Some Piece of the Puzzle

"Lady Yulianna, you need to wake up."

The persistent shaking pulled Yulianna from her sleep. Groggily, she opened her eyes, struggling to make sense of her surroundings as the remnants of sleep clung to her. The flustered face of her maid was the first thing she saw—a pale, panicked expression.

"Mira? What's the matter?" Yulianna asked, her voice thick with confusion. She could tell this wasn't the first time her maid had tried to wake her, especially with the way she was pacing back and forth.

"How on earth did you become such a heavy sleeper, my lady? I've been trying to wake you for almost ten minutes! You need to get up before the lord sees you in this state."

Yulianna's eyes widened. "Wait, wait. Lord Roger—my father—is already home? You didn't tell me sooner!"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, my lady! But you kept snoring—I don't even know when you started snoring!" Mira exclaimed, clasping her hands in agitation. "That's not the point right now. I've prepared your bath, but you need to get up and clean yourself. How did you even sleep like this?"

Yulianna could only offer a weak laugh as Mira continued her frantic fussing, pulling off her dirty socks. Her golden hair was tangled and wild, drool still at the corner of her mouth, and she hadn't bothered to change into her nightgown before falling asleep.

"I slept like a baby," she muttered, lifting her arms as Mira removed her outer clothes.

"You didn't even wake me last night when you came back, my lady. Now you've got a lot of cleaning to do before facing your father."

Yulianna raised an eyebrow. "Was he so excited to see me this early? He should've considered the fact that I was tired from the party last night." She groaned, kicking her feet in annoyance. 

She had only met the baron face to face once since waking up in this place, but she already knew her life wouldn't be easy if she didn't comply with everything he demanded. The same went for her stepmother, whom she'd always avoided back when she was still an orphan in her previous world.

"Speaking of that, my lady," Mira paused, eyeing her intently. "Where were you last night after the party? Madame Veronica told the baron you disappeared early before even finding a match."

Ugh, that viper. Yulianna hissed in annoyance. "She didn't tell my father that she left me out of place first, did she? Where would I go after—"

"Enough with that, my lady. Let's get you cleaned up, or Lord Roger will be furious if you don't hush now."

As Mira worked, Yulianna fell into a silence, her thoughts whirling as she imagined the baron and her stepmother waiting for her. She needed to stay calm, remain patient. There were questions she needed answers to. She needed to figure out what happened to the woman whose life she now occupied.

"Why of all places, times, and families did I get stuck here?" Yulianna muttered in desperation, surprising Mira momentarily. 

"What did you expect, my lady? Your father remarried when you were only five, after your mother died. He was so caught up in his business, you were left in your stepmother's care. But you weren't lucky—she only cares about her image and wealth." There was a hint of sadness in Mira's voice. "Yet, you showed no resistance. You always acted grateful, looked at things positively. What changed?"

Yulianna froze, processing the information. "I did? I wonder why," she said aloud, though inside, she already knew. "Maybe I kept everything bottled up until I couldn't anymore..."

"No," Mira interrupted gently. "I'm sure it has something to do with what happened recently."

Those words struck a chord within Yulianna. "What really happened to this woman—I mean, me?" she whispered, barely audibly.

"Well, it was a week ago. You and the baroness attended a banquet. When you came home, you seemed... uncomfortable. Terrified, even, though you kept telling me everything was fine. I've known you since you were ten, my lady. I knew something was off."

"And then?" Yulianna prompted when Mira fell silent.

"You became gloomy and withdrawn the next morning. You refused to leave your room and kept asking if we had any guests. That night, you stayed up late writing in your diary and even told me to take care of myself."

"Where's that diary now? Do you know where I put it?"

"No, my lady. You kept it with you when you went out for fresh air the next morning. I had a bad feeling about you going alone to the hill, but I didn't insist. If I had, maybe this wouldn't have happened." Mira's voice trembled with remorse.

Yulianna paused. Piece by piece, the puzzle was starting to fit together. "Mira, did I jump into that hill that morning?"

Mira nodded slightly, her eyes filling with tears. "It was too late when I decided to follow you. You were already floating in the water, unconscious. It's strange... you woke up after three days, with no memory of what happened. But I'm just glad you're alive and well."

Well, I'm not glad to be stuck in this life. Yulianna bit her tongue, choosing silence to calm the flood of emotions threatening to rise. That damn diary.

"You said I had the diary before I went to the hill. Can you take me there?"

Mira paused, combing through Yulianna's hair as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Dressed in a navy, silk gown patterned with gold at the edges, Yulianna had chosen it herself—her armor to face Lord Roger and Madame Veronica. It would be tough explaining her disappearance at the party, not to mention the stolen horse and everything that had happened since.

"Only if you promise you won't jump into that water again, my lady."

"Trust me, Mira. I have far too much to do than to jump back into that water. I just need to find that diary. Maybe it'll help me remember what I've forgotten."

But deep down, Yulianna knew that wasn't the real reason. There was something in that diary—something important. The very thing that had driven the original owner of this body to end her life.

Well, if things go wrong, maybe jumping in wouldn't be such a bad idea. Yulianna thought bitterly. Now that she knew something, there was no stopping her from uncovering the truth.

"Alright, but first, you really need to get to the library before your father makes a fuss about it."

Yulianna stared at her reflection in the mirror, admiring the beauty of her face. She pitied the woman's fate, having had everything, yet ending her life in misery. A damsel in distress, but there had been no one to save her. Even Cinderella had it better, with someone to rescue her from her stepmother and stepsisters. This woman hadn't had a chance.

A pang of sadness ached in Yulianna's heart, realizing the burdens the woman had carried since childhood.

"Mira, do you know what I wanted in life?" Yulianna asked softly. "I don't remember anything. Maybe I told you."

The maid smiled as she continued fixing her hair. "If there's one thing you wanted, my lady, it's to leave this mansion and be free. You wanted a simple life in a quiet, beautiful place where you could plant flowers in your garden. You also wanted to write a novel—a happy ending of your own."

Yulianna whispered to herself, "She never had anyone but you, did she?"

Mira looked puzzled but smiled softly. "But you've always been a kind and graceful person, my lady. You've grown into a woman with a good heart."

"Well, she has me now." Yulianna's thoughts were a mix of anger and pity, and as she took a deep breath, she steeled herself. "Let's go meet my father and stepmother."

It's payback time, Red.