"Crown Prince, my lord and my future husband. I love you deeply. Even if you do not believe me."
"I am well, my lord, and I continue to trust you. My lord, thank you for choosing me as your future Crown Princess."
"Though it is only temporary, the truth is that being with you is a blessing for me. I am very happy, even if just for a short while."
Althea Evelisse von Ashbourne's last words hung in Gina's mind, tasting bitter and unjust.
They were like a fine thorn lodged in her throat.
Gina cursed loudly.
She couldn't accept the tragic ending of the novel she had just read.
The final-year student, who was scheduled to attend her graduation in just a few hours, should have been sound asleep in her soft bed.
Dreaming a beautiful dream of gracefully walking onto the stage in her gown. A reward for eight years of struggle.
But here, in the cramped room she rented.
Her eyes couldn't stop staring at her phone screen.
It displayed the end of the popular tragic romance novel.
The Thorned Rose of the Empire
A romance between a crown prince and a duke's daughter who had lost her former glory.
A beautiful and exquisite love story that blossomed.
Unfortunately, political cruelty made the crown prince fear that the woman he loved would be harmed. For that, he devised a strategy by creating a shadow crown princess. A woman who could divert the enemy's attention from his true lover.
That position eventually went to Althea, the illegitimate daughter of a poor baron, who was famously ugly and foolish.
Even though the infidelity was carried out openly.
The fact was, no one judged it as such.
Their love story was still seen as pure, with storms continuously battering them.
Finally, they achieved their ultimate victory.
And Althea, the supporting character, earned a position worthy of hatred.
Accusations of treason flew, leading to the Crown Princess's execution.
Burned at the stake, cheered on by the celebrating populace.
Yet in the end, the truth was revealed.
Althea was completely innocent.
"Stupid Crown Prince. Shameless female lead. Why did the author write a story like this?"
"Is this a fair ending for everyone?"
"Just wait, I'm going to leave a massive comment there."
"Be at ease, Crown Princess, I will protect you and demand your rights."
Gina's spirit flared like a burning fire.
Her long fingers typed incessantly on her phone screen, allowing her muscle tension to control her in that moment.
Demands for justice were incessantly filed, filling the comment section.
But unfortunately, no one was interested in Gina's opinion right now.
Most readers were instead celebrating the happy ending for the main characters.
Even if it meant sacrificing a supporting character who only appeared for a few lines of text.
"Damned readers! You support that parasitic main character?" Gina's jaw clenched harder. Her grip on the phone tightened as her blood flow surged.
The readers replied to her comment.
They said:
"Why should we care about a poor, ugly character? Do you want our precious Crown Prince to marry her?"
One refutation. Then others followed like relay runners competing in a race.
"Damn it," thought Gita.
The prospective graduate was exhausted.
Her hand dropped from the phone. She stared up at her room ceiling, covered in mildew.
"Why are you cursing that character?"
"What did she do wrong?"
"She only hoped for affection from the deceiver she trusted."
"Damn it."
Gina rubbed her eyes roughly, wiping away the frustration with her emerging tears.
"Hmph... why am I like this?"
"I have to look beautiful for my graduation tomorrow morning."
"I shouldn't have read that cursed book."
"Stupid Crown Prince. If I were Althea, I wouldn't have been willing to marry you."
***
In the cold night air.
Gina's body restlessly thrashed. Her breath came in gasps.
In her dream.
The burning figure of Althea haunted her.
The screams full of terror from the Crown Princess were drowned out by the cheers of the populace in the capital.
Gina was frustrated. She tried to approach and stop it all.
But her body remained stiff. Unable to move.
She screamed loudly, hoping someone could halt the death before her.
But her voice was swallowed by the earth. Unaccepted by a time that was not hers.
Until finally, she returned.
To her square room.
But the situation was chaotic.
Huge tongues of fire grew, devouring her surroundings.
"Help... help me," Gina screamed, desperately covering her nose.
But the thinning oxygen made her chest tight.
Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.
But the raging fire didn't permit it.
Its blaze spread faster.
Engulfing Gina's boarding house, killing the young girl and her dreams.
***
"ARRGGGGG!" A loud scream echoed.
Gina looked around.
A room slightly larger in size, but in a pathetic state.
The mildew no longer covered the ceiling.
Only walls built of rickety, hole-ridden wood.
Antique furniture that felt foreign.
This place was not her room that had burned.
Gina got up.
Her thin legs ran quickly. Her dizzy head gazed at the strange room.
Panic attacked her again.
But her body froze when she saw herself in the mirror.
Gina brought her face closer. Staring at the figure of a goddess that was not her own.
Wavy hair, loose and blue as the sea.
Warm eyes, pink as a gemstone.
And skin as white as unblemished snow.
A gentle sensation enveloped her hands as she held the slender cheeks of the goddess.
"Who is she?"
There were no clues other than the fact that the beautiful woman was herself.
"Lady... Oh my heavens!" A middle-aged maid stood at the door. She quickly closed the door and approached her.
"Who are you?"
"My Lady, what are you talking about?! I am Morfida, your maid." the maid protested, her eyes darting quickly. She gripped the 'goddess's' hand warmly. "My lady, what has transpired? Ah, I did not expect this to be so swift," she said, her breath shortening.
A strange energy slowly flowed into Gina.
However, the confusion of the current situation prevented Gina from thinking about it.
One thing had to be confirmed.
"Who am I?" The conversation seemed disconnected.
The maid let out a rough sigh.
Staring at her mistress with worry.
"Lady Althea, pray cease this talk."
"Althea?!" Gina shrieked.
"I am Lady Althea? What nonsense are you spouting? Althea is ugly, while I..." her words trailed off, staring at the glass beside her.
"Ugly"
Thus did the change occur in an instant.
Unveiling a secret so profoundly buried.