Welcome to Normal Mode, player! This mode will be Louisa Kalem's POV and you will be Louisa Kalem. In three seconds, the mode will start. Three, two, one.
✦[It was the day of my older sister's debutante ball, hosted by Grandpa. She was beautiful, stunning, the center of attention. We had plenty of guests, and she was the only one wearing the fanciest dress. Her name is Leilani Kalem, one of the most beautiful women in the entire Empire, or so they said. But I... on the other hand... my family couldn't afford to buy me a new dress. I was still wearing the same one from when I was ten. It was too tight now, and ripped.]
✦[A lot of nobles laughed at my dress. One of them was Marquese Quinn.]
[Marquese Quinn: Hey, petty girl. Aren't you that pretty lady's little sister?]
[He said it with a mocking tone and a smug grin.]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[Of course! Isn't she pretty?]✦
✦[No, you've got the wrong person, sir.]✦
✦[Ignore him]✦
✦[Smile but don't talk]✦
Viviana tilted her head as she held her console. "Isn't the first option supposed to be the right answer? Or probably the last one." She raised an eyebrow and selected the third option: to ignore him, classic Viviana.
✦[Marquese Quinn: Hey, girl! Why are you ignoring me, huh?! You look like a freak that crawled out of the streets with that ripped dress! How dare you ignore me, you pathetic girl!]
✦[He grabbed my hair, and I squirmed in pain. Everyone was watching. He was humiliating me in front of the entire hall. My sister, who was the center of attention, saw me, but looked away. She ignored me completely. After all, our family was indebted to Marquese Quinn.]
✦[Marquese Quinn: Oh, acting all high and mighty now, are you? After all I did for you and your family, this is how you respond?]
✦[He gripped my hair tighter, but I couldn't scream. If I did, things would only get worse.]
Viviana clicked her tongue. "Damn, I think that was the wrong choice."
She turned around. Elyza's bedroom door was open. Her bodyguards were still posted outside. Her secretaries stood nearby, and the five CEOs lingered in the hallway, restless.
She sighed. "Shoo!"
"But madam! You have a board meeting in ten minutes! You have to get dressed!" her secretary exclaimed.
Viviana ignored him, eyes locked back on the screen.
✦[Help, I need help. It hurts. Marquese Quinn kept yanking my hair, furious because I had apparently disrespected him. I'm so sorry if I did something wrong... Just then, someone shouted—"Enough!"]
✦[It was a deep voice, loud enough to echo through the entire hall. Marquese Quinn immediately let go of my hair and bowed low to the figure. Everyone else followed suit; the nobles, the servants, the maids, even my sister, my grandpa, my father, my mother, and grandma.]
✦[I looked up at the figure, my hair an absolute mess. Just then, the figure began walking toward me. Everyone watched in stunned silence. Then, he knelt down to my height.]
✦[???: Are you alright, little one?]
✦[The man smiled warmly as he extended his hand toward me. I looked at him from head to toe... and that's when I realized, it was the Emperor. Grandpa had once told me that he raised the Emperor when he was young. He looked around Papa's age, maybe older. He must be here for Leilani's debutante.]
✦[The Emperor was still holding out his hand to me...]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[Stand up and bow to him I am alright, Your Majesty.]✦
✦[Smile warmly at him as well]✦
✦[Accept his hand and stand up Thank you so much for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am okay.]✦
✦[Stand up and glare at him rudely Piss off.]✦
Viviana grabbed another chip and munched it while holding her console. "This is hard, kinda... But I'll choose the last one. That Emperor guy is so annoying. I want him to piss off."
With smug satisfaction, she tapped the last option.
"Madam, please... have mercy on the board meeting. Please...?" her secretary was practically begging now, voice trembling.
"Can you please shut up?!" Viviana snapped, spinning around to glare at him. "Can't you see I'm busy here?! Why don't you just take care of the meeting yourself?! All of you are dismissed! Get the hell out of here!"
Everyone flinched, her secretary, the CEOs, the bodyguards. No one dared argue. The secretary swallowed nervously and slowly closed the door, leaving Viviana alone at last.
Viviana sighed in relief. "At long last... peace." She turned back to her console with a smirk.
✦[Everyone in the hall gasped at what I said to the Emperor. But instead of getting angry, the Emperor stared at me in stunned silence… then burst into laughter.]
