A Very Bright Night

She was tired of going to her college lectures. Why were they so freaking long? She was tired of missing her parents. No amount of missing them would bring them back. She was tired of reading the same freaking isekai stories on her phone. Seriously, why did all of the men have to be brooding and mysterious?!

Closing the door to her apartment bedroom, she sat on her air mattress. Could she afford a bed? Of course she could get one. Did she need a bed? Not particularly. She was perfectly fine with her black air bed. Just like she was fine with the plain tan walls surrounding her. Lydia particularly loved the deep blue nightstand on her left. That stand had her phone charger, deep-sea blue ribbon, and a picture of her with her parents. Smiling at the photo, Lydia grabbed her ribbon.

Since she was a child, Lydia had often fidgeted with ribbons. Whenever she was thinking, she would pull the polyester as far as it could go, only to wrap it around her fingers over and over again. That was what she was doing as she stared at the small television she had set up. She'd had the thing since she was a kid, as evidenced by the smiley stickers surrounding the screen.

Winding the blue around her fingers for the millionth time, Lydia thought up her next steps. First, she would heat up some noodles. Most days, she liked to make something small for herself. Today, she was just too tired. Then, Lydia would take a shower, brush her teeth, and choose her clothes for tomorrow.

Bored with it all, Lydia did all those tasks on autopilot. The only thing she really thought about was what clothes she would wear the next day. She kept her clothes in her suitcase. Of course, she didn't have to, but it was just easier to do that. Modern problem: Modern solution.

Even so, Lydia just chose a simple outfit, then climbed into bed. Looking at her phone, she saw that it was still early. For a second, Lydia thought about going out, then remembered that she lived in California. Specifically, she lived in Los Angeles, California. Last time she went outside at night, some lunatic tried to snatch her purse. If her friend Nico hadn't taught her how to deal with such losers, she'd have been down the seven bucks she'd had on her.

Turning off her phone and placing it outside the room, Lydia curled up into her blankets. Before she drifted off, Lydia turned the television on low for some white noise. Tomorrow, she had two classes, but she also got to meet Nico for lunch. That's one good thing. Maybe tomorrow, Lydia could make spaghetti for herself. That usually lasted a few days, so that was a plus. See, she told herself. There's at least something to look forward to.

With those thoughts in mind, Lydia fell asleep. Like always, her dreams had her feel as weightless as a raven in flight. In her mind, Lydia was a traveler. As the traveler, she opened a door. With luck, maybe that door could lead her somewhere new. With hope, perhaps that new place would be better for her. Please, she thought. Please let me dream of somewhere exciting, at least.

Something's wrong.

Maybe it was the smoothness of her blanket. Maybe it was the brightness of the sun, which didn't usually shine enough to blind her like it was then. Keeping her eyes closed, Lydia pushed up on her bed. Since when did I have a bed?

Opening her eyes, she registered. . . Several things. Namely, the fact that this wasn't her room. Nor was this her blanket. Even weirder, the brightness she had seen hadn't come from the sun at all. Lanterns were spread around the room, giving off the illusion of stars to her bleary eyes.

As for the room itself, it was decorated in a deep purple. This purple spread from the walls, holding ornate designs in a violet color, to the bed frame that surrounded her. Rather than complicated ovals, the frame had a simpler diamond pattern. Not only did it surround the bed, but it also went up above her like an open hat. Lydia liked the bed frame.

Getting up, Lydia noticed a mirror. Through it, Lydia saw a stranger. The woman in the mirror had strawberry blond hair, which framed an elegant face. Even the satin gray eyes were startling to Lydia. She didn't look anything like that! Moving her arm, she saw that the mirror followed. This couldn't be right. This sort of thing only happened in—

I've been isekai'd.

That was the only solution. Some deity had chosen to take her from her sleep to this new world. Maybe she had a special mission? Was she supposed to use the skills from her past life here? If she snapped her fingers, would a status window pop up?

Wait, she thought. Did I die in my sleep?

Most isekai cases had that. Lydia also remembered of isekai'd people often being nobles. Given the state of her room, she'd bet she was a noble. Was this a book? Lydia remembered a lot of isekai'd girls getting plopped into books they'd read. Shaking off her thoughts, Lydia finished her look around.

The blue-framed oval windows told her it was still nighttime. The moon outside was half full. Unless it was half empty. Lydia could never truly tell the difference. Either way, the light from the moon shone right on a bell next to the bed. Curious, Lydia rang the bell.

Almost immediately, a lady walked in. Dressed in the clothing of a maid, she had black hair, brown eyes, and a few freckles dotting her face. Immediately, Lydia saw the caution on her face. It was as though the woman expected Lydia to snap at her. Lydia decided to use that to get some much-needed context.

Drawing from all her high school acting experience, Lydia put on her haughtiest demeanor. “What time is it?!” Well, that came out harsher than she'd intended.

It seemed like the lady thought the same, as she didn't answer right away. Seeing this, Lydia tensed up. “Are you even listening to me,” she demanded, praying to God that she was acting it right.

This seemed to do the trick, as the lady finally said something. “Yes, my lady,” she said. “I am, in fact, listening.” Wow, not much love in that tone. Not that Lydia could blame her. She wasn't exactly acting nice.

Regardless, Lydia couldn't accept that. “Really,” she huffed, though still feeling guilty. She narrowed her eyes on the girl. “Who are you?”

“Sara,” she replied. “Your personal maid.”

“And who am I?” Lydia asked this while trying desperately to sound bored, even though her heart was pounding with excitement.

“Lady Lorelei Terrtrove,” Sara answered. “Wife of Count Terrtrove.”

“And where are we?”

“Your husband's manor. Just outside the capital.”

She lived near the capital? Lydia could hardly contain herself at this point. “Tell me about the count.”

Sara stopped again. She cocked her head in confusion at Lydia. Losing patience for real, Lydia sighed. “Today would be nice,” she snapped. Once again, the words came out way worse than she'd planned.

Sara seemed to collect herself. “Count Jason Terrtrove is a highly regarded noble. He is known for his generosity, kindness, and leadership. The Terrtrove family is known, not only for their ties to almost every noble family, but also for their craftmanship.”

“Craftmanship,” Lydia said. That was an interesting one. Racking her brain, Lydia tried to remember any books that had something like that.

Sara went on. “Ah,” she said, seeming more tense than she had been. “You know,” she continued, smiling nervously. “Vanities, frames, and, of course. . .” She paused, looking Lydia in the eye. “I shan't forget their famed abilities in wood carving.”

Deciding that the poor girl had had enough, Lydia relaxed. “Alright,” she sighed. “Just making sure you were properly alert.” Turning away, Lydia waved in Sara's direction to dismiss her.

As Sara's steps faded away, Lydia looked at the window. Still a little cautious, Lydia pinched herself, then actively told her mind to wake up. Looking at the stars outside, Lydia tried to look for the flaws in the dream. Did the moon always have that curve near the bottom? None of what she tried worked.

Does this mean that it's real? That would be the coolest result. Not to mention, nothing else really made sense. Why else would she have an attendant, a husband, and especially a room this nice. How else would she have gotten here, let alone in someone else's body.

Well, that settled it, then! Clearly, Lydia had been isekai'd and, thus, Lydia would now get to play the part of a noble. Maybe, if she got lucky, she would find a hot duke to sweep her feet. Though she was already married, the duke would see a true potential that nobody else had. Maybe she and the duke would be childhood friends?

Regardless, none of that could happen tonight, as midnight was too late for love to start to bloom. For now, Lydia would take every advantage she had to live it up. Now that she was there, she might as well have some fun before daybreak.