I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

* * *

“Please wait here while I bring the Master of the Tower.”

“Thank you.”

It was a while ago. Selleana smiled at the wizard who had escorted her to the parlor. Her smile was sinful again today as the green-haired wizard took a step back with his face turning bright red.

After he left, Michi quickly whispered, “Will the master of the tower listen to us easily? Shouldn’t Doli come with us?”

“What do you think I am? He won’t be able to get away without making a deal with me.”

Selleana checked her dazzling outfit and smiled confidently. Her ostentatiously expensive dress was a testament to Elard’s wealth and power.

“Whatever kind of person he is, he won’t be able to refuse my offer, right?”

Selleana’s offer. They had come to the magic tower to request a wide-area detection magic. One person was the only thing she was trying to find with that magic.

Selleana’s eyes glowed crimson as she recalled the events of the past few days.

* * *

“If I’ve found a lover and decided to marry him, that’s acceptable…”

It was the evening in the manager’s office of the Benichi Tea Salon after Selleana met with the empress. Having heard about the meeting with the empress, her friends were deep in thought.

“It’s surprising. I thought that excuse wouldn’t work.”

“How dare they dare brazenly match you with another b*stard?”

Rosalli and Michi nodded vigorously at Doloret and Agnesia’s comments. Selleana shared the same opinion.

“Since Her Majesty said so, I just followed along without much thought…”

It all seemed so strange. Considering Pavellian’s attitude initially, he would likely be outraged, asking if love was more important than the loyalty between the imperial family and Elard.

Was he so dependent on the Empress?

“That seems the most logical…”

“Yeah, I heard Pavellian is quite close to the empress, like siblings…”

“

, that’s creepy in its own way. A b*stard without principles.”

“Nesia, could it be that the empress was testing me? Guessing my reason and seeing how I’d react?”

Their eyes turned towards Agnesia.

The empress, not being socially active, was almost mysterious. Moreover, being a saintess, her thoughts might be unfathomable to ordinary people.

“…Even a saintess can’t just read someone’s inner thoughts.”

“Really?”

“And she wouldn’t lie, nor is she that kind of person, as far as I know.”

“She meant it sincerely?”

Agnesia firmly nodded at Selleana’s question.

, Selleana, lost in thought, slowly began to speak. “For now, I’ve asked her time to think. She said the selection process will be postponed until then.”

! Her friends nodded, impressed by her clever handling. Acknowledging another man in that situation would have given them an excuse to criticize her.

“Ultimately, what we need is a pretext. Whether I’m seeing someone or not, I just need to bring someone presentable.”

“Then, there are two options.” Doloret, who had been quiet, raised a finger. “Either recruit a man who is reasonably attractive.” Then she extended another finger. “Or find that man.”

That man… As clear as the choices were, the situation was not simple. Selleana’s brow furrowed as she looked at Doloret’s two fingers.

“The problem is, whoever it is, you have to marry them…”

If those were the only options, the answer was clear. Selleana’s mouth curved into a long smile. “Remember? I tried so hard to find someone to replace Pavellian, but there was no success.”

Whether they matched her personal taste or had the strategic value to stand against a crown prince. So, after all…

Her friends’ eyes narrowed.

The black-haired man who appeared at the ball and enchanted Selleana. The root of this entire situation.

Selleana leaned back deeply on the sofa. Her lips curled up in a competitive smile.

How enjoyable their conversation had been. And his appearance and physique, her perfect ideal type.

Selleana licked her lips unconsciously, a pleasant tension flowing through her. “That person, with his looks and noble aura… isn’t he just perfect?”

Truth be told, Selleana had thought of that man the moment she heard the empress’s words. But everything had been thrown into chaos by a momentary impulse, so she needed to be more cautious.

Her friends also judged it was right for her to find that man. The only thing left was to act.

“So what if he’s not a noble? Parents can be fabricated.”

Selleana’s smile deepened.

It was the next day, in the manager’s office of the Arnem Hotel.

“A gentleman with black hair and red eyes… you say?”

