A "Heroine's" Prologue
Edna Hyde was born with the world at her fingertips.
Born into a family of upper class nobles, where she was the youngest daughter of the Hyde family-one of the wealthiest nobles in the great empire of Cretus. Her family was a long line of loyal supporters of the royal family, giving them a prosperous success generation after generation. Her parents were iconic figures and her siblings were already well-known figures amongst their peers.
Most importantly of all, she is treated with nothing but affection and loyalty day in and day out.
Edna loved the attention her siblings and family gives her, that the servants were all enamored with her no matter what. The people around her always compliment the little girl that is the loveliest girl they've ever laid eyes upon. They say her trademark long and straight soft pink locks and ocean blue orbs enhanced her doll-like features. She is someone who can do no wrong no matter the circumstances.
That was what she thought to until she stumbled upon a strange novel in her family's library.
'The Culling'
It was a novel that was full of twists and turns. The story revolves around lady Alice Archibald who regains memories of her past life on her 12th birthday. She was supposedly the villainess in the novel who was hell bent on making the heroine suffer as said heroine-Edna Hyde-garnered the interest of so many influential male figures. Driven by jealousy and greed, Alice tries again and again to make Edna suffer but ends up being publicly executed once all the evidence of her evil doings surfaced.
Lady Alice, having regained her past life's memories, decides to go against the novel and uses her knowledge of the story to turn the tables to her favor. Alice is able to secure financial success and even garner the interest of the heroine's suitors-Goodness, she even becomes blessed with divine magic! Having had broken the novel's plot, the heroine then becomes estranged and unhinged.
Edna goes from a lovable heroine to a despicable villainess.
Edna Hyde still maintains a solid control on the opinion of the public and despite the suitors falling for Alice, the former heroine manages to emotionally manipulate a few of them to do her bidding. This sparks a psychological warfare between Edna and Alice, although eventually it ends up with the latter winning as she is the more decent lass.
True love and friendship prevailed. Alice becomes the new saintess and the wealthiest woman in all of Cretus, as well as the most sought out as the powerful male leads desperately pined for her hand in marriage. A happy ending for the 'good' characters.
Meanwhile, Edna Hyde and her family fell into ruin, erased from the good graces of the imperial family and high society. They were banished for their crimes and lived with endless struggles for the rest of their unfortunate lives.
A young Edna Hyde could only close the book before she bursts out cackling in the otherwise silent library.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as her eyes crinkled with genuine mirth.
So she will lose her wealth, prestige and love life all to an old woman in a noble's body who happened to regain memories of her past life? How amusing.
She found the novel to be true and a premonition of her fate. After all, who would dare use her name as a villainous character to a fictional story? Fantasy or not, her family would have searched for the author and have them severely punished for their audacity to paint the youngest Hyde child as an unsavory character.
And so little but terribly smart Edna comes to terms with her 'role'.
"Role, not destiny." The young girl murmurs, her voice lowering as she sees her nanny rushing towards her with panicked eyes. "As if I'm losing everything to a 'cheater'."
"Lady Edna?! Goodness me, why are you crying?" Her nanny-Clara Alton-frets, kneeling to meet the child's gaze. "Are you hurting anywhere? Should I call the-"
"-Nanny, do I have the world?" Edna abruptly asks, watching with satisfaction as her caretaker nods. "Am I blessed with everything?"
"Of course my lady!" Clara affirms with confidence. "You are born from love and will always be gifted with love for eternity. No one can ever take that from you. This nanny swears!"
Edna laughs with delight at her nanny's honesty, and leans in to wrap her arms around the older woman's neck.
"Thank you nanny, I'll work hard too." She snuggles further into the woman's warm embrace. "I'll make sure no one can take anyone or anything from me. Especially-"
Her gaze narrowed with a dangerous glint.
"-not to some ambitious cheater of a hag."