I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

At a glance, his physique was exactly what Selleana considered ideal, specifically resembling someone she knew well…

“Lady?” Noticing Selleana’s distraction, Pavellian furrowed his brow. “Is there a problem?”

“N-Not at all.”

Why would there be a problem? Selleana simply offered a bright smile.

In the meantime, they had already made their way through the garden maze. What came into view was the orangery, its structure framed in metal and adorned with glass walls.

As they made their entrance, those who had already arrived stood up. As expected, one of them was Prince Erenst and the other was a young man of his age.

, it’s truly tiresome.

“May Orot’s blessing be with you. Your Highness, it’s been a while. And…”

“Sir Tiel. You haven’t had the chance to become acquainted with Lady Elard yet, have you?”

“That’s correct.”

At Pavellian’s introduction, the young man with short, red hair approached and greeted.

“May Orot’s blessing be with you. My name is Tiel Orelli, and I am serving Nepelsian as the imperial knight. It’s the first time I’m formally greeting you.”

“Nice to meet you, Sir Tiel. My name is Selleana Elard. I heard about your recent manifestation of sword energy. Congratulations.”

“

, did Sir Peredo mention it? Although it’s a personal achievement, it’s an honor to be congratulated by the lark of Elard.”

Indeed. Anyone could see that he, with the appearance of a ‘knightly male lead,’ was Michi’s second male lead and a future swordmaster.  

Selleana burned with hostility towards Prince Erenst behind her socially acceptable smile.

“I heard that Lady and the young lords of Elard were privately associating with Prince Erenst.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“It’s fitting to have him here since he’s a distinguished guest staying in the capital. That’s why I invited him to join us.”

“I’m all the more pleased for this unexpected meeting.”

The invitation was, in fact, calculated to prevent Prince Erenst from directly approaching Michi as he intended.

“Moreover, since Sir Tiel is a friend, I wanted to introduce him to Lady.”

“

…”

“Please take care of me, Lady.”

“Yes, well…” Selleana offered an ambiguous smile.

Tiel Orelli, son of the previous knight commander Orelli, currently a squad leader in the knights, was predicted to be the future knight commander. In other words, Pavellian was still treating Selleana as a candidate for the crown princess.

Tired of his transparent tactics, Selleana’s lips curled even higher.

“By the way, Lady, why did you come alone?”

“Alone? My parents and brothers are arriving slowly, socializing with other members of the imperial family.”

“Not that…”

Prince Erenst’s expression became visibly anxious. After crossing a line at the last picnic, it seemed he no longer cared about etiquette or spoken rules anymore.

“I was hoping to see a lady I invited to this gathering… Surely, Lady knows who I’m speaking of.”

“

. You mean my maid.”

“…”

Prince Erenst’s forehead tensed as Selleana deliberately emphasized ‘maid,’ intending to shame him for pursuing her maid so persistently, and it seemed to hit the mark.

Selleana smiled even more brightly, hiding her malicious intent. “Of course, she’s on her way.”

“

.”

For a moment, warmth crossed Prince Erenst’s face.

“Unlike usual, Your Highness personally added her to the guest list.” Selleana bowed slightly, smiling at Pavellian, allowing him to indulge in the image of a magnanimous ruler. “A guest of her status couldn’t possibly arrive without an escort. She left separately with the gentleman escorting her.”

“The gentleman escorting her, you say?”

Of course, this made Prince Erenst’s expression harden. If Michi had followed Selleana, he would have intended to approach her as before.

“

here they come.”

Just then, the rest of the party approached. The emperor and empress, accompanied by Duke and Duchess Elard, entered the orangery.

“Prince Erenst, you must have been waiting a long time.”

“Not at all. The scenery of the imperial summer palace is so beautiful, I enjoyed waiting.” Prince Erenst responded smoothly to Tashur II.

Watching this with pleasure, the empress gestured towards Prince Erenst. “Duke of Elard, you are acquainted with Prince Erenst, aren’t you?”

“Yes, we exchanged greetings at the last birthday celebration.”

“Recently, the young lords of Elard have been fostering relations with him, but it seems you haven’t had the chance to meet the head of the family directly.”

“

, is that so?”

