In our kingdom, I grew up being lavishly lauded by two types of people; one of whom wishes to get acquainted with my family. And the second type were those who genuinely wanted to befriend me. It might be for the reason that my life was scripted that way, however there is one thing that I don't quite understand while assessing myself in front of the mirror.
In her book, she described me as the Queen of high society, the epitome of beauty. I have soft, long and shiny ebony hair that signifies my Azalena heritage, complimenting my warm ivory pristine complexion. I wasn't as pale as my father and twin brother due to my mother's ethnicity. Nevertheless, I never felt one bit of inferiority due to my skin tone that is very rare in our kingdom. Most of the aristocrats who long knew my family always tell me that I looked like my great grandmother more because I got her heart shaped face and her heterochromatic eyes, - obsidian and golden irises that differentiate me with my twin- and her lovely high nose with a small mole on its left wing acting as a beauty mark. My sultry lips that are already red even without applying tint on it, I got it from my mother.
I was definitely created exactly on her image, but she never flaunts it, in fact she kept her beauty hidden with her dark toned clothes with sleeves, and wears a contact lens to hide her eyes that I loved the most. She is beautiful but she lacks confidence in herself not only due to her horrific past, but also because of the bruises that she kept getting from her abuser after they found her again.
"You and I have the same face and body, yet we looked different at the same time." I whispered at my reflection before gently toying with my fingers her long ebony hair that 'she' grew because of this world's Achilles. I smiled at the person behind me from the mirror and nodded at her so she could start her job on cutting it short.
"It's a pity. You grew your hair this long just to cut it short." The hairdresser met my gaze in the mirror when she was done. I guess she couldn't stop herself from voicing her dismay at what I made her do with my beautiful hair. "But you know what?" I faced her properly after taking off the cape on me, patiently waiting for her next words, as I looked at the strands of my hair lay scattered on the floor, dark and heavy, like the remnants of a woman I no longer was. With a soft exhale, I knelt down, took a handful of the severed locks, and threw them into the trash as my last farewell to 'that' person.
She sighed upon seeing what I did and smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "This style suits you best, my dear, and whoever was behind this drastic transformation that you wanted, will undoubtedly regret it." The woman's voice is full of care, making me actually smile as I gazed at myself in the mirror, and eventually thanked her before leaving her business with a joyful sensation.
It feels liberating now that I finally get rid of the thing that symbolizes 'her' selfless love for Achilles. It is my body now and according to the letter that my creator left for me together with all her savings that she prepared for our switch. I was not surprised to see a letter stuck inside her drawer since I have the same habit of hiding important documents under my drawer.
My Lady,
If you are reading this letter then the spell probably worked. First, I would like to apologize for what I did. When I couldn't change your will to die, I felt miserable. I still don't understand why you chose that route. I wanted to give you a happy ending heedless of the hardship you faced, but you made a choice that made me at a loss. You destroyed the world I created for you, - a world where you will still be happy despite everything that happened in your life - on your own, that even this overseer of fate of yours can't change. I resented you for a while. But then, I read your thoughts again.
As you already know, I am beyond redemption, my lady. I can't do what you managed to pull off. Letting him go without regrets, unloving him...it is something that I am powerless to do. I made him my world. My life revolves around him. I am a slave to Cupid's arrow. I am that cruel god's marionette. But you...you are different. You and I are not the same. That is why I made a choice. I made this choice.
Since I can't give you the satisfactory ending that you want...then I am willing to give up this life so you can once again have it...your true end. You don't have to worry about anything else and use my body and all the things I own at your disposal. Just live the life you wanted without the interference of this humble servant of yours.
Sincerely,
Rina
Remembering her letter still infuriates me. She basically passed her torch at me and took my liberty to peacefully wait for my people in the afterlife. I looked up at the tangerine-painted sky with a defeated sigh.
"Let's just think of this as Sol's grace." I told myself and started heading back to my place holding a bunch of shopping bags in both hands. Using her money, I bought everything that I wanted just like when I was the Lady of Azalena. Since she made sure that I will live comfortably in this new hell that she put me in, then I will live it as I like.
It's quite funny though that I easily adapt to her life, as if I was meant to be here. It could be because I have knowledge about her world due to her memories that I acquired when I first came, and also the fact that everything in her world and mine are just the same except that magic and monsters were only a work of fiction.
My brow raised when I realized that I was wrong about this world not having a monster. There is one in here. The worst monster of all. I felt triumphant when I saw his reaction upon seeing my bob-cut hair. For others, they will only think that it suits me, but not with Achilles. He knew that 'Karina' grew his hair because he liked women with long silky black hair, and cutting it off only means one thing. Karina is over him.
"Rina, can we talk?" Achilles asked using his most insincere gentle tone. He walked towards me and tried to help me with the bags I was holding but before he could even touch my hand, I pulled away and looked at him coldly.
"Are you bored?" He was rooted in his place when I asked him that question sternly. I took a step towards him, closing the gap in between us, without breaking our eye contact. I saw him gulped upon seeing my heterochromatic eyes that he said was disgusting to see, making the original Karina hide it with a contact lens. "I will tell you this once, so listen closely."
I gave him my prettiest smile making his expression relaxed a little, "I'm not mad at you, so you can stop trying to make amends for what you did." My smile faded and added, "I simply don't care about it anymore." I took a step back and smirked at him, "Take that one night we had- I mean my first time, as a thank you gift for saving me from those bastards and let's call it quits."
Achilles grabbed my arms before I could walk past him. He seemed enraged from what I said, and didn't expect that I would treat my first time with him as nothing. It wasn't me he slept with anyway, so it was really nothing to me now, whatever past he shared with that 'Karina'. All I want is for him to leave me alone.
"You...who are you?" Confused and mad at the same time, he asked. "You've changed, Rina."
I pulled away from his grasp and scoffed at him, "I did not change that much, Dimitri." He looked surprised at the way I called him, 'Karina' never called him that way since she knew that he hated to be called that way. I heaved a sigh and looked at him indifferently, "I only changed one thing about me."
"What?"
I gave him my most genuine smile, "Loving you." I stated confidently. "Cupid demanded back his arrow so desperately, so I let him have it back, and it created a domino effect in my life...and poof! The marionette is gone."
"What do you mean?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "You're not dumb but since you're acting like one, then let me tell it to you to a word that you will simply understand."
I took a step back from him and tucked the loose strand of my short hair behind my ear, flaunting it to his face that I had changed. "Good riddance to you."