The pain of death had been sharp an overwhelming flash of agony, a sudden plunge into nothingness. But what came after was far stranger.
Warmth.
Gentle, blinding light.
The faint scent of roses.
I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the world around me. Soft white silk sheets enveloped my body. The ceiling above sparkled with a golden chandelier that looked like it belonged in a palace. Everything gleamed too pristine, too extravagant to be anything I'd ever known.
"Miss... Miss Althea, you're awake!"
A gentle voice snapped me out of my daze. A woman, dressed in a crisp maid uniform with lace trim and a silver brooch at her collar, knelt by my bedside. Her eyes were wide with concern, but her face was unfamiliar.
Althea?
Who's Althea?
"My Lady," the maid said again, helping me sit up, "you fainted in the garden this morning. The doctor said it might be exhaustion."
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped, startled by the sound of my voice. Softer. More refined.
And the reflection I caught in the ornate gold mirror across the room?
Definitely not me.
She was breathtaking long, wavy chestnut hair spilling around her porcelain face, hazel eyes shimmering with gold flecks, full lips, and a figure that screamed aristocracy. She looked like the heroine of a fantasy novel or a high-budget historical drama.
I touched my face, slowly, carefully.
Was I dreaming?
"Excuse me," I said, "what... what is this place?"
The maid blinked, confused. "This is the Duchy of Ashford, my Lady. Your estate. Are you sure you're all right?"
Ashford? Duchy?
This wasn't just a fancy house. I'd woken up in another world and not just any world. A rich one. A noble one.
I had died in the modern world a regular girl, struggling to pay bills, working double shifts at a diner, barely surviving after my parents passed away. And now… I was a duchess?
No. Wait.
The maid had called me Miss Althea. Not Duchess. That implied I wasn't married.
Was I nobility? Royalty? Just rich?
I needed answers.
"Tell me more," I said slowly. "About... me."
The maid gave a soft, uncertain smile. "You are Lady Althea Wynthrope, daughter of the late Duke Wynthrope. You're the sole heiress to the Wynthrope fortune and estate. You're known across the empire for your beauty, grace, and…" she hesitated slightly, "your strong opinions."
Strong opinions? That sounded like something my old self might've had.
"And… my parents?" I asked, though a knot already twisted in my chest.
The maid's expression turned somber. "Your mother passed away when you were young. The Duke… he died two years ago in an accident during a hunt. You've been managing the estate since then."
Alone.
Just like before.
But this time, I wasn't poor. This time, I had power.
I glanced around the luxurious room again the heavy velvet drapes, the gleaming mahogany furniture, the quiet buzz of servants just outside the double doors. There were paintings on the wall oil portraits of a distinguished man with icy blue eyes, and a woman with the same chestnut hair I now had.
My parents. Or rather… her parents.
Mine now?
Later that day, I stood on the balcony overlooking the vast Ashford estate.
There were gardens that stretched beyond what the eye could see, fountains shaped like marble angels, a private lake reflecting the golden sunlight. Everything screamed wealth, refinement, and privilege.
My fingers curled over the railing. This wasn't just a second chance at life. It was a chance at a new identity.
Althea Wynthrope.
Heiress. Noblewoman. Rich beyond imagination.
But I knew how these things worked. I'd read enough novels and watched enough dramas to know that wealth came with a price arranged marriages, court politics, manipulation.
I had to be careful.
Over the next few days, I learned quickly.
I had tutors yes, actual tutors who came daily to "refresh" my knowledge. Etiquette lessons, finance reports, history of the empire, piano, fencing, horseback riding. Apparently, Lady Althea had quite the reputation as a headstrong, stubborn noblewoman who refused most suitors and preferred managing her lands over flirting at court.
I liked her already.
But the strangest part was how easily I adapted. It was as if my soul had merged with hers. Memories sometimes came in flashes a favorite tea blend, the way she used to braid her hair, the subtle instinct to walk with a certain poise.
Still, not everything was smooth.
One morning, while walking through the west garden, I encountered a group of nobles who had come to call on "Lady Althea."
One of them a tall man with sharp green eyes and a smirk that screamed arrogance bowed slightly.
"Lady Wynthrope," he said, his voice dripping with charm, "what a pleasure it is to see you again. I hope your recent fainting spell hasn't weakened your legendary wit."
Who was this man?
I tilted my head, keeping my tone neutral. "Forgive me, I'm afraid I'm still recovering. Would you remind me of your name?"
He chuckled. "Ah, still playing coy, I see. Lord Cassian Hartwright, at your service."
Cassian. The name rang a bell vaguely. Maybe a childhood friend? An ex-suitor?
He leaned closer. "Shall I send roses to your chambers again? Or do you prefer lilies these days?"
So… an ex-suitor with ego issues.
I smiled sweetly. "Send whichever blooms match your intentions. I'll judge them accordingly."
The other nobles snickered.
Cassian's smirk twitched.
Game on.
Later that evening, after dismissing the servants, I sat by the fireplace in my private study, nursing a glass of elderberry wine. My mind spun with questions.
Why me?
Why this body, this life?
And most importantly… what was expected of me?
I found an old journal tucked behind a row of ancient books. It was bound in dark leather, the pages filled with elegant cursive. Her writing.
"They want me to marry Lord Cassian. But I cannot stand him. He only wants my title, my land. He'll never love me. Not the way I want to be loved."
I stared at the words.
So she had resisted, even until the end. She had known how fake the world of nobles could be.
And now, I was herehere.
In her place.
But u like her… I had seen the other side. I had lived with nothing.
And I would not let anyone take this new life from me.