Becoming an Evil Saintess

The Gods were bored.

This is the holy truth. There have long been tales of the gods wreaking havoc on the poor unsuspecting humans, in the guise as animals or saints, it was honestly… all a game to them.

When you have eternity and invincibility, you become cruel. This is why Im here now. In my second life. But lets start over, before I became like this, back when I was still naive.

My villainous origin story.

I recall a voice letting me know- I should have been more weary.

”Make it entertaining human… ”

~

I don think I had a terrible life… in fact, Id say I was going in the right direction. I was 27, I had a career and rented the space with my best friend. I had planned on going back to school to get my bachelors once I saved enough. I had dated a few times, had a few long term ones that ended because of differences in careers, I could never move from the city, and I didn want kids. I just enjoyed my novels, and hanging out with friends. I was a modern woman, making my way in this crazy world. Im boring right? So tell me why I had to get drowned to death?

Where was the truck to kill me instead?

Drowning was…Id rather not think about that right now, all I really want to figure out now is where the hell I am, because this is not my bed, nor is it my other friends as if I was spending the night. It didn even look like a one night stands cheap apartment… this was a mansion…. A beautifully dated one. Im in a plush lavish bed of pink, and I feel… very well rested actually. Honestly I never did take good care of my sleeping schedule- I couldn put away a book once it got too good. Yeah I had a normal life, but I really did want to escape it.

”Where….? ” I glanced around and rubbed my eyes, my skin felt so soft I had to wake up a little more and evaluate that I was shades lighter and my hair was longer than I ever grew it, and it was resting on me in soft shiny waves. My bed was surrounded by a luxurious golden canopy of some sort of shining silk.

This is strange.

I slowly slid out of bed, an ounce of fear creeping into me as I stepped over to the fanned out full body mirror. Did I get kidnapped or make the right move with some old millionaire? Nothing about the night of my death alluded to this luxury. I slowly surveyed every bit of myself. My expression was my own… but this was not my body. It took a few moments of looking myself over before the daunting reality came onto me- these features.. this room… everything.

”Im… Im Ophelia….. ”

I knew instantly- I had to be, i just reread the book last night before the incident. I was Ophelia Trausse. The main character… the saintess… or at least I looked like her.

I stared at the mirror, my red eyes.. and my light pink hair… the exquisiteness of the room, and the time period of my silken nightgown… unless this was some hallucination (a quick pinch of the back of my hand remedied this). It wasn . None of this was current, there wasn a recessed light or phone charger cord to be seen.

I glanced down at my petite chest and large hips and blushed a little. I was in someone elses body… this was so strange. My heart raced but my expression was flat, I wasn sure I was supposed to really believe this… but the pinch felt real.. and the Victorian room was all very real…. I saw the family portrait in front of my bed against the opposite wall and that finally sealed it in. My beautiful parents and my step brother Gillian…. This was real. Just like in the books and visual novels I read- hell I paid for some of the newer chapters- it was a guilty pleasure. And now… it was me.

Oh. My. God.

Well firstly, I died? Im… I hated to admit that…. I was… happy. I was excited to be in something new.. also not having to go to work- or worry about dying alone… I would miss my friends, my parents… but… I had been riding a very thin line between escapism and nihilism in my old life. I had no purpose or goals…. Other than reading the next book or eating at the newest boba shop… it was strangely comforting to know everything was already planned out. Ophelia had it all. She was adopted from a rich family, and after her marriage to her childhood betrothed Hansel (the soon to be emperor), she would discover her saintess powers and live:

”Happily ever after… ” I whispered to myself hopefully as I fingered my reflection on the glass.

Thank you Gods!!!

Was it my abrupt death that caused this? Was I meant to fulfill some purpose? Just why was I chosen? And the book had been so simple but sweet- it was a heartwarming tale of her ascension. It had actually been pretty refreshing to read something so vanilla for once. I stepped back from the mirror and took one more long stare. I wouldn forget who I was before. She deserved to be remembered. But this was the now… I took a mental picture of my old self, my true self, and I made a point to lock it in my memory. I wouldn forget her… myself.

I should write some things down… I started first by finding a journal in what looked to be her study desk, and began to write things down in my normal handwriting- it definitely wasn the same lettering as this worlds so I prayed no one would take the time to decipher it.

I tried to wrack my brain for Ophelias memories, I had many- I was lucky then. I had those to go by. I began to write it down.

