was reading stories left and right.
Because binge-reading novels had been her guilty pleasure, a fleeting escape from the monotony of everyday life. Little did she know that her habit would lead to such unexpected consequences. After all, who actually believed in the possibility of getting transmigrated into a fictional world? Ruhi certainly didn't.
Lost in a haze of confusion and disbelief, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was caught in some surreal dream, or worse, trapped in a never-ending coma. How had it all come to this? It was a question that echoed in her mind as she grappled with the bewildering reality of her situation.
"Clean her up and keep her confined to the maid's quarters," Marchioness Liyana commanded, her tone firm yet tinged with curiosity and uncertainty.
The maid nodded obediently, her eyes darting between the Marchioness and the bewildered Ruhi standing before her. "Yes, my lady. Shall I also conceal her face until further notice?"
"Yes, do that," the Marchioness replied with a thoughtful furrow of her brow. "I need time to decide what to do with her."
Ruhi breathed a silent sigh of relief, grateful that the Marchioness had opted for confinement rather than execution. She couldn't help but marvel at the unpredictability of her current situation.
As the maid led her away, Ruhi stole a quick glance at the Marchioness, her mind racing with questions. What fate awaited her in this unfamiliar world? And more importantly, how would she navigate through this unknown world.
'I feel like I have heard the name Liyana before but I can't remember just who she is.'
She really wanted to remember but for now, she was busy looking around. The interior looked pretty 'fantasy historical', as much as she could remember from what she had seen in movies and webtoons. But still, there was no clue. And she had no idea if she would even remember anything.
Only time would tell.
"What are you daydreaming for? Get inside."
The old maid's gruff voice sliced through the air, her words dripping with disdain as she rudely ordered Ruhi to enter the cramped maid's quarters. With a resigned sigh, Ruhi stepped inside, taking in the sparse furnishings of the room: a solitary bed, a worn dresser, and a lone chair. The flickering candles provided the only source of illumination, casting dancing shadows across the dim space.
Ruhi's heart sank at the absence of modern conveniences; the lack of electricity was a stark reminder of her unfamiliar surroundings. Suppressing her disappointment, she mustered a polite smile as the maid grumpily glared.
"You have got something to say?"
"Oh, no, not at all," Ruhi replied with forced enthusiasm, her voice laced with flattery. "I'm simply overwhelmed by the generosity of providing me with my own room. It's a luxury I've never experienced before."
The old maid's eyes narrowed with disdain as she scoffed at Ruhi's attempt at diplomacy.
"You're just a peasant girl," she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Don't think for a moment that you're anything more."
Ruhi's jaw clenched at the maid's condescending tone, but she forced a tight-lipped smile, refusing to let her anger show. Deep down, though, the sting of the maid's words cut deeper than she cared to admit. She may have been a servant, but she refused to be treated as less than human.
The old maid's stern gaze bore into Ruhi as she issued her next command.
"You stay put in this room, girl. Don't you dare set foot outside, understand?"
Ruhi felt a retort bubbling up within her, but exhaustion weighed heavily upon her shoulders, stifling any protest she might have voiced. She simply nodded in acquiescence, her lips forming a tight line as she fought to keep her composure.
The maid continued, her tone slightly softened now. "I'll fetch some water and clean rags for you to freshen up. And you can't be traipsing around looking like you just crawled out of the gutter. I'll bring you some proper clothes too."
Ruhi's gratitude mingled with frustration as she forced herself to nod again, the strain of maintaining her diplomacy growing more pronounced with each passing moment. "Yes, of course. Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
With a final curt nod, the maid turned on her heel and exited the room, leaving Ruhi alone with her thoughts. As the door clicked shut behind her, Ruhi slumped onto the edge of the bed, her mind swirling with a mixture of uncertainty and determination. She may have been at the mercy of the mansion's inhabitants for now, but she refused to let herself be caged for long.
The older maid returned promptly, bearing a small bucket of water, a rag, a set of clean clothes, and a modest shawl. She placed them on the bed with a thud, fixing Ruhi with a stern look.
"Now, remember what I said," she reiterated, her voice firm. "You stay put in this room. No wandering about."
Ruhi's patience, already worn thin, finally reached its limit. With a polite yet strained tone, she spoke up. "But what about food? And what if I need to use the facilities?"
The maid's expression twisted into a look of disdain, as if the very idea repulsed her. "Food will be brought to you," she replied curtly. "And if you need to relieve yourself, there's a latrine at the end of the hall on the left. Don't make a fuss about it."
With that, the maid turned on her heel and made her exit, leaving Ruhi to stew in her frustration. Despite her growing unease, Ruhi managed a murmured thank you, though it felt hollow on her lips.
As Ruhi scrubbed away the grime of the day, her mind drifted back to that fateful morning just one week ago. She vividly remembered the jolt of awakening on a hard, unfamiliar bed, drenched in a cold sweat, her heart racing with confusion. How had she gone from the comfort of her own home, watching TV in her cozy living room, to this strange and unfamiliar place?
For a fleeting moment, she clung to the hope that it was all just a bizarre dream, a figment of her imagination that would dissipate with the morning light. But as the hours turned into days, reality began to sink in with a chilling certainty. She had crossed over into another world, a world vastly different from her own.
And to make matters worse, she had awoken not as a princess in a fairy tale, but as a lowly slave girl. The bitter realization gnawed at her, threatening to unravel her fragile composure. In this world, she was nothing more than a pawn, a mere extra in someone else's story.
Ruhi knew the odds were stacked against her. She was faced with a choice: to cling to the hope of rescue by a noble prince, or to accept her fate as nothing more than a forgotten footnote in history. Either way, the outcome was uncertain, the path ahead shrouded in shadows. But one thing was clear: Ruhi was determined to carve out her own destiny, no matter the odds.
'So what if I am a slave. I am going to do my best! There is no way I am going to live as an extra.'
She determinedly thought to herself as she fell into the rather comfortable bed and closed her eyes.