1 Strange Place

This is strange. The things that I am seeing now are far from the environment I grew up and lived. Is this some kind of joke or perhaps, I am dreaming? My eyes look around the entire spacious room. The room is more fantastic than my apartment. No, much better if I say that this is the most awesome room I've ever seen in my whole life.

A soft bed, and big cabinets full of different colors and styles of dresses, pieces of jewelry, and even shoes. Wow, this is a wonderful dream!

I stood up and stretched my arm but I stopped for a moment and stared at my hand carefully.

"wait, did I lose weight?" I immediately looked in the mirror inside the room and saw a different face. This is not me. I clearly remembered my hair as black and my eyes are brown but the one in front of me now has blue hair and red eyes. I tried to pinch myself to wake up from this dream but no matter how painful the pinching I did, I still couldn't get back.

"my lady, are you awake?" a knock on the door brought me back to my consciousness. Lady? The door opened and a young-looking girl wearing a maid uniform came inside holding a basin of water and a towel.

"my lady, are you okay?" she put the things she brought on the table and ran to me. She held my hand and looked at the part I pinched earlier. I glare at her face, she is about to cry.

"e-eh I'm sorry lady, I deserve punishment," she said, a hint of fear in her voice. Huh? I didn't do anything that might scare her.

"Who are you?" she stared at me as if she couldn't believe what she heard. She looked shocked because she covered her mouth with her hand.

"my lady..." she said repeatedly while crying. Wait, what is this again? I just asked who she was, and why was she crying. In the middle of this mini-drama in front of me, I heard a series of footsteps coming closer. My mind is still not processing and now new people entered the room.

I looked at the new faces. Two of them have the same red eyes but their hair color is orange. I sighed. I just want to know where I am right now and who are these people.

"you, tell me what happened" the old-looking man ordered the young girl.

"yes, my lord. The young lady doesn't recognize me. She asked me who I am" despite of her hands trembling in fear, she told the old man about the situation. Ah luckily, she didn't mention the mark made by pinching myself.

"Rina?" the old man said. Looking at him, he's quite similar to the other man beside him. He called me Rina.

Huh? Did he just call me Rina?

At this moment, I feel like I have been struck by a bolt of strong lightning. Hair is as blue as the ocean and eyes are red like the color of blood. The only daughter of the third most powerful family in the Erian empire. I glance at the old man again, his hair has the color of sunset, and red eyes. No mistake, he is the father of the villainess — Duke Wynknox Atelier, and beside him is Azure Atelier, the next successor of the Duke and an overprotective brother. Now, I am in the body of Rina Atelier, the most hated antagonist of the story who will die miserably at the end of the story.

I looked at them with confusion, slowly stepping back until I could sit on the bed. I covered my face with both hands, trying to remember everything that had happened before I woke up in this place. Ah, I remembered myself looking at the bright full moon after I finished reading 'Spring of Romance', the book where I transmigrated. After that, I don't clearly remember anything. Did I die? I still want to go back to my world.

"Rin, did something bad happens between you and the crown prince? Did he treat you badly? Fuck, even if he is the next emperor, he shouldn't treat his fiancee like this! Is this because of that girl? You're still not married to him yet he dared to get a mistress" Azure said looking worried.

He is the antagonist's brother who will face death at the hands of the crown prince. Before Rina was executed, he was sent as part of delegations to the Crona empire. It was too late when he found out that his sister had died. This was followed by the death of their father because of depression after Rina's death. In a fit of rage, he rushed to kill the prince but a trap was waiting for him. The crown prince knew what he was going to do so there were knights on guard to capture Azure. The prince had long disliked the Duke's family because they remain neutral in the fight against the throne. However, due to the order of the emperor and the Atelier being the third in power, Rina and the prince were engaged.

I looked at him and smiled.

"I am fine brother. You don't need to worry and father..." the room fell silent suddenly and they all looked at me in astonishment. Did I say something wrong again?

"Rina, can you repeat what you said?" said duke Atelier.

"father?"

The duke wiped a tear from his eye. Wait, Oh no! Rina doesn't even call the duke a dad because she thought that her father doesn't care about her. Not telling your feelings and thoughts can lead to misunderstanding. I wish the real Rina know how much her family loves her.

but then, Atelier's family members have difficulties expressing their emotions. I should label them as a 'tsundere' family.

"I want to annul the engagement with the crown prince" a moment of silence again.

"If my father cannot help me because it is the emperor's order, I will find a way to break the engagement myself" I continued.

"Rin, but why? Didn't you say you love the crown prince?" duke Atelier asked.

"no matter what Rin's decision is, I'll support you. It's good that you want to annul the engagement with that crazy prince"

"Brother, please watch your words. The walls have ears, you badmouthing the crown prince might reach the palace"

"it's up to you. You're old now to ask for my decision" the duke said. I stand and bow courteously.

"thank you, father"

"But why did you want to break the engagement suddenly?"

"because his highness doesn't love me. I don't want to waste my entire life looking at the back of the person I love while he's smiling at other women" I smiled. I look at them and see their smiling faces. I guess, they also want to break the engagement because the crown prince is in love with another girl. They look reassured to hear it coming from me.

"ahem, Azure, we shall leave and let your sister rest"

"goodbye brother and father" after both of the left the room, the maids followed leaving the young girl from before.

"you can leave too"

"but my lady" I want to be alone right now.

"I said to leave" she flinched as she heard my cold tone of voice and left the room immediately. Finally! I should analyze everything I've read in the book and make a plan to survive.

This will be my new life and until I find the reason why I transmigrated here and a way back to my original world, I will live as Rina Atelier and change the destiny of the villainess in the book.