!! Spoiler Warning !!
☛ (From Viviana Carsten Herself)☚
Alright, listen up. This prologue will spoil future chapters. Yes, spoil, as in ruin surprises you peasants usually gasp over. If you're the type who whines about spoilers, close the book or scroll away and come back when you're mentally prepared. I don't care. But if you're brave, nosy, or just smart enough to want a taste of what's ahead, then keep reading.
Just don't say I didn't warn you. I have no time for complaints, I'm a busy woman with an empire to run and a villainess reputation to go.
Consider yourself warned.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning, February 13, 1985. Viviana Carsten had just turned 17. Her father threw a grand birthday party for her, even though it wasn't her official debutante yet. The celebration was massive, with elegant decorations, flashy lighting, and flowers everywhere. All the guests were rich and well-dressed, the kind of crowd only a Carsten would entertain.
Viviana, the third child of the chairman of an electronics company, stood out like a queen. Her long, wavy honey-blonde hair shimmered under the golden sunlight. Her emerald eyes sparkled with confidence and a little bit of arrogance. She wore the flashiest gown in the room: a golden-red, glittery dress that screamed "look at me." And everyone did.
Her eldest brother, Vincent Carsten, only 23 at the time, approached her with a big smile.
"Happy birthday, Vivi," he said, handing her a giant bouquet wrapped with a shiny ribbon. "I know you love flashy stuff."
She took the bouquet with a proud smirk. "Of course I do. At least someone gets me."
Vincent chuckled. "You're impossible."
Next was her second older brother, Vince, 21 years old, cold as ice but warm on the inside. He gave her a box wrapped in velvet.
"It's a gown," he said simply.
Viviana's eyes lit up. "You do love me after all," she said, hugging the box tightly.
Last was her little brother, Valentin, just 11 at the time. He walked up shyly and gave her a hug.
She froze for a second, not a fan of physical touch, but ended up patting his head. "You're lucky you're cute."
His round amber eyes and chubby cheeks made it hard to stay annoyed. Despite her spoiled and arrogant nature, Viviana had a soft spot for her family. She was rude, selfish, dramatic, basically the red flag in a family full of green flags, but they all still loved her deeply.
Then came her father's gift. He stood tall and proud as he handed her the deed to an entire mansion.
Viviana squealed. "A mansion?! Seriously?! You're the best, Dad!"
But the biggest surprise came later. Her mother was bedridden due to her long-term illness and couldn't attend the party. Viviana, despite her bratty attitude, still made time to visit her.
"Happy birthday, my little star," her mother said weakly, smiling from her bed.
Viviana sat beside her. "You could've at least made it to the cake cutting."
She chuckled softly, then began to sing her a quiet birthday song. The rest of the family entered the room and joined in. Viviana didn't show it, but her heart melted. She would never forget that moment.
After the song, She handed her a thick book from her drawer. "Here. I want you to have this."
Viviana frowned. "A book?"
"It's a story worth reading," her mother said with a smile.
Viviana hesitated. She wasn't into books, her style was money, jewels, and luxury, but she accepted it anyway. If there was one thing she respected, it was effort.
Months later, her mother passed away. Soon after, her father followed, crushed by grief. The four siblings leaned on each other through the pain.
Viviana moved into the mansion her father gave her. One rainy afternoon, out of boredom and nostalgia, she finally opened the book her mother gave her. It was titled The Droopy Rose. A dark romance filled with powers, secrets, and pain. The story followed a lonely female lead consumed by darkness, until seven powerful men appeared in her life.
The author? Davina Xander. The novel was published on December 31, 1980.
Viviana didn't just like it, she loved it. She read it over and over, each time feeling a little less broken inside.
Years passed. She became chairwoman of the family empire. At 60, she was powerful, feared, unmarried, and completely devoted to her work. Arrogant, selfish, rude, perfectionist, you name it. She was the type of woman who'd fire a young female lead before the opening credits even rolled.
Then one day, her 17-year-old grandniece handed her a game.
"You should try this," she said shyly, pushing the console into her hands. "It's based on The Droopy Rose. You named me after the villainess, remember?"
Viviana raised an eyebrow. "You mean Elyza, the one who tried to ruin everything for the main character?"
Her grandniece nodded with a small smile. "That's the one."
The game was a reverse harem Otome game. Five modes: very easy to very hard. Viviana was curious. Then interested. Then addicted. She played it non-stop.
She didn't know it yet... but this game was about to flip her entire world upside down.
And maybe, just maybe, she was about to become the villainess herself.