The mansion was silent after her encounter with the relatives.
Too silent.
It felt like walking inside a museum built from someone else's life — expensive, cold, unfamiliar. And yet, somehow, everything in it was supposed to belong to her.
Seo Yeon-hwa closed her bedroom door gently behind her. As soon as the lock clicked, she let out a slow breath she'd been holding since morning.
She had kept her expression calm.
She had not cried.
She had not broken down.
And for the first time since transmigrating—
she felt like herself.
Not the villainess.
Not the spoiled heiress.
Not the girl who clung to a boy.
Not the girl who lost her mind when her father collapsed.
Just… herself.
She walked toward the large window, placing a hand on the cool glass. The rain had finally stopped. Wet leaves glittered across the garden. A single ray of sunlight peeked through the clouds, falling across her reflection.
She wasn't used to seeing this face—
delicate, beautiful, fragile, the face of a girl everyone expected to break apart.
But her eyes…
her eyes looked different now.
Focused.
Sharp.
Alive.
The blue hologram flickered to life again, interrupting her thoughts.
---
[Villainess Reformation System 1.0]
First Mission: Do NOT cry today.
Reward: +10 Mental Strength, +5 Reputation
Penalty: Emotional Breakdown + Public Embarrassment
---
The system displayed the mission clearly, as if testing her resolve.
Her brows lowered with determination.
> "I won't cry," she whispered to her reflection.
"I don't have the luxury to fall apart."
Her voice sounded steadier than she felt.
She needed to plan.
To think.
To survive.
She walked to the bedside table and picked up a leather-bound notebook and a pen. This bedroom may have belonged to the villainess, but the strategy would belong to her.
She sat down, flipped open the notebook, and began writing.
---
Step 1 — Understand the Timeline
The original novel Blooming Winter unfolded like this:
• Father's coma → 2 days ago
• Official broken engagement → yesterday
• Kang Min-joon falling for the heroine → already begun
• Heroine's full appearance → next week
• Seo Hwa Group's first financial collapse → in 3 months
• Changwoon Group's attack → intensifies over coming chapters
• Villainess downfall → triggered by emotional instability
She lifted her pen.
> "So I'm at the very beginning."
Which meant she had a chance.
A small one.
But still a chance.
---
Step 2 — Identify the Immediate Threats
She wrote:
Threats:
1. Father's coma → leadership vacuum
2. Seo Hwa Group's weak internal structure
3. Changwoon Group already preparing attack
4. Relatives waiting to take advantage
5. Kang Min-joon → emotional trigger
6. Heroine → destabilizing factor
7. Public reputation already awful
8. System penalties → real danger
She stared at the list, feeling the weight of it settle in her chest.
This world wasn't fictional anymore.
Every threat here could destroy her life.
But she didn't look away.
---
Step 3 — Compare Herself to the Original Villainess
The villainess:
Emotional wreck
Dependent on Min-joon
Ignored business affairs
Crumbled under pressure
Became paranoid
Sabotaged herself
Lost everyone's respect
Her?
She inhaled deeply and wrote:
Calm
Logical
Detached from Min-joon
Aware of the future
Not repeating past mistakes
Ready to learn
Ready to fight
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the knowledge sink in.
> "I won't die like she did."
The system reacted immediately.
---
[Mental Strength +1]
[Emotional Stability: Increasing]
---
A small smile tugged her lips.
Good.
---
Step 4 — Understand the Kang Brothers
She wrote the two names side by side.
Kang Min-joon (Fiancé):
• Family-arranged engagement
• Never liked the villainess
• Already has feelings for the heroine
• Emotional trigger she must avoid
• Completely off-limits
• A walking penalty
She crossed out his name.
Then wrote the next:
Kang Do-yoon (Older Brother):
• CEO of Kanghae Group
• Cold, analytical, intimidating
• Never cared about villainess
• Minimal interaction in early novel
• Unpredictable
• Future supporter OR threat depending on behavior
Her hand paused.
