Since she had adopted the identity of Gianna, she might as well live as her properly.
She returned home, thinking of her next chore. "Oh, it's cooking," she muttered to herself, walking to the kitchen.
As she entered, Gianna's eyes scanned the modest but tidy space. It was a far cry from the luxurious kitchens she'd been accustomed to in her former life, where professional chefs prepared each meals so meticulously. Here, everything was simpler and homelier—a small pot on the stove, a few mismatched dishes on the counter, and a bowl of fresh vegetables waiting to be chopped.
A slight pang of nostalgia washed over her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cooked a meal for herself—probably back when she was still at the bottom, with nothing to show for herself.
Right now, in this small home with the gentle scent of herbs in the air, there was a kind of comfort, a reminder of the ordinary life she'd once left behind. A tough yet simple life.
She picked up a knife and began chopping carrots, her movements almost mechanical yet extremely focused. She was planning on making vegetable stew.
Minutes later when she was stirred the simmering vegetables, she heard the door creak open behind her. She knew it would be one of her two siblings, according to the memories she had inherited from the original Gianna.
And indeed, it was her younger brother.
She couldn't help but marvel at how handsome he was; Sofia's genes were really good.
The young man—Andrea, according to her memory—was sixteen, with a mop of dark hair and sharp, inquisitive eyes that reminded her of Sofia. His skin was an olive tone, and at first glance, you could tell he was Italian, unlike Gianna.
In his blue pajamas, he yawned and glanced at her. "Good morning, Ann"
"Good morning," Gianna replied quietly. She'd never had a sibling before, so it felt strange to her. But she clearly remembered that this boy and the original Gianna were quite close.
"Uh, where's Mommy?" Andrea asked, rubbing his eyes, still half-asleep but remembering he couldn't be late for school.
"She said she was going on a date..." Gianna informed him.
"Uh?" Andrea seemed taken aback. "This early in the… Wait wait wait… Did you… just add peanuts to that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Gianna froze, glancing down at the dish. She had indeed tossed in a handful of crushed peanuts, thinking it would add a nice flavor. She hadn't thought twice about it.
Could something be wrong?
The boy looked her over as if she were some alien, then he asked carefully. "Gianna, you know you're allergic to peanuts, right?"
She blinked, her mind racing as she tried to recall what she knew about the real Gianna's life. She finally remembered after several seconds, she hadn't noticed at all—after all, as Brianne, she wasn't allergic to anything.
"Oh, right. Thanks for catching that," she said quickly, attempting to cover her slip-up with a smile. She picked up a spoon and scooped out the offending bits, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight tremor in her hands. "I guess I'm a little distracted today."
Damn, it hadn't even been a day—not even hours—and here she was, already slipping up.
"Well, just be careful, I guess." Andrea muttered, shaking his head as he walked out of the kitchen. "Probably thinking of that crazy dude, huh? Just don't poison me, I still need to own that ps5..."
Gianna's expression turned strange, but she pretended not to hear anyway.
She told herself she needed to be careful these days.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The sudden scream from nowhere made her drop the knife, narrowly missing her hand. She sucked in a deep breath and immediately ran out, only to see Andrea staring at something on his phone.
"What happened?" Gianna asked, alert as she looked around the room worriedly.
"Brianne died!" Andrea yelled in clear disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.
Gianna sighed, rolling her eyes before returning to the kitchen.
So dramatic.
Andrea immediately ran after her. "What's with that attitude? Huh? Have you seen the news? Wait... No wonder you've been acting strange—turns out it was because of this!" He rattled on, pacing around the room, his hand trembling. "She wasn't sick, nor was it an accident! They're saying she fell off a cliff while filming a movie scene? Dead on the spot? Damn it! They killed my goddess! They freaking killed her!"
"You'll be late for school if you keep dancing around like that," Gianna muttered. She hadn't expected the young man to be her fan.
Andrea walked toward her, then grabbed her face between his palms, studying her expression carefully.
"What's wrong?" Gianna asked, her heart racing in her chest.
Did he catch on?
Andrea's frown deepened. "What happened to you? Why are you acting so strange? Our goddess died, but you're acting as if her death doesn't bother you. Did you hit your head…?" He shook his head, his dark brows knitting together. "Wait, it can't be... You aren't planning to hurt yourself, are you?!" Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he'd realized something, and his face lost its color. "Y-You…" He gulped. "You're not planning on doing something crazy, are you? You aren't trying to kill yourself, right? Is that why you added peanuts to the meal? Are you crazy?! Do you want to die?"
Gianna frowned. Why would she want to die when she was just given another chance to live?
But she knew the young man was just worried about her, so she shook her head. "I wouldn't do something stupid."
"Seems like that's exactly what you're planning to do!" Andrea pointed out. He was suspicious beyond words.
Gianna wasn't prepared for this. She wasn't the type to say much, and she definitely wasn't the type to spend a lot of time convincing people. In the end, she just shook her head. "Go and get ready for school, Andrea."