I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

* * *

<Greetings, Your Highness!>

The perspective was notably lower. The setting was exactly as he last remembered the West Palace’s bedroom.

<Starting today, I’ll be serving you, Your Highness. My name is Morris-Morton from Viscount Penders. Please feel free to call me Momo. I look forward to working with you!>

With brown curly hair, bright green eyes shining with kindness, and a face dotted with faint freckles giving off a mischievous impression. A boy a few years older than him, who he had to slightly lift his head to meet eyes due to the height difference.

<Yes, I look forward to working with you too…>

And from this side, a voice mixed with wariness and curiosity before the voice change echoed.

Knowing the outcome of this relationship, Rakrensius felt a heavy heart.

<I apologize, Momo. I accidentally spilled some juice…>

<Your Highness, please don’t use honorifics with me. And don’t worry, it’s a servant’s job to handle such things.>

<

yes…>

The boy was kind. It felt like this is what having a sibling would be like. In hindsight, it seemed like they had chosen someone like this boy on purpose.

<Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness. Sir Esius was rude, but it was really too much. Everyone could tell this was Your Highness’s first time.>

When Rakrensius pretended to be a fool and was despised by the teachers assigned by the imperial family, Momo would get angry as if it were his own matter.

<Did you sleep well last night? I tried to come before Your Highness woke up!>

Knowing that Rakrensius had no one else to talk to, Momo tried to spend as much time together as possible.

<My dream is to become a servant in the main palace! Every time I followed my parents to the imperial banquets, I thought how splendid they looked.>

He even shared his dreams with him.

A lonely young prince, separated from his only kin at thirteen and dropped into the cold, barren imperial palace, couldn’t help but open his heart to him.

<Actually… I know how to read and write.>

For the young Rakrensius, Momo Penders became the only friend in the palace other than Di.

<Academy??>

<Yes! When you’re an adult, Your Highness, you’ll be able to go outside the imperial palace. Then, you could fully utilize your learning, couldn’t you?”

<Yo-Your Highness… were you talking to someone just now?>

<T-That’s…>

<By any chance, is that sword a holy relic…?>

<…>

<Does it… have a consciousness that you can communicate with?>

<…Yes, it’s a secret, actually…>

Despite recurring warnings from the past, the boy forgot everything in the face of a newly discovered friendship. The terror of that day was vague, but the kindness Momo offered was overwhelmingly vivid.

<…It’s the sword that King Asmion used.>

<King… Asmion? The founding king?>

<Yes. That’s why I’m being watched in the imperial palace, in case I rebel against the imperial family like King Asmion did.>

Viewing the scenes of the dream reaching its climax, Rakrensius felt a desire to cry.

<My name is Serge from the Count Lebua family. From today on, I’m newly assigned to the Western Palace.>

<That, Momo… I mean, what happened to Lord Pendel?>

<He went to his estate a few days ago due to a horse-riding accident for recuperation. From today, I will be the one serving Your Highness.>

<Recuperation? Was he badly injured…?>

<They said he lost his memory due to a head injury.>

Tears quickly filled his vision.

A cat killed by a dog, a gardener who fell from a tree and broke his leg, a kitchen aide sent home because his father was terminally ill, and herbs that died suddenly from an unknown pest.

Death, departure, destruction.

Wasn’t it time to stop showing these? Closing his eyes tightly, he heard their cries at random.

He needed to wake up before the angel appeared in this dream.

* * *

“

…!”

Awakening abruptly, the man gasped for air, his forehead slick with cold sweat.

[Had that dream again?]

“…”

[…Should I say your subconscious is relentless?]

Ignoring his friend’s lament, Rakrensius sat up. The night was still deep. The thin moonlight seeping through the curtains illuminated the room well enough without a lamp. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he sighed deeply.

Resting his head on his knees, he closed his eyes, but the afterimages from the dream wouldn’t fade easily. The stray cat he fed, the gardener he talked about flowers with, the kitchen boy he chatted with in disguise, the herbs he grew himself—all suffered great misfortunes soon after he arrived at the imperial palace.

