The Life I Despised

I stood frozen in front of the mirror.

The woman staring back at me was impossibly real.

Her eyes, her lips, her face — every feature unfamiliar, yet unmistakably my new reality.

I was no longer Edward Gabriel Venes.

I blinked repeatedly, rubbed my eyes, hoping this was some cruel illusion.

But each time I opened them, the truth remained.

This body… this fragile, delicate form… it was not mine.

My hands trembled as they traced my face, my chest, my frame.

Everything felt alien, unreal, and terrifying.

Fear gripped me. Panic clawed at my chest.

I had never experienced anything like this.

It was supposed to happen to someone else — not to me, Edward Keepers Vains.

Then — a loud knock shattered the silence.

“Mirabel! Are you still lingering in there? Come downstairs now! The young master is descending!”

The voice was firm, commanding — unmistakably the headmaid.

Mirabel? Young master?

Confusion spiraled through my mind.

Were they speaking to me? About me?

Or was this another cruel trick of fate?

I had no answers. Only the certainty that I had to comply.

With trembling hands, I changed into the neatly laid-out outfit — a maid’s uniform, modest yet precise.

My chest tightened as I stepped toward the door.

The moment I emerged, my breath caught.

The house…

It was extraordinary.

Every corner, every wall, every fixture shimmered with golden brilliance.

The floors reflected the light like polished mirrors.

Even with all the wealth my father had amassed… I had never imagined a place so lavish, so majestic.

I was speechless, my mind struggling to comprehend how I had ended up in this place… in this body.

Then movement drew my attention.

From the grand staircase descended a man.

Tall, commanding, his presence radiating authority.

Every maid bowed instinctively as he walked.

“Good morning, Young Master,” they intoned in unison.

I did not bow. I could not.

I was frozen, staring at him in disbelief, my heart hammering in my chest.

He noticed.

His eyes darkened, sharp and piercing.

“What are you staring at?” His voice cut through the hall like ice.

Before I could respond — before I even had time to gather my thoughts —

Slap!

Pain exploded across my cheek.

I staggered, my cheek burning, my mind spinning.

That was when the truth fully sank in.

I was no longer Edward Gabriel Venes

I was Mirabel.

And in this gilded world, surrounded by opulence, authority, and danger, I was utterly powerless.