[Scene: Norma Lee, lying down, slowly opens her eyes and finds herself in a dark scenery filled with purple stars and mirrors. It’s as if she is surrounded by the aurora borealis, the lights and beautiful scenery consuming her thoughts.]

NORMA (sits up):

“W-Where… am I?”

[Norma looks at her hands, seeing her callouses and rough skin, her fingers not as slender as they have been for the past 4 months. She looks down at her legs, seeing that she is wearing light colored jeans.]

“W-Wait a second…”

[Norma looks to her side into one of the mirrors, reflecting back is her being back in her old body. Glasses, short brown hair, tired eyes. Norma observes herself in shock.]

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

No way… Am… I back to my original body?? What is even happening right now??

???:

“So… you’re the one in my  body now.”

[Startled, Norma looks over and sees the original Caelia Ardent presented in front of her, wearing the same regal nightgown Norma wore on the first day she was reborn as Caelia. Caelia wearing an indifferent expression while looking at Norma.]

NORMA:

“... Caelia Ardent?”

CAELIA (weary):

“In the flesh.”

NORMA:

“... W-What… What is going on?!”

CAELIA:

“I’m glad we finally meet.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE;

What is going on…. 

Why am I in my original body and how is the original Caelia in front of me???

NORMA (weary):

“...Do you have any idea what is going on here?”

CAELIA:

“We are in some sort of alternative universe where we can meet one another.”

[There was a slight pause.]

CAELIA:

“You’ve been busy, haven’t you? Fixing things. Smiling at people. Making everyone adore you. You even got the king and queen to tolerate you.”

NORMA: 

“That… wasn’t the goal.”

CAELIA (tilting her head):

“But it worked. 

You did what I couldn’t and got on everyone’s good side.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Everyone’s good side? 

There were multiple times where I had to prove to myself that I could do anything other than look pretty.

NORMA:

“...I wouldn’t necessarily say that is true.”

CAELIA (looks at her nails):

“Honestly, all I really care about is the King and Queen.

You kissing up to them is actually working.

The people in the village don’t really matter much to me. Their lives are trivial! They don’t have any money!

But, I see that caring for them is necessary for the King and Queen to notice me. 

So keep doing that.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

… Trivial? 

Everyone in Kingsley, trivial? Only because they don’t have as much money as you?

NORMA:

“You can’t say that the people in Kingsley are trivial.

They all have their own livelihoods and are trying to survive just like we are.

You said you see me building right?

Then you should see how they live!”

CAELIA:

“... They were also the ones who have always berated me and called me a witch.

Don’t forget, they were also the ones that threw tomatoes at my precious face.”

NORMA:

“... That was a misunderstanding. There was something bigger going on. That wasn’t their fault.”

[Caelia looks up and down at Norma.]

CAELIA (blunt):

“Man, you’re worse than I thought. You seriously even look like a pushover. 

The complete opposite of me!”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time and I hadn’t even met her.

Now that she’s right in front of me, it’s so clear that she and I just live in different worlds.

Well… I guess

Figuratively and literally.

CAELIA:

“My poor, delicate hands are probably getting dirty now because of whatever material you’ve been working with!! And your philanthropy isn’t really my cup of tea. I mean seriously, why would you control MY body and run into a burning home??? My BEAUTIFUL FACE could’ve been burnt!”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Ah… I can see why she gained her reputation as the most selfish and vain person in the kingdom.

Honestly… I respect her confidence. There is validity to her vainness.

Caelia Ardent is gorgeous, alluring, and a strong-willed woman.

Even with all of the trials and tribulations that came her way, she never once stopped her antics.

NORMA (puts her hand in a fist):

“... I’m trying to survive too… It’s just that it’s all I knew how to do in my previous life.”

CAELIA (rolls eyes):

“Honestly, I don’t care who you are or where you are from. I don’t even care to know your name.

All of that would just be unneeded information.

...but now that you’re playing peasant for me… 

I like how the kingdom has been noticing me more and more, even if I’m not in my body anymore. 

Well, I mean it is an honor for everyone as I am absolutely gorgeous.”

[Caelia flips her hair.]

CAELIA (continues):

“You’ve been doing good at making me look good.

If you continue to do so, it’ll be obvious who the next empress is gonna be.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Why does she keep talking as if I am going to return back as Caelia? 

NORMA:

“...You can’t go back into your body?”

[Caelia pauses for a moment.]

CAELIA:

“...No. I cannot go back into my body. Ever since I lost control of it, it’s like I’m transported somewhere else. I can’t hear anything that happens, I can only see. 

And I’ve seen all you've done in Kingsley. 

I can’t believe I’m saying this but dirty my hands all you want, as long as I marry Prince Theo that’s all that matters.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

She wants to marry someone who actively didn’t want her back.

Someone who eventually kills her at the end.

It doesn’t seem like she is aware of her fate in the story. 

But she is aware that she has done many wrongdoings that killed her reputation.

If she had just stopped torturing Annalise, she probably could’ve fixed her reputation herself.

NORMA:

“So why did you do it? Torture Annalise I mean. It seems like you’re aware that you do not necessarily have the best reputation.”

