Leona trudged through the winding halls of the Duke's mansion, her thoughts a jumbled mess. The robotic voice's ominous warning still echoed in her mind:
"Critical deviation. Immediate intervention required."
Critical deviation or not, she had no idea how to fix this mess. Cedric, the stoic male lead, had somehow set his sights on her instead of Vivienne. Meanwhile, Vivienne, the supposed heroine of this world, behaved more like a ghost than anything else-quiet, reserved, and entirely out of character.
The story had to be saved, which meant Vivienne needed to reclaim her role. And that meant Leona had to figure out what was wrong with her.
The opportunity came that afternoon. Leona was dusting the upper hallways when she noticed Vivienne slipping into the east wing-a part of the mansion few dared to visit. Rumors among the staff called it "the Forgotten Wing," and though Leona wasn't one for superstition, the flickering lamps and cobwebbed corners gave her pause.
She hesitated a moment, then followed.
Vivienne stood in a dark, forgotten parlor, staring at some dusty portrait on the wall. Her willowy frame seemed even more diminutive in the dark light, and there was unmistakable sadness in the slump of her shoulders.
"Miss Vivienne?" Leona called softly.
Vivienne started and whirled, emerald-green eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, it's you."
Leona gave a regretful smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just. was concerned. You've been keeping so much to yourself."
Vivienne avoided her eyes, her fingers tightening on the folds of her pale blue dress. "Alone is better," she replied quietly.
Leona furrowed her brow. "Better? Why would you think that?
Vivienne's eyes darted back to the portrait. It was a smiling man with dark hair and warm brown eyes, clutching a small book in one hand.
"This was my older brother, Victor," she said in a hushed tone.
Leona blinked. Victor? The novel had never mentioned Vivienne having siblings.
"He was my closest friend, my protector," Vivienne continued. "We shared everything-secrets, dreams, fears. But one day." Her voice faltered. "One day, he betrayed me."
Leona's stomach dropped. This wasn't in Destined Hearts. What was happening?
"What happened?" she asked softly.
Vivienne hesitated, as if the memory itself was too great a burden for her to bear. "He promised to help me… protect something precious to me. But he sold me out instead. For gold. For power."
The bitterness in Vivienne's voice cut deep into Leona's heart. This betrayal, it seemed, had indeed left deep scars on the bold heroine, turning her into a shadow of her former self.
That night, in her small cot, Leona lay thinking about what she had learned.
And that was bad, really bad. Vivienne's character arc was central to the story-her resilience, courage, and unwavering belief in love were what eventually melted the icy walls of Cedric. Without her spark, the whole narrative would crumble.
But how am I to restore her confidence when she has given up on people?
The robotic voice cut into her thoughts:
"Mission: Repair Vivienne's trust in others. Progress: zero percent."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Leona muttered under her breath.
But she couldn't let go. Vivienne might be the heroine, but she wasn't going to save herself this time.
The next day, Leona found Vivienne in the gardens, sitting beneath a cherry blossom tree. Her hair glimmered in the sunlight, but her expression was as melancholy as ever.
Leona approached cautiously, holding a tray with tea and pastries. "I thought you might like some company," she said, setting the tray down on the grass.
Vivienne looked up, her green eyes wary. "Why do you keep bothering me?"
Leona took a seat beside her, uninvited. "Because I know what it's like to feel alone," she said honestly.
Vivienne's gaze softened, just a fraction.
"I've seen how the other servants whisper about you," Leona went on to say. "They think you're standoffish. But I think you're just, hurt."
Vivienne's hands closed around the folds of her dress. "What would you know about hurt?" she returned with a sharp, trembling tone.
Leona hesitated. She couldn't exactly spill her otherworldly secrets, but she could share a piece of herself. "Where I come from, I lost someone important to me. It made me think I couldn't trust anyone again. But I was wrong."
Vivienne looked at her, surprised. "What changed?"
Leona smiled softly. "I realized the world is full of people who can hurt you-but also people who can heal you. It's just a matter of letting the right ones in."
Vivienne's lips parted, like she wanted to say something, but no words came. Instead, she looked down at the tray of tea, her face a picture of conflict.
Over the next few days, Leona made it a point to be with Vivienne-to bring her tea, take her on walks, and even share silly stories from her own life to make this withdrawn heroine laugh.
At first, Vivienne resisted. But then she slowly opened up; her smiles became less rare, and her laughter more real.
One afternoon, while sitting by the gardens' fountains, Vivienne reached out and laid a hand on Leona's.
"You're different," Vivienne whispered.
Leona raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"
"You're kind," Vivienne replied-the voice nearly wistful. "Not because you want something, but because you care. It's. rare."
A pang of guilt hit her in the chest. She did care, yet it wasn't an entirely selfless act on her behalf. She needed Vivienne back into her rightful role, not for the sake of the story, but for the very survival of this world.
Still, as she looked into Vivienne's earnest green eyes, Leona promised herself that she wouldn't treat her like a pawn. Vivienne deserved to heal-not for the story, but for herself.
One evening, while they were walking through the rose garden, Vivienne suddenly stopped.
"I want to trust again," she said, her voice trembling.
Leona turned to her, heart pounding.
"I don't want to be this way anymore," Vivienne continued. "But it's hard. Every time I try, I hear Victor's voice in my head, laughing at how foolish I was to believe in him."
Leona took a step closer, placing her hand on Vivienne's shoulder. "Trust isn't about forgetting the pain. It's about believing that not everyone is like Victor."
Vivienne looked up to her, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Really do you believe that?"
"I do," Leona replied firmly. "And I'll prove it to you. You're not alone, Vivienne. Not anymore."
That night, when Leona came back to her quarters, the robotic voice sounded in her head:
Mission progress: 50%. Continue efforts to restore Vivienne's trust."
Leona smiled to herself. For the first time since her arrival into this world, she felt like she was making a difference.
But deep down, she knew the hardest part was yet to come. Vivienne might be starting to trust her, but the true test would be helping her trust Cedric-the man she was destined to fall in love with.
No pressure, Leona thought with a sigh.
As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't shake the feeling that the story was far from stable. And if Vivienne's healing was her first mission, what other challenges lay ahead?