"You are an eyesore!" with eyes filled with hatred, my brother screams at me. He always says things to me in this same tone and I wonder if his voice is like this, but it isn't. His eyes narrow and his tone sharpens every time he sees me.
I fidget with the lace of my dress, tears blurring my vision. What have I done wrong? Why does my elder brother always scold me?
"Don't appear in front of me!" he thunders again and I flinch. I am afraid. Here, in this mansion no one talks to me nicely, they either ignore my presence or say mean things to me. Even father never comes to play with me while he does with Auden and elder brother. Have I done something wrong? I always have this question in my head with no one answering it.
My Older brother leaves the room and once again I am lonely in this palace. The tears burst into shrieks after he leaves. I cry and cry and cry, my chest aching with so much pain.
"Why do you hate me?" I sniff, wiping away my tears roughly. Am I a bad child? I cry again and I don't remember how long I have cried because the next thing I know, it's all dark.
Soo-young's heart aches as she witnesses the little girl's emotion and how she was treated badly.
As she watches the scene unfold, her heart aches with empathy and sorrow. The little girl's trembling hands and tear-filled eyes remind Soo-young of her own struggles and loneliness.
A deep sadness washes over her, mingling with anger when she hears the harsh words from the older brother. Soo-young's chest tightens, and she feels an almost physical pain as if the words are directed at her.
The little girl's desperate, questioning gaze tugs at her heartstrings, and she feels a fierce protective instinct rising within her.
She feels powerless, like an invisible spectator unable to intervene. The urge to comfort the girl, to hold her and assure her that she is not alone, is almost unbearable. Soo-young's frustration mounts as she watches the little girl's tears fall, her own eyes welling up in response.
Her thoughts race. She wants to scream at the older brother, to demand why he is so cruel. She wants to shake the father, to ask why he ignores his daughter. Soo-young's hands curl into fists at her sides, a mixture of helplessness and rage coursing through her.
As the girl cries herself into exhaustion, Soo-young feels a deep sense of sorrow and injustice. The little girl's loneliness resonates with her, mirroring her own feelings of abandonment and struggle. She longs to tell the girl that she is not at fault, that she is deserving of love and kindness.
She winces in her sleep, her eyebrows furrowing and her lips pouting in frustration. Soo-young would have kicked his butt if it was allowed, she thinks. But then she wonder who the girl was and she saw him?
Moreover, she is confused as to where she is. Her surroundings are all dark. She is still in her work uniform. It then comes to her as a striking realisation that she was chasing after the thief who stole her money and then got hit by a car.
'I died?' she thinks, touching her body for confirmation. Her body has become much paler than before, with light emitting from her.
And then all of sudden, she hears a voice. It's faint at first but grows louder every passing second.
As the loud voice echoes through the darkness, Soo-young is jolted from her dream-like state. The sound reverberates, pulling her back to consciousness. Her heart races, and her mind struggles to make sense of the disorienting noise.
Slowly, she begins to discern words amidst the cacophony.
"Princess! Wake up, Princess!" the voice calls out, urgent and panicked. Soo-young's eyes flutter open, her vision blurry.
She feels a dull ache throughout her body, as if she's been through an intense ordeal. Her surroundings gradually come into focus, and she realizes she's in a lavish, unfamiliar room adorned with rich tapestries and ornate furniture.
A woman in ancient clothing hovers above her, her face a mix of worry and relief. "Oh, thank the heavens, you've woken up!" she exclaims, clutching Soo-young's hands tightly. Her tears fall freely, her voice trembling with emotion.
Soo-young's mind races, trying to process what she's seeing. This isn't her small, run-down apartment in Seoul. The intricate decor and the unfamiliar attire of the woman before her make her feel like she's stepped into a different world entirely. "Where am I?" she murmurs, her voice weak and confused.
"You are in your room, Princess Lexzandra," the woman replies, her tone both gentle and reverent.
Soo-young's heart skips a beat at the name. Lexzandra? She had heard this name somewhere. The villainess from the novel she had been reading before the accident?
Panic starts to set in. Her head throbs as a flood of unfamiliar memories invades her mind—memories of a life that isn't hers, filled with luxury, scorn, and loneliness.
She sees a grand palace, its towering spires reaching towards the sky. The halls are adorned with intricate tapestries and golden chandeliers, opulence at every turn.
In these halls, a younger Lexzandra runs with boundless energy, her laughter echoing through the corridors. But the laughter fades, replaced by scenes of cold indifference and harsh reprimands.
In one memory, she is seated at a long, ornate dining table. Her father, the King, sits at the head, his expression stern and distant. He speaks animatedly with her brothers, Auden and Nikolai, discussing matters of state and royal duties.
Lexzandra, trying to contribute to the conversation, is met with a dismissive glance and silence. She remembers the pang of exclusion, the sense of invisibility that gnawed at her heart.
Another memory surfaces, one filled with the warmth of her mother's embrace. Her mother, a beautiful woman with a gentle smile and kind eyes, holds baby Lexzandra close, whispering soothing words.
But the warmth is fleeting. Lexzandra sees her mother leaving the palace under the cover of night, her figure disappearing into the darkness, leaving behind a bewildered and crying child.
The memories shift to scenes of her interactions with the palace staff and nobles. She recalls their wary glances, the whispers that followed her wherever she went.
"The cursed princess," they called her, their voices dripping with superstition and disdain. Lexzandra remembers trying to win their favour, offering gifts and kind words, only to be met with cold shoulders and scornful looks.
One particularly painful memory surfaces, one that makes Soo-young's heart clench with sorrow. Lexzandra is in her room, tears streaming down her face. She clutches a broken doll, a gift from her mother, now shattered by Nikolai's spiteful hands.
"You are an eyesore!" he yells, his face twisted with contempt. Lexzandra's small hands tremble as she tries to piece the doll back together, her sobs echoing in the emptiness of her chambers.
Soo-young's breath quickens as she struggles to reconcile her identity with that of the princess. "Who are you?" she asks, her voice tinged with desperation. "Is this the afterlife?"
The woman blinks, then her eyes widen with fresh tears. "Princess, it's me, your maid Elara. You've lost your memories!" She cries out, her distress echoing in the ornate room.
Soo-young's head spins with the revelation. She touches her face, noting the unfamiliar softness and the regal attire she's now wearing.
'What the- this isn't my body…my hands used to be rough but now they are soft like butter!'
She stumbles out of bed, her legs shaky, and makes her way to a large, gilded mirror across the room.
Staring back at her is a young woman with delicate features, purple hair cascading down her shoulders, and wide, expressive eyes. It's a face she recognizes from the novel's descriptions.
"I've become Lexzandra?" she whispers, her voice filled with disbelief and horror.
Her reflection shows her fear and confusion. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Why am I here?" she mutters, touching the mirror as if it might offer answers.
'I recall dying but now I am in this princess's body? Why?'
Elara approaches cautiously, her expression a mix of sympathy and concern. "Princess, please, you need to rest. Everything will be alright."
Soo-young nods numbly, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She realizes she's been given a second chance, albeit in the most unexpected way.