𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞

2. A dance with destiny

Su Mi stood in front of Prince Aiore Blackblood, her heart pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it. His cold eyes bore into her as if she were nothing more than a nuisance, someone who had interrupted his life without his permission. The weight of his gaze made her want to shrink away, but she had no choice. The engagement was already in motion, and she had to play her role.

Yet the mere idea of making him fall in love with her seemed impossible. Impossible! The cold expression on his face was worlds away from the warmth she had once imagined when she thought of Lu Wei, her crush in her previous life. Sure, Aiore looked exactly like him—tall, strikingly handsome, with those dark, intense eyes—but that’s where the similarities ended. This prince seemed far more distant and closed off, like an impenetrable wall.

"This is a disaster," Su Mi thought, her hands trembling as the ring was presented to her. The ceremonial ring she had to place on Aiore’s finger felt heavier than anything she’d ever held before. Her mind raced with nervous energy, every part of her screaming that she didn’t belong here.

"How am I supposed to make this man love me?" she wondered in panic. The system’s demand was absurd, especially when the prince couldn’t have made it clearer that he had no interest in her whatsoever.

Swallowing hard, Su Mi lifted the ring with shaking fingers. Her mind buzzed with every disastrous possibility, and her nerves only worsened as she met Aiore’s eyes. He didn’t look at her like someone he was about to marry. He looked at her as if she were his enemy, someone who had wronged him deeply. His icy stare pierced her, and her hand trembled so much that she fumbled the ring for a moment before finally sliding it onto his finger.

Aiore’s jaw clenched.

Her throat tightened. "He probably thinks I’m pathetic," she thought, biting the inside of her cheek. The ring now snug on his finger felt like a reminder of the impossible task looming ahead of her—making this cold, distant prince fall for her.

As if the ceremony itself weren’t enough to strain her nerves, the next part of the engagement involved the couple’s first dance.

“D-dance?” Su Mi stammered as she was gently ushered to the center of the ballroom.

Her stomach dropped. In her previous life as Su Mi, she had barely ever danced at social gatherings, let alone something as elegant and formal as this. She stared at the polished floor, her heart racing as she remembered that original Arielle was supposed to be well-versed in these things. Su Mi, on the other hand, had no idea what she was doing.

Prince Aiore didn’t seem any more eager for the dance. He extended his hand toward her, his expression still cold and unreadable. With a deep breath, Su Mi placed her trembling hand in his, her mind in complete chaos.

"Don’t mess this up," she told herself. But the moment the music began, and they took their first step, she realized how unprepared she was. Her movements were awkward, and she could feel the tension radiating from Aiore as he guided her stiffly across the floor.

Su Mi tried her best to follow his lead, but her feet seemed to have a mind of their own. One step, two steps, and then—

Thud.

Her heel caught the prince’s foot, and she winced in horror as Aiore’s brow furrowed in pain.

"Sorry!" she whispered, trying to correct her footing. But before she could even find her balance, she stepped on his foot again.

“Ugh—” Aiore muttered under his breath. His patience was clearly wearing thin, but he said nothing, his face still a mask of indifference. Su Mi’s panic grew with every misstep. She stepped on his foot yet again, and by now, she was sure she had bruised it. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

"I’m doomed," she thought as they continued their disastrous dance. Her heart raced in sync with her erratic steps, and every stumble only added to her distress. It wasn’t long before she felt lightheaded, the pressure of the whole situation threatening to make her faint right there in Aiore’s arms.

But just when she thought she was about to collapse from embarrassment and stress, a cheerful voice cut through the noise.

“Arielle! There you are!”

Su Mi turned her head to see a girl weaving through the crowd toward her. Sarah, she realized. The original Arielle’s best friend. Sarah was smiling brightly, her steps quick as she rushed over to the couple.

Without a second thought, Sarah grabbed Su Mi’s hand, pulling her away from Aiore. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I need to borrow my friend for a moment,” she said sweetly before dragging Su Mi to a quieter corner of the room.

Su Mi blinked in confusion, still reeling from the disastrous dance. “Sarah—” she started, but Sarah interrupted her with a gleeful grin.

“Can you believe it?” Sarah said excitedly. “You’re actually engaged to the prince now! I'll get to see him more and more! Ufff! What a luck! I'm so happy...”

Su Mi froze. She hadn’t fully thought about the original Arielle’s feelings toward Aiore. From what she remembered, the original Arielle had been indifferent to him. She wasn’t the one who loved the prince—Sarah was. Sarah, the original villainess, had always coveted Aiore’s attention.

"What do I say?" Su Mi wondered, but she quickly realized she couldn’t pretend to be the original Arielle. It would be impossible to pull off. Besides, her situation was different now. She couldn’t afford to keep playing the role of the original soul if she wanted to survive this new world.

"Since he's engaged to me now…" Su Mi started slowly, trying to sound as firm as possible. "Sarah, you should back off."

Sarah’s bright smile faltered. Her eyes widened, and a flash of disbelief crossed her face. “W-what? What do you mean?”

Su Mi met her gaze, knowing this was a dangerous moment. She had to push forward, even if it meant making Sarah her enemy. "He’s my fiancé now. You should respect that. If you have any feelings for him, it’s time to let go."

For a moment, there was only silence. Sarah’s expression hardened, her initial shock giving way to anger. "Arielle," she said slowly, her voice shaking with fury. “Are you serious? You’re really saying this to me? After everything we’ve been through, after all we’ve done together?”

Su Mi braced herself, knowing this wasn’t going to end well. "I’m serious, Sarah. If you want him, go ahead and confess to him. But he’s already engaged to me now. So, if you have the guts, try to win him over."

Sarah’s face twisted with rage. “I can’t believe you would betray me like this! You said you didn’t care about him, that you would help me win his heart!” She clenched her fists, her voice rising with every word.

Su Mi shrugged, trying to look nonchalant despite the tension. “Things change. This engagement is real now. I’m not going to stand aside and let you interfere.”

Sarah’s eyes blazed with fury. “Fine,” she spat. “If that’s how you want to play it, Arielle, then don’t expect me to hold back. I will make Aiore mine, and you’ll regret ever crossing me.”

With that, Sarah stormed off, leaving Su Mi standing alone in the corner, her heart pounding.

She had just made her first enemy. But despite the knot of anxiety tightening in her chest, Su Mi knew she had no choice. If she wanted to survive in this world, she couldn’t afford to have someone like Sarah as a friend.