The Devereux mansion had become quieter lately.

Not because of the the rain outside. Not because the servants had learned to lower their voices.

But because you kept changing.

Leonhart noticed it before anyone else did.

Because he was your husband.

At first, the signs were small.

Your handwriting looked different depending on the day. Foods you once loved suddenly became unbearable. Some mornings you smiled warmly at him, while other days you looked at him like he was a stranger.

Then came the memory gaps.

Forgotten conversations. Sudden panic attacks. Moments where your expression turned empty—as if someone else had taken your place entirely.

That was when Leonhart realized the trauma from the incident had shattered something inside you.

The first version of you was calm and functional.

Soft-spoken. Gentle. Stable enough to handle daily life normally.

This side acted the closest to the woman Leonhart married before everything changed. She could sit beside him peacefully, talk normally, and sometimes even lean into his touch without fear.

She usually appeared when the environment felt safe and emotionally stable.

Then there was the frightened one.

The original one.

The version of you that carried the trauma itself.

Whenever she appeared, your body trembled violently. Your breathing became uneven, and even small sounds could trigger fear.

And men—

You feared men the most.

Including Leonhart.

Not because he had ever hurt you, but because your mind no longer separated safety from danger properly.

A deep voice. Heavy footsteps. Sudden movements.

Those things alone were enough to make you panic.

This side often surfaced after nightmares, loud noises, emotional stress, or unexpected physical contact.

The first time Leonhart approached too quickly, you flinched away from him in terror.

He never forgot that expression.

After that, he learned to become gentler around you.

He lowered his voice. Announced himself before entering rooms. Kept his distance unless you approached first.

Because forcing closeness only made your fear worse.

The last version of you was the most fragile.

Emotionally younger. Childlike. Sensitive.

This side usually appeared after overwhelming stress or emotional exhaustion.

Unlike the frightened version, this one trusted Leonhart easily.

She followed him around the mansion quietly, held onto his sleeve during storms, and curled beside him whenever she wanted comfort.

Leonhart eventually realized something important:

None of these versions were your enemies.

They existed because your mind was trying to survive.

So instead of trying to fix you, he learned how to love every version of your silence.

Even the ones that could no longer recognize him the same way.

Because to Leonhart—

every fractured piece of you was still you.

( A: Trauma state — fear-based response, panic, feels unsafe (especially around men), defensive or freezing behavior.) (B: Normal state — stable, fully aware, can interact normally, emotionally balanced and functional.) (C: Regression state — emotional overload/shutdown, childlike behavior, seeks comfort and safety, simplified communication.)