If someone had told her she'd be jumping from a five-story building with a menacing man, she would have argued vehemently.
"Wait!" Elizabeth panicked, her back pressed against the window frame as the man pushed her toward it. "I chose to follow you so I wouldn't have to jump!" she protested. 'He couldn't go back on his word now, could he?'
"Yes, and I'm choosing to jump down, so you'll have to follow suit."
Elizabeth seized the opportunity to study his features. With her back against the window, the moonlight illuminated the man's face. He possessed delicate features, almost making him appear innocent. But from what she had witnessed, he was far from a saint.
She didn't have time to observe further as he placed his palm over her lips and shoved her out the window, following close behind.
All the screams she had within were stifled by the hand clamped over her mouth. They landed on a soft mattress, an improbable cushioning.
She struggled to stand, her legs unsteady. It was clear she was terrified.
She crawled off the mattress, forcing herself to stand when she saw several men. Her heart stopped.
"They are mine." The stranger's voice eased the knot in her chest.
Two of the men folded the mattress, then carried it to a black car parked in the shadows. Two other men scanned the surroundings to ensure they hadn't been seen.
'I'm not safe with them,' she thought, as she was shown toward the car. She knew she needed to make a run for it.
"I need to relieve myself," she said, turning to the stranger, silently requesting permission.
"Once we arrive, you can do that," he said dismissively. He walked around to the other side of the car, which was opened by one of the men.
"But I can't hold it anymore," she insisted.
"You can do it where you sit. I'll have the car cleaned by morning."
There was no room for discussion.
The car door was opened for her, and she reluctantly entered. She couldn't shake the image of him being in the room when the Mayor was murdered and having a mattress prepared for their escape.
The surprising part was the gate. The Mansion's gate was opened.
As the car drove through, the stranger nodded at the gateman, who nodded back and proceeded to lock it after them.
'Who is this man?'
The car ride was silent. The car was so spacious that she had the entire side to herself. The stranger sat opposite her, two men driving in the front, and the other two on the side.
Elizabeth tried to remain still.
The ride was bumpy. Elizabeth knew the roads were as smooth as a shaved head, meaning they were off-road.
"W-where are we going?"
The stranger, who had been reclining with his eyes closed, opened them. He seemed tired.
"To get you butchered." His blunt statement sent a chill through her.
There was no way he meant those words.
She couldn't find any words to respond.
She relaxed her shaky palms on her lap. Her silky gown was too light to ward off the cold that crawled under her skin.
She caressed her thighs softly, trying to generate some warmth when she felt something. Her face remained impassive, feigning boredom.
It was a small knife, strapped between her thighs.
A glimmer of hope washed over her. She wouldn't go down without a fight.
The car swayed, indicating they had taken another turn. But she wasn't as scared as before.
Finally, the car came to a halt.
Elizabeth couldn't control her trembling hands this time. Her breaths came in deep pants. She waited for the men to exit and open the door, then waited for the stranger to step out before her.
The house they reached looked warm, contrary to her expectations. Lights illuminated every corner, and bright colors adorned the walls.
She hadn't expected him to be one for bright colors.
Thoughts of escape crossed her mind, but she knew it was futile with the men's eyes on her.
They stepped into the house. Her eyes scanned the furniture and picture frames. An elderly woman was featured in all the frames, along with many unfamiliar faces.
"Take her."
Those words startled her. She looked around, confused. 'Me?'
Two men stepped forward, one gesturing for her to walk through the door on the left. She had no choice.
The door led to a hallway. A series of stairs descended, and they followed.
At the end was a door. The man opened it, and they walked through.
The room appeared to belong to a girl. Pink sheets covered the bed, and an open wardrobe revealed expensive gowns. Everything screamed princess.
Her eyes wandered to the clock. 03:12 am. She was supposed to be in her own body. What was happening?
She walked absentmindedly toward a picture frame on the wall. "She's stunning," she whispered.
The picture frame displayed a girl, a year or two younger than her, with a sweet smile. Her hair was a shade of burnt ginger.
The sound of the door opening turned her head. Two women entered, likely in their late forties. The two men in the room exited, locking the door behind them. The click of the lock sent shivers down her spine.
"You have different features," one of the women said. "I'm Martha, and this is my sister Mary," Martha introduced. They seemed friendly, which was oddly relieving.
