I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

“Co-Couple… you say?”

“Yes. With masks. What if someone recognizes Collin?”

Selleana cleverly shifted the focus. “Everyone knows your face from His Majesty’s birthday banquet and hunting competition, right? We came here, so wouldn’t other nobles have come too? It would be a perfect setup for a scandal. Master of Tower or the Fifth Prince caught in a secret rendezvous with a mysterious woman.”

Rakrensius tensed up at Selleana’s whisper.

“Collin, even with a monocle and hood covering your face, I still recognized you, didn’t I? So changing your hair color alone won’t work as a disguise.”

Convinced by her argument, Rakrensius willingly followed her to the mask vendor.

After trying this and that mask on Rakrensius, Selleana chose two reasonably plain half-masks. “

, there are prettier ones here.”

“Using something like that would make us stand out even more.”

Selleana winked at the shopkeeper before taking off her glasses.

“

!”

From the angle, only the shopkeeper could see Selleana’s face clearly in her natural form. Although her hair returned to its black color under the bonnet, it was too deep into the night for anyone to notice.

“T-That will be…”

As the shopkeeper stammered, looking back and forth between Selleana and Rakrensius, a money pouch dropped in front of him. Just by its weight, it exceeded the total value of the items he brought.  

“Wait, this is too much…”

“

.” Selleana, now wearing her mask, winked again. “Take care, okay?”

“U-Understood…”

It was a sort of hush money. Even if he didn’t recognize Lady Elard, they had to eliminate any chance of stories spreading about the conspicuous couple.

“Now that I’ve spent all the money I brought today, Master of Tower has to pay from now on.”

“I’ve been wondering… where did you get the silver coins?”

“My people exchanged them for me. Taking out gold coins in a place like this would be a disaster.”

For Selleana, who had devoured countless documents—or rather, romantic fantasy novels—in her previous life, such knowledge was common sense. To Rakrensius, the angel’s wisdom was something to marvel at.

“Here, wear this.” Selleana reached out and placed a half-mask on Rakrensius.

It was at the moment the sculptural beauty of his face was half-hidden.

“

, what a shame…”

“I was enjoying the view.”

“That’s too much, really.”

Murmurs of disappointment echoed from those who had been following them.

Feeling refreshed, Selleana once again set off.

As expected, the central square atmosphere was poison to Rakrensius.

“Hey, Buddy! Even my cat could drink faster than you.”

“While I finished my drink, did you only take three sips?”

“

, yes…”

“Just looking tall and handsome isn’t enough! You’ve got to chug down beer too, and then your lover will think you’re amazing!” 

a hearty slap landed on his back. Rakrensius turned pale as if he had indigestion from the heavy-handed slap.

Selleana waved her hand, laughing heartily. “Even if he doesn’t drink quickly, he’s still amazing to me.”

“Really? Seems like you’re seeing him through rose-colored glasses, Lady!”

, the men burst into laughter, accepting new mugs of beer from a passing servant. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes…” 

“Don’t worry about the taste. It’s all about the atmosphere.” 

“That does seem to be the case…” Rakrensius reluctantly took a sip from his glass. 

In the square, brewers from various regions had set up tents to sell their festival beers brewed specifically for the occasion.  A band was playing folk tunes on a stage by the fountain, and near them, a crowd of drunks danced and sang. Even though they’d chosen a spot as far from the noise as possible, they couldn’t avoid the over-friendly company sharing their table. 

“One more over here!” Selleana raised her hand to call over another passing server. 

“Just one for you? What about the gentleman?” 

“Keep the change.” Rakrensius flicked a silver coin to the server, who glanced at him. 

A single beer cost 5,000 reot, but even the smallest silver coin was worth 10,000 reot. The generous payment caused a commotion at the neighboring table, with people banging on the table and whistling in awe.

“Lady, your man sure is something!”

“Right? I do have an eye for men.”

“Still, you should step it up, Man. What’s with only a few sips while your girl finishes a whole glass?”

Rakrensius swallowed hard, enduring yet another round of unwanted meddling. 

“Honey, isn’t this fun? It’s a unique experience, right?” 

“

, well…” Rakrensius’ brow furrowed slightly behind his mask. “I didn’t realize beer could taste this bad.” 

