Chapter 1: From Cubicle to Crystal
I still remember how it happened.
How I died.
It wasn't in some epic way, nor was it the classic truck-kun while heroically saving a cat—or even a child. No, it was none of that.
As always, everything about me had to be different. Sometimes I wonder why I was named Elena and not Differentia.
In college, when everyone had to present a topic, I somehow picked the hardest one and disgrace myself in front of the whole school because funny enough, the file where I had stored my work went AWOL.
During our welcome party, I didn't get the memo that it was no longer a costume party but a dinner party. Guess who showed up dressed as a chicken? Yours truly.
When I finally got a job, all my friends talked about how kind their bosses were, so I thought mine would be kind too because why the hell not. But no. Karen had to be the opposite. And yes, her name was actually Karen.
I like to believe she's the reason I died. I was going through an email she'd labeled as important—and mind you, it wasn't the first for the day, not the second, and definitely not the third. I'd lost count of how many emails I had gone through that day, each labelled as important.
The last thing I remember was my face planting against the keyboard as everything around me became a blur.
Funny how I was struggling with my life, finding it difficult to breathe and Karen's last words to me were, "Elena, this isn't the time to rest. You can only rest when you're dead."
Um... seems my brain took that literally. Because when I came to, I wasn't in the office being the overworked secretary to my devil boss. I wasn't even in a hospital.
I was... somewhere strange.
Flat on my back, staring up at a chandelier the size of a minivan—dripping with crystals that shimmered like a choir of over-caffeinated fairies.
My first thought was that whoever owned that chandelier had to be filthy rich, because no one surviving on a meager salary like I was could afford something like that.
My head pounded like I'd been hit by a hammer. The bed beneath me felt like it was made of clouds. For a second, I closed my eyes again, convinced it was all a dream—until the doors burst open.
"Princess Elyndravyssorathielindria!"
A woman's voice gasped, trembling with relief. "You're awake! Oh, blessed stars, you're awake!"
I blinked up at her. She was wearing a brown gown that shimmered faintly, and her blonde hair was pinned up in an elaborate bun.
"Um... who are you?" I croaked.
She clasped her hands together, eyes glistening with tears. "I'm Vaeloryssindrathalynne, Your Highness. Your personal maid," she said, gesturing toward the name tag on her dress.
It read: Maidservant Vaeloryssindrathalynne.
How the fuck does one even pronounce that?
"We thought we'd lost you to mana depletion! The priests, the medics, your father—oh, he was distraught!" she cried.
"Mana what?" I muttered.
"Mana depletion," she repeated.
I stared at her like she'd just grown horns.
"Oh…" I laughed weakly. "You mean like when I lose all my energy from overworking? Tell me something—where's Karen? Did she put you up to this? If so, tell her I'm sorry for collapsing. I'll get back to work."
She blinked. "What do you mean? Who is Karen?"
"My boss?" I said, chuckling nervously.
"Boss?" she echoed, horrified. "You're Princess Elyndravyssorathielindria Sylvarindelthys, Fifth Daughter of King Aelthryndivoryssalindria the Glorious, of the Eternal Kingdom of Aelthryndivoryssalindria! You have no need for a boss!"
I stared at her like she'd just spoken another language.
"Are you high?" I asked.
"High?"
"Yeah, like... did you sniff cocaine or drink something?"
"I do not understand what you are saying, Your Highness."
"And I don't understand what you said before, so I guess we're even."
"Your Highness!" she gasped. "We cannot be even! You far surpass me—"
I yawned and sat up. "Please just call Karen. I'm ready to get back to work now. We can stop with this prank."
I stretched—and froze.
Velvet curtains draped the walls, golden lamps lined the room, and a balcony overlooked a city that literally sparkled. But what made me pause wasn't the room. It was my reflection in the dressing mirror across from me.
Holy hell.
The reflection wasn't me. Or... it was, but better.
Red curls cascaded in glossy waves instead of my usual frizzy mess. My eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue. My skin glowed like I'd just stepped out of a skincare commercial. The face staring back was mine—but upgraded.
"Is this… me?" I whispered.
Vaelory nodded, her voice trembling. "Of course, Princess. Who else would it be?"
I shook my head and laughed. "Yeah… Vael—"
"Vaeloryssindrathalynne," she corrected.
"No, that's a mouthful. I'll just call you Vael."
"You always called me Vaelory," she said gently.
I didn't have the energy to argue. "Vaelory it is."
"How do I get out of here?" I asked.
Vaelory gasped again—her apparent default reaction.
"Princess, you… it seems you are still sick! I will call for your father and the medics right away!" she cried, rushing out of the room.
I tried to get up and escape, but before I could even stand, the doors slammed open and a crowd stormed in.
"She's behaving strangely and speaking about a 'Karen!'" Vaelory announced.
But what caught my attention was the short man whose height was competing with his enormous stomach. A crown—much too large for him, in my opinion—sat on his bald head. His eyes widened the moment he saw me.
"My daughter!" he sobbed. "Elyndravyssorathielindria, my starlight, you're alive!"
I blinked. "Uh… hi?"
Apparently, this was King Aelthryndivoryssalindria the Glorious. My new dad.
He looked like a toy version of Santa Claus.
"Look, I'm not your daughter," I tried to explain. "I'm Elena. From Earth. I died at my desk and—"
"Nonsense!" he roared through his tears. "The mana depletion must have clouded your mind! Priests, more prayers! Where are the bloody doctors when you need them?"
And that's how I unwillingly became Princess Elyndravyssorathielindria—the princess who had supposedly died of mana depletion but miraculously returned to life.
No one believed me when I said I wasn't her. Eventually, I gave up trying. I learned to live as Elyn—because no way in hell was I letting them call me Elyndravyssorathielindria every day.
At least in this world, there was no Karen.
Here, all I had to do was eat, sleep, attend parties, and gossip. A literal dream life.
Or so I thought.
Because apparently, things could never be simple when it came to me.
It's been five years since I woke up in this world, and according to the short man in front of me—my father—it's time I got married.