From Pawn to Power

Who the hell was Cecilia really? Why did she show up like some ghost at the coming-of-age ceremony? And why did no one know about her before that? Too many questions, but one thing stood out the most:

How the hell did she die and I end up stuck in her body?

If I didn't figure that out, I was done for. Plain and simple.

So, as I was washing my face with that stupid bowl of water the maid brought me, I wiped my face, looking at her. She was staring at the floor like there was some treasure down there. It was getting on my nerves.

I cut the silence. "So, what's your name?"

The maid jumped. "I-it's Mina, Miss."

"Mina, huh?" I repeated, rolling the name around in my head. Boring as hell, but whatever.

I crossed my legs, sitting on the bed and staring her down. "So, Mina, tell me what happened to me. Why the hell was I unconscious?"

She looked up at me, but only for a second before her eyes dropped again. "Y-you don't remember, Miss?"

I cleared my throat, trying not to let my temper explode. "Not really."

Mina's hands twisted nervously in front of her, gripping the hem of her uniform like it was the only thing keeping her together. I could see her struggling to spit out the words, her voice soft but laced with hesitation. "You… you tried to kill yourself, Miss."

I froze.

What?

I stared at her, not sure if I had heard right. "Why?" I asked, my voice sharp, demanding answers.

Mina blinked rapidly, her eyes wide like she had just seen a ghost. "B-because… you couldn't get the red ruby jewelry…"

My head spun. Wait. Hold up.

Cecilia—this damn girl—tried to kill herself over a piece of jewelry? A stone? Was she out of her damn mind?

My blood started to boil. How the hell could someone be so messed up over something like that?

Before I could go off, another maid knocked on the door. I turned, glaring at her, my patience wearing thin. "What?"

She bowed, looking nervous. "Master wants to see you, Miss."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the fire in my chest. Great. Just what I needed right now.

I let out a sharp breath, rolling my eyes like it was the most annoying thing in the world. "Alright, whatever. Lead the way," I muttered, standing up.

They both just stared at me, not moving an inch. I shot them a look, cocking my head. "What?" I asked, my voice sharp.

Mina finally stepped forward, looking at me like I had just done something wrong. "Are you really going to meet Master dressed like that, miss?" she said, voice full of judgment.

I furrowed my brow and looked down at myself. It was just a damn white frock. What's the big deal?

I stared at them, my brow twitching. "What's wrong with this?" I asked, gesturing to the simple white frock I was wearing.

Mina shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flicking away. "It's… a nightgown, miss."

A nightgown?

I blinked, looking down at the fabric, and suddenly it clicked. Ah, right. This was royal life, wasn't it? I couldn't walk around in something that looked like I just rolled out of bed. Hell no.

I sighed heavily, dragging a hand through my hair. "Alright, let's dress up then."

Mina's eyes widened in relief as she nodded and walked to the wardrobe. She opened it and turned back to me, asking, "What would you like to wear, miss?"

I scoffed, looking at the dresses hanging in front of me.

"What is this crap?" I muttered under my breath.

They all looked like they'd been designed by someone who'd never seen color or style in their life. Ugly, dull, and about as lifeless as my mood right now.

Mina was still standing there, looking at me with those big, wide eyes like a damn deer caught in headlights. Her nerves were practically jumping out of her skin. I could feel it just by looking at her.

Tch.

I let out a deep sigh. I didn't have a damn choice, did I? This whole wardrobe was a disaster, a dumpster fire in fabric form. The options were trash, pure and simple. But I wasn't about to stand here and waste time complaining.

I scanned the mess, eyes narrowed, and then—bam—there it was. A simple green dress. At least it didn't look like it came from a thrift store run by some grandma. It wasn't some ridiculous, frilly nonsense. Just clean, simple, decent. The color wasn't bad either, kind of a calm vibe compared to the chaos of everything else.

"Alright, let's go with this one," I muttered, holding it up.

"Yes, miss, of course."

Once I was dressed, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Not bad. Still not my style, but good enough. The green was kind of fresh, a little different. Better than the other crap in that wardrobe, that's for sure.

"Alright, let's go," I said, stepping out of the room with Mina trailing behind me.

As we walked, I couldn't help but take in the sheer extra of this place. The walls, the pillars, even the damn ceiling screamed money. It was everywhere—gold details, fancy carvings, and, oh, a giant vase just casually sitting there, looking like it could pay off my entire past life.

