Chapter 11: Princess Irish's Secret

After the train incident, Farhayla decides to quit being a celebrity, in order to have free time to visit the funeral of her savior for the past few days. That was also when she found out his name, Ryan Oxford. During her visit, she noticed that only his workers came to his funeral, one of them she talked to was Allan. 

Although he sometimes seems to be hitting on her when they talk, Farhayla noticed that Allan was one of Ryan's best and genuine friends. They talked about Ryan's life and how boring he was, and… How, someone like him who didn't have a family, struggled on the way up to his current position, on his own. And someone, Allan greatly looks up to.

Farhayla continued paying a visit to her savior, knowing soon her time would come as well. And even at the cost of her identity of being a celebrity getting found out, Farhayla continued visiting Ryan's funeral without a halt.

Until… She herself became bedridden, as she came to notice, her time soon will run out.

And before she knew it, her body started to become weaker and weaker, and even eating a small plate of meal feels oh so impossible for her now. And at some point, Farhayla was unable to visit Ryan, like she always does.

Staring into an empty ceiling, Farhayla found herself at the hospital she always loathed, mouth could barely utter a word out, body completely weakened to pathetic state.

This was the moment she knew would come soon enough, but didn't expect it to be this early.

I want to live… (Farhayla Inner Monologue)

Despite the great will to keep on living, unfortunately, there's no escape this time unlike the last time.

He should've lived, instead of me… 

As her consciousness starts to fade away, Farhayla regrets the fact that due to her selfishness to be saved, someone who should live longer than her, died in her stead.

I'm supposed to be the one to die during that time… But, even so… At the risk of his own, he sacrificed himself to save me, someone who's a stranger to him, and… Someone… Who's going to die soon anyways… (Farhayla Inner Monologue)

Tears start flowing down over Farhayla's beautiful eyes as she lay motionless on hospital's bed.

And at some point, her own time finally came. The reaper knocks over her room, and as she slowly closes her eyes watching her loved ones shed tears, trying to pull her away from death. Farhayla smiled as she met her demise.

And as everythings turns dark.

Farhayla heard one last familiar voice echoed in her ears.

"Arghhh! What was that?!"

It was the voice of her savior, irritated over what happened right after she pushed him off the rails together with her.

And it was also the last time she heard that stranger voice say something during that moment. 

I'm sorry…

I should have died instead of you, I'm sorry…

And, for the last time, thank you for saving me. (Farhayla Inner Monologue)

As Farhayla's consciousness finally faded away…

SFX for clock non-stop ringing*

An irritating sound of clock non-stop ringing resounded in her ears.

HUH??

Farhayla slowly tried to open her eyes in surprise…

Unlike before, her body felt lighter than ever, and… She doesn't feel the numbness she last felt before her consciousness faded away. Even so, her eyes still struggled to open themselves, as her sight was still filled with darkness.

It was nothing but darkness, as she continued to struggle to open her eyes, it took her a minute before her eyes finally opened, and what happened next, made her delicate small eyes wide open in shock…

"W- Where…. Am I..????" (Farhayla)

HUH???

AND AS SHE REALIZED AS IF THE WORLD SUDDENLY BECAME LARGER THAN IT USUALLY WAS FROM HER VIEW, FARHAYLA LOOKED DOWN AT HER HANDS AND BODY… AND REALIZED SHE…

"... WHAT IS THISS… WHY MY HANDS… BECAME SMALLER AND THINNER…" (Farhyla)

She has turned into a child…

"Am I daydreaming or what…??" (Farhayla)

Just a few minutes ago she was on her deathbed, and now, what's all of this nonsense. It was as if she was having an illusion right after her death. Everything feels so real, yet unreal at the same time.

"Hahahaha… Of course… I'm probably daydreaming, right..?"

To test out whether she was daydreaming, Farhayla pinched her cheeks, but to her surprise… She felt an… Outrageous amount of pain…

"O-ow ow ow….. HUH?? What… In the hell is happening..? Am in heaven..? IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE… I'm daydreaming and yet… Where in the hell am I..?"

Scanning everything in her vicinity, Farhayla looked everywhere in disbelief, it was as if she's in the room of a royalty, everything looks like it worth billions of money, even the carpet doesn't fail to amuse her by how fancy it looks.

"Am I really really experiencing what they call lucid dreams after my death… Or what..??" (Farhayla) 

Farhayla slaps and pinch her cheeks again, in an attempt to wake her up from this dreamy illusion but to no avail. 

"Hahahaha…"

At the end of the day, Farhayla could only laugh maniacally in all exhaustion. Even now, she's still unsure whether all of this were just illusions she's having after death or… Like what usually happens in novels… Reincarnation..?

And to make everything even more worse, Farhayla heard someone knock at the large fancy door right about the corner. It took a little while before the knocking finally stopped, and right after that moment, she heard a quiet yet calming voice resounded beyond the door.

"Princess Irish, your breakfast is ready. Please go down soon, Your Majesty's waiting for you." 

Princess..? Is she talking about me..? (Farhayla Inner Monologue) 

As she was the only person in the room, of course Farhayla assumed that it was her as it was the most obvious thing in the world. There's only one way to find out… If what she's thinking is right, or wrong…

To prove her disbelief, Farhayla scanned the whole room in an attempt to find a mirror, and when she spotted one, she no longer hesitated and ran towards it, and there… She found the answer to all the questions she had in mind.

"Who… Is this..?" (Farhayla)

Small and delicate face that looks like a doll, with her hair flowing natural blonde. Farhayla shakes her head in disbelief as she stares at the mirror with weird eyes… 

"HUH?? WHO IS THIS??" (Farhayla)

CLEARLY, FARHAYLA DEFINITELY KNOWS SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS…

Even though she was a famous celebrity, she pales in comparison if she's in a room together with someone who looks like this…

It's like… It's like she was one of those Disney princesses she used to watch when she was a child. 

This can't be real… Right…. No way all this is real… (Farhayla)

And even at the end, Farhayla refuses to acknowledge that she's now became part of the novel Alastor used to read, which was once called "Hero's Adventure" and the main heroine of that novel at that. 

The secret of Princess Irish, AKA- Farhayla Claudia.