You Are?

Selah stirred in her sleep as she sensed something moving in her bed. Is it her dog? She wondered with closed eyes. Although she never allowed Sugar to climb to her bed, her dog often liked to break the rule. She turned to the other side, murmuring 'Sugar.' 

As she fixed her gaze toward the other side, her heart leapt out of her chest, seeing a strange man standing wearing his night robe over his black pyjamas. 

A shrill scream left her mouth unknowingly as she climbed off her bed fast. Her brain was blank as she stared at the man. Who is he? Why is he here? She thought, remembering that she always checked the door and the windows before sleeping, so how could he enter without her notice? 

Besides, he was—sleeping beside her! She felt her stomach churning at the mere idea.

"Why are you screaming?" the man spoke in a deep and cold tone, raising a brow to her. He stood there like a statue, looking at her.

Selah snapped out of her thoughts and studied the man's expression. She wanted to question him about how he broke into her house, but her tremendous thoughts made it worse to think clearly. She kept staring at him. He didn't seem like a thug; instead, he appeared like a movie star with his well-built body, chiselled face, blonde locks and dark blue eyes. 

Moreover, he seemed to—know her!

Selah attempted to speak and ask for the stranger's identity, but she felt her throat was dry. As she began to feel scared, the stranger departed without saying a word. Selah breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed, knowing she was safe.

She patted her chest to calm her swirling emotions and trembling body. She unknowingly stared at her hands. Seeing how her arms became whiter and thicker confused her. Even the long light-purple robe she wore wasn't the same robe she put on last night.

What's going on? She thought. The frown on her face deepened. Her eyes darted through the unfamiliar room, feeling like she was dreaming. She pinched herself in the hope of waking up but the pain caused her to gasp.

Where am I? What am I doing in a new room? 

Many questions gathered in her head, making her already calmed heartbeats rise again. Her hands began to sweat and her breath hitched not understanding how on earth she ended up with a stranger in a strange room!

Her previous room was smaller and only had a bed and a bedside table. However, this new room was much more spacious and featured a king-sized bed in the centre, two bedside tables, a large brown carpet, and a big wardrobe. Additionally, a beige sofa was set up in the corner with a square coffee table and two chairs. The windows are long and covered with white curtains.

Selah stood not knowing what to do. Did someone kidnap her? The thought horrified her even more. 

She hurried and opened the window. Breathtaking scenery came into her view. The shining sun cast its rays on the open garden, making the flowers and the green herbs glow with lustre. The only thing that stirred her anxiety was the tall, large building she was in. It resembled a castle that she used to see in many historical mangas. 

Did I transmigrate here?

Selah scoffed then shuffled to see herself on the round mirror hung on the wall. An omissions feeling took over her as a hilarious thought emerged. 'You have gone crazy, Selah!'

She stopped in front of the mirror, letting out a horrific low yell as soon as she saw her reflection. 'It isn't me!'

The woman in the mirror was perfect. A gorgeous face and a slim body. She had wavy locks of light brown hair, exuding an air of timeless elegance, featuring a charmingly petite face, warm honey-coloured irises, a dainty nose, rosy cheeks, and endearing dimples.

The woman was unlike her. She—Selah — had short dark brown hair, large black eyes, and a round-shaped face. Tall and skinny frame.

Selah raised her hand to examine whatever the one was her reflection, and to her bad, it was her. She walked back and forth trying to study her situation.

She had read some novels about transmigrating although she was never fond of them. How could someone travel and live in someone else's body? It was unbelievable! 

"Good morning, Duchess."

Selah turned back to look at two women wearing robes, she assumed they were maids. They wore a long black robe and a white apron over it. One had short black hair and brown eyes, while the other had fiery red hair braided in two braids and hazel eyes.

"Duchess! Did something happen? Are you hurt? Do you need us to call a physician?" the two women spoke one after another with anxiousness appearing on their faces.

Duchess? So it was her new identity?

"I'm fine. Don't worry," she responded, taking in their expression. Seeing the two nodding, she frowned. Even her voice had changed to a soft one!

"Helena, go prepare the water bath," the one with short hair ordered the younger one with red hair. 

Selah stood trying to figure out the new situation she was put in while the woman went to tidy the bed.

"Milady, the bath is ready," the woman named Helena said. 

Selah followed where the woman entered, and she opened her mouth in surprise. Oh God! The bathroom was more luxurious than her own house! 

"I will help you."

"No," Selah shouted, distancing herself from the maid. "Stop. I will bathe by myself," Selah ordered.

"but—"

"Go out," she shouted. 

Selah's whole body relaxed when the maid went out. She organized her thoughts as everything was unfamiliar and weird. 

She dived onto the bathtub and closed her eyes, feeling her body lighter and her thoughts clearer. She remembered spending the previous night reading a random novel to avoid thinking about Kahan. She tried concentrating on the story, but she couldn't help thinking about him, about their life together before his death.

She flew to Bursa, leaving her old apartment, family, friends and job to live with her aunt. She didn't want to live in a place he wouldn't be. She couldn't have the courage to go to his cemetery on his first death anniversary. She couldn't face his tomb despite wanting to tell him that her life without him lost its colour and taste.

Selah wiped the tears from her eyes. After a dreadful year, her heart was still aching like he died the day before every time she thought of him. He left her alone.

She wept for a while before calming down a bit. Selah cleaned her body and came out wearing a bathrobe as she didn't find any dress to wear. 

After she wore a long pink dress with long wide sleeves and a square neckline, the maids urged her to sit in front of her dressing table to groom her. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, seeing the red spots on her neck; she closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her stomach roiled at the thought of her sleeping with another man. Even though the woman she entered her body was married.

Why did it have to be a married woman? After her husband's death, she wanted to travel away, far away from the place she lived with him. Opening her eyes here was like a great escape to forget about her past, if what she was experiencing wasn't some sort of hallucination. However, she woke up to find herself 'wed' to a strange man other than Kahan. She never thought of loving or marrying someone else after his death.

Her incapacity of accepting the truth made her think of escape, but she had to find where and who was she.

She turned to the maid and asked hesitantly, "That man — your master—did he say anything?"

"The duke asked us to accompany you and to attend to you," the one with short hair spoke.

Selah pursed her lips as she got nothing from them. 

"Do you know the crown prince?" Selah asked a random question. Since there was a duke, it was a kingdom she was in.

"Milady heard the rumours too? I thought King Alavin had chosen the wrong person to be the crown prince. Though it was not official, the news spread widely. Poor Prince Leonard. He fought bravely in the war with the Tiran Kingdom, but the one who got all the recognition was the first prince Lionheart…"

Selah listened carefully as the talkative maid spoke while combing her hair. To her surprise, the names felt familiar to her. Prince Leonard and Prince Lionheart were characters in the novel she was reading last night.

Did that mean she was in a book? What on earth is happening? She stood up abruptly. 

"Duchess, I am not done braiding your hair—"

Selah ignored the maid and asked, "What is the name of this kingdom?" seeing the two maids looking at each other, she added, "Answer me quickly."

"The Sylvan Empire."

As she heard the name, she dropped her body, sitting on the chair. "Continue," she ordered. So it was a book, after all! She remembered the honorific the maids called her 'husband'

She only read about one man who had the title of a Duke. Duke Alexei Xavier Brown. The villain of the book.

And she was the pitiful Duchess who died at the hands of her husband!