𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞

1. A new beginning in a strange world

Su Mi couldn’t believe her ears. Her crush, Lu Wei, had just confessed his feelings. She stood there, frozen in place, her heart hammering in her chest. It was the moment she had secretly hoped for, but now that it was happening, she found herself unable to speak.

His deep voice echoed in her mind as he said, “I like you.”

And what did she do?

She panicked.

“I’m sorry!” she blurted out before turning on her heel and running away. Her legs carried her far faster than her thoughts could catch up, and by the time she reached her apartment, the realization hit her like a wave crashing on the shore.

She had just rejected him.

Lu Wei, the man she had liked for years, had finally confessed to her, and she had ruined it.

Su Mi paced back and forth in her small apartment, ruffling her hair in frustration. "Why did I say sorry? What’s wrong with me? Aaah! Clumsy idiot!" She groaned, burying her face in her hands. She had imagined this scenario so many times before, and every time, she pictured herself smiling, accepting his confession, and starting a beautiful relationship. But reality had been far from her daydreams. Her nerves had gotten the better of her.

Exhausted from the emotional turmoil, she collapsed onto her bed. "Maybe tomorrow I can explain… Maybe he’ll understand…" Her thoughts drifted as her eyes grew heavy, and she fell asleep, still replaying the disastrous confession in her mind.

---

The next morning, Su Mi woke up feeling strange. Her body felt unusually stiff, and the air smelled different—fresher, cleaner. She blinked her eyes open, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The ceiling above her was not the plain white one she knew; instead, it was adorned with intricate carvings and a chandelier.

She sat up abruptly, her heart racing. "Where am I?" she whispered. The bed was not her own, and the room around her was vast, far larger and more luxurious than her tiny apartment. The walls were lined with gold accents, and rich velvet curtains draped the windows. Everything felt straight out of a period drama or fantasy novel.

Before she could fully grasp her surroundings, the door to the room creaked open, and a young woman in a maid’s outfit entered, carrying a tray of food.

“My lady, you’re finally awake!” the maid exclaimed, bowing. “You must take your lunch and get ready soon. It’s your engagement day, after all.”

"Engagement day?" Su Mi echoed, confusion gripping her. “What are you talking about? Where am I?”

The maid looked at her quizzically. “You’re in Rosemountain Manor, my lady. The duke and duchess are waiting for you to get ready for the engagement ceremony,” she said matter-of-factly.

Su Mi’s head spun. None of this made sense. Rosemountain Manor? Duke and duchess? What engagement ceremony?

"This has to be a dream," she muttered, standing up from the bed. The maid hurried over to her, guiding her to a vanity mirror.

As Su Mi gazed at her reflection, her breath caught in her throat. The girl staring back at her wasn’t quite the Su Mi she knew. Her face was similar, but there were subtle differences—her hair was longer, her skin more radiant, and her eyes seemed brighter. She looked like a character from a fantasy novel.

Rosemountain...
Wait, Lady Arielle Rosemountain?

That’s when it hit her.

She had read this story before.

Her thoughts raced back to a book she had devoured months ago, a fantasy romance novel. The world of dukes, princes, and political intrigue... and the main villainess’s friend, Lady Arielle Rosemountain. “No… This can’t be real,” Su Mi whispered, panic rising in her chest. She wasn’t the protagonist of that story, but if she remembered correctly, Lady Arielle played a significant role—she was engaged to Prince Aiore Blackblood, but she had no real interest in him. Instead, she helped her friend, the original villainess, try to capture his heart.

As Su Mi tried to make sense of it all, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

“Congratulations on entering the world of ‘Fallen Hearts.’”

She froze. “Who... who are you?”

“I am your system,” the voice replied calmly. “Your task is simple: make the male protagonist, Prince Aiore, fall in love with you. If you succeed, you’ll return to your original world.”

Su Mi’s heart skipped a beat. “What? Make Prince Aiore fall in love with me? That’s impossible! He’s supposed to fall for the original female lead, Freya!”

“Your mission remains the same. Only by winning his heart can you go back.”

Su Mi sat back in the chair, her mind swirling with disbelief. How had she ended up in this situation? And why was she, of all people, the one stuck here?

But there was no denying it now—this wasn’t just a dream. She was really in the world of Fallen Hearts, and if she wanted to return to her own life, she had no choice but to play along. She might not be the villainess, but as Lady Arielle, she had a critical role in the story.

Her thoughts went back to Lu Wei—the man who had confessed his love to her just before everything changed. "Is this connected to him somehow?" she wondered. But there were no answers, only more questions.

This is truly unfair! I didn't even get hit by truk-kun! But here I am!

With a sigh, Su Mi resigned herself to her new reality. If making Prince Aiore fall in love with her was the only way out, she would have to try. Even though it sounded impossible, given that Aiore was supposed to be smitten with Freya, she couldn’t give up.

The maid interrupted her thoughts. “My lady, we need to start preparing for your engagement ceremony. The prince is already waiting.”

Su Mi grimaced. "Right. Engagement to the cold-hearted prince..." She had read enough to know that Aiore Blackblood wasn’t exactly the warm, loving type. He was distant, emotionally guarded, and had no interest in his engagement to Lady Arielle.

Still, Su Mi stood up, her resolve hardening. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

It's not like I have another choice.

The maid beamed at her enthusiasm and began pulling out a gorgeous gown from the wardrobe, a gown especially prepared for her engagement. As Su Mi got dressed, she couldn’t help but feel like she was stepping into the role of someone else—Arielle, a character she had once read about, but now had to embody.

She would have to navigate this world carefully. One wrong move, and she could end up facing the consequences meant for the original villainess. But for now, her first task was simple: get through the engagement ceremony without panicking.

Aaah, I'm a clumsy girl though!

---

As the door to her room opened, Su Mi—now Lady Arielle—stepped into the grand hall where the engagement was set to take place. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she caught sight of the tall, imposing figure at the far end of the room.

Prince Aiore Blackblood.

His piercing gaze met hers for a brief moment, his face unreadable. Su Mi’s nerves flared. He looked exactly like Lu Wei. It made her freeze on the spot.

Her thoughts tumbled, and a single question rang loud in her mind: “How am I supposed to make this man fall in love with me?”

All these years, she tried to avoid Lu Wei because she was too shy to get close to him!

Now....

Su Mi realized she was doomed!