The cost of forgetting the warnings was bitter. Thus, the boy began to isolate himself, with Di as his only confidante. He vowed not to give his heart to anyone again… But despite his resolve, he ended up falling for the angel.

[I’ve told you many times that Orot isn’t controlling your subconscious to make you have those dreams.”

“…I know.”

[If you know, then why do you seem more troubled today?]

Because…

“Let’s just say that since everything has been fine until now, I took one step further.”

He had crossed the line he had drawn in his youth.

Though it seemed like he was being forced into it, he knew deep down that he desperately wanted this. He had been surviving on self-deception, but his subconscious was sending clear danger signals all along.

Selleana Elard was the most precious thing he had ever desired. Thus, the danger that would come to her was immense. However,

Looking into Selleana’s eyes, the crimson glow in her eyes when she looked directly at him…

So, somehow, there must be a way. After all, he was no longer that young child…

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as he clenched his fists.

* * *

[I can’t contact Nesia at the moment. The last time I saw her, she didn’t look well, so I’m worried… I had checked with the temple, and it seems she finally met her biological father.]

Selleana frowned early in the morning at the concerning news.

“Ah, Milady, you’ll get wrinkles.”

“

.”

Covered in a grain pack, Selleana responded with her voice only.

Today was the long-awaited date day. Without giving him time to think and possibly come up with excuses to decline, she had pushed forward, knowing his refusal wasn’t due to lack of interest. Thus, Selleana had been busy shining from the morning.

“Milady, could you lift your leg? I’ll massage it for you.”

“Milady, if you’re done reading the letter, please give me your hand. I’ll trim your nails.”

“It’s been 20 minutes; let me wipe your face.”

Her loyal maids were equally excited. Though they didn’t know exactly who she was meeting, they knew their lady was secretly going out with a gentleman she had been interacting with recently. Keeping it a secret from the main house.

Secret love is the best, so thrilling…!

“What did Doli say that made our Milady frown…?” Michi, who was supervising the maids nearby, approached and took the letter.

All the maids in the east wing knew that Selleana occasionally exchanged secret letters in code. It was even known that Michi, who was adopted into Baron Branto’s family and became her maid, was smart enough to decode those letters.

After reading, Michi’s brows furrowed. “Should we go check on her?”

“Indeed,” Selleana responded just as her face was cleared of the pack. “Let’s wait for Doli to find out more.”

“But…”

Despite Selleana’s reassurances, Michi looked seriously concerned.

“She must have some thoughts. Maybe she didn’t want to worry us and decided to handle it alone?”

“That would be a relief…”

Though she said so, Selleana was equally anxious. It was unlike Agnesia to proceed with such a matter without consulting her friends in advance.

Even if her friend’s actions were questionable, they chose to trust and watch, knowing each could do more than the prejudices of this world suggested.

* * *

“

!”

It was at the promised 5 PM.

“How is it? I look perfect in these clothes, right? As expected of me.”

Rakrensius appeared using teleportation magic, to which Selleana spread her skirt wide in an exaggerated greeting as if she had been waiting for him. 

Wearing a bonnet, Selleana was dressed in a simple peasant’s dress under a cape cloak. Despite the dress and cloak’s dull colors, she didn’t look dimmed in the slightest. Under the short hem of her skirt, she wore long socks and Mary Jane shoes, which she wouldn’t normally wear.

Is it possible for someone to be this beautiful and cute at the same time…?

Rakrensius tried to calm his racing heart and pretended to look around calmly.

“So… where are we?”

“Duke Glen’s residence.”

“Duke… Glen’s residence?”

“Today, I’m supposed to be visiting Duke Glen’s residence. Since we can’t all go together with Michi, I’ll leave Michi here and sneak out through the back door.”

After saying that, Selleana glanced at Rakrensius’s attire and squinted. “Master of Tower, but… doesn’t it feel like something’s missing?”