The duke, aware of the situation through Theonis, maintained a neutral stance for now.

“It’s a pleasure to meet again in such an intimate setting. It seems you’ve found enjoyment in Nepelsian’s social circles, which makes me, as one of those circles, very happy.”

“Thank you. Enjoyment… Yes, that’s correct.”

Prince Erenst spoke meaningfully, his gaze shining with intent. He initially sought the lady, then the heir, in his efforts to woo the baron’s daughter. But the young ones, who weren’t even the head of the family, dared to mock him, so he hoped to achieve meaningful results from the head of the family.

No matter how small Laten is, it’s still a sovereign state in a friendly relationship. How dare these petty nobles look down on the foreign royal family.

“So, Duke Elard?” The empress, observing Prince Erenst and the Duke’s reactions, smiled warmly. “Please look favorably upon Prince Erenst. I owe him a personal debt.”

“A debt… Your Majesty?”

Prince Erenst looked surprised, hearing this for the first time.

“Prince Erenst has been a good conversational partner to the fourth prince during his visits to the palace.”

“

, to the fourth prince, you say…”

“

, yes. Prince Eonel has a great interest in Laten’s natural resources and industries. But why isn’t he here today? Anyway, to consider that a debt, Your Majesty…”

“It may not have been your intention, but that’s how I feel.” The empress showed a warm smile. “Anyway, since Prince Erenst wishes to strengthen ties with Elard, I arranged this gathering as a gesture of gratitude.”

“I see.”

Understanding the situation as Theonis had explained, Duke Elard responded with a congenial smile.

Despite his thoughts, Duke Elard, being a seasoned politician, tried to gauge Prince Erenst’s intentions.

To Selleana, Duke Elard might seem like an old-fashioned Nepelsian man, but he was fundamentally a doting father and a fool for his daughter. Moreover, he was someone who took pride in being second in power only to the imperial family in Nepelsian.

“Your Majesty is truly generous. Since our trading company and the Prince’s company have established a relationship, this will naturally be resolved. Above all…” Stopping there, the Duke of Elard’s golden gaze sharpened. “I’m just an old man on the verge of retirement. I’ll ensure those who will shape the new era form good relationships, and I’ll keep a close watch.”

In a defensive manner, Duke Elard implied that he had no authority over this matter, gesturing behind him. Prince Erenst’s eyebrows twitched momentarily at the response.

Several members of the imperial family and direct descendants of Elard were entering the orangery together.

“Seeing Sir Peredo dressed so formally is rare unless it’s an imperial banquet.”

“Today’s gathering is hosted by the imperial family, so it’s akin to an imperial banquet. Moreover, Lady Branto is like a sister to me. I took care to honor her first invitation from the imperial family.”

“

I’ve heard that Lady Elard and her maid share a deep bond, and it seems true.”

As Sir Peredo and the third prince conversed about Michi, who quietly smiled and nodded without making a sound.

“Well, it might be good to get along since we’ll live together in the palace later. I look forward to it.”

“Please take care of me…” Remembering Selleana’s determination to prevent that at all costs, Michi deliberately trailed off.

“Now that everyone has arrived, Prince Erenst, you’re familiar with them, right? As for Sir Tiel, Sir Peredo knows him better than I do.”

“Fancy meeting you here, Sir Peredo.”

“It’s not even the training grounds, yet it feels even more welcoming. Lady, this is Sir Tiel Orelli, currently serving in the imperial knights. He’s the son of the former knight commander Orelli, and a prodigy on his way to becoming a swordmaster.”

“

, yes… Pleased to meet you. I’m Michi from the Baron Branto family.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Caught off guard, Michi made a polite gesture but avoided further engagement, causing an unexpected spark in Tiel Orelli’s eyes.

Is this some kind of reality dating show?

As Selleana watched with unease,

“Here, Lady.”

“Oh my.”

“Please, take a seat.”

As if he had planned it, Pavellian pulled out Selleana’s chair and ensured she was seated. Normally, such a task would be left to servants, making his motives unclear.

Are you watching? This is what I’m going through for you. Selleana, thinking of the handsome figure likely observing this chaotic scene, engraved the word ‘patience’ in her mind.