pen-in-another-world

[pen-in-another-world]

Reincarnated in a Matriarchal Kingdom.

Genre: Isekai• Dark Comedy• Fantasy•Matriarchal Politics•Tragic

T.W: death, betrayal, language and violence.

Chapter 2: Curtains and Screaming Daugther.

Everything was soft.

That was her first thought as she slowly peeled open her eyes. The pillow beneath her head was fluffier than any she’d ever owned—even in her most delulu, rich-housewife daydreams. Her fingers curled instinctively, brushing against silk sheets. Luxurious. Thick. Probably hand-embroidered by old ladies with arthritis.

She blinked, dazed.

Then she remembered—

“Oh right... I died.”

She sat up slightly. 

“Yup. Died from lack of sleep, sugar syrup overdose, and blunt force trauma via betrayal-glass. Classic.”

Still groggy, she pressed her palm against her forehead. Her vision blurred a little, and thoughts came trickling in like slow Wi-Fi.

“Okay, okay… Based on every manga I’ve ever consumed like oxygen… I’ve definitely been reincarnated. Check. Magical light? Check. Talking phone spirit? Check. Got a free parting gift? Check. So far, so good.”

She took a deep breath and looked around. Thick canopy curtains hung down from the massive four-poster bed, only half drawn. Sunlight filtered through layers of gauzy fabric. Everything screamed money—like "gold-trimmed toilets and ten kinds of forks" kind of money.

Still, she stayed calm.

“I mean, I’m probably just a low-level noble. Like a baron’s daughter. A comfy background character. Just vibing in a random countryside estate. Nothing major. Nothing story-breaking. Just peace, books, and herbal tea.”

She nodded to herself proudly.

And then—

A voice. A sob. A scream.

“MOTHER!!”

“GAH—!!” She flinched hard as the curtains to her bed whooshed open.

A young girl—maybe 12 or 13—leapt straight into her arms like a ballistic missile of emotion. Blonde curls. Velvet dress. Eyes swollen from crying.

“Mother! You’re awake! You’ve been asleep for two whole weeks!” she wailed, hugging her like a long-lost teddy bear.

“...M-Mother?”

Cue slow head turn.

Cue wide-angle camera pan.

Cue full-blown WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING alarm in her head.

There were people. A whole squad of them. At least six. Maids. Guards. A very stressed old man holding a scroll and blinking like he’d forgotten how.

And they were all… kneeling?

“Wait—no no no no no no no. Why are you all kneeling?? Why is that one crying?? Why did she call me— MOTHER!???”

She stared at the girl clinging to her like cling wrap and did the only thing a normal person would do in this situation:

She stiffly patted the girl’s head like she was an unfamiliar cat.

"Okay. This is fine. This is still fine. Maybe I’m a young stepmom or something. Maybe I married into money. Maybe I’m an aunt?? A very young aunt?? Or this is a dream. Or I’m still dead. Or maybe that chipmunk-voiced cosmic book reviewer dropped me in someone else's story as a prank."

Everyone was watching her expectantly.

The scroll guy opened his mouth. “Your Ma—”

She raised her hand in panic.

 “I-I am exhausted. Very. Deeply. Emotionally and physically. Please… leave me.”

The room fell silent.

Only the little girl in her arms clung tighter. “I want to stay. Just to make sure you don’t disappear again…”

Crap.

Now what?

She stared at the girl. Up close, she was… cute. Like a little princess in a storybook. Wide green eyes. Pale, doll-like face. But behind those eyes… something sparkled.

“Wait… this kid looks familiar.”

But she couldn’t place it.

She sighed.

 “...Fine. You can stay. But no crying. Or poking. Or calling me ‘Mother’ every five seconds. Okay?”

The girl nodded, wiping her tears with a pink lace handkerchief.

“Good. Now sit. Quietly. Maybe hum a lullaby or something. Royal edition.”

As the rest of the entourage shuffled out awkwardly, she flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“Okay… slight update. I am not a side character. I am not a baroness. I am, at best, a duchess. At worst…”

She glanced at the girl sitting primly beside her bed like a loyal kitten.

“...No. Let’s not jump to conclusions. Surely I’m not the queen. That would be ridiculous. Unhinged. Absolutely wild—”

And yet…

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

She rubbed her temples.

“I swear to every manga I’ve ever read—if I open my eyes tomorrow and someone calls me Your Royal Highness the Queen, I’m chucking myself out the window and praying for a do-over.”

*********************************

AN: Will be posting two chapters every 3 days...

[pen-in-another-world]

Reincarnated in a Matriarchal Kingdom.

Genre: Isekai• Dark Comedy• Fantasy•Matriarchal Politics•Tragic

T.W: death, betrayal, language and violence.

Chapter 1: Ring...Ring , Hello?

She was down to the last three chapters.

The smell of instant syrup clung to the air like desperation. Empty snack wrappers surrounded her like confetti of failure. She hadn't slept in... what, thirty-six hours? Her fingers ached, eyes twitched, and her only lifeline was that last half-drunk cup of neon-colored sugar pretending to be juice.

"Just... three... more... chapters..."

She reached for the cup.

Big mistake.

Her knees gave out just as her fingers touched the glass. Her head hit the floor, and the falling cup clocked her on the temple for good measure.

"Ow—wait. What the fu—"

Blackout.

Silence.

Light.

[Somewhere Between Life, Death, and a Wi-Fi Signal]

Floating.

Drifting.

Then—an old-school rotary phone.

Just sitting there. On a desk. In the void.

"...Okay. I know this anime."

"I died, right? So this is where the god or goddess shows up and grants me a cheat skill or sends me to a farming sim world."

"Wait, why a phone though? Am I getting reincarnated by a landline demon?"

The phone rang.

“Is this some kind of cosmic prank? What, did heaven outsource its call center to the 1980s?” "What if I ignore it? Do I stay dead? Is this phone optional? I don't want eternal voicemail purgatory."

It rang again. Louder.

"Ugh, fine. If this summons a cursed fax demon, I blame capitalism or if it’s a survey, I’m hanging up!"

She picked up the receiver.

???: “Hello! This is the Grand Book Reviewer! Congrats on your sudden death!”

"...Excuse me?"

Reviewer: “You died from a combo of dehydration, sleep deprivation, and sugar overdose! Real stylish, honestly.”

"I died like a gremlin. Amazing."

Reviewer: “Anyway! You’re getting reincarnated. New life. Fresh start. But I’m feeling generous today, so I’m giving you one parting gift. Anything you want. Within reason. I’m not Santa.”

"Oh wow, okay. Cheat skills? God-tier magic? Legendary sword—wait no, too flashy. I want something comfy."

"Give me an e-book reader. Fully loaded. All genres. Even the spicy ones. Unlimited battery. I want to be that kind of shut-in villager."

Reviewer: “Done. Good taste, and by the way I’ve read your work… and I must say, it needs a little polishing—. Buh-bye now~!”

The phone vanished. A glowing magic circle appeared beneath her.

"Wait, shouldn't you tell me where I'm going?! No?! Rude!! "

She vanished in a swirl of sparkles and accidental grace.