Yeri stirred from her deep sleep, her head spinning with confusion and disorientation. As she slowly opened her eyes, she took in her surroundings. The room was lavishly decorated, with ornate furniture and rich tapestries. The bed she was lying in was covered with a luxurious duvet that felt alien against her skin. She wondered how long she had been asleep and, more pressingly, where she was. Panic began to rise within her.
"How long have I been asleep? Oh my god, is Mom okay? Why the hell did they kidnap me? Does this even look like a place kidnappers would take their hostages to?" she muttered to herself, scanning the room with wide eyes.
The room's elegance did not match her idea of a typical kidnapping scene. It looked more like a noble's quarters, with its polished wooden floors and opulent decorations. Just as her thoughts were running wild, the door creaked open. A tall, stern-looking man entered, his presence commanding attention.
"Isadora, or rather should I call you Yeri. Welcome to the Ashford estate," the man said, his voice carrying an air of authority as he began to approach her.
Yeri looked at him with a mix of confusion and defiance. "And you are?" she asked, confusion evident in her eyes and voice. She was just a five-year-old girl, but her gaze was piercing.
"My name is Ashford. I'm a count and... your biological father," he confessed, his tone unwavering.
Yeri remained on the bed, staring at him intently. Then, without warning, she burst into laughter. The absurdity of the situation was too much for her to take seriously.
"You are joking, right? What kind of biological father kidnaps his own child, treats her like a criminal, and then gives her some princess treatment later? Are you a maniac, or do you happen to have any psychological issues? If that's so, I advise you to visit a physician because your stupidity knows no bounds," she said, her anger and disdain clear.
Count Ashford's expression hardened, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "For a five-year-old, you have a mouth of venom. You sound as though you are older than your age. Is this what Mariam has taught you over the years?" he retorted.
"Oh, please spare me your lecture, and her name is Maya. Seeing you now tells me all the reasons why my mother ran away. I'm sure you have some kind of mistress with this pampered, violent character you have," Yeri shot back, her words sharp and unfiltered. She expressed her disdain with such straightforwardness that it took Ashford aback.
As if on cue, a lady entered the room, clinging to Ashford's right arm. "Zack, has Isadora gotten acclimated yet?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet and her demeanor clingy.
Yeri scoffed. "Ha! Looks like I'm right. I'm so lucky to have not grown up in such an environment. Seeing you is like I took a one-way ticket to hell. I would like to return to the village of Kias, where my loving family would be awaiting my return."
With that, Yeri stood up from the bed and began to arrange herself, ready to leave this place. However, Ashford's next words froze her in her tracks.
"I would advise you not to go anywhere. From now on, you will be living as my daughter. If by any chance you dream of escaping from this estate, I would tell the assassins I have deployed around your loving family to kill them," he threatened, his voice icy.
"You wouldn't dare," Yeri whispered, her voice filled with frustration and fear. Her mother was still pregnant, and she needed to be there to witness the birth of her sibling or at least see them alive. There was too much at stake.
"Diana, let's leave Isadora to rethink our offer and get used to her new life," Ashford said, turning to leave the room with Diana still clinging to his arm.
As the door closed behind them, Yeri felt tears welling up in her eyes. She was trapped, and the weight of her situation bore down on her. She sank back onto the bed, her mind racing.
******
After much sulking, I had come to a startling realization: this kingdom was not merely another world, but the very setting of the book I had read, "Thou Who Summoned You." The scene I had just experienced was an exact match for one of the book's pivotal moments. In that book, there was a character with my very name who was forced into marriage with a melancholic baron's son, a boy who had fallen into a deep depression after the untimely death of his sister due to a disease.
"I need to avoid that mess of a future," I muttered to myself, frustration and fear mingling in my voice. "But I'm not even sure if the poor child hasn't already died. Arghhh! What to do?"
I sank onto the edge of the bed, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the information I possessed. The box of gifts my mother had given me sat in the corner of the room, catching my eye. In a bid to calm my racing thoughts, I took out the diary in the box and began to jot down everything I could remember:
- The foreign protagonist who will drown and lose her memory.
- The tyrant Duke who is unaware of the true cause of his mother's death.
- The commoner who rose to the rank of Duke.
- My depressed future husband.
- The jealous Marquess's daughter who was always envious of the foreigner's relationship with the Crown Prince.
- The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the tyrant Duke's mother.
- My own controlled and sorrowful life, dictated by the Count.
- My abusive half-brother, born of the mistress Diana.
- The Crown Prince's deep love for his sister.
I reviewed the notes, ensuring I had everything right. "Damn it! What did that guy's mother die of?" The frustration bubbled up again.
I need to find a way to bend my future. Should I ask for a trip to Luretta to warn the foreign princess about her betrayers so she doesn't drown and lose her memory?
Or should I wait and tell her when we meet at the Emperian Academy when I'm ten?
Or perhaps I should approach the tyrant Duke and offer my help in exchange for finding his mother's murderer. I need more intel.
I wondered about the five other people I had met when we died and encountered that angel. Were they reincarnated here as well? If they were, the story might not unfold as it was originally written. The thought was both a comfort and a worry. Right now, I needed information.
"Looks like I will not be going home anytime soon," I sighed, resigning myself to the reality of my situation.