Believe in Magic, Ms. Villainess

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Morgans

I woke up in a strange room.

No.

This is the same room I woke up last time. The wide and classical room.

I quickly looked for a mirror, even though my feet and hands hurt.

Why didn't I see this before?! Is it because it's far away and that's not what I had in mind?

I looked at my appearance again.

No. No.

I lost my face?

I touched this strange face’ cheek.

I am losing my identity.

I really lost everything about me. I'm starting to cry again.

Everything is just in my head now.

What I’m going to do now?

This is all your fault! Curse you, Anton.

What did you do to me?! I cried hysterically, looking at my appearance in the mirror.

A door opened.

I looked to see who opened the door.

It's the General again.

I look at him.

I admit that I am guilty of running amok in his house.

But I can’t accept this!

"Are you alright now?"

"Huh? What did you say?”

"I am asking you if you have calmed down now."

“I just lost my face and you’re just asking if I’ve calmed down now?!” I face him.

“What did you do to me?!” I yelled at him again.

“Nellie, I do not understand everything you said. Nothing happened to your face. Yes, you got wounds on your feet and hands. But can you tell me what you mean, and I will give you the answer?”

What? He's been nice to me since and it's getting suspicious!

“My face, General! My body! THIS. IS. NOT. WHAT. I. AM. That’s my problem!” I looked at the mirror and held the frame. I am cry again. “This is not my body. I don’t have red eyes. I am not a freaking monster. I do not have white hair. I am not yet an old woman. This is not me!”

I looked at him. I cried even more because it seemed he couldn't believe seeing me like this.

Right…

I looked at him sharply.

“What did Anton tell you? He asked if you could change me? You are not a God or any divine being! How can you do this to me?!” I shouted with all my might.

I sat in the chair. I cried and laughed at the same time.

Is this what life I’ve been living so far?

I spent longer spouting things on him and he couldn’t give me an answer.

“I don’t like this body,” I said. I don’t care if he sees me in a vulnerable side.

He needs to know how messed up they made on me.

Then, he went to the opposite side and took something hanging on the wall. He showed me it to me. I saw this body's face on the portrait. The painting is beautiful. She was wearing a red and black corset and ballooned skirt that looked like it was painted back in the renaissance period.

He kneeled.

“This was father’s gift for your 15th birthday. Since then, you have always liked it and stare at it because it highlights your beautiful features of your face. Nellie, you are this’ Capital rising beauty. You meet our beauty standards. How come you do not want your face anymore?” His voice are like how a brother who would say to his younger sister.

It somehow stopped my crying.

I have no idea what he just said.

I looked at the painting and to the mirror. They do look identical, but it’s not my real face!

"Nonetheless, I fired the maid who wore your dress. I had also detained her for three days. But next time, refrain from punishing our housemates because a bad image will be painted on our name. As much as possible, it is the first thing we must avoid."

“What are you talking about?” I asked. He just filled my brain full of nonsense.

“Nellie, I had made sure that you will not see her again.”

“Wore my dress? I don't live here, General. How can I have a dress here?”

He looked at me and swallowed hard.

"Yesterday I noticed that I did not understand anything you were saying. Have you forgotten what happened to you?"

"I know what happened to me,” I said. I am becoming irritated.

"That is righ—"

“I was hit by Anton's car."

"What? No. Based on what Lt. Louie said..” He paused and carefully measured my gaze, but he continued talking anyway.

“You dragged the maid when you found out she had fit your dress secretly. You pulled her hair out of the house towards the lake, and you poked her face in the water. But she struggled and pushed you into the water too. You do not know how to swim and you almost drowned! Good thing the maids called Lieutenant and he saved you. This is what happened, is it not? Is it wrong? You really were hit? By what? Car? What is that?"

“What the f***? I don’t know what you are talking about, General.” I closed my eyes. I just got weak. I'm getting impatient with this conversation.

“Stop calling me General. I am your brother, we are inside our house. You can address me that outside,” he added.

“I don't have a brother. I didn't drag a maid. It didn't pull out someone's hair. And I didn't drown! What the hell are you talking about, General?” I look at him losing my patience in this conversation! Did I already say that?

“Then can you tell me what happened?”

“I told you I was hit. What am I even telling this to you?” I said this myself. He should’ve known it!

“Then can I see your wounds? Tell me who hit you and I will punish him.”

I stand up.

I laughed.

“Don't be ridiculous, General. Don't spin me. You’re Anton's side.”

He also stood up.

“That…Anton. Who is that man? I heard he is your lover. How come we didn--” I stopped a little.

“Yes, but not anymore. And you know that. You hold all the information, right?”

He sighed problematically.

“Certainly. Rest well. I will find Anton in every nook and cranny of our Empire.”

Empire? It’s not America but an Empire Country? Is there any empire today?

