Chapter 1 - 1: Am I In Heaven?
"Beep beep beep...." The cardiac monitor alarmed as Serena Chen's heartrate turned zero signaling her death. She died with a smile on her slightly wrinkled but elegant face, her hand being held by her daughter, while sobbing suddenly filled the room.
Serena died at the age of seventy-two. She lived a decent and happy life. Since birth, her life has been quite easy. She was born with a silver spoon, her loving parents owned real estate properties where they received more than enough income from rentals. When she became an adult and graduated from college, she met the love of her life who then became her boyfriend, at the same time, she went to graduate school and got some decent jobs which she could always afford to lose.
After a few years, her boyfriend became her husband. He was handsome, kind, and hardworking, while she on the other hand, was a little lazy, hating her 9 to 5 office job, she simply decided to resign and work for her parents to collect rent. When her daughter was born, she had her family help her in raising her up, when her daughter grew up and got married she was given two sweet grandchildren.
To summarize it, when she was born she had her parents, when her parents were gone, she had her husband and inheritance, when her husband was gone, she had her child.
All her life, she always had someone to support her, making her life pretty easy, devoid of too much responsibility. So when the time came, she had no regrets in life albeit she had some fantasies.
Since her husband's death, her favorite past time was reading romance novels and watching dramas from time to time. Before her death, the last novel she read was "A Cinderella story in Victorian fantasy era".
Given that she only liked reading rebirth and transmigration stories as of late, the only reason she finished reading said novel was because her granddaughter wrote it. Her granddaughter, Rianne, was addicted to shoujo mangas like "Boys over flowers", "Ouran High School Host Club", etc. which became the inspiration of her novel. So it's not surprising that the novel was about the daughter of an impoverished Baron who despite being born from an impoverished noble house and ostracized in society reached the pinnacle of life.
"Ugh....." Serena woke up with a start. She knoew that she just died in the hospital, but now she was seeing an intricately carved ceiling. Perhaps she just ascended to heaven? But then again why was she so thirsty?
She rose to sit on the bed and was surprised to see her pale and smooth hands. Before she could familiarize herself to the situation, a sound of knocking was heard, so she turned her head to her left. She then saw a young girl in a maid's outfit entering a wooden door.
"Good morning m'lady, pardon the intrusion but the Duchess asked me to see if you're already prepared for school."
Serena was confused, but then proceeded to stand from the bed. She turned to look around the room and saw a vanity table. She went to sit on the chair in front of the table to look at herself in the mirror. What she saw almost made her jaw drop. A young lady who looks about the age of 18 was staring at her, hair golden like the sun, deep-set eyes having the color of the sea, nose thin with high bridge, lips slightly pouty with a tinge of pink, and her skin, rosy white. Did she just hit jackpot for bringing out a large water tank when god decided to shower the world with beauty? If she had this beauty when she was alive, certainly, beauties like Audrey Hepburn and company will be put to shame. She had to stop herself from giggling like a maniac knowing a maid was just at the door.
Seeing that her lady was just sitting in front of the vanity doing nothing, the maid asked
"m'lady, shall I help you in preparing?"
Serena looked at the maid and started thinking.
'okay, so, did I just transmigrate? I know this sounds crazy, but anyway, I'm already dead. Perhaps I'm just living in my own fantasy. I guess the best thing to do is just go with the flow and see how things will go.'
So Serena smiled to the maid and said "Yes, please do."
The maid then proceeded to open another door in the room while Serena stood up from the chair to look around.
The room was large, it has beautifully designed hardwood floor with a golden upholstered bed. It was well lit, the walls had sconces and are of bright salmon color, while the ceiling was intricately carved with a chandelier. Aside from the vanity table, there were also other furniture in the bedroom such as, night stands with lamps on top, a daybed, coffee table with nice looking accent chairs and a study table. She's happy to note that, although the room looks like something from a Victorian era, it was somewhat modern.
After scrutinizing the bedroom she went out to the balcony. Looking below, there was a manicured garden which covers a large expanse of land.