In the original novel, the villainess feared Do-yoon.
She cried more around him than anyone.
But real Yeon-hwa felt something else.
A weight.
A sharpness.
A presence that the novel never fully captured.
> "He's dangerous," she whispered.
Not because he was evil.
But because he was too smart to fool, too sharp to manipulate, and too observant to ignore changes.
She would have to tread carefully around him.
The system displayed the mission again:
[Mission 1: Do NOT cry today.]
[Reward: Mental Strength +10]
[Failure: Emotional Breakdown + Public Embarrassment]
She scoffed lightly.
> "As if I have time to cry."
But the system blinked again.
[Secondary Notice: Emotional triggers will occur within 24 hours.]
Her pulse quickened.
Triggers?
What triggers?
Before she could process it, the system flashed another message:
[Analyze threats and prepare counterplan.]
[Optional Sub-Mission: Write a plan for the next 7 days.]
[Reward: +10 Logic, +5 Reputation]
Yeon-hwa inhaled sharply.
This wasn't a simple survival game.
The system wanted her to think.
To be rational.
To adapt.
To rebuild.
She grabbed the notepad again
The 7-Day Emergency Plan
She wrote quickly.
Day 1 (Today): Stabilize emotions. Zero crying. Observe mansion. Read the staff's behavior.
Day 2: Visit father in hospital. Check accident details. Find suspicious signs.
Day 3: Attend board meeting silently. Detect traitors.
Day 4: Begin reputation cleanup. Quiet elegance. Controlled behavior.
Day 5: Investigate Changwoon Group's movements.
Day 6: Prepare for heroine's appearance. Stay calm. No confrontations.
Day 7: Train. Etiquette. Speech. Negotiation. CEO basics. Emotional control.
She closed the notebook gently.
The system chimed.
[Sub-Mission Completed]
[Logic +10]
[Reputation +5]
Her body relaxed slightly.
Yes.
This was how she survived.
By thinking.
By planning.
By being smarter than the story wanted her to be.
She stood and walked toward the mirror again, studying her reflection closely.
Soft features.
A beautiful face everyone underestimated.
Eyes that once cried every day — now clear and sharp.
A villainess outwardly.
A strategist inside.
> "This time," she whispered,
"I decide who I become."
A faint glow filled her vision again.
---
[Character Profile Loading…]
A new window opened.
CHARACTER PROFILE — SEO YEON-HWA
(Visible only to system user)
Name: Seo Yeon-hwa
Age: 22
Role: Transmigrated Villainess
Status: At beginning of original downfall arc
Emotional State: Stabilizing (●●○○○)
Mental Strength: 12/100
Logic: 15/100
Reputation: 5/100
Charm: 8/100
Business Ability: 1/100
Danger Level: Extremely High
Primary Weaknesses:
Emotional triggers
Unstable family situation
Lack of business knowledge
Public hatred
Past villainess behavior
Primary Advantages:
Future knowledge
Transmigrated rational mind
System assistance
High potential growth
Access to chaebol resources
Main Objective: Survive the novel and avoid villainess ending.
Permanent Rule:
Do NOT chase Kang Min-joon.
Secondary Rule:
Maintain emotional control.
Upcoming Trigger:
"Unexpected Visitor Approaching"
Yeon-hwa froze.
Unexpected visitor?
The door suddenly opened.
A shadow fell over the threshold.
Tall.
Sharp.
Cold.
Kang Do-yoon stood there in a black suit, gaze unreadable, aura heavy enough to fill the entire room.
Their eyes met.
Time stopped.
His voice was low, composed, and dangerously calm.
> "Seo Yeon-hwa."
Her pulse stuttered.
The system pinged a warning.
[Emotional Trigger Detected]
[Maintain control to avoid penalty]
She swallowed.
Kang Do-yoon stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him.
> "We need to talk."
And just like that—
her biggest challenge of the day arrived.