I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

“Yes?” Selleana blinked in surprise. “You mean, the same as me?”

“…”

“My greatest wish coming true?” Her eyes urged him as if confirming she had heard correctly.

The atmosphere felt unfamiliar. The tyrant who playfully toyed with his heart had vanished, replaced by Selleana, who now looked at him with a hint of tension.

“You do know what that is, right, Master of Tower?”

Selleana stepped closer to him. Their shoe tips nearly touching, their gazes close enough to see each iris through their masks. Her fingers intertwined with his, resting on his thigh.

“So, Tower Master, right now.”

“My greatest wish coming true.”

“Yes?”

“I wished for my greatest desire to be fulfilled.”

Struggling to make it sound like a joke, Rakrensius cut through the strange atmosphere. It was a close call. He almost got swept away by the mood and spilled all his feelings. But with such a close distance, there was no way Selleana couldn’t hear his wildly beating heart.

“So, you say.”

Selleana reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Standing on tiptoe, she brought her cheek close to his, causing the flustered man to awkwardly bend down. Her voice softly settled into his burning ear.

“My greatest wish is for Master of Tower’s wish to come true.”

At that moment, Rakrensius’s face flushed like wildfire. Selleana, who had pulled back, gave a bright smile.

“If that wish came true, we would have kissed at a moment like this, right?”

“My, my wish is—”

“Master of Tower, you said you were tired of lying.”

“…”

Without waiting for his response, Selleana briskly pulled him along, determined as ever.

If the angel deemed it so, then it was. Though he hadn’t specifically wished for anything while releasing the lantern, Rakrensius decided to adopt it as his wish.

The two enjoyed the sights and activities of the night market to the fullest. They watched puppet shows, strength performances, clown acts, and played dart games and hit-the-doll games.

As the night deepened, the market transformed around 10 PM. Families with children and groups of young people began to head home, and the stalls targeting them started to close. The streets now belonged to adults seeking to enhance their merriment with alcohol.

“Fresh apples from Mount Irent! Last chance!”

“Closing sale! Buy now and get three for 5,000 reot!”

The once-bustling space, where it was hard to pass without bumping into others, now had a much lower population density, creating a chaotic closing atmosphere.

“Look, there was even this kind of shop. If I had seen it earlier, I would have checked it out.”

As they walked, Selleana glanced around, hoping to prolong their return in her desire to spend more time together. In one hand, she held a crude rabbit doll Rakrensius had won for her in a dart game.

“How was your day?”

“It was an interesting experience.”

“Shall we come again next year?”

“…”

“Yes, yes?”

“Did you enjoy it, Lady?”

“Of course! Even when you grimaced at every sip of beer, you looked handsome.”

“That, your words, really…”

Amused by his constant embarrassment, Selleana smiled warmly. “Next time, let’s drink beer fresh from a brewery pub, not the festival beer for the atmosphere.”

“Next time… you say?”

“You’ll do it, right?”

“…”

Once again, Rakrensius didn’t immediately agree. He seldom talked about what he ‘wanted to do,’ and Selleana thought it was an aftereffect of living quietly for so long. He was still afraid of being watched by the imperial family, especially since it was Elard who was encouraging him. Never doubting Rakrensius’s intentions, Selleana simply trusted him.

Hoping for the day this constrained gentleman would openly express his inner thoughts.

“Master of Tower, you said today was your first time drinking beer. I can’t let your first and last beer be such a bad experience.”

“But there’s no need to go out of your way for that.”

“After the martini I recommended at the Arnem Hotel, you secretly tried making it at home, didn’t you?”

Rakrensius coughed, caught off guard.

“Have you ever been disappointed by anything I suggested, Master of Tower?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“That’s why.” Selleana smiled. “When things get a bit better, let’s try a pub. I’ll find a good one.”

Selleana was so excited that her steps seemed to float. The fact that she was happy because of him made Rakrensius filled with joy. Despite the persistent unease gnawing at him… But was today really the day to dwell on such feelings of inadequacy?