'Okay, pause, am I in Versailles? Because it seems like my backyard is the Versailles garden.'
Serena started grinning, it seems that in any lifetime, she was made to suffer luxury. HAHA!
She went back inside the room and then entered the room to where the maid was. The room was a walk-in closet filled with beautiful dresses, it has a full length mirror and another vanity table. At the other end there was another open door which lead straight to the bathroom. Upon entering the bathroom, she noticed that there were four running faucets surrounding a circularly shaped bathtub which is already filled. The maid poured what she assume was bath oil.
"m'lady, the bath is ready. Shall I now help you to bath?"
"No need, just kindly prepare the clothes I should be wearing today"
"Yes m'lady, then I shall wait for you outside."
The maid then went out of the bathroom.
'Wow, just WOW, if I had my doubts earlier, then now I guess it's safe to say that I am indeed in heaven!' Serena thought as she removed her clothes. 'look at my room, my house, my bathroom and most of all, look at these melons!' She was delighted to know that aside from her beautiful face and her huge mansion, she was also gifted with a seductive body.
She even held her globes to check if they're real. It seems like she finally graduated from b-cup to a c-cup. In her last life, she was gifted with above average looks and body. But now, she has good sized chest and rear with very small waist!
After her bath, donning a fluffy towel, she brushed her pearly white teeth while observing the white marbled bathroom. She noticed that everything looks so high-tech. Even the toilet seat looks like that of the ones found in Japan. There is also a shower room. All in all, Serena felt like she lives in a five-star luxury hotel.
Re-entering her walk-in closet she saw that the maid was still there. She then sat on the vanity while the maid removed the towel from her hair and started to blow-dry it with a hair dryer.
Serena looked at the mirror and observed the maid. She looks like someone in her mid-twenties with brown hair and eyes. She looks kind, and her actions in taking care of her so far were careful. Aside from that, she doesn't know why but it seems like she looks somewhat familar
"Sorry to ask this but, what is your name again?" Serena asked.
A little bit of confusion can be seen on the maid's face, she has no idea why her ladyship is asking for her name when she has already been serving her for almost year. However, despite the strangeness she still answered and elaborated.
"m'lady, my name is Beatrice, the daughter of your previous nanny Linda. I have been serving the ducal house for almost a year now"
'hmmm Beatrice, it seems like I heard that name before...' Serena contemplated. 'Actually, now that I think of it, it seems like everything I'm seeing is somewhat familiar... it's like I've read of them somewhere but I can't remember where....'
"m'lady, how do you like me to style your hair?" Beatrice asked after drying her hair.
"Where's my clothes? Let me wear them first before I decide"
Beatrice presented two dresses for Serena to choose from. It seems like there is no school uniform.
The dresses were both beautiful and quite luxurious for school wear. Then again, she is a daughter of a duke though she doesn't even know her name yet.
Both were victorian era like dresses, perhaps, that's the get-up here, she thought.
The first was a white 3/4 sleeve dress with dark pink floral prints and ribbons, while the second was an off shoulder blush pink dress with white lace and pearls.
Serena chose the pink dress due to the fact that it shows more skin. Well, what's the use of her beauty without showing it, right?
After getting dressed with the help of Beatrice, she decided to have her hair braided and curled.
In her past life, one of the guilty pleasures Serena has is her love for beauty. Now that she herself became the ultimate beauty, how can she not enjoy it to the fullest?
Thus, after their preparation, she really looks like a goddess who descended on earth.
"m'lady Serena, you have always been beautiful, but today, you are even more beautiful! His highness prince Geoffrey, your fiancé, will not know what hit him!" Beatrice exclaimed.
Serena just smiled and looked at the mirror, very much satisfied and mesmerized by her own beauty.
It is only 10 seconds after that it dawned to her what the maid, Beatrice said.
'Daughter of a duke? Name same as hers? with a maid named Beatrice, and a Crown prince fiancé named Geoffrey? Haha! Don't tell me I transmigrated to my granddaughter's novel as the villainess!?'