I was left dumbfounded.

I put my hands on my face.

My head hurts just thinking about what is happening to me.

Our company went bankrupt.

I lost my father.

Nakada turned their back on me.

My lover betrayed me.

I lost my face and body.

This General keeps on being strange.

Everyone and everything were strange!

And I am here inside a huge mansion.

What should I do?

It's no use being miserable. Although I want to die again.

I am angry. Very angry.

How I tried so hard to be purposeful and this is what I will get?!

A life full of bullshit?!

But then...I looked at the side…this is not half-bad.

A new face and body means rebooting my choices and decisions, right? As long as I live, I can do more. That includes my revenge on Anton. I will take this General's side and turn to my side.

Just imagining twisting his neck will have fireworks on my stomach!

I stood up and walked around the room. I see things as pure classics. The bed was double the size of my past bed in my condo. It also had a curtain and a canopy.

The room had a classical dresser and many beauty essentials that were foreign to me. One thing I noticed was that it had many flowers in here. Wait?

Why does it look like someone lives here?

I looked for a closet. I was right. There are a lot of dresses, shoes, and other things that are worn here. All that is thick, long, looks elegant, flowing and most of all, like historical fashion?

There are also a lot of corsets.

Am I forgetting something here?

Could it be mistaken identity?

No, because if that's the case, why is my face and body different?

I didn’t have these small breasts! Also, my height seems to have decreased a bit. I had quite a big bust back then, but I have slimmed down a little fats. It's like I'm back to being an adolescent.

But it is impossible to operate on me so quickly and in such a short time.

I woke up in such a good condition, I was only injured when I passed out earlier.

Oh.

I don't know anymore. I'm confused.

I wandered around.

I went to the antique European desk, near another veranda. I browse the books here. The characters are written differently, but why do I understand these letters?

I already know I am already in a foreign country.

These books are all about flowers.

On each front page of the book, is the one with the name, 'Nellie'.

These must be these woman's books and this room. Also, the General also called me 'Nellie'. This must be a mistaken identity!

Wait. No.

Then it must be Nellie and I should look alike.

But I know my face. I know who I am. I remember every part of my body. What I have now is not what I had!

I turned my back.

I can't believe I will be having an identity crisis my whole life.

I'm really losing my mind!

I am so angry to the core!

I lose my fist when I can feel it’s starting to get real hurt, knowing I still have wounds on my palm.

Evening came, General called me to a room. By the way, the maids tried to dress me. I let them clothe me. Their behavior is very weird. They do most of the dressing for me. If only I hadn't told them I could do it myself wearing the undergarments, they would have done all the work for me.

Is it really like this in this country?

Anyway, I am already sitting on a chair with two men whom I don't know are in front of me. The general presented them to me. His constituents are also here.

"One of their names was Anton. One was a fallen aristocrat and the other one was a merchant. His name was Antonio. These are their profiles if you would certainly wish to know."

Aristocrat?

I looked at the paper, brown paper, with their military logo.

It’s the same as earlier. I understand the characters but it's not roman alphabet. See? There must be going on here!

I look at the poor faces of the two men in front.

"Are you kidding me? They look nothing like Anton. Are we going to fool around here, General? That you have never met him, not even his image?” My face and voice are expressionless.

“But I have never seen him.” Ridiculous.

I scoffed. You’re the country’s General for nothing then.

I read the above document.

"Imperial King--dom of Joseph."

Familiar.

Familiar.

I have encountered these words before…

Wait a minute.

It was when I was in college!

The time when I loved reading novels.

Which is, again, ridiculous.

I read it again.

"Imperial Kingdom of Joseph?"

Isn't this the damned protagonist who is the one who manipulates everything that happens in the story of...

In the story of… ‘When were dead, Let's Depart’.

Right.

I looked at General who looked innocent.

No.

This can’t be happening.

"What is your name, General?"

"Huh?"

"What's your name?"

"Have you forgotten your eldest brother's name?"

His colleagues reacted a bit.

"What is your name, General?" I repeated.

"Benjamin Colt," he frowned, as if I must know.

"Surname."

"Nellie, my surname is your surname too."

"What is your surname!" I shouted. I stood up.

No.

I don't want to believe it.

"You shouldn't shout at your brother like that,” he said.

"Surname, please. Tell me your surname,” I almost whispered.

"Morgan, right?" He answered forcedly and confused.

"You are Benjamin Colt Harding Morgan?" I, myself, was surprised by how I still remembered the whole name.

"Yes. Why would you ask my name?”

He became concerned.

“Why are you crying?"

"Your brother's name is Ezra Nathan Harding Morgan?"

"That is also your brother. Nellie what--?"

"Next is your sister's name Nellie Allison Harding Morgan?"

"My sister, it is your name. That is, you."

I was speechless.