The Obsessive Villainess Vol. 1 ✔

1. The price of loving you was death.

Chapter 1: The price of loving you was death.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a dream about a different world.

I blinked in confusion at the sight around me. Foreigners? And... Am I in a ballroom?

The people were dressed in vintage European outfits; the women wearing fancy, puffy velvet and silk gowns talked and laughed with men in fitting medieval tuxedos.

They all look so beautiful, I thought with my mouth open.

Couples were dancing in pairs as an elegant orchestra played music by the stage. The scene reminded me of the romantic movies I used to watch and I wondered where I was.

I glanced up at the huge chandelier hanging above me, glittering like a galaxy of golden stars. My eyes slid down across the shining walls, with intricate designs on them; decorated with shimmering golden accents and structures along with awe-inspiringly embroidered tapestries. They were lit up with beautifully carved crystal lamps, embellished with sparkling jewels. No matter how you see it, this looks like a ballroom fit for the most royal of royalty.

This dream is so beautifully detailed...

I grinned in delight at such a rewarding dream. This place is so stunning and the people don't even look real because of how gorgeous they are!

I realized I was standing next to a gold sculpture and moved closer to determine if it was made of real gold and almost tripped over my heavy clothes. It dawned on me that I myself was wearing a lovely lavender gown, just like the women around me.

My emotions contradicted my situation, as warmth filled the puzzled me staring down at a dress I don't remember putting on. Oh, I thought.

This was a gift from Cassian.

An affectionate smile subconsciously graced my lips before I froze.

What? Cassian?

I blinked, confusion washing over me like a wave. Who's Cassian?

Before I could make sense of this foreboding feeling in my chest, I heard a man's laugh and my gaze was pulled towards a particularly large crowd of people.

Such a pretty voice...!

It rung out clearly in my ears, as if the air itself had carried it lovingly towards me.

It felt familiar, as if it was a sound I'm used to hearing.

The laugh was clear and loud, full of mirth and listening to it, my heart had begun to beat a little harder.

For some reason, I suddenly had the strong urge to find that person. My eyes scanned everyone standing there to determine whose voice I heard.

A woman moved a step, and my gaze stopped on a face previously hidden in the crowd; a figure of a man stood tall and elegant, surrounded by a swarm of people.

When I saw him, my breath caught in my throat.

Long silver hair tied at the back flowed down his shoulders; a sharp nose and jawline, but his eyes were gentle, as if they personified kindness itself as he engaged in conversation. A kind of beauty I could have never even imagined in my life now stood before me.

I thought the people around me were breath-taking but then what would that make him...? It was a face that couldn't possibly exist, because how could any person be that beautiful?

Even from this distance, it was a presence that made me want to keep my eyes glued to him. No wonder he was surrounded by so many people. I wanted to move closer.