Dreams Do Come True

It's a dream. It's a dream. A long dream.

Natalie kept repeating these words in her head. It had to be a dream. She couldn't possibly be Hina. This definitely was not real life. It was all an illusion in her head! As the woman scrubbed over her naked body, Natalie couldn't help but stare at the scars Hina's body had acquired over the fourteen years she had lived. From what she could recall from the novel, Hina's mother had started adding small bits of poison into her food when she was six. Other times, the woman would give her the antidote so that she doesn't die but would continue to poison her again when she pleased. It was a sick hobby of Hina's mother. The woman loved being the centre of attention. The beautiful woman with a sick frail daughter. Who wouldn't want to come to her aid? Natalie was boiling with so much anger but all she could do was cry.

[Why am I crying like a child? Are these Hina's feelings?]

"The Merchant is not really a bad man like the rumours, little one. Don't cry. A bride shouldn't cry on their wedding day."

["Not really a bad man"?]

Natalie eyed the woman who spouted nonsense so casually. The novel had briefly explained how Hina was raped and tortured, but there wasn't enough information to dwell on, yet she knew he was worse than "not really a bad man". The woman's words sounded warm but her tone had a cold expression. The woman had been sent over by the merchant to take care of his new bride's needs for the wedding. Natalie caught a glimpse of the woman's expression as she looked at her with disgust.

"Make sure you hide these scars well. You're a noble man's wife now. You shouldn't bear such scars for anyone to see" Natalie could barely hold back from punching the woman in the nose.

Hina had to face so much hatred from a young age. It's no wonder she was forced to become a villain.

"You're speaking to a noble man's wife now. Seeing as there's a difference in our status, you shouldn't be speaking to me so informally, right?"

The woman's eyes widened in disbelief.

[Yeah! Be humble, bitch! I'm above you now.]

"Y- Yes. I understand. Forgive me, young miss" the woman lowered her gaze and continued to brush Hina's silk golden-brown hair down her waist. Natalie smiled to herself at this small victory and continued to pray in her head for all this to be a dream. A stupid, stupid dream.

After the woman was done with the makeup and dressing, Natalie looked in the mirror again. She had truly become Hina. Her effortlessly silky hair and pearl-like skin couldn't be hidden by the wounds and constant poisoning that weakened her system. She was so beautiful, it hurt Natalie's ego. Still, all this was just wrong. She looked like a child with too much makeup and clothes unbefitting for her age.

"You may go. Let me know when it's time to set off"

"Y-yes, young miss". The woman was still stunned at Hina's sudden change and the confidence in her tone. Such sweet power Hina had gotten but she failed to properly utilise it. Natalie pondered over several possibilities in her head of ways to run away from this mess. In the novel, the Merchant's true colours were displayed on their first night when he raped Hina. The thought disgusted Natalie and she was running out of ideas on how to escape. One thing for sure was that she'd be unable to escape from the house for now. However, she doubted if she'd be able to find any other perfect opportunity to run away. In the novel, Hina inherits a hotel from her merchant husband after his death, but that was later on in the story. What happens if Hina runs away before then? All her prestige and power as in the novel will be gone. She won't get to inherit anything. She would most likely starve in some alleyway or be found and sold off by those ruthless slave traders. Natalie was utterly devastated as to what her next step should be. She was lost in thoughts, oblivious to how much time had flown by until the door creaked open, pulling her from her reverie.

"Young Miss, it's time to depart"

"Alright"

Natalie gathered her dress as she carefully stood up and left the room. To think that a mother would truly sell her child for money. Hina's mother's heart was colder than the frigid Russian winter.

"It's finally time for you to depart" Hina's mother stood by the front door as she eyed the jewels adorned on the little girl.

[What's this scene? There was never any mentions of Hina talking with her mother before leaving for her marriage]

Natalie was unsure of how to reply.

"Ah. Yes. I'll be off now" Natalie couldn't care less about the woman but she had to pretend to be respectful since that is what Hina would have done.

"Clothes are supposed to make the person. How is it possible for someone to still exude such poor qualities despite all that silk and jewels? How come you didn't take after any of my good looks?"

"What?" Natalie's anger was on a different level but she was trying hard to play it cool.

"Nevermind. This is why you're absolutely useless to me! No brothel would even agree to take someone like you, do you know that?! Be grateful I found such a great husband for you and know your place when you get there!"

The woman walked away and shut her room door close. Natalie couldn't help but notice the smirk at the side of her lips as she walked away. The woman was happy to be getting rid of such a stain on her life. Natalie tried convincing herself that it was all a dream and this was just an online novel, but the pain and anger she felt was real. She was angrier because Hina had sincerely loved her mother in the novel despite everything she did to her. It was nauseating.

"We should go now, Young miss" the attendant told her.

"Yes, let's go"

As Natalie stepped onto the carriage, she pondered over what the heck was going on.

[What if this isn't a dream? What if it was real? But that doesn't make any sense! I fell asleep after reading some online comments about the novel and that was it! What the fuck is happening to me?]

Despite her calm expression, her mind was a mess. She couldn't understand a single thing happening around her! Plus, why did she have to become Hina Kudo?! Why Hina? As much as Natalie liked Hina's character more than the weak Sakura, Hina didn't have a really pleasant life until her husband's death. She also didn't get to enjoy her life much after that, since she died at the hands of the second prince! To top it all, since Hina is a mere side character, the author barely talks about her unless when needed. This limits the amount of info Natalie truly knew about her. Everything was all mumble- jumble in Natalie's head and she could feel a headache rising.

"Are you okay, young miss?" The middle-aged attendant sat opposite Natalie. Her expression showed no emotion but her tone carried respect. It was funny how she quickly switched behaviours to appeal to Hina.

"Yes, I am. I'm just a little nervous"

"We will arrive in about two hours. The young miss can rest for a while"

"I'm fine"

Fixing her gaze on the woman, Natalie came up with questions that drove her curiosity. Basic questions that she needed to know about her soon to be husband and his family, that the book never cared to mention.

"My husband.. how many wives has he taken before me?"

"He had two wives before the young miss. The first mistress passed away early and the second was.. chased out"

"Why was she chased out?"

"She committed some unforgivable crimes..."

It was obvious the woman didn't plan to say any further.

"What about his children?"

"The Lord has four children. A son from the first mistress and the remaining three from the second- three daughters. The second one died during childhood. The first one is married to a noble in another region, while the last resides at the family estates."

"Thank you for answering me diligently"

"It is my duty, young miss"

Despite her calm demeanour, it was all surreal to her. Natalie was still in shock but she didn't have the luxury of time to go into a panic mood. As she looked out the glass window, she came up with one too many ideas on how to survive the night and the days ahead. More importantly, she hoped for someone to wake her up from this damned nightmare.