''Hmm…''
Surrounded by the natural scenery of flowers with their pleasant scent and the cool breeze sweeping over them, a puff of smoke could be seen fading into the air, before another followed doing the same.
Rose Kingston…now Rose Cortez, could be seen relaxed with her slim body on the green grass. Her long hair sprawled on the grass like scattering leaves of a sturdy tree. A smoking pipe meticulously carved out of fine wood, was propped casually in her mouth by her fingers. In a gentle rhythm, she inhaled and exhaled the substance in the smoking pipe. Her amethyst eyes were hidden out of sight while enjoying what nature had to offer her with the gentle, yet cool breeze.
'This is much better.' The corner of her lips tugged up into a faint smile. This was the kind of life that she had envisioned and wished for so many times.
Back in her actual world, she had been the reigning empress of the entertainment industry. That kind of life had begun after graduation from high school. A manager of an entertainment company had approached her.
Rose, who had been an orphan since birth, had no one to guide her. She had an excellent result to enter into college, but Rose wasn't so optimistic about school.
So, she ventured into the entertainment industry. Back then, Rose thought this was her life. This was her calling….her living what she had been born to do in this world.
Acting.
Performing as many characters and exploring different yet new feelings. When she had discovered such a talent of hers, she fell in love with it in an instant.
It wasn't easy at the beginning as a newbie, but Rose wasn't one to give up. Whatever the company demanded from her, she performed twice more than their expectations. The outcome was very good and her name had fallen into their favorite lists. Finally, after five years, as though the heavens had finally shined their light upon her, her name gradually became known. Every movie she acted brought millions and billions of dollars to the company. She had won many awards each year without stop.
She had been crowned queen of the entertainment industry countless times. Her fans had decided to give her a permanent nickname, Empress of the entertainment industry.
That was how many had referred her. Whichever actor or actress acted with her would become successful. Whichever movie she performed in, even as an insignificant character would be successful.
She was that hot and wanted in the entertainment industry.
However…..
Rose had gotten tired of such life.
She had no real friends. She had no family to share the success with. Every person she had met eyed her like a piece of meat, wanting to munch on and never let go. They all had intentions of associating with her. There was never a week when she had gone without surviving from a scheme. Her popularity might have brought her many good outcomes, but the bad ones couldn't be excluded that easily. Many had always envied her to the point they either wanted to frame her, sleep with her, or even force her into marriage.
It was that bad as a very famous actress.
The billions of dollars she had in her name just kept on piling without much use. Rose didn't see the significance of money anymore, especially with the many gazes.
Anything she wanted, she could have them in a blink of an eye.
Dealing with such depression hadn't been that easy. Her therapist had suggested that she read novels. Perhaps they could have alleviated some of her loneliness.
Her therapist was right about such, and that was how she had discovered this novel, My pink rose.
A very stupid book, in her opinion.
Yet, she was living as a character in the same stupid book.
''That reminds me…'' Her amethyst eyes met the floating clouds of the blue sky. ''I need a pastor…a priest or whatever they call them in this world.'' She mumbled with the smoking pipe in her lips. Puffing out a smoke, she wondered about the original owner of the body.
The Empress.
Since she was in this body, the soul of the Empress must have gone somewhere. Perhaps she was truly dead, and no one knew about it…not even her only family, the Grand duke.
Only she, the outsider of this world.
''I'm sorry about this. I didn't even know this would happen, Empress.'' She murmured, feeling quite sad for the Empress. ''In return for this beautiful body of yours, I'll surely perform a ceremony for you.'' Her words were akin to a vow. It wouldn't be appropriate for to be living as someone's substitute with such ungratefulness. Rose knew when courtesy when it was demanded, even as an orphan.
After coming that decision, Rose closed her eyes back and fully relaxed her body on the green grass that sometimes tickled her.
'I wonder how many reacted to my death…' She suddenly thought of her life as Rose Kingston. If she was in this world, in an actual body, then her body in that world was dead.
Her manager would definitely discover her lifeless body on the bed.
*fuuu*
''I can imagine…'' she mumbled her thought aloud, following the puff of smoke from her lips. The billboards with her name and pictures plastered everywhere and heartbreaking tears of her loyal fans, just because of her death. Her company would definitely be the saddest because their major money-tree had suddenly died without warning.
'Well, good riddance…' Rose wasn't sympathetic towards her life as the empress of the entertainment industry. She was already tired of such life, and had been ready to welcome death. Though her meaning of death was different from what the heavens had in store for her as an actual Empress in a novel.
*Haa*
Without warning, a faint yawn escaped her lips.
'I've been feeling sleepy lately…' Rose thought, wondering if this body had a sleeping sickness that she and the empress did not know about. Ever since she came in as the Empress, all she had done was sleep, eat, sleep, eat and, of course, taking a bath.
Not that she was complaining about such idle life, but she couldn't help but have concerns. The rate at which she slept was more than average for a human. Even one of the maids serving her voiced out her concerns. The doctor had mentioned that her body was perfectly fine, so why exactly was she feeling this sleepy?
''Y-Your majesty…!''
''What is it?'' Without opening her drooping eyes, Rose replied to the maid calling out for her. This voice also belonged to the maid that had voiced out her concerns for her sleepiness. According to the memories in her head, the maid and the empress were quite close.
Besides that, Rose had also taken a liking to the maid. She was the only one who seemed to have cared deeply about the empress.
''Your majesty should please get up and follow this maid. There's no time.'' The voice of the maid came again, albeit closer than before.
''No time to do what?'' Furrowing her brows, Rose noticed how the maid's voice seemed shaky and anxious. Did something happen without her knowledge? Was it finally time for her peaceful life to end?
''H-His…''
''I didn't expect my empress to give me such a surprise.''
''….!'' Hearing the new voice that overwhelmed the maid's, Rose snapped her eyes open. The sleepiness that she felt at the moment instantly disappeared from her eyes. Her figure steadily rose in a sitting position on the grass and her gaze focused on the new people right behind the maid.
Her amethyst eyes met a pair of golden eyes that glinted quite brightly for the daylight.
''Y-Your majesty!'' Surprised by the appearance of the emperor right behind her back, the maid squealed in shock and hurriedly moved to the side with her gaze lowered respectfully.
''Ah…'' A light sound escaped her lips after her fingers held onto the smoking pipe away from her lips. Her amethyst eyes flickered in realization.
The emperor, who was the male lead of the novel, was right here with her.
A man who was also her husband.
>Enjoy!<