✦[Emperor: Wow! Quite the temper, aren't you, little missy? What's your name, little one?]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[It's Louisa Kalem, Your Majesty! giggle]✦
✦[Mind your own business, jerk.]✦
✦[I thought you already heard that from Grandpa. Aren't you both supposed to be close? raising my eyebrows]✦
✦[Get the hell out of my sight, you senile old man. rolls my eyes]✦
Viviana looked at the choices and nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm… at least we have decent choices now. Logical. I'll go with the second one."
And with zero hesitation, she chose:
✦[Mind your own business, jerk.]✦
✦[I noticed my grandparents, my parents, and my sister looking at me with frightened expressions. It was like they were afraid for their lives. Their faces were pale, Grandma looked like she was about to faint. The nobles were just as stunned. Some had their mouths agape; others were sweating nervously. My sister even gestured at me to behave.]
✦[Then, unexpectedly, the Emperor laughed again. He ruffled my hair and smiled warmly.]
Viviana clicked her tongue, adjusting her grip on the console. "What is wrong with this Emperor? I'm pretty sure he was never really mentioned in the novel since he died right after the villainess was executed. I didn't expect the Emperor to be this... freaking weirdo. He keeps laughing for no reason."
✦[Emperor: My, my! I like your attitude! I've never met a pretty girl who talked to me like that. You must be pretty lonely, huh? Want to be friends with my son? He's around your age… or maybe a bit older. How old are you, little one?]
✦[He smiled warmly at me again, waiting for my response.]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[Ismiled at him warmly as well I'm twelve years old, Your Majesty!]✦
✦[clicked my tongue Twelve.]✦
✦[Blah blah blah, don't care. Will you please piss off?]✦
✦[just ignore him]✦
Viviana groaned. "What's up with these cliché choices? The first one is cringe, the second one is weird, the third one... edible if it were food, and the fourth's too passive."
Still, with a dramatic sigh, she selected the third option:
✦[Blah blah blah, don't care. Will you please piss off?]✦
✦[At last, my grandmother fainted. My father facepalmed, my grandfather caught Grandma just in time, and my mother sighed, already a mix of embarrassment and fear. After all, I was talking to the Emperor. My sister stepped forward, her expression calm but her hands trembling slightly as she addressed the ruler of the Empire.]
✦[Leilani Kalem: Greetings, Your Majesty, the sun of the Empire. I am Leilani Kalem, the eldest granddaughter of Kayden Kalem. This is my younger sister. Please forgive her rudeness, Your Majesty. Her name is Louisa Kalem, and she's twelve years old. Welcome to my debutante.]
✦[I glanced at my sister. Her voice trembled under the weight of protocol and pressure. Speaking to the Emperor took all her courage, she did it for me. I felt a stab of guilt. I'm sorry, Leilani. She gave my hand a small, discreet pinch, then curtsied. I sighed, reluctantly bowing beside her.]
✦[Emperor: Oh, please, no need for that. You're the one debuting, aren't you?]
✦[The Emperor smiled at Leilani, who smiled back politely, concealing the dread in her eyes.]
✦[Leilani: Yes, Your Majesty.]
Viviana leaned back, bored but oddly invested. "This is dragging. But I never thought the older sister would turn out to be Leilani Kalem. The novel only ever called her 'the older sister'. No name, no story. Guess the devs are throwing in extra lore."
✦[The Emperor beamed and turned to look me straight in the eyes.]
✦[Emperor: Your little sister is pretty too, just like you, Leilani. Both of you resemble your grandfather quite a bit, huh?]
✦[He grinned at both of us. Leilani chuckled nervously.]
Viviana scowled. "Why is this Emperor so talkative? I swear, he didn't speak more than five sentences in the novel. Now he's acting like a chatty uncle."
✦[Emperor: Well then, you're Louisa, right? Have you ever met my eldest son? He's fifteen.]
✦[I shook my head furiously. The Crown Prince? I'd never even heard of him showing up anywhere. But now I was curious. Was he really here?]
✦[Around the hall, murmurs began to spread.]
"Did you hear that?"
"Isn't the Crown Prince a recluse?"
"He avoids social events altogether…"
Viviana's jaw dropped. "Wait. Caelus was like that? The Crown Prince? This game just got way more interesting. That's not in the novel at all. Props to the devs for spicing things up."
✦[Emperor: But I'll make sure to introduce you to my eldest son, Louisa!]