“Lady.”

“Yes?”

“Wait here for a moment.”

“What? Master of Tower?”

“Just a moment. I’ll cast a distraction spell, so don’t be scared.” Leaving Selleana at the entrance of an alley, Rakrensius hurried back through the streets they had come from.

Having brought nothing with him, Selleana puzzled over his sudden departure.

Rakrensius returned shortly, slightly out of breath and extending his hand. “Here, this.” He was holding a bouquet of autumn flowers: marigolds, cockscombs, cosmoses, and dahlias, loosely tied with hemp and wrapping paper. “I forgot earlier.”

“…”

“They were out of roses. I went to several places, but there were none left…”

As he rambled on, Selleana remained silent, just staring at the bouquet.

“Well, it doesn’t look great, does it… It’s from the market, so they don’t seem to handle wrapping paper properly. Or maybe I was just too late…”

Was this sudden act too out of the ordinary? As the silence grew longer and more awkward, Rakrensius wondered if he should pull his hand back.

“

…”

Selleana’s mouth slowly opened in amazement. Still wearing the mask, it was hard to be certain, but her face seemed noticeably brighter.

“Master of Tower.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m really, really touched.”

“Is that… true?”

“I don’t like roses. Well, if it were from Master of Tower, I would love anything…” Struggling to continue, Selleana snatched the bouquet, still in Rakrensius’s hand. “I’m really moved right now. I was happy with just Bunny, and now this…”

“Bu-Bunny… it has a name now…”

“It’s really pretty… perfect for autumn, and I love it. Did Master of Tower pick these out yourself?”

“Well, I chose the colors to match Lady’s outfit today…”

“How does Master of Tower even have a perfect taste that matches mine? Really…”

“…”

Though still overwhelmed by Selleana’s bold words, Rakrensius felt at ease, thinking that he had done something quite commendable. Selleana, who couldn’t take her eyes off the flowers, seemed genuinely delighted, her face glowing with excitement.

“…Master of Tower.”

“Yes.”

“My arm hurts.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve been tense all day, worried I might lose you. My hand’s gone completely limp.” With a pout, Selleana’s lips droopy.  “Could you carry these flowers for me?” Then she blinked her eyes.

Her amber eyes shone even more brilliantly under the streetlight, making it impossible for Rakrensius to refuse.

* * *

“Right? No one’s here?”

“…Fortunately.”

Truly, he must be enchanted by this woman. Though he knew it well.

Following Selleana’s instructions, Rakrensius held her hand and descended into the guest room of the Duchy Glen. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the current situation.

“Put it here, please.”

After Selleana filled a vase with water and placed it on the tea table, Rakrensius arranged the bouquet, sighing softly as he unwrapped it. Since things had come to this, he carefully arranged each flower to make it look as beautiful as possible.

Selleana, smiling at his thoughtful efforts, pulled the bell cord and stepped outside. The maid, surprised by the unexpected visitor, rushed over.

“La-Lady! When did you arrive…?”

“I came in quietly because it was already late. Could you bring a bottle of wine? And an extra glass, just in case. I don’t want to keep calling you late at night. Also, please refill this water jug.”

“Yes, Lady.”

Selleana watched the maid disappear into the dark hallway, smirking to herself. It was a bit of a trick but necessary. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time with their beloved, especially when the universe conspires for it?

She had no specific expectations from him, but parting now seemed too regrettable. Perhaps after a few more drinks, they might even share more honest conversations.

“Are you done?”

It was when Selleana swallowed her mischievous thoughts and opened the door abruptly.

“To, Lea…?”

“Yes?”

Having agreed to call each other by nicknames at the night market, Rakrensius had since avoided using hers. She was delighted to hear it now, but… Selleana was startled by what he was holding.

“Recently, I can’t contact Nesia?”

It was the letter from Doloret that she had brought to show Rosalli. The letter is written in Hangul as a code. Only they could read it, so she had left it carelessly…

“Wait, Master of Tower… you read that?”

“Is this yours, Lady…?”