"Laura Vinèyard"

It was hard to believe, but everything felt 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭.

I could feel the warmth of the sun rays hitting my skin, the delicate breeze brushing my hair, and the melodious chirping of the birds.

Even though this could be considered a pleasant day, it wasn't pleasant at all.

After all the misery caused by family, I ended up here, inside the novel that was my only source of relief, I somehow felt betrayed.

It was like my best friend, knowing all the problems that I had, put me in a situation that was much worse, I didn't know anything or anyone, at least if I really had to be here, why not the heroine? Or a side character? Why did I have to become the villainess?

I couldn't just behave as if I lost my memory or had a change of heart, I was still THE villainess and treated a lot of innocent people wrong, no, it wasn't me, it was 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

I know this better than anyone, it's difficult to forget the scars of the past and much more difficult to forgive, so why even try to make a difference when my future is already written? What in the world did I do to deserve this? Was asking for happiness too much?

At least I was used to my old life, it was horrible but I knew it all, the same routine every day, I would've died knowing that I lived how I knew, but here I will die for the mistakes of someone else.

Unfair.

"Yes, that's your name"

The gentle tone of the Marquis makes me realize once more who I had become.

I immediately get on the tiled floor and grab his legs with all the strength I had left, still trembling, I lower my head to the ground.

"Please, don't kill me! I beg you!"

The tears that I held in for so long fell as quickly as the sky rained during a storm.

The Marquis looked genuinely confused at my request but that didn't stop him from reassuring me.

"My lovely daughter, why would I kill you? What are you saying, Laura?"

I'm not her, stop calling me as if I'm a Vinèyard!

"I'm not your daughter! Please let me go back to where I belong!"

All the individuals present in the room looked at me as if I went crazy, they weren't sad, on the contrary, it seemed as if they liked how the Villainess 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘝𝘪𝘯è𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥 was on her knees, so vulnerable and agitated.

"My daughter, please get up, I promise everything will be fine, just get some rest" he stroked my head as he showed his hope, believing I would recover from this 'amnesia'.

How can you recover from something you aren't suffering from?

"Believe me, please, I'm not your daughter, I don't belong here!"

I stand up and forcefully hold on to the Marquis' blazer.

"I don't suffer from amnesia, I don't know what happened to your daughter but don't let my face believe I am her!"

He painfully looks at me with serious eyes for seconds that felt like hours.

"I'm sorry Laura…"

He pushes me off him and gets all the servants out of the room.

"I'm really sorry, but you need to rest you are too agitated. Lydia lock the door"

"What?! Lock?! Please no, don't-"

I run towards the enormous door, without any results, they really locked it!

BANG BANG

"Let me out!"

𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘵

"I want to go ho-home"

I sit, leaning on the locked door, completely defeated, burying my face in between my thighs.

Laura! Laura Vinèyard! It's all your fucking fault! Now you are too scared to end up as dead meat so you put me in this position huh? Ungrateful asshole! You had everything and still behaved badly, that's the only reason you were executed! And now I have to get my neck cut too!

Tired of the emotional rollercoaster I drag myself onto the bed.

I stare at the roof, unable to decide about my life by myself, once again.

I have nothing to miss about my old life, but the fate that expects me here is so much worse.

Dying in front of a crowd of people that despises me for things I never did, I don't want that.

I hate everything…why me? Nothing goes in the right direction if it's about me…

CLICK

The door slowly opens showing the petite figure of Lydia pushing a serving cart full of fragrant food.

"My Lady, have you calmed down? The Marquis asked me to bring you some food, you must be hungry, it's already dark"

I turn to the window, surprised.

I didn't realize how much time it passed.

"My Lady please eat something"

Lydia pushes an elegant dish of steak in front of me, imploring me to eat it.

"Lydia, I'm not your 'Lady' stop calling me that"

I put the plate back on the serving cart, I don't have any appetite, how could anyone crave food in this situation?

"You are! I'm sure your memories will be back so-"

"They won't because I haven't lost any memories, Lydia, at least you, believe me, I'm completely sane"

She makes herself comfortable on my bed, facing the other way, unable to look me in the eyes as I still stare blankly at the ceiling.

"Would you like to talk to me about it?"

I was so in shock, that I nearly jumped out of the bed.

Someone that wants to listen to me? Unbelievable!

"Are you being serious?" I ask still confused.

"Of course, I would like to understand why you are behaving like this all of a sudden, it's a little, how can I say? Strange"

"I'm behaving like this because I'm a totally different person from Laura Vinèyard, I come from a place very far from here"

"Really?"

"Yes, coincidentally my name is Laura as well, I come from a country called Italy, my life wasn't the best there but that's what I grew up knowing"

It felt weird sharing my emotions with someone that was a stranger to me at this point.

"Your life wasn't the best? How so?"

"I grew up being treated like I wasn't human"