“Yes. He might have left something here or entrusted something. I think he stayed in the innermost room on the 7

th

floor.”

Selleana’s first move was to check if the man had taken her lost hair ornament. She had braided her hair until she played in the garden, so if she lost the ornament, it must have been in that room. If the man had taken it, she planned to insist on a meeting using that as an excuse.

“Ah, that’s…” The manager, struggling to conceal his discomfort, was sweating profusely.

Arnem Hotel was the largest in Nepelsian. It was hard to remember each guest. Moreover, that day was the masquerade ball, so everyone wore masks. But it was Lady Elard’s request. He had to come up with a useful answer.

A memory flashed through the struggling manager’s mind. “A note! He left a note!”

“Note?”

[The hair accessory is in my possession.

Please contact me through Nick, the scruffy guy who buys three bags of Etinya fruits every week.

Collin, the red eyes.]

Selleana immediately headed to Benichi Tea Salon.

With the note revealing the man’s name, Selleana visited the manager of the tea salon, rolling his name on her tongue like a sweet candy.

“

that guy? He’s been running errands here for over 3 years. What’s the matter?”

“

, do you know where he runs errands?”

“…Well, he always just comes, orders, and leaves.”

“When does he usually come?”

“He should have come yesterday, according to schedule… Why didn’t he come?”

“Can you let me know whenever he comes? I have something important to discuss with him.”

But Nick did not show up at the Benichi Tea Salon that week or the next week.

Did he grow tired of it all?

Did he give up thinking she was out of his reach?

Before she knew it, a competitive fire like a wildfire began to blaze deep inside Selleana.

“I’ll find him with just this note…?”

First, she trusted Doloret’s guild. The note’s written name, the handwriting, the errand runner, Nick. Those were the only clues.

“How can I search the entire empire with just one name? I don’t even know his last name.”

They even searched the list of imperial blessing ceremonies with Agnesia’s help. But among the empire’s citizens, no one named Collin had black hair and red eyes. There was also no record of such a person leaving the empire after the victory festival. So, he must still be in Nepelsian, even if he was a foreigner.

Then, there was only one way left.

Selleana was convinced that man was Wilshe or someone close to him.

His reaction was somewhat lukewarm to be considered a ‘true fan’.

His attitude about the new book that even Selleana had barely obtained through Doloret’s guild, was indifferent.

And she knew all too well how to contact Wilshe.

[To author Wilshe.

I lost a hair ornament at the victory masquerade ball and am trying to find the person who picked it up. Were you the one I met that day, or was it someone you know? It’s very precious to me, and I would like to have it returned.

Sincerely, Lea Kim.]

She had never received a reply, but it didn’t matter. Whether he was Wilshe or not, just eliciting his reaction was enough.

But soon after, she received shocking news. “Bankruptcy?”

“The publishing house went out of business.”

Not only that, but the printing and bookbinding companies associated with Wilshe’s work had vanished without a trace. Even the bookstore employees handling his books were on long leave. Wilshe’s trace had evaporated from the Nepelsian book market. As a fan, it was deeply disturbing.

Selleana immediately requested Doloret’s guild to locate the old publishing house employees. And soon, she got in touch with a former employee…

“The author decided to stop writing!”

“What?” Selleana was startled by the sudden declaration of his retirement.

“It was supposed to be in the news soon, but here I am telling you…”

“When was the decision made?”

“About a month ago…”

“Then, at least pass on this letter!”

“That, the author always contacts me through a letterbox, but that letterbox disappeared after his declaration of retirement…”

! Selleana felt like she was going crazy. Everything was failing, and now Wilshe had even announced his retirement!

“There’s one last option,” Doloret said to Selleana in a serious voice. “We request a detection magic from the magic tower. You have his note, right?”

“Is that possible?”

“It’s a second-class confidential magic that can’t be requested by the public… but it’s possible. As long as you pay a sufficient price to the tower master.”

“So you’re saying I can pay that price?”

Doloret gave a meaningful smile.