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Where am I? This place.... feels familiar. 

"May! Haven't you showered yet? It's already dinnertime!"

"Haha! Mum, don't you know May is the number one stinky queen?"

"Jun, you realize that you don't exactly smell like a field of flowers either right?"

"Dad! It's because I just came back from soccer practice, ok? Hmph! You always take her side"

These people are... my family, from my past life. They're... really here!

Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart feeling immensely relieved. Then, it was all just a dream? The accident? Going into the novel and becoming Evangeline? That was just a long, dream after all! I knew it wasn't something as ridiculous as I thought.

I'm really back home.

"Everyone—"

"That's cause dad loves me the most, stupid!"

Before I could even speak, someone had cut off my sentence. And that someone had a very familiar voice. As I slowly turned my head around, a figure dashed past me...

Or rather, it went through me.

A girl with short black hair ran over towards my younger twin brother and smacked him in the head. She was wearing the clothing that I usually wore to sleep. But, why was she wearing it? Who gave it to her? Surely, not my mum, right?

I turned my head towards her, my face expecting her to yell or even curse her out for wearing my clothes. But, instead... my mum, the one who gave me a warm smile my entire life, was barely looking in my direction. Instead, she was giving that very same smile to that girl. And then there's my dad, who was scolding the two of them for arguing, his expression was stern but in his eyes were hints of laughter. It was the look of a father towards his children, a look of love and pride.

Why?

Why aren't they looking at me? Who is that girl?

"Mum! Dad! Jun! It's me! I'm here!" I called out to them. But, no matter how much I screamed, they hardly turned their eyes towards me. It was like I was invisible, like I wasn't there at all. 

"It's me! Your daughter and older sister. It's me, May!" I ran up to them, waving my hands wildly in front of them.

I went to grab my mum's arm in an attempt to catch her attention but, instead of feeling her warm skin, my hand went right through her.

This... I can't touch them? Why? WHY?

"It's because you're dead"

Looking up from my trembling hands, I turned my head towards the feminine voice that spoke just now. And then my eyes rounded. I knew who the voice belonged to, but I refused to believe it... because the girl who was familiarising herself with my family looked exactly like me. No, in fact, she is me!

"No— No, it can't be!"

"It's time you accept your fate. You're no longer May," her eyes matched her cold tone. 

"STOP! YOU'RE AN IMPOSTOR!" I shouted, my tears were rolling down my face in frustration and confusion. I don't understand what was going on. Why is there someone who looks like me... HERE with my family? Don't they know that's not May? I'm May!

"That's funny, coming from someone who's lying about their identity," she sneered. 

"I—" I couldn't continue my sentence because she was right. I was calling her an impostor and yet, here I am, pretending to be Evangeline and lying to the Alcmene couple that I was their daughter. I was every bit as an impostor as she was.

SWOOSH! 

The scene changed and suddenly I found myself standing in front of the Alcmene mansion. The cloudy skies loomed over, threatening to spill at any second. The sound of roaring thunder boomed in a distance.

Wait. How did I get here? Where did my family go? Wasn't I just talking to... her?

"Lied..."

What?

Suddenly, a couple appeared in front of me. It was the Alcmene couple. The duchess was crying in her husband's arms and his face held a mixture of anger and sadness. He was patting her back, trying to comfort her but it looked to be in vain. She looked up to her husband's face, her tears brimming as it spilled over.

"Why did she lie to us?" the duchess wailed.

Was she talking about me?

"Wait, I didn't mean to—" I immediately tried to explain myself, my hands reached out to them. That's right! I didn't mean to lie to them. I had to do it for their sake! They would be devastated if they knew their Evangeline really died. I was just trying to hold it off until... Until...

Until when? Until after I've stopped Elijah's plans? And then, what? Will I get kicked out because I'm not the real Evangeline?

"Let's go back inside, my dear," the duke held her shoulders. Just like my previous life's family, the Alcmene couple didn't seem to notice I was standing right in front of them either. I knew that running to them would be meaningless. And even if they could hear or see me, then what? Apologise for lying to them? For taking the place of their daughter and using their status and wealth for my own purposes? 

