"Where am I? What happened to my face?!" I panicked.
A few minutes before:
"Haah, Vernon crying?" I munched some chips violently and wondered why the novel I was currently reading ended like that.
It narrated the story of the Crown Prince of Cairon. He was constantly abused by the Villainess Laura Vinèyard after losing his memories due to a battle between life and death escaping the assassins sent by his stepmother, like every romance novel on this planet, the female lead, Ophelia, is the trigger that helps the Crown Prince save himself by awakening his powers.
The novel "Mille Occhi" was the very reason I could breathe again, it was like a friend I could go to when everything went wrong, I could relate to a lot of misfortunes that happened to the male and female leads.
My life has always been full of abuse.
In my 20 years of existence, I couldn't escape 'them' for one simple reason, the relationship between us could never be broken as what connected us wasn't simple. What connected us was blood.
I grew up living for my family, there wasn't a day I didn't get beaten, there wasn't a day I didn't get used. From my money to my food, it was all decided by 'them'.
It didn't just stop at home.
At my job, where my colleagues and boss forced a stupid amount of work to do by myself, and even during my school days when I was constantly bullied by my classmates, no one cared.
I've been always alone.
This was why I felt bad for the male lead but there was one thing I couldn't bring myself to understand: the reason why Vernon, the second male lead, a composed and calm individual broke down for the death of the villainess.
I should've waited the answer from the author instead of taking a nap, but who would have thought something like this would've happened?
"Where am I?!"
I looked around and found myself in an unfamiliar room. It was full of luxurious furniture, a bed so big it could fit at least three people, and it was decorated with a white canopy with red flowers embellishing it, the floor was made out of porcelain tiles, and the walls had various paintings framed in gold.
"My Lady! What happened?!"
A strange lady, with a uniform made of a simple black dress and a white apron, came towards me with a concerned face.
The anxiety I developed from all my suffering made my body tremble like a leaf on a windy day as I took some steps back worried for my safety.
"Wh-who are you? Where am- I?" I slowly kneeled down for the fear.
The lady stared at me with utter confusion, unable to say another word and that was when trying to avoid eye contact my gaze fixed upon a mirror reflecting a face that wasn't mine: a slender body, delicate skin made of ceramic, long scarlet hair and two big pear green eyes.
I panicked even more.
Not only I was in an unfamiliar place, but even my appearance also changed.
I felt as if my lungs were cut away from my body.
What if I fall asleep and go back as Laura? What will my parents say? What if I get beaten for being late at listening to their requests?
I lower my head to the ground, still shivering at the thought of my consequences.
"My Lady! Why are you lowering your head?! Please get up" she holds my arm in a futile attempt to make me stand up.
'My Lady'? Why does she call me like that? Why is my face like this? Where am I?
Questions kept clouding my mind as the screams of the strange woman felt more and more distant.
Suddenly, the door of this luxurious room swung open and a man, followed by someone that seemed a doctor stormed near me.
Memories that weren't mine flowed slowly in my mind, causing unbearable pain to my head.
"I'm sorry Lady Vinèyard! Please forgive m-"
CRUSH
And there she was, a girl with the same bright red hair and lime eyes I had now, shouting with immense anger while throwing everything she could find.
"How can you make a mistake like this?! You are fired!"
"Please My Lady! I have my younger siblings to feed, please don't fire me!"
The green-eyed girl stared at the maid that was being taken away by two guards without blinking even once.
"My daughter, are you okay? Do you feel pain?" the man that entered the room seconds ago asked, waking me up from 'her' memories.
"Who-who are you? Where am I?" I question still frightened.
His face explodes with a miserable and shocked expression.
"Laura, my daughter what do you mean?"
"I don't know you or this place, please send me back" I implore with all the courage I had.
The man turns around to face the doctor, that gets the message and examines me as fast as he could.
"Marquis Vinèyard, unfortunately, I'm unable to understand why the Lady has lost her memory. Her physical condition is normal"
The lady from before grits her teeth and comes forward clenching her fists tightly.
"My Lady! Do you remember me? I'm your personal maid Lydia" she tries to hold back her tears without succeeding.
"I don't know, I don't know what you are talking about- Arghh" the sharp pain from before hurts my head once again.
"Despite might not know the circumstances from which the Young Lady developed amnesia, you must not force her to remember and give her absolute rest, too much mental stimulation is bad for her psychologically"
"I understand doctor" the Marquis answered defeated.
Wait for a second, ' Marquis', 'Vinèyard', 'Lydia'.
This is when I could finally connect the dots and understand the situation I was in, I wasn't Laura from Italy anymore, the Laura that was abused by others her whole life.
I became the Laura that abused everyone else, the villainess.
"Laura Vinèyard"
