The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh flowers as Vivian walked slowly beside Leonard. The garden path stretched ahead, bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun. Birds chirped in the distance, and the gentle rustling of leaves filled the silence between them. The scene was peaceful—too peaceful for a day like this.
Vivian was supposed to be feeling relieved. By the end of the day, she and Leonard would be officially divorced. And yet, happiness swirled in her heart, bright and intrusive, refusing to be ignored.
She scowled at the sensation, frustrated by its existence. There was no logical reason for her to be happy about this morning's walk with the man who had failed her in their marriage.
She knew where this unwarranted joy came from—the original Vivian's emotions, a hopeless romantic who had dreamed of love stories as grand as the one her parents shared. A foolish girl who had clung to affection even when reality had shown otherwise.
Vivian gritted her teeth. It annoyed her, this irrational happiness. She was not like this before. Back on Earth, she had been rational. Logical. Someone who could make decisions without emotions interfering.
Back then… she had been free from unwanted emotions.
The realization sent a chill through her. What if she could no longer live life on her own terms? What if the original Vivian's emotions overpowered her reason? She felt like a puppet, her strings tugged by a past that was not even hers.
"That would be quite bad," she murmured to herself, lost in thought.
Leonard turned his head, catching the faint words. He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear. "What did you say?"
Vivian startled, stepping away, but the scent of roses filled his senses, distinct even in the garden filled with flowers. That scent—her scent—was something he had longed to experience for years.
"Nothing," she said, forcing a weak smile.
Leonard studied her. He had spent years by her side, yet she remained an enigma to him. There were times when she was cold, unreadable, and overmatured for her age probably due to her trying to act like his mother but then there were moments like this—when her emotions shone through, fleeting and beautiful.
"Do you know how adorable you look when you're lost in thought?" he whispered. His voice was gentle, teasing.
Vivian's face flushed, her lips parting in surprise.
Her reaction was exactly what he had hoped for. That shy, flustered look. That small, fool-like smile. He had seen it before, on the day of their first meeting.
It had been the first time she had looked at him that way. And now, just as back then, his heart clenched in something dangerously close to satisfaction.
Leonard wasn't blind. He knew what people whispered behind his back. That their marriage had been a failure. That he had neglected her. That she had suffered in silence.
And perhaps… they weren't entirely wrong.
But he had his reasons. Reasons he could never tell her.
Now, as he watched her, the lingering remnants of her feelings for him still present, he felt a sense of relief. Even after the divorce, she wouldn't be able to forget him so easily. That gave him time—time to fix what had been broken.
Vivian, oblivious to his thoughts, felt her heart racing.
This was wrong.
This was the same Leonard who had once ignored her, who had let their marriage crumble without a fight. And yet, here she was, responding to him like a maiden in love.
She needed to clear her head.
"Can we sit at the pavilion?" she asked softly.
Leonard smiled at the way she hesitated, her voice shy. "Of course."
As they walked toward the wooden structure nestled in the garden, Leonard felt his resolve strengthening. He would not let this be the end. No matter what it took, he would win her back.
As they settled into the pavilion, Vivian's mind drifted back to her past—to her life before this body, before this world.
She had been different then.
She remembered sitting on the couch as a child, watching a movie with her parents. The story had been about family bonds, about love so deep it could weather any storm.
When the credits rolled, she had turned to her parents and said, "I don't see how that's different from how the maids take care of me."
She had been around ten at the time. Her parents had laughed at first, thinking it was a joke. But when she had repeated it, their laughter had faded into stunned silence.
Panic had followed.
Had they failed as parents? Had they not loved her enough? Had they done something wrong?
If not for one of the family's twins suggesting they consult a doctor, her parents might have never stopped blaming themselves.
The diagnosis had been… complicated.
Her heart disease, they were told, was connected probably to her inability to experience love. The human body was still a mystery, the doctor had said, and there was nothing they could do.
Back then, she had been able to feel other emotions—happiness, sadness, anger—but love had always been an abstract concept. And in a way, that had made life easier. She could make decisions with cold precision, unaffected by the messy entanglements of the heart.
Now, in this new life, that emotional detachment was gone. And it terrified her.
Was she really herself anymore? Or was she just becoming the original Vivian?
Leonard watched as Vivian became lost in thought again. She has been doing this often since last night —drifting away to a place he could not reach.
He had once thought he understood her, but the more time passed, the more he realized how little he truly knew about her.
"Vivian," he called gently.
She turned to him, her eyes searching his face. "Yes, my lord?"
Leonard's smile was soft, but inside, his mind was working.
He needed her to stay attached to him.
"Do you regret it?" he asked.
Vivian blinked. "Regret what?"
"This." He gestured between them. "Our marriage. Our time together."
She hesitated.
Yes. The original Vivian had suffered in this marriage. Yes. She had felt lonely.
But did she regret it?
She wanted to say yes. She wanted to be strong and declare that she wished she had never married him.
But the words wouldn't come because they were not hers to say and the original Vivian probably did not have any regrets about this marriage despite the pains she went through.
Leonard watched her closely. The hesitation gave him hope.
"I don't know," she admitted at last.
That was enough.
Leonard reached for her hand. His fingers were warm against her skin.
Vivian tensed, but she didn't pull away.
"I won't ask you to change your mind," he said softly. "Not now… but what you said is enough for me to hold on"
Her heart skipped a beat.
Leonard had never said words like these.
What is he trying to play?
His emotions had always been a mystery even in the original novel, nobody knows what he is thinking, or his plan, all the male leads are like that, Leonard always retaliates towards other side characters that offend the female protagonist but there are some exceptions.
Side characters that are related to the villainess the original host of this body, there is a lot of debate about it online but nobody was able to guess the true reason why the male leads don't touch those side characters although most people think that it because of the villainess background but to me there is more to it than that.
The male leads are too extraordinary for them to fear someone's background, if they truly fear the villainess then they wouldn't have been male leads, even tragic heroes don't fear the final boss even on their deathbeds.
They sat there in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them.
Leonard watched as a gentle breeze played with her hair. She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful.
He had taken too long to see it.
He had taken too long to appreciate what he had.
But now, he would never let go and allow her to fall into another man's hand. Vivian can only belong to him.
Vivian, on the other hand, felt a storm brewing inside her.
Was this her? Or was this the original Vivian?
If she let her emotions rule her… would she lose herself completely?
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
She had to be careful.
Because if she wasn't…
She might never be able to get over Leonard or leave Leonard's side.
And that—more than anything—terrified her.
She can not be with the male lead no matter what and that is why this divorce is happening, and if he truly wants her to stay, they won't be going to the imperial court this morning, what is Leonard trying to achieve by trying to keep her heart beating for him.
This novel is too complicated.