I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

The hunting competition ended quite blandly after Elard withdrew. It was because Peredo Elard, one of the leading candidates for the win along with the crown prince, left the competition early to follow her family. Although the heir, Theonis, remained to save face, the absence of Elard had a significant impact.

The hunting competition’s victory went to the crown prince after a tepid competition. The issue was that Michi was chosen as the queen for the hunting festival to participate in the offering ceremony.

“Such great devotion. Saying he’d even make her the queen of the hunt just to drag her out because she won’t show her face,” Rosalli sneered coldly.

In other words, it was Prince Erenst of Laten who had dedicated all his hunting game to Lady Branto, better known as Selleana’s maid than by her name. Excluding the abstained Peredo, he caught the most hunts after Pavellian, an amount no one could surpass. Unfortunately for Prince Erenst, his plans were thwarted due to Michi’s early return because of an issue with Selleana.

“Should I be relieved or what?”

“Relieved. It’s because I’ve risked my life to snatch Michi from Prince Erenst’s clutches.”

“So, things are going well with the tower master, aren’t they? I felt like my effort was in vain.”

“

, well,” Selleana smirked, causing Michi to silently shake her head in disapproval.

“So, what’s Elard’s official stance on this matter?”

“Still considering. Wanted to keep it quiet without spreading rumors to avoid owing the imperial family and the empress faction, but suddenly it leaked.”

, Selleana clicked her tongue shortly.

“Manipulating public opinion among the servants isn’t hard… but the problem is Viscount Miniel.”

“That old man is involved in everything. You’d think he’s turned to the empress faction. Well, thanks to him…”

“Here, here it is.” Selleana, looking annoyed, handed Rosalli a pre-written check. The amount was one hundred million reot.

“Thank you. I’ll save it to buy a bigger mansion in Laten.” Rosalli bowed deeply, holding the check with both hands as if she had received New Year’s money in her past life.

Suddenly, Selleana recalled a nightmare from the past. The last goodbye with her friends in the office of the Doloret house. Especially the way she and Rosalli intensely captured each other’s last moments. If she became the crown princess, Selleana would never see Rosalli again.

“…If this goes well, I might also visit Laten.”

“Right, right. We should all go to Laten for a trip!”

“If Lea goes, I’ll follow. If we match it with Doli’s schedule… Nesia can take a vacation, right?”

“Vacation… I want to take it now.” Agnesia pressed her forehead, shaking her head in despair. A deep fatigue was evident on her face.

Recently, another unwelcome visitor had attached itself to Agnesia. This unwelcome visitor’s name was her biological father.

“That XXX, as soon as I remembered my past life, I ran away and completely forgot about his existence.”

“But he’s not cut off from entering, right?”

“Technically yes, since his title is lower than a margrave. But if I ever run into that guy with Karl.” Agnesia shuddered.

“

, come on. They’re not going to arrange a political marriage now, are they? You ran away before engagement talks with him could even start.”

“A man who only sees his daughter as startup capital… There’s a reason I ran as soon as I remembered the original story.”

“But what about you, a priestess?”

“If Karl shows any interest in me, he’ll start calculating from that moment.” A snapping sound came from within Agnesia’s delicate jawline. “Anyway, external events are the problem. I’m never going again.”

“This time wasn’t my request, right?”

“I know. This time…”

This time, it was the saintess’s command. Recalling the strange words of Arshilla, Agnesia’s head throbbed again.

Until now, her biological father, who had forgotten each other, recognized her conducting the eve’s ritual and desperately sought her out. It seemed that fate’s law was so strong that it wanted to use her, who had been a priestess for a long time, in marriage dealings. Both Karl Gotenfrid’s obsession and her father’s actions were incomprehensible. However, unnecessary worries can only cause anxiety among friends.

“…Hey, you guys, be careful, okay?” Agnesia hid her own troubles and playfully warned. “Attacks from the original work are like traffic accidents; you can’t avoid them.”

“Do you think it’s a reincarnation truck or something?” Selleana laughed, recalling the last memory of her previous life.

“Doli too, right? Michi too, right? It’s strange. Lea, you also said something weird about Pa something.”

“…That’s true. It’s weird as if someone arranged it all on purpose.”

“If Lea was at the hunting competition, Pavellian might have driven all his hunts to her? Not to mention Prince Erenst. And Doli…”

“Me too, not much different.” Doloret pointed to a vase on her office desk. It was decorated with a bouquet of pink cosmos flowers, apparently from the heir of Count Hargen.

“

, do you guys know any flowers other than pink roses here?” Selleana shuddered at the familiar repertoire.

“Like my father showed up because I ignored the male lead, you guys might also encounter some trouble.”

Agnesia joked, but the faces of her friends turned serious. They all felt a similar uneasiness. Trying to ignore it so as not to worry each other. At that moment, the atmosphere in the hideout became heavy.

“Hey, enough, enough. If the real lady comes to my house, everything will be solved. Didn’t I tell you? She’s set to be the pied piper compared to me.”

According to Rosalli’s original story, the real Lady Glen would appear in society like a comet and receive courtship from all men.

“They said it would be around the end of the festival, so it’s really soon.” Rosalli shrugged her shoulders to lighten the mood, and her friends forced a smile.

* * *

“It’s troublesome….”

It was in the hallway of the Elard duke’s mansion. Theonis’s hand gesture caused his well-groomed hair to sweep back and then softly fall again. He held a letter in his other hand. It was from Prince Erenst, sent from Count Rondel’s mansion this morning.

He recalled the day last month when Prince Erenst visited the mansion. The prince had expressed his affection for Lady Branto and requested a meeting, which his sister deceitfully blocked by lying.

To Theonis, a common Nepelsian noble, his sister’s actions were incomprehensible. After all, being a prince of a small country compared to the Nepelsian Empire was an opportunity that was too good for Lady Branto.

Was it a worry over their family’s reputation should her lineage be exposed? Yet, the depth of the two ladies’ friendship seemed too profound for that… Direct inquiry might resolve this.

Arriving at his destination, Theonis gently pushed the door open with a light hand gesture. The duke’s library filled from floor to ceiling on two levels with shelves.

“

, Milord. You’re here.”

“It’s been a while. I heard Lea was here…”

Is she not here? Glancing at the literary shelves near the entrance, Theonis frowned.

Selleana usually sought out novels in the library. She had finished with history at a young age, and mathematics or science never piqued her interest. Thus, he assumed she’d be in the literature section, which housed most works published since the ancient kingdom era, but Selleana was nowhere to be seen.

“Yes, she is here.”

“Really?”

“Over there.” The librarian pointed towards the history section. “She said she wanted to look for books on the Cosmos battle.”

The Cosmos battle referred to the starting point of the cosmic revolution where Nepelsian’s founding monarch, King Asmion, toppled the ancient kingdom’s dynasty. It was named for occurring around the blooming and wilting of cosmos flowers in summer.

Theonis swallowed his light doubt and moved on.

The history section, housing many ancient texts, was situated in the interior for better control of sunlight and humidity.

“Lea?”

“Y-You startled me…!” Selleana, who had been so absorbed that she hadn’t noticed his presence, was startled by his call. To her surprise, three or four books fell from the 1.5-story ladder where she was sitting. Thanks to the levitation magic installed throughout the library, they avoided the disaster of hitting the floor.

Theo’s face twisted in bewilderment as he looked at the titles of the books floating near her knees.

<Decisive Moments that Secured the Victory in the Cosmos Battle>

<The Siege of Yanullem

─

How King Asmion Captured the Castle in Five Days?>

<The Undefeated War God Asmion>