Mary, who had been observing her body, commented, "Thankfully, you have a similar body to hers, it would have been a lot of work otherwise." After saying this, she turned to Martha. "I'll go arrange the body milk and scents while I prepare a bath."
Martha nodded. Mary disappeared through a door on the side of the room.
"Please, what is happening?" Elizabeth asked, softening her gaze to elicit pity. These women were the only ones who could provide answers.
"Oh, my dear," Martha said softly, then muttered to herself, "He never tells them, does he?" She sighed, lifting her eyes to meet hers. She continued, "Sir Tansi's stepdaughter passed away mysteriously a long time ago, a matter he wishes not to disclose. But the public mustn't know this. There have been a lot of rumors about him harming kids and ladies, knowing his stepdaughter died mysteriously would only make those rumors seem true."
"Coming clean would be nice,"
Martha smiled sadly. "Not in the O'Girri's family. Coming clean brings more havoc."
"So what am I here for?" Elizabeth asked.
"He needs you to take his stepdaughter's place."
She was speechless. "H-how? We don't even look alike-"
Martha cut her off. "That's the reason we are here."
Elizabeth took a step backward. 'I don't own this body, arguing won't save me. I just need to sleep and wake up from this nightmare.'
"Okay," Elizabeth said, her attitude slightly improved.
"You took that pretty well," Martha complimented with a smile, which Elizabeth returned with a tight smile.
Martha placed her hands on Elizabeth's shoulders and gently sat her on the bed. She brought out a book.
"We need hair dye, brown eye lenses, and scissors," she murmured, looking continuously from the book to her face. "I'll give you a minute to look at yourself one more time before I proceed."
Elizabeth gave her an appreciative smile.
She walked to the huge bathroom, the same room Mary had entered. She saw many items being arranged around the bathtub, but she ignored them and stood in front of the mirror. This wasn't her body, but they had similar features: green eyes and wavy black hair.
'Besides, Lady Hira can easily remove the lenses-' However, Mary seemed to anticipate her thoughts and cut her off.
"If any part of you reveals you're not her, you'll be killed on the spot."
Martha walked into the bathroom. "Remove your gown," she brought a stool into the bathroom, "and sit on this."
Elizabeth did as told and sat on the stool.
Martha stood behind her, a comb in her hand. She gently combed her hair, then held the tips between her fingers and cut them off. She did the same for the other tips, then layered the hair to give a curly hint at the front.
After trimming was done, Mary handed her a mixture. Elizabeth recognized it as hair dye. Gently, the dye was applied to her hair and brows.
Soon, her entire hair was covered in the juice, then wrapped up.
While it was wrapped, Mary told her to slide into the bath.
"Careful not to let it touch your hair," she said.
The bath was the most relaxing and relieving Elizabeth had ever experienced. A milky lotion was added to the bath, making her skin appear smoother and softer. Mary was gentle with the sponge.
After the bath, Martha washed off the dye in her hair. It gave it a dull shade of ginger. A towel was wrapped around her head as she was told to go back to the room.
She didn't have to lift a finger as Mary dried her and applied a scented lotion. She had never felt so new.
"Sit on that chair," Martha instructed, then knocked on the main door before standing near Elizabeth.
She dried her hair, the door opened, and one of the men brought the lenses.
It gave her a feeling of dread for a second.
The whole process went more smoothly than expected.
Mary arranged her bed and brought a ball gown from the wardrobe. "Put this on,"
Elizabeth couldn't help but frown. "That's uncomfortable to sleep in."
"Then don't sleep, just put it on and lie on the bed. Two hours from now, you'll hear a commotion and people asking you questions. Don't say anything unless it's to say, 'I was missing grandmama so much,'"
"Understood?" She continued.
"No,"
"His stepdaughter left the ballroom the day before yesterday and couldn't be found, so we're recreating that scene to keep everything in place."
Elizabeth became more confused. "I thought she died a mysterious death a long time ago,"
"Yes-"
"But you said the day before yesterday, I don't understand,"
Mary's eyes turned cold. "Not everything you need to understand, child, ignorance will bring you nothing but happiness," she said. "Now put this on and lie on the bed."
Elizabeth was happy to lie on the bed. She didn't want to be here at all.