The new popular manga, The Crown of Ash and Roses, was like any typical historical story. It followed a struggling noble heroine, Rosette Marie, whose family had fallen on hard times despite their noble status. But Rosette's struggles came to an end when she met the crown prince of the empire. He fell in love with her at first sight, captivated by her unparalleled beauty and innocent charm.
But of course, where there is love, there is also conflict. The villainess, Lady Seraphina Valmont, daughter of the richest Duke in the empire and the crown prince's fiancée, stood in their way. As expected, she tried to torment Rosette, but in true historical drama fashion, her schemes ultimately failed. In the end, Seraphina met a tragic fate, and the crown prince and Rosette lived happily ever after.
"Sarah, what do you think?" Emily asked, turning to her friend.
"Well, Emily… " It's not a bad story," Sarah said cautiously. She only knew Emily well enough to be honest.
Emily tilted her head, suspicious. "What do you really think?" she asked calmly.
Sarah studied Emily's face for a moment before speaking. "The male lead is obviously a cheating jerk. The heroine is… relatively innocent, and there's no way anyone could truly act that naive. And the villainess? A love-struck fool! She was the daughter of the richest Duke, yet instead of enjoying her life, she destroyed herself trying to ruin the heroine over some guy. Honestly, if I were the villainess, the story would have been completely different." She crossed her arms, satisfied with her critique.
"Really?" Emily said with a small smile. "I always love your honest feedback. Though I have to say… a lot of my readers disagree with you, they love the story just as it is."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Of course they do. Well, I'm heading home. I have work in the morning. See you tomorrow," she said, standing up and leaving Emily's apartment.
As Sarah walked to the bus stop along the busy street, her mind kept returning to the villainess from the story. How could someone with so much wealth and power ruin her own life over a man? The thought lingered: maybe if she were the villainess, she could have done everything better, smarter, stronger, unafraid.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the speeding truck barreling toward her. By the time she looked up, it was too late to react. The world seemed to slow for a brief, terrifying second as the headlights blazed toward her.
Would this be the end? Or was fate about to intervene in a way she could never have imagined?