As the door closed behind them, the skies began to pour and the rain pelted against my head. I stood there in the same spot for a while, my thoughts were jumbled up in a mess.

Lost in my own misery, the scenery changed once again and I was amidst a dark void. It was so cold and dark around me that I shivered subconsciously. It felt ominous and scary. I didn't want to be here anymore. I crouched down in fear, my shoulders tensing up as I felt a presence approaching me.

"Evangeline," someone called out. Who is that? They were behind me so I couldn't see their faces.

"You're getting in the way," the voice's tone was so terrifying, like a beast about to devour its prey.

And then, a sudden pressure hit my chest. It was so heavy and suffocating.

"Stop! It hurts! I can't breathe! I..."

"....lady. My lady! MY LADY!"

My eyes jolted awake as I came face to face with Marise who was looking at me with concern. Her eyebrows knitted up together as she held onto a towel in her hands.

A... A nightmare? Because I was suddenly awoken, I couldn't remember it much but I still feel terrible right now.

"My lady, please get out of the bed!"

Wait, what?

And then, Marise pushed me off.

"Ma—Marise! What are you doing?" I glared at her with a bewildered face. I've already woken up in a bad mood so, why do I have to be treated like this?

"I apologize, my lady. But, the roof was leaking over your head. Judging by how relatively dry your bedding still is, I believe that it hadn't been long since it started leaking. Ah! But your forehead is a little wet though so, I quickly wiped it for you"

Leaking? Does a ducal household even have roof leaks?

"I—I see," I smiled grimly. Now that I think about it, didn't I dream I was in the rain or something? Was that why it felt so realistic? I sighed, looking out the window and watching the rain falling freely from the heavy clouds. It just had to rain today of all days, huh?

"My lady, your face seems a little pale. Did you catch a cold because of the leaking?" she gasped, biting her lip. Her expression was filled with worries and regret. Knowing what Marise is like, she'll probably feel responsible one way or another and ask for punishment later on. 

"No, no. I just had a horrible nightmare," I tried to give an assuring smile. But truthfully, my head does feel a little heavy and my body was a little sore.

But, today, I absolutely cannot fall sick! Because....

"W—well, if you insist, my lady. But, if you feel even a little bit under the weather, you must tell me, alright? We can't have you falling sick on your birthday!"

Yep, that's right! Today is my and Evangeline's birthday!

As a special celebration for reaching my 18th year, father decided to host a ball for me tonight. I'm glad the author of the novel somewhat followed my previous life's custom where 18 is the age of becoming an adult. I can't imagine if I had entered a novel where I already was an adult from the age of 14 or 15 and had a husband and a few kids.

Anyways, I wasn't about to miss my first ball since coming to this world, and especially a ball hosted in my honour. Besides, what kind of birthday ball would it be if the birthday girl herself didn't even show up? I was going to tough it out no matter what, even if it means holding off being sick until tomorrow.

Not to mention, I spent a month learning how to dance, much to Sir Klein's annoyance, since he was my dancing partner. Father even occasionally "supervised" our dance practice, which made Sir Klein much tenser under his watchful glare. Father initially hated that I suggested Sir Klein as my dance partner and escort but, it was much better than asking a random nobleman instead. I used the excuse that I didn't quite remember most people in high society ever since I woke up from my coma and being paired up with someone I don't properly remember would only bring me more distress, so I suggested that I make Sir Klein my temporary escort since I was already comfortable with him. With such a convincing argument, how could father even begin to counter?

"Touch her anywhere other than her waist and hands, and you're dead," he made a motion of slicing his neck, threatening Sir Klein from afar.

Ah! I really must apologise to Sir Klein after all of this is over, and maybe even find him a nice wife candidate at the ball.

"Look at the time! We'll be late if we keep dwindling around, my lady!" Marise cried as she glanced at the clock. She hurried me to the bathroom and called for the other maids to ready my dress and makeup. I could already tell that this was going to take absolutely forever since it's 7 in the morning and the party only starts late in the evening. 

I sighed, my head throbbing even more now. I better sneak into the medicine cabinet before I go to the ball.

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