2. memories

The first shocker was that my appearance was completely changed. I now had mane of red hair like ruby, lighter at the forehead, darker at the ends, like a reverse ombré gone wild. And my eyes? They were a striking golden, like someone decided to put snake eyes in a disco ball. They shine so brightly that the sun would practically shout, "Back off!" when I step outside.

The second surprise was the "Lady" tag. Apparently, I was a young Lady, like a princess somewhere, and my name... well, I'm still working on that.

"Meredia?"

A persistent voice kept calling behind me. Who's Meredia? Why isn't she answering?

"Mery? Listen."

"Mery?"

It was like a broken record. I tried to ignore it and keep walking, but the voice kept dogging me.

Finally, I turned around and a middle-aged woman stood behind me. She was somehow both elegant and motherly. Her smile could probably charm a grumpy cat.

She approached, took my hands in hers, and said, "Meredia, where are you going? You aren't even responding to your mother."

Oh, I'm Meredia. The owner of this body was apparently a high status lady, and this warm, charming woman is her mother aka my mother now.

I guess I'm now royalty, complete with a new name and a fabulous hairdo. What a way to start a new life!

She had a familiar shade of brown hair and gold eyes as mine, with a face that rarely shows a wrinkle. She looked so serene, peaceful, and fragile, yet elegant and classy, as if she could command attention without saying a word.

I couldn't let her know I wasn't her real daughter. I could not let anyone know about who I was. "Mother, I-"

Suddenly, it felt like a video reel started playing in my mind, and it was excruciating. Flashing images surged through my head, each one more vivid and painful than the last.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as I collapsed onto the floor.

The woman rushed to my side, her face etched with panic. "Meredia! What happened? What's wrong, my child? Guards! Call the doctor! Help!"

The pain was like a drumbeat pounding in my skull, accompanied by a relentless parade of images.

Faces! So many faces! A girl playing with her toys, her mother dressing her up, her beaming smile as she sat on her father's shoulders.

The most piercing memory was her listening in on her family's conversations, hidden just behind the door.

No. No. These weren't just random images, they were the memories of the real owner of this body: Meredia. Her life, her experiences, all flooding into my consciousness. It was overwhelming, but it was clear, these were Meredia's memories.

I came to with a pounding head and Meredia’s memories sitting heavy. They weren’t just flashes anymore, they’d taken root.

Meredia Seraphine Valtoria was the daughter of Duke Oberon of Solterra. She was incredibly beautiful, but her intellect left much to be desired. Despite being adored by her family, her father, the Duke, her mother, and her brother, they were constantly frustrated by her lack of practicality and wisdom in the matters of the palace and dukedom.

One night, Meredia overheard her family discussing their worries about her future and their reputation. Unable to bear the thought of being a burden, she attempted to end her life with poison, but when it didn't work, she sliced her ulnar arteries, the so-called veins.

And so, here I am, not only reborn but transmigrated into her body.

But.... Wait it isn't just about adapting to a new life. It's more than that. Think, think. Think of what I'm missing out.

Wait... I could remember hazy fragments only.

When I was a child, my grandma used to feed me fantastical stories. She dreamed of becoming an author and often recited fairytales to me, stories of beautiful, impoverished women and princes who fell in love, overcoming villains to live happily ever after.

You might wonder how this related to me.

I, Meredia, was actually the wife of the villain. But here's where it got hilariously absurd— Meredia's story didn't even make it into the fairytales my grandma used to tell. She just popped up at the end as a last minute cameo, like a surprise guest at the villain's going-away party, to deliver a final lesson on karma.

And get this, Meredia didn't die of something mundane like sickness, old age, or childbirth. Nope! She was killed by her monstrous husband, the villain himself. Talk about an unwelcome plot twist! It was like being cast in a serial and finding out I was the one who got killed off in the most dramatic way possible.

I scratched my head furiously, sobbing dramatically.

Why, God? Why do I have to die in every life?

Of course, I couldn't let out a full-blown cry because Meredia's mom, who was more like a concerned guardian than a comforting figure, was snoozing beside me. She decided to camp out next to me, fearing my head might explode like a firework.

Why talk behind your daughter's back if you care so much?

I gave her a side-eye as I clambered out of bed and made my way to the balcony. Peeking out from this palace, which felt like a luxurious prison with extra steps, I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

There was nothing but darkness. The wind rustled the curtains behind me, making them flutter like they were auditioning for a part in a dramatic play. It was so peaceful, it made me yearn for the chaos of the modern world.

Wait, modern world? This place is like a fantasyland straight out of Grandma's bedtime stories!

I felt like yelling up to the universe, "WHY, GRANDMA? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL MEREDIA? WHY, OH WHY, MOTHER OF MY FATHER? WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU? WAS IT FOR THE PLOT TWIST? WAAAAAAHAAAAAAA!"

Honestly, it was like my life had turned into a soap opera, and I was stuck in the middle of a really bad season finale.

And, of course, just when I was about to unleash a full-on dramatic breakdown, Meredia's mother woke up.

"Meredia? Are you okay?"

I turned to her, quickly swapping my poker face for a bright, exaggerated smile. I guessed I would need to get used to this, Meredia's default mode seemed to be grinning like she was perpetually in a toothpaste commercial.

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