✓ | The Altered Version (Fate's Transgression Series, #2) [UNDER REVISION]

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Clarinette | Liana

'She will die at an early age of 126. A lady who was struck by the winter goddess' wrath: born with a skin as fair as milk, hair as white as snow, and a pair of gray eyes. Madame Clarinette Hellery Seira Dimitri, the Duchess of Silverstein, came from a falling household who were banished by the King of Zegordia for treason. Her life is bound to end when their family was ousted, but she was saved— rather, the marriage with the Duke of Silverstein was resumed despite the turmoil that happened before it.

Her life as the Duchess never ends well, for the Duke had never laid his eyes on the Duchess. As Arcadia becomes free from the curse that binds their land in a repetitive myriad of lovesickness, a new array of threats arises from the neighboring lands. As the Duke was sent to war, his wife was left to manage the duchy, only to die with the curse she had been enduring her whole life.

Now, you are here to change the course of her life. We went back before it happened. As you are gifted with her memories and knowledge, learn how to lift the curse and try to live in her stead. You will wake up as the Duchess of Silverstein, five years after the marriage and 2 years later, after the Duke left to fight with an army across the sea. Do everything you can to not die in the same way as her. Live this life as your own. This is the mission you must commit, and when the time is nigh, I will come to you, and will grant your greatest desire.'

She is freaking nuts!

First of all, I did not sign up for this. Before everything went nuts, I was driving home from work when the heavy rain suddenly pour— it was weird for the weather forecasts had said that there are no chances of rain that night but yes, expect the unexpected because it was pouring hard and I could not see the road perfectly which results for me to get in an accident and I died— partly, because I suddenly woke up from that nightmare and now a real gruesome, sinister, and horror reality lies in front of me.

Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko dahil bigla na lamang akong nagising sa isang abandonadong kubo sa gitna ng kagubatan at may liham na kulay ginto sa sahig na siyang binasa ko kaagad. I am freaking out inside this cold, dusty, and rotten shack. Alam ko naman kung bakit ako nandito dahil kanina-kanina lamang ay inatake ako ng sakit ng ulo at agad nagsilabasan ang mga memorya na hindi naman akin.

I feel anguish, loathe, and even sadness as I look through the memories of the owner of this body. Hindi maganda ang pakikitungo sa kanya ng mga tao dahil sa kakaiba siya. Tingin ng lahat hindi siya normal, at isa siyang mangkukulam. Well, feeble minded people will literally think that way if they saw something unusual. Who wouldn't?

Skin as fair as milk, hair as white as snow, and has gray eyes! Kung may salamin lang sa kubong ito, matagal ko ng sinakal ang sarili ko. Iniisip ko pa lang na mukha akong multo, gusto ko na tuloy tumakas at itapon ang katawan na ito sa unang talampas na makikita ko.

This is utterly unfair!

Sino ba ang Fate na ito at bakit niya ako dinala dito? Is she god— is god a woman!? Clearly, I am more twisted than I think I am. Hindi ko kasi kayang tanggapin na mamatay ako agad-agad dahil nasa tuktok na ako ng aking karera bilang isang sikat na Fashion Designer, tapos dahil lang sa ulan namatay ako?

Baka kamo sinadya nitong Fate na patayin ako doon sa mundo ko para ilagay ako sa katawan ng isang sinumpang babae na mamatay sa kanyang ika-isang daan at dalawampu't anim na kaarawan. Hindi niya man lang ako kinausap kung willing ba ako sa paandar niya! Kasi kung itatanong, isang malaking HINDI!

Isa pa, 126!? This body will die in 7 years, and I cannot believe I am over a hundred years old. Samantalang isa lamang akong 25-year-old single women sa balat ng lupa na tinatawag naming Earth. I cannot believe this world is very different from mine, and their age limit could reach 500 years! In my past life, konti lang ang nakakaabot ng isang siglo, tapos dito, lima? Ang tindi ah!

Pero, hindi doon nakatuon dapat ang utak ko. I need to get this curse out from me as what the letter says— mapapamura ka na lang dahil hindi niya sinabi kung paano alisin ang sumpa! Unbelievable bitch! She sent me here without prior notice and I must figure it out on my own? For god-damned sake, how am I supposed to lift a curse I don't fucking know why I was struck with it!?

Clarinette was born with the curse and her mother died of childbirth. She is a youngest daughter of the Marquess who was ousted due to his affiliations against the throne and the Crown Prince. She was saved by the banishment for the Duke of Silverstein kept the matrimony despite knowing it was all because of the Marquess' scheme.

Now, she is the Duchess of Silverstein, and her reason for staying in this shack is that she was crying over the things she cannot control; she could not take the humiliation from all those who knew her background; the amount of work of the Duchy; the unending stress and anxieties. Isa lamang siyang babaeng walang kaalam-alam sa patakaran ng mga aristokrata ng kaharian dahil lumaki siyang tinatago ng kanyang ama.

She was the only child of the Marquess who has a different physical appearance, and therefore her attributes are always the subject of bullying. Hindi niya nakayanan ang mundong ginagalawan niya kaya siya narito sa kubo parati para iiyak at ilabas ang hinanakit niya sa mundo. Subalit, surprise, f-ckers, I am now inside this body and this bitch named Fate who gave me a mission. Dang it! Iniisip ko pa lang, bi-biak na ang utak ko.

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako. Manipis pa ang damit na suot nitong katawan at nakalugay ang kaniyang mataas at medyo wavy na buhok. Kita ko din ang ilang pasa sa katawan niya. She is malnourished, too. Nag-iisip pa lang ako, ramdam ko na ang usok na lumalabas sa magkabila kong tainga, ilong at bibig. Punyeta naman, bakit ba kasi ako pa ang napili na gawin ang misyon na ito!?

Paano kapag umabot ang araw na iyon, at hindi ko nakamtan ang misyon na binigay sa akin? Mamatay ba ako kagaya ng nangyari sa babaeng nag-mamay ari ng katawan na ito? That would be my second death, and I will be asked if I fear it, the answer is yes. My death from Earth was an unexpected one, and I am still baffled why it happened.

Wala akong choice sa ngayon at kailangan sundin ang nakasulat. I will live this life, find the cure of the curse, and surpass the seven years and become a free individual again. Ayoko manatili sa katawan na ito habang sinusunod ang buhay na binigay sa kanya. I was an independent woman in my past life, so I will make this second life an interesting one.

Ang una kong gagawin ay maligo, dahil ang lagkit ng katawan ko. Let's take this as a leap to the new Clarinette Hellery Seira Dimitri-Silverstein, cleaning my body is like washing away the old version of me. I will alter this version in the approaches of my choice. Hindi naman sinabi ni Fate kung ano ang dapat kong gawin bukod sa naka highlights, kaya, I will change what I think that needs some shaping.

I will make sure that I will live past the supposed age of my death. Kapag nangyari 'yon, humanda ka kapalaran dahil magtutuos tayo!

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