The Duke's mansion buzzed with anticipation, servants flitting to and from like anxious bees. It was the night of the grand Spring Ball, an annual event that gathered nobles from across the kingdom. Chandeliers glittered with freshly polished crystals, tables were adorned with silk and silver, and the air was thick with the scent of blooming roses.
Leona, in the plain uniform of a maid, stood against the side of the grand hall. Her heart raced as her eyes coursed across the opulence before her. This wasn't any ordinary ball, at least, not to her-the moment when events in Destined Hearts came to a turning point. Tonight was the night when Cedric, the male lead, would fall for the heroine, Vivienne.
Instead, all was going haywire.
He had eyes only for her, a nobody from the original story, while Vivienne lingered at the edge of the crowd, her usual spark significantly dulled by her still-lingering insecurities.
The robotic voice had been characteristically silent, but Leona didn't need it to tell her that this was a disaster waiting to happen.
Leona took a steadying breath and stepped into the throng of nobles, weaving her way toward Vivienne. The heroine wore a stunning emerald gown that matched her fiery red hair, yet she clung to the shadowed edges of the room as though she wished to disappear entirely.
"Vivienne," Leona said softly, catching her attention.
Vivienne turned, her emerald eyes clouded with unease. "Leona. I don't belong here."
"Nonsense," Leona said sternly. "You're the most beautiful person in this room. You belong here more than anyone."
Vivienne's lips quivered with a faint smile, but her eyes still shone with doubt.
Leona glanced around the room to where Cedric stood surrounded by a circle of nobles. He was as dashing as ever in his midnight-blue coat; his silver hair seemed to catch the light like spun moonlight. If Vivienne could just pluck up the courage to go to him, everything might fall back into place.
"You see Cedric over there?" Leona said, nodding toward the male lead.
Vivienne's eyes followed her gaze, then dropped to the floor. "He wouldn't notice someone like me."
Leona grasped Vivienne's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He will. You just have to give him the chance. Trust me."
Vivienne hesitated but nodded eventually. Together, they began to make their way across the ballroom.
Leona hung back as Vivienne approached Cedric, her heart pounding. This was it-the moment when the story would realign.
But before Vivienne could get to him, a shrill voice rang out.
"Well, well. Isn't this a surprise?"
Leona turned to see a tall, elegantly dressed noblewoman striding toward her. Lady Margot. Of course. In the original novel, Margot was a minor antagonist—a vain and cruel woman who enjoyed tormenting those she deemed beneath her.
"What is a lowly maid like you doing in the ballroom?" Margot sneered, her voice high enough to catch the surrounding people's attention. "Did you think yourself a guest?"
Heat rose in Leona's cheeks as murmurs spread through the crowd. She opened her mouth to respond but said nothing.
Margot smirked, all but gloating over victory. "How quaint. A mute maid. Shall I fetch you a mop, dear? Or perhaps a lesson in proper etiquette?"
Leona clenched her fists, willing herself to be composed. She didn't want a scene-not with Vivienne so close to being married to Cedric.
And then, deep, commandingly, one voice hushed the noise in that room.
"That's enough."
The room was still now as Cedric came into view, his gaze upon Margot like a shank of ice.
"Your behavior is unbecoming of a lady," he said coldly.
Margot's face paled. "M-My Lord Cedric, I was merely—"
"You were insulting a member of my household," Cedric interrupted. He turned to Leona, his expression softening. "Are you all right?"
Leona nodded, though her heart was thundering in her chest. "I'm fine. Thank you."
Cedric turned back to Margot, his gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "I suggest you apologize. Now."
Margot muttered something that could have been an apology and fled back into the throng, her face bright red as her wine.
As the bystanders hushed into whispering to one another, Cedric reached out to Leona. "Come with me."
She followed him outside the ballroom into an alcove quiet from the sound of drums and laughter, her head reeling to piece together what had taken place.
"You didn't have to do that," she said once they were alone.
Cedric arched an elegant brow. "Of course I did. Margot's behavior was unacceptable."
Leona sighed. "But now everyone thinks…"
"That I care for you?" Cedric finished, his tone calm but piercing.
Leona's stomach flipped. "Yes. And you shouldn't. I'm just a maid."
Cedric stepped closer, his gaze steady and intense. "You're more than that."
Leona's breath hitched. "Cedric…"
Before she could get another word out, the robotic voice chimed in her head:
"Critical deviation increasing. Intervention required."
Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Vivienne stood stock-still. She had watched the whole exchange between Cedric and Leona, and something sharp twisted in her chest.
Cedric was supposed to be hers-or at least, that's what everyone said. Still, as she watched him defend Leona with a passion she had never seen from him before, doubts crept in.
What if she wasn't good enough for him?
As the night wore on, the whispers in the court grew louder. That Cedric had publicly defended a maid was scandalous enough, but the tender way he had escorted her from the room set tongues wagging.
Leona returned to her quarters that night feeling more defeated than ever.
This isn't how the story is supposed to go, she thought miserably. Cedric is supposed to love Vivienne, not…
She shook her head, refusing to complete the thought.
The robotic voice chimed in once more:
"Mission failure imminent. Realignment required."
Leona groaned. "You don't think I know that?"
But even as frustration bubbled within her, a small, treacherous part of her couldn't deny the warmth she had felt when Cedric defended her.
It was a warmth she had no right to feel-and one she couldn't afford to entertain.
The next morning, the aftermath of the ball was palpable. Servants whispered among themselves about Leona's supposed affair with Cedric, while nobles speculated on what his actions meant.
Vivienne avoided Leona altogether, her tentative trust now buried beneath layers of doubt and jealousy.
And Cedric… Cedric continued to seek her out, his cool demeanor softening whenever they crossed paths.
With such overwhelming pressures, Leona had taken to her bed more days in a row than was fashionable lately. But with every single passing day, the threads unraveled even more, plunging deeper into intrigue, emotions, and danger.
The night at the grand ball was intended to set the story properly anew. Instead, that's what had sent the action askew. Leona really was running out of time to set it all to rights.