01

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Elisa De Artois

That was my current name in this life, the noble daughter of a Duke and House Artois. Unlike most novels where the main characters have been reborn inside the world of a novel as either the main villainess or the protagonist, I should say I got the short end of the stick. The novel I found myself in is called "messenger of god", it was a fantasy novel brought to me by my father. A loving father I should say. The novel revolved around the heroine whose name was Liliane Evreux, it was more of a romance-based novel with 4 main love interests so more like a reverse harem novel. How did I end up here one might ask? I died in a pathetic traffic accident. The next day where I saw that blinding light and thought I would rest in peace was only temporary. I was reborn and grew up in a household where I could call no one my family, my mother was a woman obsessed with my father who was always away. He betrayed her and eloped with his mistress, my mother made me cut my hair short and dressed me up as a boy to show her "love for him" to me. Long story short, she abused me. Thank god I wasn't raped but if I was a boy, I might've been so who knows? I felt sorrier for the woman than I did for myself. I think it is probably because I never regarded them as family in the first place. I had memories of my past life as Shin Hye, a 26 years old who lived a happy life with her father and her fiancé. My father was a famous chef, I never knew my mother because she ran away with her lover and left him. Moreover, I was happy. I learned a lot from my father, he was good at all styles of cooking and even pastry. I was also fascinated with fashion and jewelry. Those were my hobbies since my actual job was special warfare in the Korean army, I miss father every day because in this life; my father is just a pathetic man. The duchess eventually fell ill and passed away when I turned 16 years old, and my father returned. He didn't return alone and brought in his lover and their daughter which was my "half-sister". Anna-Marie was a typical, cute, innocent and naïve girl. In the novel, Elisa de Artois was a minor villainess that stood in the way of Anna-Marie, one of the heroine's best friends and confident. I, however, had no interest in sticking around or being part of their family. I mean, if I meant something to this man he wouldn't be so quick to remarry and establish this happy family of his. He wasn't my father and will never be my father, I felt like just an extra body in their beautiful family so I just wanted to lead a quiet life and get away from this place. He resented me anyway, and always complimented Anna. I actually loved her and I took good care of her but she was also very annoying. "Big sis! Big sister!!" that girl was like a goddamn glue I swear, with some time I earned my father's favor through her but I barely paid any attention to him. One day I decided to speak to him so I can leave this mansion and the nobles for good.

"Come in." he said.

I slowly opened the door as my beautiful blue eyes scan the room, he was sitting down handling paperwork. As expected of a duke, he was a workaholic.

"What can I do for you my dear daughter?"

Dear daughter, that's disgusting just hearing it from him. Sir, I do not want your love.

"Father I would like to speak to you of a matter. More so, it's something I desire and want to accomplish." I say in my ladylike tone, my strict mother made sure I knew my manners and taught me how to walk, speak and think like a lady.

He invited me to sit down and chat.

"Father, you have seen that Anna-Marie is finally a lady of proper nobility." I say with a polite smile.

"It is thanks to your tutoring and training that she was able to become a full lady of house Artois." My father concluded with a delighted tone.

"Father, I wish to pass my title of heir to her." I say which shocks my father.

"That is very considerate and delightful of you my dear." He says overjoyed, you have been waiting for this haven't you?

"However, I no longer want to be part of House Artois. Everything can be passed down to Anne-Marie with the condition that I will get help from you to open a few shops and start a business." My suggestion brought him to shock, I had no intentions of being involved in the events of the novel or be dragged with the noble society.

"Elisa, what kind of mockery is this?!" he says furious.

"Father, I was never a part of your perfect family in the first place. There is no reason for me to stay here, I just want to live a peaceful life and not bother anyone." I say coldly, my words made sense to him that his denial state didn't last for long.

" You never loved mother and neither me. You were stuck in an unhappy marriage and she took out her obsession with you on me, I was abused for years on your behalf so this is the least you could do. You should be glad that I want to leave, you never wanted me to stay here anyway." I say with a sincere tone, he even realized I wasn't kidding.

"What about your sister and stepmother? They love you to pieces and you came to be dear to me as well. I have mistreated you but it was never my intentions to strip you from your title because you are the first daughter of the Duke. Elisa, what can I do to make you happy and stay by my side? What can I do to repay all the abuse that woman put you through?" if he didn't leave for most of my life here, I would've believed him but I only know one father and that is my father from my past life.

"Father I would be happy if I'm not part of this family anymore. If you love me as you claim, you should just help me achieve my goal and grant my wish for Anna-Marie to be your successor."

After that conversation, everything went upside down. He couldn't let go of me but eventually he did and I had gotten rid of that Duke and his perfect family. I moved to the powerful empire of Ambrosia, I opened a coffee shop and a dress/jewelry shop. He gave me riches and profits that would last me a lifetime and provided me with a land. I never felt so free in my life, my magic would come of good use as well. I harbored a rare kind of magic, to be blunt the type of magic I possessed was the type that no one had in this world. I hid it since I was a kid but magic was something I used to forget all the harassment I endured from mother. I was a bookworm at a young age and mastered every spell I could so I could use it to my advantage later. I used my land to grow coffee, tea and herbs for my perfumes and soaps. Ambrosia's capital, Lusitania, was a beautiful city. I remembered the city from the novel but as I was sipping my tea, excited to open the shop, I came to realize that I had just dragged myself into the setting of the novel. I spit out my tea into realization of my mistake but there was no way I could escape the setting. Besides it's not like I was going to meet any of the characters or interact with them, or so I thought.