I Won't Die A Villainess

Chapter 1 // Aria //

// Chapter 1 //

"Aria, wake up,"

What's this? Am I in heaven?

"Aria"

Who's Aria?

"I said wake," I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a pillow slapping my face. "Up!"

I pulled my self up to sit down after I was hit, "I'm alive." I breathed out. 

"Stop being so overdramatic." An unfamiliar voice replied. I turned my head over to a girl, around fourteen, she had golden eyes and short brown hair. "Like I could kill you with a pillow."

I stared at her. "Who the hell are you kid?" 

She raised an eyebrow. "Who're you callin' Kid?"

"I don't underst-" I stopped as I realized I'm not in the hospital. I was in some sort of victorian themed room. I looked at my sheets and it was made of satin, but what shocked me more was my hand. They were smaller. 

I rushed towards the vanity at the corner of the room and my eyes widen. I expected my face to be black and blue after getting hit by a truck. I never imagined that I would turn into a kid. Especially a kid with long burgundy hair and golden eyes.  Before I was hit, I was Asian.

"What the hell is going on?" I exclaimed.

The girl from before stood beside me, looking baffled. "What's wrong with you? Did I hit you with a pillow too hard?"

I tried slapping my face to wake me up out of this ridiculous dream. Nothing happened. With nothing else to do, I did what anyone would do in my situation.

I screamed.

-

"Nothing seems to be wrong." A guy who I presume is a doctor, claimed.

After running around screaming, the maids managed to pin and calm me down. They placed me on the bed where moments later Penelope called the lady of the house, who, arrived with a doctor.

Currently, I'm sitting in my bed while the doctor examined me. Penelope was crying saying 'I only poked her with a pillow, I didn't mean to make her stupid.' 

The doctor removed his stethoscope, "I don't see what's wrong with her. Her vitals seems to be fine." 

"But she doesn't know who I am, her mother!" The lady beside him exclaimed. She was tall and dressed expensively. She had long dark brown hair and the same golden eyes as me and the girl, who I later found out was called Penelope.

"Lady Corrine, I don't know what to tell you, Miss Aria is perfectly fine." The doctor assured her.

Lady Corrine... Penelope... Aria...

Oh fuck. 

I know where I am.

"It could either be a minor shock from the impact of the pillow, or psychosomatic." The doctor explained. "Either way, Miss Aria's memories will come back." 

Lady Corrine groaned. "Where the hell is my water?!" She shouted, then a little girl around fourteen with blonde locks and deep blue eyes entered the room carrying a glass of water. She was poorly dressed and was covered in cinders. "What took you so long?" Lady Corrine bellowed as she snatched the water out of the girl's hand.

But that's impossible. It can't be. 

"Ella," I muttered, she twisted her head towards me with slightly widened eyes as if she's waiting for me to give out orders, or torment her.

"She doesn't remember who we are but she remembers Ella the rat whisperer," Penelope muttered.

That confirmed my theory.

That means I really am inside 'The princess of Cinders', the fantasy-dystopian version of Cinderella, the manga that I've been reading before I... died. 

And I just happen to be Arianna Tremaine. The heroine's evil stepsister who will be burned at the stake along with my mother and sister. 

"Holy fuck." I almost fell over despite already sitting down. 

I  just couldn't be sucked into the regular Disney version of Cinderella where the evil stepsisters just became poor can't I? Oh nooooo... I just had to be stuck in the version where I died a horrible and dreadful death.

I turned my head at the people in front of me. They seemed to be staring at me as if I was losing my mind. I gulped and faked a smile. "Mother I seem to be feeling better now, I think I just woke up with a light head from Penelope's impact. I think I just need a little rest."

They blinked once. Then twice.

"Darling when did you have..." My mother trailed off, "Manners?" she whispered to her self that last part then stared at the pillow and then at Penelope. She's contemplating whether hitting Penelope with the pillow will instill some manners in her as well. Penelope being able to read our mother's face, took a step away from her. 

The doctor cleared his throat. "Well, it seems that the little Miss is all better now, maybe we should just let her rest for the entirety of the day, and I'll prescribe some medicine for her lightheadedness."

After a short while, they started to leave my room. Ella was the last to leave my room. Before she exited I called out for her. "Ella!"

She turned and raised a brow. "Yes, Miss Aria?" I looked at her for a moment and noticed there were cinders on her cheeks. This is the part where Aria and Penelope makes fun of her and gives her the nickname 'Cinderella'. But I won't go down that route, I won't bully her like the old Aria, and I definitely won't die as a Villainess.

"Here." I pulled out a handkerchief from my nightstand and gave it to her. "You've got a bit of ash on your face."

Her eyes widen. "Oh. Thank you, Miss Ar-"

"Ari," I told her. That was Aria's nickname, but more importantly, that's my name from my previous life, Song Ah Ri. "We're sisters, you can call me by my name," I told her trying to get her to trust me and erasing the image of me burning at the stake. 

"Are you sure?" She asked with a doubtful expression on her face.

I nodded and took her hand against mine. "And I know, I have been mean and awful to you as a sister, but ever since I encountered a near to death experience, I feel the urge to redeem myself."

She was quiet for a moment. "You were hit by a pillow."

Oh no dear girl, I was hit by a truck.

"A pillow that brought all my terrible actions to light!" I exclaimed. Please be stupid and accept me already.

"O...kay." She uttered. "Ari," then she smiled, awkwardly.

"Yes Ella, my favorite sister?" I looked at her lovingly.

"You're hurting my hand." She said, and I let go immediately. "I'm happy that you want to be friends with me, I really hope we'll get along."

I smiled at her, me too kid. Me too.