Beneath Astoria's Veil

Ellie closed the novel she was holding and yawned.

"This novel is boring, the plot seems convincing, but the story itself is just a clichéd love story."

The novel she held, titled "Persona," told the story of a beautiful and kind girl from a lower-class noble family named Ava Sinclaire and a handsome, intelligent crown prince named Lucas Lancaster.

According to Ellie, Lucas was a weak character.

How could someone like him become a king?

He easily forgot his responsibilities and role as the crown prince and threatened the Emperor to give up his title because the Emperor disapproved of his relationship with Ava.

What irked her most was his attitude towards Eleanor, who was portrayed as the villainess.

Eleanor Ashford was his fiancée, a political marriage where Lucas should realize his responsibilities.

In Lucas' case, one couldn't have both love and power, you know?

Unless your power was so immense that it could silence others, or in other words, you were a tyrant leader.

"But instead, he whines and threatens when his demands are not met. Such a whiny man."

Ellie also sympathized with Eleanor, the girl who had been engaged to Lucas since childhood by the Emperor's order.

She was portrayed as a physically and morally bad character.

Eleanor Ashford was a girl who loved the crown prince deeply. Even though her love was unrequited, she was willing to do anything for him.

She was willing to become a concubine for the crown prince, willing to exchange Ashford Duchy's troops for the Crown Prince to marry her. Only to be betrayed and end up in tragedy.

And the main female character, Ava, according to the novel, was a very beautiful, innocent, and kind girl from a lower-class noble family.

"But, would a good woman willingly become a thorn in someone's relationship?"

All the characters in this novel were pathetic.

Ellie took a deep breath, getting up from her sofa.

She placed the novel on the highest bookshelf with the intention of not reading it again.

She hadn't finished reading it. The last page she read was only up to the chapter of Eleanor's downfall.

Ellie felt Eleanor's situation was the opposite of hers.

Ellie, an orphaned girl, was ordinary in every way—physically, morally, and situationally.

Although not malicious, she wasn't overly naive and easily taken advantage of.

Ellie didn't face serious financial issues and didn't live in luxury. While not rich, she didn't have to work hard to meet her basic needs.

Her life was relatively stable and without excessive pressure.

Every aspect of her life was ordinary and drama-free.

However, after experiencing a monotonous routine and a dull life, she felt boredom engulfing her.

To alleviate her boredom, she found entertainment and escape in reading novels.

In the world of fiction, Ellie found pleasure and adventures that were missing from her daily life.

After reading "Persona" for the first time, she sensed a uniqueness unlike her previous reads.

Although she had read many novels before, this time, there was something special that made her somehow feel what Eleanor Ashford felt.

Given her simple and drama-free life, it was unlikely that she could understand Eleanor Ashford.

But, she could feel the sadness, loneliness, anxiety, and injustice experienced by Eleanor.

How could a simple and drama-free life like hers produce such strong emotions towards the journey of another character?

"Oh my, they are just fictional characters on paper. I guess I should change my hobby."

For several days, she went about her daily life as usual.

Nothing changed.

Except every night when she fell asleep.

"Ah... Uh... No. Father, forgive me! It's my fault!"

"Please stop, forgive me, Father... If only I didn't love him..."

Ellie jolted awake, covered in cold sweat throughout her body.

"What on earth...?"

She held her head in both hands and tightly closed her eyes as if by doing so, she could rid her mind of the nightmare.

Her trembling hands reached for a glass of water on the table beside her bed, and she downed it in one gulp.

She muttered, "Maybe I'm going crazy. Haha."

Then her eyes drifted towards the bookshelf, where the novel was.

'It's all because of that damn novel. If only I had never read it if only I had never opened it!'

Night after night, the incidents left her more and more shaken.

It had been a week since she read it.

When she fell asleep, she was trapped in dreams that felt so real and confusing.

The voices she heard in her dreams, like a man's voice demanding forgiveness and expressions of regret filling the dream, left deep questions in her heart.

"Father? Father, my ass! I haven't even seen my parents in my entire life!"

She could go about her daily activities as usual, but when she woke up at night, her heart was filled with profound sadness.

"I'm truly going insane..."

"Should I praise the author of that novel for making its readers like this?"

She got up from the sofa, walked to the bookshelf, and took the novel 'Persona' that she had read a few days ago.

Then she threw it into the trash.

"Calm down. This strange thing will end in a few days. Don't let something like this affect you."

She muttered to herself as if reciting a spell and whispered, 'Everything will be fine' repeatedly.

The next day, she went to the pharmacy and bought sleeping pills so that she could sleep soundly without being haunted by those strange dreams.

That night, as she fell asleep, she started mumbling in her sleep.

"No... Uh. Don't... You're so cruel..."

"Don't, my father... please."

Once again, she jolted awake and found her bed soaked with sweat.

Her body felt cold, as cold as ice. Her face was pale, with no trace of blood on her lips. And her body trembled violently.

Then, Ellie started to feel her eyes burning. Tears fell down her cheeks.

"Why is this happening to me... Sob. Should I see a psychiatrist? Am I going crazy?"

After hours of crying, and feeling her eyes swollen, she began to feel exhausted.

She mustered the courage to lie down, although she was still afraid to fall asleep.

However, no matter how many times Ellie tossed and turned in bed, she couldn't fall back asleep.

Her mind is filled with unresolved anxiety and discomfort.

The haunting dreams continued to disturb her thoughts, and she felt increasingly desperate.

Without much thought, she took sleeping pills from her room drawer and consumed them slightly above the recommended dosage.

Slowly, drowsiness started to take over Ellie's body. Her heavy eyelids drifted toward the ceiling as the effects of the sleeping pills started to work.

"Ah... Finally, I can sleep."

Then her eyes closed, and the power of the sleeping pills took over as she slipped into a dark dream world, unaware that she won't wake up in the same world again.

***

Ellie slowly opened her eyes, disturbed by the bright sunlight streaming through the window curtains of her room.

The dazzling light made her feel somewhat dizzy as if the world around her was spinning fast.

She blinked her eyes several times, trying to adjust her vision to the sudden change from the darkness of sleep to the brightness of the morning.

When her vision finally stabilized, she realized that she was no longer in her familiar bedroom.

She looked around with confusion filling her mind. This was not her usual bedroom.

The air felt fresh and fragrant, unlike the usual atmosphere of her room.

The room appeared luxurious and elegant, styled in classical European fashion, with beautiful furniture, and indescribable decorations.

It seemed like she was in a place far from her everyday life.

Then she heard someone say, "My Lady! Ahh, you finally woke up! Sera, inform Duke Ashford that My Lady has awakened!"

"Oh, thank goodness! Wait a moment, My Lady."

"...."

"Lady Ellie?"

"Are you calling me?"

"Yes, My Lady. Oh, are you still feeling unwell? Of course, you are! How foolish of me! Please don't do that again, My Lady."

"Do what?"

"You jumped into the pool in the cold weather just to retrieve your engagement ring! You could have called the servants to find it, My Lady! Thankfully, the doctor said your fever had subsided last night. Duke Ashford and the servants were very worried, My Lady. Please don't act recklessly again!"

A sense of terror gripped her heart and her eyes glanced towards the pond, clearly visible from her window.

The water seemed so calm, and she felt confusion coursing through her.

"Hahaha. I guess I'm dead, and this is heaven. Isn't it?"

The servant was startled to hear Ellie's words.

"My Lady ?"

Ellie ignored the maid's call, her head spinning with disbelief, and she fainted.