Chapter 3 - A New Reality (1/2)

King Alpheus II of Annalaias was the man that the male lead of this novel was named after.

Third prince Alpheus Randolph McLeod, the love interest of the Cinderella-esque main character, Marcy Grandin—a bakery worker whose craft was praised highly enough for her to get a position in the palace.

This couldn't be happening to me. I went on a binge a while back when I bent over and threw my back out so I couldn't move for four days where I read nothing but transmigration comics. And now I had transmigrated myself.

Unbelievable. Unbelievable! Had I really died in that car accident?

”Catherine?” my brother asked with concern. ”Are you still feeling ill?”

”I must be,” I said weakly. ”Brother, could you please bring me some water?”

”Of course. I'll return shortly.” He patted my head affectionately before striding out of the room.

I died…I died on my way back from a doctor's appointment…what a horrible way to die! I'd hardly lived at all! Most of my living was vicariously done through fiction!

Abby…she was the only family I had left. I didn't socialize much…who would they call about my body? Would anyone go looking for me after I didn't show up for work?

I wanted to cry. What a pitiful end for a loser and a shut-in.

Although…my body here is strong. Despite supposedly recovering from an illness, I felt better than ever. No back pain. No dizziness. No difficulty walking or a constant desire to crack my neck that was never fully relieved.

I could do anything I wanted here! I could run! I could ride a horse!

I could possibly even teach myself to do a backflip like Abby could on a trampoline! If they even had the concept of a trampoline here…

By the time my brother came back, I was revitalized. If I was stuck here, I was going to actually go out and live my life better than Katie Pullman had. But first…I needed information on this world.

The novel largely focused on goings on in the palace as Marcy tried to overcome corruption on the staff and protect Alpheus' interests. I couldn't even recall if anybody in this fictional family was even mentioned by name. If I was going to fit into the nobility, research was necessary.

My brother came back to find me pulling as many books off the shelves as I could muster. ”What are you doing?”

”I feel much better now and wish to do a bit of light reading.”

He eyed me distrustfully. ”You call this light? You've never been all that interested in father's books before.”

Crap. I had no idea what Lady Catherine du Pont was like. I'd need to observe people as much as I could without asking around outright.