I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

Prince Erenst’s strange behavior did not stop there.

“The view is so nice, it would be a pity to leave after just enjoying the boating…  Would it be alright to take a walk by the lake?” He proposed this despite the host of the gathering being present, and without waiting for an opportunity, he boldly stepped forward towards Michi.

Without having been formally introduced, he made no effort to hide that he knew of Michi’s personal details, blatantly ignoring etiquette with his actions, leading to an awkward silence among those around him.

Peredo, too, was irritated by the prince’s impudence. As the deputy commander of the imperial guard, creating friction with a prince from another kingdom could lead to diplomatic issues, so he restrained himself, but the atmosphere became undeniably tense.

“G-Greetings…” Michi awkwardly stood up to greet him.

“I am Erenst from the Laten royal family. Would you care to take a short walk with me around here?”

“

, then…” Looking around for help but finding none, Michi reluctantly took Erenst’s offered hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Y-Your Highness…”

Prince Erenst smirked triumphantly as he pushed this way through the group towards the lake, oblivious to Michi’s pale face.

Anxious, Selleana quickly scanned her surroundings.

Already uneasy about their curiosity or interest in Michi, Selleana considered involving her brothers.

Damn this pre-modern world for making it improper for a woman to take a walk without a man at a social gathering…!

Just as Selleana bit the inside of her lip in frustration,

“

, Lady Rondel?”

“Yes, Milord?”

“If it’s okay, would you honor me with your company for a walk?”

“

, o-of course…!”

, Selleana’s eyebrows twitched at Theonis’s swift and astute intervention.

Mellisa Rondel, who was blushing, was daydreaming about becoming the Duchess of Elard while Selleana silently thanked Theonis in her heart.

“I was disappointed when Lady had to return early from the last hunting festival.”

“

, yes…”

“I do not believe in Orot. Thus, I dedicated all my prey to Lady.”

“Yes… I’ve heard…” Michi kept her responses as brief as possible. Having observed how Selleana dealt with Pavellian for eight years, she knew well enough that staying quiet was the best way to avoid offending those above. Above all, she was careful not to give him the impression that her casual words were ‘interesting.’

Michi focused on her footsteps, trying not to look at him while following his brisk steps without paying much attention to his companion.

“Don’t you find life in the duchy stifling?”

“Pardon?”

“Even as a noblewoman, serving others… Surely, Lady deserves to be treated with honor somewhere.”

And that place was supposed to be the Laten royal family.

Michi had many counterarguments but merely nodded in agreement.

“If you wish, I can offer a better future, a position where your friends would bow to you.”

“

… Thank you for the offer.”

“It’s not just an offer.” Prince Erenst stopped and turned toward her, reaching for Michi’s glasses when suddenly…

“

!”

“Milord! Are you alright?”

“Oh gosh, how embarrassing…”

Disturbed by the sudden commotion behind them, they turned to see Theonis having apparently tripped on the flawless lawn.

“

.” Prince Erenst looked back at Michi with undisguised displeasure, abandoning his attempt to remove her glasses and instead, grabbing her chin to make her look at him. “I am making you an offer right now.”

“An offer, you say…”

Perhaps because Theonis was nearby, Prince Erenst didn’t attempt to reach for Michi’s glasses again. His purple eyes meticulously examined Michi’s face as if to confirm that the face he had fallen for was indeed hers.

“I offer my feelings to you, hoping you will graciously accept.”

Michi averted her gaze from him.

“Before we further sour our feelings…”

* * *

“

So, what happened next?”

It was a few days later, at the harvest festival dinner hosted in Duchy Elard, subtitled the Celebration of Lady Elard’s Recovery. The friends gathered were excited to hear about the events of the picnic.

“What did you say,

?”

“I didn’t get a chance to respond. I was too stunned to say anything.”

Michi’s deep pink eyes rolled towards Theonis, seated at the center among the gentlemen. “Lord Theonis played it pretty tough.”

“

, did he?”

“Brother Theo pretended to trip, and when that prince kept staring at Michi’s face, he asked if something was on it and lent her his handkerchief.”

“Brother Theonis pretended to trip, and when that prince kept looking at Michi’s face, he offered his handkerchief, asking if something was on it.”

