Cecilia Ashington

Cecilia POV (there will be POV's from now on)

When hearing the name "Cecilia" being called, I felt myself react at my core.

"Yes?" I wanted to say. But at the same time, I wanted to scream: "I don't know any Cecilia. I wanted to say. My name is—"

Suddenly, my mind froze and my eyes opened.

I wasn't sure what I would see in front of me. I assumed it would be fire. But once I opened my eyes I saw the brightness of a well-lit room then red.

A woman with bright red hair was in front of me. Her tanned face stained with tears and when I opened my eyes, I faced her in complete confusion but suddenly, her expression softened and she burst into tears before she pulled me into her arms.

Behind her, there were many people I didn't recognize.

There were 3 women in maid costumes, two people I would assume to be butlers by their attire, a good looking man who had dark hair, and... a man with white or silver hair and piercing emerald eyes.

Papa? We're the words that came to my mind. Though this itself was strange. My father didn't look like that at all. He was a taller yet less handsome man...

"Lia, thank god!" The man with white hair said as he ran up to me, hugging both my and the red-headed woman.

In his embrace, I couldn't help but breathe in his scent. It was calming. A mix of pine and burnt wood. Which was strange since I had just been burned to death. This feeling I was experiencing, such a strange feeling of safety, that was filling me up made me doubt the experience I had just experienced. It was so good that I wanted to burst into tears. Although I didn't. I just stayed there. Frozen in time.

"Cedric," The red-headed woman said with a wince. Her voice sounded soft yet harsh at the same time, but all in all, it was loving, "You'll kill the both of us if you keep this up!"

The white-haired man smiled bashfully and then he let go immediately. He apologized to both of us, then he touched my hair gently and said,

"Lia, I'm so glad you're fine now..." he started.

Then the red-haired woman put her hand on my other cheek and said, "You were out for three days."

For a second I paused as my head and heart began to race simultaneously.

When the two had touched me I had winced imagining that my burnt skin would be sensitive to the touches, but I felt nothing. So I looked down to my hands. When I realized they were beautifully tanned, my eyes widened.

It was strange but my mind felt like it was melting. I remembered my name from before and every single bit of my past but now, those memories were being invaded by new memories where I truly was this Cecilia person. I could hear people calling me this as childhood began to flash before my eyes...

However, I would not speak a word of this.

My face contorted in pain.

Massaging my head I looked towards the strange yet familiar people in front of me, recognizing them all in an instant.

Dad...

Mom...

But once the word mother came to mind and lips, I immediately rejected the thought. This woman wasn't my mother. My mother... oh no... she must have been dead.

My chest tightened even more and I leaned forward trying to stop myself from crying.

"Cecilia..." I heard the woman call.

It was as it the woman with the red hair could sense my frailty. She came and put a warm hand on my back and rubbed it soothingly.

It felt great. This fact made everything more painful.

"I'm sorry but... who are you...or rather... who am I?" I accidentally blurred out.

With that said, the woman's hand froze and her eyes grew wide. Her expression was mirrored by everyone in the room.

Though, the expression that really caught me by surprise was that of the black-haired man at the back of the room. He stared deeply into me as if staring deep into my soul it made me shiver then my heart skipped a beat as he continued to gaze.

Then suddenly, his eyes turned red for a moment. And when they did, a pained expression appeared on his face.

My heart sank when I saw this... and I didn't understand why.

Half a year had passed since then and I had already grown accustomed to the Duke's home in the fiefdom, and now, I had been brought to the capital.

Being here, a lot of memories emerged and by now, the memories of Cecilia Ashington had already seeped into my subconscious. I had become her.

It was strange. We weren't so different, she and I... But that was the problem...

I turned away from the windows. Feeling myself become lost in thoughts which would just hurt me. I had already decided to abandon the thoughts of my past and just assimilate. Being the daughter of a duke was not so bad.

Unlike before, I lived in a big room and a big house with a big family which sometimes included the trusted maids and butlers. It was nice to be cared for and nice to bask in such a life. I could see myself living a long life here.

Thinking this, my belly did a summersault. Feeling this, I cringed. I wasn't sure why I felt this way. Something was wrong... but when I tried to think about it, nothing came to mind.

That was the truth.

The only time I felt a slight bit of discomfort thought was at the thought of mama...

My chest began to sting so I clutched the fabric of my dress hard and I sighed before I walked down the hall.