I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

[Anyway,

…]

Di decided to change the subject.

[About those original stories you mentioned. I checked them all out.]

“

, already? You’re really fast.”

[It really is, as you said… The beginning and basic settings are the same as your friends, and if you summarize the story, it’s the life you said your friends would live.]

“Right?”

When the topic of her friends came up, a bitter smile involuntarily formed on Selleana’s lips.

Early this morning, as she woke up in Rakrensius’s arms, Selleana made two resolutions. First, she wanted to stay with Rakrensius for the rest of her life. And the other… she hoped her friends would live according to their own choices, just like she chose Rakrensius. Not wanting her friends’ efforts over the years to go to waste, Selleana decided to do whatever she could.

If she were to elope with Rakrensius, everything would be resolved. Convincing the man who felt guilty about everything wouldn’t be easy, but it was the best choice for her. But that would be avoidance. Remembering what her friends truly wanted, Selleana felt she had to help them reclaim their lives according to their will.

That resolute thought flowed into Di. To comfort its young friend’s lover in its own way, Di added with a hint of amusement.

[And, your side… well, it seems to be an interesting life.]

“

Mr. Sword!” Selleana blushed deeply. “That, t-to tower master.”

[To Rakrensius…?]

“Mr. Swoooord, please.”

[Please, what? Be specific with your request.]

“

, come on!”

Selleana mumbled under her breath about how Di’s abilities were absurdly overpowered and how it was practically made for private investigation work.

Who was again the one who admired Wilshe so much?

The crude, slanderous remarks that didn’t match Di’s transcendent nature lingered in Selleana’s mouth.

[And…. just in case, I looked up Asmion’s story, and there’s indeed a novel that starts with the same content as his childhood.]

“So, is it a story where the protagonist is a commoner swordsman but doesn’t become a king?”

[The title was something like <The Sword Forged in Low Places>. It’s about a top combat slave being dragged around to noble gambling dens and meeting a tragic end.]

“

. If it ends with a commoner and a bad ending, it’s definitely trash.” Selleana shuddered, hating the title for a reason.

[The problem lies with Rakrensius….]

“What about the tower master?”

[Actually, the reason I checked your original stories was to understand what Rakrensius’s original fate was.]

“

, it would be good to know how he came to awaken you…?”

[If you guys think about it, you guys knew your fate and consciously avoided it, didn’t you?]

Selleana nodded slowly.

[But Rakrensius lived without knowing his fate, so what would he have to defy?]

“Couldn’t the tower master live differently from his original fate without knowing it?”

[No. Humans unconsciously live according to their fate as dictated by Orot.]

“There’s even a saying, ‘defying fate.’”

[That’s just an exaggerated expression for overcoming one’s circumstances, but overcoming those circumstances is part of the destiny that Orot has bestowed upon that person.]

“So, Mr. Sword, are you saying… it’s impossible to change fate without knowing it?”

[Will comes from knowledge.]

“

”

The ambiguous words without concrete evidence left Selleana puzzled. But given Di’s ability to gather knowledge across multiple dimensions, it was hard not to believe it.

[Do you think I’m some fortune teller? Mystical, my foot.]

“

, can you just pretend you didn’t hear that?”

[What can I do when I hear it? Even Rakrensius took about a year to adapt.]

“

.”

[What bothered me the most was… when the saintess found out that Rakrensius had me, she threatened him, saying that the problem was he had no fate.]

“No fate…?”

[That’s my interpretation. So, I assumed the opposite, that Rakrensius had a fate and unknowingly went against it. I tried to find the initial settings that overlapped like in our case… but I couldn’t find any.]

According to Rakrensius, Di could grasp all the books placed on a library shelf at once. Given that Di had been delving into other worlds since yesterday afternoon, there was no reason not to believe it.

[What concerns me is related to Rakrensius’s mother.]

Rakrensius’s mother… So far, All Selleana had heard about her was that Rakrensius inherited his magical talent from her.

[I don’t know the exact details either… but when the imperial knights went to Arancha to find Rakrensius, his mother refused to come to the capital due to illness.]

“Was she very ill?”

[It was said she passed away not long after, implying it was a serious illness… But for someone who is supposedly special, it seemed like too easy farewell.]

“…”

[As if she had a strong aversion to going to the imperial palace, fearing something terrible might happen.]

“Then, could it be that his mother, like us…?”

[We should keep that possibility in mind. The saintess might have some related information.]

“Got it. If I didn’t hear it this time, it would be worth having the tower master request a meeting later to confirm.” Resolutely, Selleana gripped the locket pendant through her dress.

Their plan was set. When Selleana faced the empress, she would be with Di, looking for clues in her words to solve the situation. To prepare for that, Di thoroughly studied all the records related to the Orot religion so as not to miss even the smallest clues dropped by the empress.

“But, do you think the empress knows that Mr. Sword has a consciousness like this? She knows that you can access any recorded information, but it’s different from having a conversation.”

[Well… I don’t know how much Asmion has discussed with the saintess of Orot.]

“I’ll have to cleverly ask about that too. And also find out what tricks were used on my friends… I’ll show off my acting skills.”

Selleana’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. No matter how prepared she was, the thought of entering enemy territory was never peaceful.

[Yes, that’s right.]

“

, please pretend you didn’t hear that!”

* * *

Rakrensius arrived at the palace about an hour after contacting Selleana and Di. He first concealed himself and carefully observed the movements around the imperial palace. Given the current situation, there could be suspicious activities.

Affirming his suspicions, there were carriages lined up in front of the imperial palace, heading towards it. While Rakrensius couldn’t recognize all the crests on the carriages, a few stood out.

Peldon, Bukera, Gerdin… Those were families from the empress faction that he had identified after learning the young ladies of the empress faction were hostile towards Selleana.

Among those alighting from the carriages, there was someone familiar.

Serge Lebua, who had formally served as his servant after Momo Penders’s accident, which made Momo sent back home.

And that wasn’t all. On the opposite side of the main road, several carriages from the Great Temple were arriving.

The empress faction, priests and priestesses… It was a sign that the saintess was consolidating her power.

Rakrensius didn’t know what she was planning with this gathering, but…

With firm resolve, Rakrensius clenched his fist tightly.

* * *

It was shortly after. Still sprawled on the bed in the place of confinement, Selleana was chatting with Di about various things.

“M-My father said that? He must be really determined then… Mommy!”

The bed tilted slightly, and suddenly, a hand gently held hers, startling Selleana.

[…Rakrensius.]

“Ma-Master of Tower…?”

[You used magic to come here? If you had walked, I would have known when you got close. There’s no surveillance magic here. I can’t feel Orot’s power either.]

“…

.”

At her friend’s assurance, Rakrensius swiftly dispelled his invisibility magic. He appeared in the guise of a palace servant, with loosely tied brown hair and disguise glasses, just as he had at Enet’s palace.