Why I'm still alive?

"Are you awake?"

As soon as Ji Eun opened her eyes, she found herself sitting in a small room with dim light.

She felt confused. 

Shouldn't I be dead already?  

Did I fail?

 

An unhuman voice startled her, "You troublesome human! You are still seventeen years and choose to dive into the river?"

"Am I alive?"  Ji Eun was shocked.  She look around but found nothing. A thought about school and home began to loom over her.

Will I got beaten again?

 "Of course no. You think everything is over when you die? You idiot!"

Then the creature showed its form. A big black cloud with two white dots as eyes.  

Ji Eun gasped, "Who are you! Angel of death? Or god of heaven?"

 "Neither of them. You've committed a grave sin, Han Ji Eun. Killing yourself still counts as a murder. You will be severely punished!"

Then suddenly the room turned into a volcanic crater.  The chair she had been sitting on had turned into the edge of a ravine with lava flames licking underneath.

"Jump!"

"No! Please stop! I don't want to do it!"

The girl's sweat ran down her forehead. Either because of fear or the hot weather.

Beneath her feet, she could see a thousands or millions of people screaming and begging for her help. Their hands were trying to reach her.

She gulped when saw the sea of ​​fire have melted their bones.

Ji Eun didn't dare move. 

Just an inch away, she could join them. She doesn't even dare to breathe.

"Please! I don't want to jump in there! Please, help me!"

The black cloud seemed to be turning over the paper he was holding.  

Ji Eun saw something like a glint in the black cloud's white eyes.

Doesn't seem like a good sign..

 

"The reports of your old life are really lousy. Why do humans like to treat their peers like trash? Earth has become a place for crazy humans, indeed."

Then the crater of the mountain disappeared and Ji Eun returned to the previous room.

But the sudden change made the girl wary. 

Maybe this is just another trick?

"Let's make a deal. You will be given one more chance. If it works, you don't need to return to the underworld and we will give you a chance to reincarnate. But if you fail, I can't help you."

 Ji Eun forgot her fear and shouted, "Fine! I'll do whatever it is!"

 

The black cloud's glint began to soften.

"Good. You just have to live right this time."

 

The girl tilted her head, "Is that so?"

"Don't kill yourself again, okay?"

Ji Eun replied with a nod.  Even though deep down, she felt unsure.

"Just remember about the river of fire in the underworld earlier. Everything will be all right."

The girl swallowed hard. 

She didn't want to go back there.

The heat, the licking of flames, the screams of those people and also the mass of bodies which melting into mush.

 

"Alright. Han Ji Eun, with this try to live well."

But before she could answer, her vision blurred and everything turned dark.

 ***

"Good morning, Miss. Did you slept well last night?"

A young woman wearing a long black dress with a white apron greeted Ji Eun kindly.

"Who are you?"

 Her eyes were widen, "You don't recognize me, Miss?"

Ji Eun's head shook her head. Then she just realized that the place to wake up from her slumber is very beautiful.

Her room resembled one of those the royal's bedroom she had seen on television.

Really luxurious and very spacious.

Dominated with elegant white color and the furniture is made of silver. Even the fluffy sleeping bed has a pastel colored netting curtain.

In all her life, she never imagined that she would wake up in a place like this.

But what surprised her even more was that her body felt light.

She is wearing a white pyjamas.

Her arms and legs were thin.

"Can you .. bring me a mirror, please?"

The servant studied her employer for a while before bringing a large mirror one meter high.

Ji Eun held her breath before look at it. 

Since long time ago, mirrors were not her best friend.

Then when she saw how she looked in the mirror, she almost fainted.

Not because of ugliness.

In contrary, perfectly straight black waist length hair, pure white porcelain face, natural red lips and bright purple eyes.

Everyone will accept the fact that the girl in the mirror has an extraordinary beauty.

About a quarter of a second later, Ji Eun felt a terrible pain in her head.  Memories of the real owner of the body suddenly filled her head.

Her name, her habit, her family.  Everything was potrayed so clearly that Ji Eun felt like she was watching a movie.

"Miss, are you okay?"

The servant, who turned out to be Mary, looked worried.

"Please, get me a cup of hot tea, Mary." Ji Eun said as her headache subsided.

Oh no, that's not his name now. 

This time, she is Cecilia Margareth Lancia. 

The only daughter of Duke Armando Gustav Lancia and one of the candidates for crown princess in the Atrazal empire.

She almost 15 years old, but she already has a terrible reputation. Cecilia known of her bad temper and nasty traits.

Therefore, she has no friends and acts coldly to those around her, including the servants. 

Duke Lancia himself was so busy that he only gave money in exchange for his absence.

'Even though you have everything, but why are you acting like this.'

It was then that the new Cecilia was determined to improve herself and her fate.  

The thought of the river of fire made her shudder.

At least this time, she was determined not to make any more stupid mistakes.

Cecilia thought to herself, 'Where could I start from?'

"Miss, your schedule for today is tea party at Miss Silver's residence."

"Miss Silver? Oh, I know her."  In her memory Miss Silver is Aileen Herrace Silver.

The eldest daughter of Count Silver who is also a candidate for the crown princess. Her relationship with Cecilia is not good.

However, it would be rude to cancel an invitation suddenly.

Cecilia didn't know why the real Cecilia would accept her invitation. Because today she just wanted to lie down all day.

"Would you like to take a shower now, miss?"

 "Yes, please." She said while drinking her tea.

Mary nodded and said she would prepare warm water for her.

 

Cecilia closed her eyes and thought about what kind of attitude she should convey. 

Should she be the usual Cecilia so that no one gets suspicious?

Or, is it okay to start being nice?

But she know that it won't be easy to do, since almost everyone hated her attitude. 

"Ah, why do I already felt tired?"

"Miss, the water is ready. I will help you to take a bath."

Reflexively, Cecilia crossed her arms across her chest. "Not right now, Mary. Thank you."

 

Mary looked at her mistress with a full of amazement.

Not because she refused to be bathed, but the thank you which she heard for the first time in fifteen years.

This morning, her employer had not shouted angrily or smashed anything yet.

Even now, the usually harsh expression on her face looks so innocent and soften.

The servant's mind was filled with the questions about her employer's attitude.

It was, as if she turned into someone else.