Ophelia Trausse: adopted daughter of Clausse and Margrine Trausse at age 5, (there weren very many memories of the orphanage, it was a bit dingy but nothing horrific) I had been brought up as an heir as I looked like the parents… strangely so. Pinkish hair and red eyes… it was strange… but Ophelias memories definitely saw herself as an adopted child…

Why not entertain the idea of being illegitimate? I mean- I dabbled with the idea of it when I read the book- Ophelias father was infertile (so it said) but it wouldve been pretty hard to find a child with such features, it was a trademark of the family, but there was no animosity between Ophelia and her parents as if she were an affair from either parent… so water under the bridge… but… it was still strange. They had raised her and her brother as their own and led other nobles to believe she was their true child. Nobody would question it. The Trausse family was second only to the emperor, her father was from a long line of royalty due to being decedents the holy saints. They lived long and were blessed with luck and beauty.

Her father was a successful marquis. I made a note to look into my origins.

From what else I could recall from her memory, she was legitimately bright, and had been put to study from a young age, wanting to make her parents proud, and they were very sweet. I relished the idea of being close to my parents.

In my old life I had all but cut most ties with my parents. It was the kind of relationship a lot of people have. I came over for the holidays but I never kept a long conversation with them- they always somehow made me feel like all my worth was in my job or whether or not I was going to have kids… they just didnt accept me. And I knew it was better keeping them at a loving distance, but I don think they had it in them to get to know who I really was as a person.

I leaned back in the velvet chair, digging my brain (or hers rather) for more info. From what I remembered in the book and Ophelias memories, she loved her parents and they loved her. It made me smile, I put a heart around their names. Parental love was the most unconditional, I still believed that… though it was a bit sad I wasn their original daughter… I had her memories and I… well I had to survive… I was still here- I still had Ophelias memories.. and she had always loved them. That was true.

I was excited to meet such beloved characters in a book. I was sad I wouldn get to meet Ophelia at least not yet, but I had her memories… I had her life now…

The thought made me pause, a small gnawing guilt came forth- but… what happened to her? I wasn so sure… but if I knew anything from the books, it would come forth… I would have to see what it was about when it came. Ophelia really was a pure girl and a saint… I was not perfect or saintly.

Anyways. Ophelia studied well and made good friends with lifelong love interest and prince Hansel. He was fiery haired and had red eyes. I was starting to wonder if red eyes were a sign of royalty of some kind- his family did have all red attributes.

It was described that he got along well with women, but his bond with Ophelia was true and strong. I felt my heart flutter just imagining seeing him. He was the usual princely type, with charm and a bit of a naughty side- I was no prude, but being in the presence of someone so attractive made me nervous and excited. His looks were said to be legendary… the memories Ophelias brain would allow were of our first meetings, very formal and a bit stiff. But when we would get alone time he was sincere (albeit a little conceited) but his confidence was what made him a great leader. I thought it was cute when I read it. He promised to make Ophelia the happiest woman in the world the day of their marriage.

I swooned thinking about it. It was so freaking cheesy, but this was the novel world, and it wouldn hurt to enjoy it a little- it all felt like watching a live action honestly.

There wasn even an unspeakable evil or anything, the book always alluded to unseen forces and demons, but the magic military was strong and there had only been a few obligatory fight scenes to more than likely make the head magician look cool. The author mustve been bored with coming up with the lore.

The book was more about Ophelias pure heart giving people the hope to become their best selves. In retrospect, she was pretty underpowered, but she was already a saint even before she became the official saintess- it simply said she saved everyone with her holy presence, the way praying to a god gave you peace.

It said happily ever after, how much simpler could it get?

Id have to figure out how old I was exactly, and where the story was at this point.

I looked to be at least 17, but I couldn be sure. Her youthful age made me realize just how light she was, and how refreshed she was.

It was nice to be taken care of.

”Ah~ ” I jumped back into the plush bed and sighed. I at least knew how to speak in this new language. I had safety and the memories of Ophelia and the book to guide me.

I wasn sure if this was all some elaborate dream or trick, but I wanted to hope this was real… it was just so hard to think back to my old life- I did feel bad I didn miss it more… maybe I would miss the internet and my books… my friends and family… I was sorry they weren here with me.

I curled to my side and almost closed my eyes just before there was a knock at the door, and a maid peeked her head in.

”It is time for your morning bed bath Mla- MILADY! ” She was a sweet looking maid, blonde and petite- but her expression was one of utter shock (or horror?) when we met eyes.

”SHE IS AWAKE! ” She fled the room.

”Wait-! ” I sat up and reached my hand out, but before I could even get out of bed I heard an uproar through the house.

Some ten servants came into the room, and it made me draw up the blankets to my legs, did they realize I was a fake? Was this the part of the dream where it turned into a nightmare?

”She is awake! ”

”Call the master of the house and the lady- and the royal medic! ”

”She has finally awoken. ”

”Oh thank the gods… ”

Some of them were sobbing, some looked in utter relief, and some just looked in disbelief.

I finally decided to speak up.

”I… It would seem I have awoken….. how long was I asleep… Marcu