CAELIA (laughs):

“Annalise is trying to get in the way of Theo and I, that’s why!”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Annalise is too perfect. 

Kind, philanthropic, absolutely angelic.

Annalise was well known for being the kindest person in the kingdom, even with Caelia’s antics, she would always treat Caelia with kindness.

This bothered Caelia.

NORMA:

“Honestly, I haven’t interacted with her much. But you could’ve just done your own thing without hurting someone…”

CAELIA (sighs):

“You see, I thought that sabotaging her would make her look significantly worse than me to everyone’s eyes, and it worked for a little bit. 

And then, I found myself actually having fun in sabotaging her and seeing her in pain! I’m convinced that little bitch is two faced. Seeing her in pain genuinely makes me happy.

I will never give up on fighting hard for what I want.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Come to think of it. My interaction with Annalise at the castle was very odd. 

But it’s not like I’ve involved myself in high society anyways, I’ve been avoiding it like the plague. 

But even if Annalise is as two faced as she says… nothing can deny the fact that Caelia Ardent is truly wicked.

And girlie, I hate to break your bubble, but Prince Theo chooses Annalise over you in the story and you die in his hands…

CAELIA (continues):

“But anyways!!! Now that our strange situation has happened… All you have to do is continue what you are doing so you win over everyone’s hearts! I’m very much aware that I’ve done too much damage. Don’t regret any of it though because now it’s not my responsibility to reap the repercussions! 

Oh, oh but don’t make me look too bad though! I don’t mean that physically because that is genuinely impossible.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

What the hell… She’s actively using me… But it’s not like I can do anything about it!

I did not choose to be reborn as Caelia Ardent. The wrong moves and behaviors could actively change or revert my fate to the original story!

But it’s not my responsibility to change her reputation. 

I’m just trying to survive. 

Along the way, I have found a new purpose.

Something worth living for, a feeling that was so dormant in my previous life.

NORMA (defensive):

“I’m not some sort of savior that has come down to fix all the wrong you’ve done.

I died in my past life and somehow woke up as you. I’m just trying to survive in this universe.”

CAELIA (surprised):

“Oh wow, talking back to me I see?”

[Caelia walks up to Norma who is sitting on the ground. She looks down at Norma.]

CAELIA (threatening):

“Like I said, I cannot get back to my original body. Once we stop talking here, you are gonna go back and get me what I want.

To be quite honest, marrying Prince Theo is the only meaning to my life. 

I love him so much that I don’t even care if my soul isn’t in my original body!

Just viewing myself marrying Theo is enough. 

And as far as I am concerned, you’re the one that stole my body so it’s your responsibility to get me what I want.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Stole her body??? Trust me, if I had a choice as to who I was reborn as, I would be reborn as an indoor cat living with a wealthy family.

What I want to say to her is:

“To be honest, Caelia, I don’t find interest in marrying Theo or becoming Empress. I want to live from another inevitable death. In fact, I just want to help people and have found a new purpose in my life.”

But do I even have the right to say that??

She’s right as Caelia’s body isn’t my body. I basically am stealing it. Is it really my life?

But… my life and experiences continue to move forward even if I am reborn as someone else.

That doesn’t make my life as Norma meaningless… right? 

I get to have a say in how my life goes, right?? 

NORMA:

“I-I’m not so sure about that.”

CAELIA:

“What do you mean?”

NORMA (defensive):

“I mean, I didn’t ask to get reborn as you and I have my own life-”

CAELIA (interrupts):

“-Your life is insignificant. 

That’s probably why you got reborn into my body, so you find some sort of purpose with your life.”

[Norma does not feel happy hearing those words but she finds no room to talk back because deep down, she convinced herself that Caelia was correct. Norma swallows.]

CAELIA (continues):

“And your purpose in life is to make me look better through whatever manly activities you do. That is probably why you were born in the first place! Just looking at you, you are a pushover, plain, and probably lived a miserable life before getting reborn as someone as amazing as me.”

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I did live an insignificant life as Norma but I found purpose while living inside of Caelia’s body. 

Finally making a name for myself and doing what I feel like I’m destined to do.

I finally felt… that I mattered.

But all of that was in a body that I am borrowing.

Let’s say I could theoretically return Caelia’s body, what kind of significance would I have?

[The dreamscape starts to crumble in on itself, leaving patches of black. Both Caelia and Norma look up at their scenery breaking.]

CAELIA:

“Ah, well. It seems like our time is up for now. I would highly advise you to not get near any figs. 

I’m highly allergic.”

[Norma then remembers all of the quick flashbacks she had in her head of people being obsessed with figs. Norma looks at Caelia in a sad, confused look.]

NORMA - INNER MONOLOGUE;

I didn’t get an allergic reaction… Why did she say allergic?

CAELIA (devilishly smiles when Norma doesn’t answer):

“You talked back to me a couple times but from what I’ve seen of you, I know you just like to follow orders.

Don’t forget that your life in my body is not your own.

See you, nameless girl.”

[Caelia then slowly disappears off into the distance and Norma starts disappearing too.]

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