The Blackwell manor continued to be as cold and dreary as ever, but at least now the food wasn't as bad. My culinary experiments had brought a small but meaningful change to my daily life. However, as satisfying as it was to enjoy a decent meal, I knew that improving my meals alone wouldn't be enough to change the course of my fate. The memories of my past life—and more importantly, my knowledge of the game world I was now trapped in—were becoming clearer every day, and I needed to start planning my next steps.
I was living in the world of "Hearts of Valor: The Noble Paths," and I was Leonhardt Gray, a character doomed to tragedy. In every route of the game, someone close to Leonhardt met a terrible end, and his fiancée, Isabella von Ashford, was destined to become the villainess responsible for much of the misery. If I wanted to survive, I needed to steer clear of all the bad endings. But how?
The first step was simple: gather information. I was still young, and that gave me a certain advantage. People often underestimated children, especially noble children, who were expected to be seen and not heard. This allowed me to observe the world around me without drawing too much attention. I made it a habit to listen carefully whenever the adults around me spoke, piecing together the political landscape, the family dynamics, and the various intrigues that surrounded the Blackwell name.
My father, Baron Blackwell, was not an easy man to read. He was often away on business, leaving the manor to handle affairs I wasn't yet privy to. However, during the rare moments he was home, I watched him closely, trying to understand his motives and his plans for our family. He was a stern man, focused on maintaining what little power and influence the Blackwell family still held, but there was a weariness about him, a hint of desperation that told me he was not as confident in our future as he pretended to be.
My siblings, Gregor and Clara, were another matter entirely. Gregor, the eldest, was cold and calculating, already trying to carve out a place for himself in the world of nobles. He rarely interacted with me, which suited me just fine. Clara, on the other hand, was more unpredictable. She was sharp, always watching, always scheming. She seemed to see me as a potential ally—or perhaps a rival—and I knew I needed to be careful around her.
As I gathered information, I also began to think about my future encounters with the other key characters from the game. I was still too young to interact with most of them, but I knew it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed. The most important of these characters was, of course, Isabella von Ashford.
Isabella was destined to be my fiancée, and in the game, she played the role of the villainess. Her transformation into a cold and ruthless figure was driven by the neglect and cruelty she experienced, much of which stemmed from her relationship with Leonhardt. If I could change that—if I could treat her with kindness and understanding—I might be able to prevent her from becoming the villainess. But that was easier said than done.
One day, I overheard a conversation between my father and one of his advisors. They were discussing a visit from the Ashford family, who were scheduled to come to the manor in a few weeks. It would be a formal visit, a chance for the families to discuss the future political marriage between myself and Isabella. The thought of meeting her for the first time filled me with a mixture of anxiety and determination.
I needed a plan.
Over the next few days, I prepared as best I could. I knew from the game that Isabella was a reserved and proper young girl, raised in a strict household where emotions were often stifled. If I approached her too directly, she might retreat into her shell, and any chance of forming a bond could be lost. I decided that my best approach would be to engage her in a way that would be disarming—something simple, something that could show her I wasn't a threat.
On the day of the Ashford family's visit, I felt a knot of nervousness in my stomach, but I pushed it aside. The weather was gloomy, fitting for such a somber occasion. The Ashford family arrived in a grand carriage, their entrance as imposing as their reputation. Baron Ashford was a tall, stern man with an air of authority that matched my father's, and beside him was his wife, Lady Ashford, whose expression was as cold as the weather outside.
And then there was Isabella.
She was a small, delicate-looking girl with long, silver hair and striking blue eyes. She was dressed in an elegant gown that made her seem older than she actually was, but her expression was solemn, almost doll-like. There was a guardedness about her that reminded me of how she was depicted in the game—a young girl already bearing the weight of her family's expectations.
After the formal greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, the adults left to discuss business, leaving Isabella and me alone in the drawing room. The silence between us was heavy, filled with the unspoken knowledge of what our families expected of us.
I decided to break the ice in the only way I knew how. "Would you like to try something different?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.
Isabella looked at me, clearly surprised by my question. "Different?" she echoed softly.
"Yes," I replied, walking over to a small table where I had prepared a tray of pastries I had made earlier. They were simple treats, something I had whipped up as a way to practice my baking skills. "I made these myself. I thought you might like to try one."
She hesitated, her eyes flicking between the pastries and my face, as if trying to gauge whether this was some kind of trick. Finally, she nodded, and I carefully handed her one of the pastries.
She took a small bite, her expression remaining neutral at first. But then, slowly, her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "This is… good," she said, her voice tinged with surprise.
I smiled, feeling a small sense of relief. "I'm glad you think so. I wasn't sure if you would like them."
Isabella took another bite, this time more confidently. "It's different from anything I've had before," she admitted. "Did you really make these yourself?"
"Yes," I said, trying to keep the conversation going. "I've always liked trying new things in the kitchen. It's one of the few things I can do that makes this place feel a little less… dull."
For a moment, Isabella's guard seemed to lower. She looked at the tray of pastries, then back at me, her expression softening just a little. "I've never cooked anything before," she said quietly. "My mother says it's not proper for someone of my status."
"Well, it's proper enough for me," I replied, trying to inject a bit of humor into my tone. "And I think it's something everyone should try at least once. Maybe, if you'd like, we could make something together next time."
Isabella blinked, clearly taken aback by the suggestion. But then she nodded, a small, tentative smile appearing on her lips. "I think I'd like that."
As we continued to talk, I could see the tension slowly melting away from her posture. We were still just two children, burdened by the expectations of our families, but for that moment, it felt like we were just two kids enjoying a simple conversation. It was a small victory, but an important one. If I could continue to build on this, maybe—just maybe—I could steer her away from the path of the villainess.
When our parents returned to the drawing room, they found us sitting together, the tray of pastries nearly empty. My father raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, but Baron Ashford simply nodded approvingly, as if this was exactly what he had expected.
As the Ashford family prepared to leave, Isabella turned to me, her expression more open than it had been before. "Thank you, Leonhardt," she said softly. "For the pastries."
"You're welcome, Isabella," I replied, feeling a warmth in my chest that I hadn't expected. "I look forward to our next meeting."
She nodded, and with a final glance back at me, she followed her parents out of the manor.
As the door closed behind them, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The first meeting had gone better than I could have hoped, but I knew this was just the beginning. There were still many challenges ahead, and I would need to be careful if I wanted to avoid the dark fate that awaited both of us in the game.
But for now, I had a plan. And for the first time since I had arrived in this world, I felt like I was taking control of my destiny.