✦[The Emperor grinned again. Leilani smiled politely in return.]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[That will be my pleasure, Your Majesty.]✦
✦[Can you shut the fuck up, senile old man?]✦
✦[I don't care about your son.]✦
✦[You don't have to, Your Majesty.]✦
Viviana let out a long sigh. "What's with these options? And the F-bomb? Did a sleep-deprived intern code this part?" She shrugged and selected the third option anyway:
✦[I don't care about your son.]✦
✦[Suddenly, my grandfather stormed toward me furiously, his footsteps so heavy it felt like the entire ballroom trembled. Even Leilani visibly flinched. The Emperor, who'd just been smiling, went stiff with tension. Grandpa grabbed my wrist and dropped to the ground, bowing until his forehead touched the polished marble floor.]
✦[Kayden Kalem: Please forgive my granddaughter, Your Majesty. Yes, she is rude—but she didn't mean what she said. She's... just a lonely girl. Because of how she looks. We can't afford proper clothing for her either, so please... have mercy. I am so, so sorry on her behalf, Your Majesty.]
Viviana smirked. "Ooh~ plot twist unlocked! Grandpa drama mode activated."
✦[The Emperor looked panicked, scrambling to make my grandfather stand up. But Grandpa only pressed lower, refusing to budge. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Eyes everywhere. This wasn't a debutante ball anymore, it was a stage play, and we were the tragedy.]
✦[Then, Grandpa yanked me down, forcing me to bow beside him.]
(Please choose your answer!)
✦[bowed to the ground as well]✦
✦[slap his hands]✦
✦[kick my grandpa's butt]✦
✦[shove two fingers inside his butthole]✦
Viviana stared. "…I'm sorry, what?" She rubbed her temples. "I swear, whoever made this game needs therapy. Immediate, urgent therapy."
She sighed, muttering, "Peace route. Choose peace," and selected the first option:
✦[bowed to the ground as well]✦
✦[Emperor: Please, Uncle! You don't have to do this! And don't call me 'Your Majesty' either! You raised me when I was young, when my father was too busy to even look at me. You and my father were best friends. We're family, Uncle! Louisa, please, stand up!]
✦[I slowly stood, though Grandpa remained stubbornly kneeling. The Emperor continued to panic.]
✦[Just then, Father, Lloyd Kalem, stepped forward.]
Viviana squinted. "Lloyd Kalem? Wait, that's Louisa's dad? Hold on, wasn't there a 'Lloyd' in that other fantasy drama Elyza was reading? Son of a Baron, total maniac?" She frowned. "Coincidence? Or a crossover?"
✦[Lloyd Kalem: Father, please stand. My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. My father's just... overwhelmed with guilt over Louisa's actions. Again, our sincerest apologies.]
✦[Father bowed slightly. Leilani and the Emperor tried to lift Grandpa, who remained muttering apologies as if the world were ending.]
✦[Emperor: Please! We're family, Uncle! Please, stand up!]
Viviana blinked. "Did all this happen because I picked the wrong dialogue option? What is this, Butterfly Effect: Royal Edition?"
[Then, suddenly, a nobleman's voice rang out across the hall.]
✦[??? : Baron Kayden Kalem has committed treason against the Emperor! This is treason! Attack!]
Viviana's eyebrows shot up. "What the fu—?"
✦[The hall erupted into chaos. Screaming. Shouting. Guards rushing in. Then—another noble shouted:]
✦[??? : The girl caused this treason! Kill her!]
Viviana's jaw dropped. "HOLD ON—what?!"
✦[They attacked me, cut me down in front of everyone. My blood pooled across the ballroom floor. The nobles watched with satisfaction.]
[TheEnd.]
[[GAMEOVER]]
(Would you like to reset the game?)
The screen faded to a grisly image: Louisa's body, lifeless and brutally torn. The realism of it made Viviana's stomach churn.
Viviana blinked, stunned. "Is this... what Elyza meant when she said 'choose wisely or you die?' This is beyond Game Over. This is Game Traumatized."
She glanced at the time. It was already noon. She hadn't had breakfast. Or lunch. Just soda and chips.
She stared at the screen, then sighed and hit reset. "Okay," she muttered. "No more screwing around. This time, I'm going to live."
Hours later…
It was already afternoon.
Vincent, Viviana's eldest brother, kept peeking nervously into Elyza's room. He wasn't alone. His wife Lilybeth stood behind him, wringing her hands, while several maids and servants clustered around the hallway, whispering.
All of them wore the same expression, concern. Or was it horror?
