The Villain's Dead Wife

The first shocker is that my appearance has completely changed. I now sport a mane of bloody red hair-lighter at the forehead, darker at the ends, like a reverse ombre gone wild. And my eyes? They're a striking golden, like someone decided to put snake eyes in a disco ball. They shone so brightly that the sun practically shouts, "Back off!" when I step outside.

The second surprise is the "Princess" tag Apparently, I'm a princess somewhere, and my name is...well, I'm still working on that.

As I'm grappling with these revelations, I hear a soft, persistent voice calling, "Meredia?" It's like a broken record. I try to ignore it and keep walking, but the voice keeps dogging me.

Finally, I turn around and spot a middle-aged women who is somehow bot elegant and motherly. Her smile could probably charm a grumpy cat. She approaches, takes my hands in hers, and says, "Meredia, where are you going? You aren't even responding to your mother."

So, it turns out I'm Meredia. The owner of this body is apparently a princess, and this warm, charming woman is my mother. I guess I'm now royalty, complete with a new name and a fabulous hairdo. What a way to start a new life!

I couldn't let her know I wasn't her real daughter. "Mother, I-"

Suddenly, it felt like a video reel had 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, my child? Guards! Call the doctor! Help!"

The pain was like a drumbeat pounding in my skill, 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.

I finally understood. 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 woke up a few hours later, overwhelmed by the flood of Meredia's memories now lodges in my head.

Meredia Seraphine Valtoria is the daughter of Duke Oberon of Solterra. She is incredibly beautiful, but her intellect leaves much to be desired. Despite being adored by her family-her father, the Duke, her mother, and her brothers-they are constantly frustrated by her lack of practically and wisdom in the matters of the place 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 ulnar arteries.

So here I am, not reborn but transmigrated into her body.

And then, it hit me-this wasn't just about adapting to a new life. But more than that.

As I lay there, trying to make sense of my new reality, a distant memory surfaced. When I was a child, my grandma used to feed me fantastical stories. She dreamed of becoming an another and often recited fairytales to me-stories of beautiful, impoverished woman and princes who fell in love, overcoming villains to live happily ever after.

You might wonder how this relates to me.

Yes, the plot thickens: I-Meredia-was actually the wife of the villain. But here's where it gets 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-minutes 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 done by her monstrous husband, the villain himself. Talk about an unwelcome plot twist! It's like being cast in a soap opera and finding out you're the one who gets 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'd decided to camp out next to me, fearing my head might explode like a firework.

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

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

Looking out of a window, I saw nothing but darkness. The wind rustled the curtains, 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? WaaaaHaaa!"

Honestly, it's like my life's turned into a soap opera, and I'm 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 guess I'II need to get used to this; Meredia's default mode seems to be grinning like she's perpetually in a toothpaste commercial