“It probably tasted good when it was first made. It must’ve spoiled a bit on the way here. It would be nice if you could invest in refrigerated carts with your latest funding.”

“I’ll suggest that to my successor if they’re a beer enthusiast.” 

As always, Selleana chuckled at his usual curt reply.

“…Thank you for coming with me.” 

“There’s no need for thanks.” 

“You hate crowds, but you’re putting up with it for my sake.” 

“Let’s just say I’m not used to it yet.” 

From his strained smile, it was clear that Selleana calling him ‘honey’ like the other men made him a bit embarrassed. The proof was the tips of his ears, peeking through his brown hair, glowing red. 

Selleana leaned her head on her hand, watching Rakrensius sip his beer. 

The night sky had fully fallen, but the streets were lit up as bright as day, filled with the sounds of joy and laughter. And in the midst of it all was the man for whom all her efforts had been worthwhile. 

Not too long ago, the nightmare had been unbearable. The thought of becoming a crown princess, not knowing any better, and simply following what others said was good.   

Even though it promised power and abundance, and everyone coveted that position, Selleana had no regrets. Now, her life was defined by her own preferences, her own judgments. 

In this bustling, carefree night, where no one cared about decorum or dignity, only about having fun… And… 

“…Why are you staring at me like that?” 

“Because you look good.” 

“Pardon?” 

“I just think handsome people even look good drinking beer.” 

Rakrensius let out a sudden, choking cough as if something had gone down the wrong way. Even being like that, he still looked good.

Selleana laughed heartily, clinking her newly arrived glass against his. 

“

?” 

At that moment, a small light bloomed above Rakrensius’ head.   A streak of light floated delicately in the dark sky. 

“

…! Right, tonight must be the sky lantern festival!” 

As she pointed, Rakrensius turned to see the sky slowly filling with more and more lanterns. 

“Let’s finish our drinks and go over there!” 

For Rakrensius, the sky lantern event had always been just another task. There was always the risk of the lanterns causing fires, so every year, wizards were dispatched to monitor the festival. Signing the cooperation request from the imperial city guard had been his only involvement. It was a tradition he’d only ever known through paperwork, never firsthand. 

But now, following Selleana, buying a lantern, wandering around to find a good spot to release it… Through it all, Rakrensius felt as if he were walking in a dream.  Just this morning, that dream had been filled with fear and regret, but now it had become so sweet that he never wanted to wake up.

“…What’s wrong?” 

“

, nothing.” 

Without realizing it, his grip had tightened. Selleana slowed her pace, matching her steps to his with a small smile. 

“

, that spot looks quieter.” She pointed to a small balcony on the bridge.

By the time they arrived, most people had already released their lanterns, leaving the area quite empty. 

“Master of Tower, have you done this before?” 

Maybe because there was no one else around, Selleana quickly corrected her form of address.

Feeling a little disappointed by that, Rakrensius replied. “No, as soon as I arrived at the capital, I’ve only been inside the imperial palace.” 

“Don’t they do this in other regions?

… right, you mentioned you lived abroad before.” 

“Yes, that’s right.” His gaze briefly clouded as he recalled his childhood. 

“It’s my first time doing this too. They say you usually write a wish on it before releasing it…”

Since they hadn’t planned to participate, they had neither brush nor pencil to write with. 

“Do you think Orot will grant our wishes if we just make them silently?”

“Probably…”

A god granting wishes… The idea of it was uncomfortable, but Rakrensius didn’t show it as he lit Selleana’s lantern. He then lit his own, and as he did, he found himself staring at Selleana, who was resting her forehead against her lantern, murmuring softly. What kind of earnest wish was she making? He was captivated by the sight of her lips moving gently. 

“Alright, let’s release them!” 

Selleana suddenly lifted her head and let go of her lantern. Rakrensius quickly followed suit. Their lanterns floated upwards into the night sky, where other lanterns already shimmered like scattered stars. As their heads tilted back to watch, Rakrensius couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. 

“What did you wish for?” 

“How about you, Lady?”

“Me? I wished for my greatest dream to come true.” Selleana smiled brightly as she turned toward him. “And you?” 

“I…” 

Rakrensius’ throat bobbed slowly. He couldn’t look away from the starlit reflection in her eyes. 

“I wished for the same thing.”