A Slip Of Mind

Vivian still can't believe what she's seeing. No matter how many times she steps into the enchanted garden, she doubts she'll ever grow accustomed to its breathtaking beauty. It's not just beautiful, it's otherworldly, surreal, something out of a dream. The sheer magnitude of its wonder is almost overwhelming.

Sunlight filters through the towering trees, their golden leaves shimmering like precious metal. Delicate vines curl around marble archways, their blossoms glowing softly as if holding trapped stardust. The air itself feels enchanted, thick with a scent that reminds her of honey and blooming jasmine.

Despite today being her second visit, she remains in awe. The other night, she thought she had explored every corner, convinced she had seen all there was to see. But now, standing here, she realizes how wrong she was. This place is vast, far more mysterious than she initially assumed. The house they're staying in? The crystal-clear stream glittering before her? She hadn't even noticed them the first time.

"Leonard," she calls, her voice carrying over the soft hum of nature. She kneels by the water, running her fingers through the cool stream, watching as a school of rainbow-colored fish swirl beneath the surface. Each one glows with a different hue, and together they form a dazzling, shifting spectrum of light, leaving a shimmering trail in their wake. Their playful movements mesmerize her, she's never seen anything like them before.

She glances over her shoulder at Leonard, who stands a few feet away, arms crossed, watching her with that insufferably amused expression of his.

"How come I didn't see all of this yesterday?" she asks, bewildered. "I thought I had a good sense of the garden's size when we rode on Majesty back the other night."

Leonard raises an eyebrow. "Majesty?" He repeats the name, rolling it on his tongue like he's testing its weight. "That's what you decided to call your pegasus?"

Vivian turns to fully face him, tilting her head. "Yes. Is there a problem with that?" giving him a deadpan look that dares him to criticize her choice.

His lips quirk into a smirk. "No, not at all. It's a fitting name, especially for a princess's steed."

Satisfied, she returns her attention to the fish, tracing lazy patterns in the water. But the question still lingers in her mind.

Leonard watches her, still smirking, that same infuriating smirk he's worn ever since she told him she wanted a divorce. It baffles her. The Leonard she knows, the one she read about, is supposed to be cold, distant, unreadable. And yet, here he is, teasing her at every opportunity, wearing that smirk like he enjoys riling her up.

Who is this man?

She can't help but wonder what his fans back on Earth would think if they saw him now. The devoted Leonard enthusiasts who insist he belongs with Isla, who romanticize his every brooding look, would lose their minds if they knew how utterly hopeless he is when it comes to her, the supposed villainess. The thought alone makes her laugh. Hard.

So hard, in fact, that her stomach starts to hurt.

Leonard tilts his head, watching her curiously. "Dear wife, what's so funny? Care to share?"

Before she can react, he pulls her gently away from the water's edge, his grip firm but not forceful.

Wanting to tease him, she simply shrugs. "Nothing."

Leonard narrows his eyes. "Nothing definitely means something." His smirk deepens. "Don't tell me you're thinking about some wild man out there." Before she can protest, he leans in and bites her ear softly.

Vivian swats at him, huffing. "I'm not," she says, before smirking right back. "Unlike my lord, who has a true love waiting for him elsewhere."

Her voice drips with sarcasm, a not-so-subtle jab at the original storyline and the fans who believe Leonard belongs with someone else. It's an inside joke only she understands, but it still brings her a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Leonard doesn't respond immediately. He only watches her, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he bites her ear again, this time, a little harder.

"Tell me what you were really thinking about," he murmurs, his voice low against her skin.

Vivian tenses for a moment before grinning. "Just wondering how your admirers would react if they knew how insufferable you are in private."

And before he can react, she bites his hand in retaliation.

Leonard bursts into laughter, the rich sound echoing through the garden. "They don't know," he says, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "And that's exactly why there's a difference between them and you, my love."

Before she can shove him away, he presses a quick kiss to her cheek.

"As if I'd believe that," Vivian scoffs, pushing him before bolting in the opposite direction.

Leonard watches her retreat, amusement flickering in his gaze. But when he notices the way her ears have turned red, he throws his head back and laughs before chasing after her.

It doesn't take him long to catch up. In one swift motion, he locks her in his arms again, holding her close. He presses a kiss to the top of her head before murmuring, "I really want to lock you up somewhere, somewhere only I know, where only I can see you."

A shiver runs down Vivian's spine.

She recognizes the possessiveness in his voice, and for the first time, she wonders if he truly means it. She enjoys reading dark romances where the male lead binds and cages the heroine away from the world, but that doesn't mean she wants to experience it herself.

She didn't transmigrate into this novel just to lose her freedom again.

Unwilling to linger on that thought, she forces a smile and pushes lightly against his chest. "Unfortunately for you, I don't wish for that. Now, stop saying nonsense and give me a proper tour of the enchanted garden this time around."

Leonard's grip loosens slightly. He's surprised by his own words, surprised that he let his darker thoughts slip. But he's also grateful. Grateful that she doesn't push him away, grateful that she tries to smooth over the awkward tension he caused.

Still, a part of him worries. Will she start avoiding him now? Will she begin to fear him?

For now, he chooses not to dwell on it. Instead, he straightens, schooling his expression back into one of amusement.

"Yes, my lady," he says, bowing with a practiced elegance before offering his hand. "Shall we?"

Vivian eyes him for a moment before finally taking his hand. "Of course, my lord."

They walk forward together, as if the moment never happened. But neither of them forgets it.

And neither of them can ignore the truth lingering beneath the surface.

Leonard won't let her go.

Not in this life.

Not in the next.