Inside the room, Viviana was a complete wreck. Her once immaculate hair was now a bird's nest of frizz. Her eyes, once sharp, calculating, and merciless, were now bloodshot, ringed with purple-black circles so thick they looked like war paint. She hadn't slept in over 30 hours. Hadn't eaten a proper meal. Chips and soda cans littered the floor around her like battlefield debris. Her fingers moved mechanically on the console. Her mouth muttered curses. Her back was hunched like a gremlin guarding a sacred artifact.
The screen glowed. The game pulsed. And Viviana, the ruthless, arrogant, perfectionist chairwoman of Carsten Electronics was... glued.
Multiple missed calls blinked on her phone's screen. CEOs, secretaries, even her bodyguards had tried and failed to reach her. Some even came to the door and left, terrified.
She didn't budge.
She didn't care.
She was in too deep.
Meanwhile...
Elyza had just arrived home from school, dragging her little brother Elijah behind her.
The moment she opened her bedroom door, she froze.
Viviana was still there.
Still sitting in the exact same spot from this morning. Eyes wide. Back curled. Staring at the screen like it was the last light in the universe.
Elyza gasped. "Grandaunt?! Please... stop. You've been playing since last night. Just pause, please."
Viviana didn't even look up. Her voice was cracked, brittle. "Shut up, Elyza! I'm almost finished! I had to keep resetting over and over because of one stupid choice that keeps killing me. I'm this close to maxing out all seven love interests! Zeuz is the only one left—and that stubborn asshole is still at 70%!"
"…Grandaunt," Elyza tried again, stepping closer. "You need to rest. You haven't showered. Or eaten. Or blinked properly."
"She hasn't even changed her underwear," Elijah whispered from behind her. Lilybeth flinched at the mental image.
Viviana finally turned to her, eyes twitching. "Then help me! Help me break Zeuz's pride and make him fall in love with Louisa, or we all DIE. This is Normal Mode and he's acting like a Hardcore tsundere boss fight!"
Vincent silently made the sign of the cross.
Elyza sighed, already pulling off her school uniform and grabbing her hoodie. "Fine. But you promise to shower and eat afterwards. We're saying this because we care, okay?"
"JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH NORMAL MODE!"
"…okay…"
Elizabeth, Elyza's mother and Viviana's niece, gently pushed the bedroom door open, balancing a tray filled with steaming soup, fluffy rice, and a perfectly grilled steak.
"I brought food," she said, eyes darting toward the human disaster curled up on the floor. "Elyza, make sure she eats."
"Thanks, Mom," Elyza smiled.
"You're welcome," Elizabeth sighed. "Just... feed Auntie before she turns into pixel dust." And with that, she left the room like a general retreating from a battlefield.
Elyza knelt beside her grandaunt. "Er… Grandaunt?"
"No," Viviana mumbled, eyes locked on the screen.
"But you need to eat!"
"I'm busy here. Can't you see?"
"Oh, I can see. Which is why I'll take over," Elyza said, placing the tray down and gently prying the console from Viviana's death grip. "You trust me, don't you? I'm your veteran here. Your Otome wingman. Just… eat. I've got this."
Viviana glared at her, suspicious.
Then sighed. "…Fine."
She placed the console down, finally, and began eating while Elyza slid into position in front of the screen, fingers ready.
A moment of peace settled over the room.
"Hey," Viviana mumbled through a bite of steak. "Can I borrow your shower?"
"Of course, Grandaunt!" Elyza beamed.
Minutes later, Viviana emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and glowing with post-shower dignity, now dressed in one of Lilybeth's pastel lounge sets. Her hair was brushed. Her skin slightly pink from hot water.
Elizabeth stood in the hallway, watching with folded arms and a look of quiet pride. "You finally got her to eat, shower, and change. My daughter… you've done the impossible."
Viviana stepped back into Elyza's room. "Did you do it?"
Elyza turned from the screen, holding up the console triumphantly. "Normal Mode, complete!"
Viviana froze.
"…So now you'll sleep, right?"
There was a long pause.
"Not until I finish Hard Mode."
Elyza's eyes widened in horror. "But even I couldn't beat that! Grandaunt, please! Think about your health! You're sixty!"
"I'm not that weak," Viviana snapped. "Now. Hand me the console."
Reluctantly, Elyza passed it over like she was surrendering a nuclear code.
Viviana grinned.
The screen lit up.
Hard Mode: Start.
TO BE CONTINUED...