Then, out of nowhere, she appeared. A girl, same age as me, walking toward us like she owned the air around her. She was stunning, like ridiculously stunning. The dress, the jewelry, even the way she moved—like someone who knew how to turn heads without trying.

I nudged Mina and leaned in, whispering, "Hey, who the hell is she?"

Mina's face went pale, like I'd just stepped on a landmine. "Miss... that's Miss Lora. Your sister."

Sister?

Ahhh, step-sister, I guessed.

She didn't look bad. Calm, composed, and maybe even kind. Definitely not giving off the same jerk vibes as Theodore. As we got closer, Lora smiled politely, a picture-perfect royal smile.

"Cecilia," she called, her voice soft and sweet, "I was on my way to see you."

I managed a small smile back. "Oh? Well, here I am," I said casually.

She nodded, then asked, "Where are you going?" Her tone was so polite it almost threw me off.

"To meet the Grand Duke," I replied simply.

Her smile faltered. "Grand... Duke?" Her eyes widened like I'd just told her I was about to jump off a cliff.

"Yeah," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Why? What's the big deal?"

Her reaction was too much for a simple meeting. 

Calm and polite? Yeah, sure, but something about her felt... off. The second her smile faltered, I caught the shift. Her eyes darted to Mina.

"Mina," she said sweetly, "can you tell Bonnie to bring my other shoes? These are killing me."

Mina nodded quickly. "Sure, Miss," and hurried off, disappearing down the hall.

Now it was just me and Miss Perfect.

The second Mina was gone, Lora's whole vibe flipped like a bad coin. That polite mask stayed on her face, but her eyes? Sharp as a damn blade. She stepped closer, her voice dropping lower, almost too sweet.

"Cecilia... my lovely sister." Her smile widened, but her eyes were ice. "You remember our deal, don't you?"

I blinked, taken aback. Deal? What the hell was she talking about?

"What deal?" I muttered, my voice laced with suspicion.

Her smile didn't budge, but her face darkened like the calm before a storm. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her movements slow and deliberate.

"You remember. You can never tell anyone that I wanted mother's red ruby jewelry."

And just like that, the mask cracked wide open in my mind. Calm and polite? This girl was anything but. Damn, she wasn't just a snake; she was a whole pit of vipers.

Of course, I didn't remember any damn deal—but one thing was crystal clear. Her. This two-faced snake right here, she was the one who pushed Cecilia to death. Or worse—maybe it was her plan all along.

Before I could even process the thought, she reached out and grabbed my hand. Her grip was tight, her voice a soft whisper, dripping with fake sweetness.

"I can still help you, you know," she said, leaning closer like we were sharing some deep secret. "To get close to the Duke's son... like you always wished."

I froze for a second, my brain buzzing with a million questions. Duke's son? What wish?

Ah, screw it. Let's see where this goes.

"You can?" I said, keeping my voice low but sharp, tilting my head like I was genuinely curious. A slow smirk spread across my face. "Wow, unni, you're so generous."

Before she could respond, I snatched my hand back and dusted it off, like her touch was something I couldn't wait to get rid of. Then, with a sly grin, I added, "But you know what? I changed my mind."

I leaned in closer and whispered, "I don't need that Duke bastard anymore."

Her eyes went wide, her body stiffening like I'd just slapped her. "What?" she said, her voice all sugar and venom, her fake smile struggling to stay in place.

"Why?" she asked, still playing nice, but her tone gave her away.

I shrugged, letting my smirk grow. "Mmm... I got bored," I said casually, my voice dripping with mock indifference.

"What?!" she snapped, the sweetness cracking like thin ice.

"Yeah," I said, my tone almost lazy, crossing my arms as I stared her down. "Why waste my time chasing some guy who doesn't even know I exist? That's just pathetic, don't you think, unni?"

Her jaw tightened, and for a split second, that pretty little mask of hers cracked. Oh, she was pissed—real pissed. Watching her struggle to keep her fake smile in place? Pure entertainment.

Then I saw Mina coming back with Bonnie in tow, holding the shoes or whatever Lora had asked for. Perfect timing. This drama was just starting to heat up, but I wasn't about to stick around for the encore.

"Alright then, unni," I said, tossing her a half-assed wave as I turned on my heel. "See you around."

Without waiting for her fake pleasantries, I strolled off, my steps calm but steady, heading straight toward the room where the grand duke—Cecilia's oh-so-glorious father—was waiting.

Behind me, I could feel Lora's glare burning into the back of my head. Let her stew. I had bigger fish to fry.