“What? Your eldest brother did that?” Selleana’s comment made Rosalli cover her mouth with her fan, laughing.

It was unimaginable for Theonis, who was always calm and elegant, attracting the envy of many women.

“That prince was too much that day.” Selleana frowned deeply. “First, he tried to get on our good side by asking us to start a business trading with his herbal tea, then he tried a bidding war using Marderung. Not to mention, he brazenly approached Michi without even trying to hide the fact that he had background research on her.”

“Well, isn’t your eldest brother a bit of a stickler for rules? He wouldn’t have overreacted without reason.”

“Exactly. No matter how he’s a royalty, this is Nepelsian.” Selleana shrugged.

“You just met the day before yesterday, so not inviting him to today’s dinner seems like a definite penalty… Really, this event is perfectly strategic.” Doloret nodded as she scanned the guests at the banquet.

This was a gathering created to protest the incident regarding Selleana. Families affiliated with the empress faction were all excluded, and even those closer to the imperial family than Elard were not invited. It was a gathering of only those truly friendly to Elard.

“The council faction must be like a dog chasing a chicken. They can’t profit off the fifth prince’s name anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen Viscount Miniel? Your family has a business with him, right?”

“My father has decided to cut all ties with him.”

“Well, I guess he was prepared to fall out with you from the start. But how did he think that would make any sense?”

“How should I know? These days, there’s no shortage of incomprehensible people.” Selleana shuddered slightly, thinking of the irrational ladies of the empress faction.

“By the way… wasn’t Nesia invited?”

“She was. But… she said she couldn’t come because she had plans.”

“She? Plans?”

“Exactly.”

Since the banquet was to celebrate Selleana’s recovery, all her friends from the Transmigrator Club were naturally invited. That’s why Rosalli from the Glen family, a neutral party, and Doloret from the Benichi family, who were uninvolved in politics, were present. It wasn’t different for Agnesia, the priestess.

“Didn’t she say she was sick of social gatherings? Maybe she didn’t want to come and made an excuse.”

“She’s not the kind of girl who’d lie….” Doloret, who had been quietly listening, deepened her gaze.

“Milady.” At that moment, the head butler, Aiven, came looking for Selleana. “A carriage from the magic tower has arrived.”

“

, he’s here!” Selleana, delighted, blew a kiss to her friends and left the room. “See you later, girls!”

“Look at her, all excited.”

“It’s obvious she’s in some sort of special relationship with the tower master, isn’t it?”

“Hey, she only acts like that in front of us. She wouldn’t do that in front of others.”

The affectionate teasing of the three friends followed Selleana as she walked away.

* * *

The door of the luxurious carriage sent by Elard for their benefactor opened. A leg in exquisitely tailored high-quality wool-silk trousers and shoes made by the finest artisan in the capital extended gracefully. The other protagonist of today’s banquet, dressed in a perfectly fitted tailcoat under a ceremonial robe from the Magic Tower, emerged. It was Rakrensius, the benefactor of Lady Elard and the fifth prince.

Rakrensius took a deep breath to calm his fluttering heart. The mansion, filling his view against the backdrop of the twilight sky, was imposing. The marble exterior, decorated with various patterns as if to showcase Elard’s wealth, shone white like the moon under the garden lights.

Even now, the situation isn’t much different.

While trying to calm his racing heart for different reasons, he stood in front of the carriage for a moment.

“Welcome to Elard.” The elderly head butler, who had guided him previously, greeted him. “I hope the journey was comfortable.”

“No worries. The carriage was comfortable, and I had a very pleasant trip.”

Guided by the butler, who seemed much more amicable than before, Rakrensius climbed the stairs to the entrance.

“May Orot’s blessing be upon this peaceful evening. We are deeply grateful that the benefactor graciously visits Elard.”

In the middle of the entrance hall stood his angel, undeniably beautiful.

“If you don’t mind, My Benefactor…” Selleana stepped forward and extended her hand toward him. “I would be honored if you would escort me.”

She wore a guilty smile, armed with confidence that he wouldn’t refuse. Just like at the Arnem Hotel a few months ago.