I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

“Because of this incident, public opinion about Lea isn’t good, and above all… today, our original male leads are present.”

The friends took a deep breath.

“Michi, be especially careful. There’s information that the 3

rd

prince from Laten is part of the delegation that came today.”

Michi gulped down her breath, and her eyes trembled behind her glasses.

The 3

rd

prince of Laten was the one with the highest stake among Michi’s original male leads. Michi had cut off relations with all men to eradicate her reverse harem, but she couldn’t avoid social gatherings. Being Selleana’s maid, she couldn’t be absent, and more importantly, she wouldn’t miss the opportunity as a wine lover.

Michi adjusted her glasses after confirming the positions of her original male leads as usual.

“And Nesia, over there.”

“

don’t tell me.” Agnesia sighed and shrank her shoulders, trying to hide behind her friends, slightly bowing her head.

“That’s right. Margrave Gotenfrid.”

“XXX.”

Ignoring Agnesia’s sigh, Selleana scanned the area she pointed out. A man is at the center of attention, surrounded by ladies who are too timid to approach him directly. The man with neatly combed black hair exuded a wild charm with his slightly tanned skin and piercing blue eyes.

For the friends who had twisted their original stories so much that they never even started, avoiding any original male lead was the best strategy. However, the problem was that social gatherings kept providing opportunities for unintended encounters.

“I wish everyone would stop matching eyes with someone and just quit the social scene.”

“That b*stard shouldn’t get entangled with anyone.”

“Don’t worry. My original male lead isn’t from Nepelsian, so if things go south, I’ll figure something out!”

Meanwhile, the friends were telling stories in a language only they could understand.

“Attention, everyone!”

A servant’s shout was followed by the sound of fanfares.

“Nepelsian’s little sun, His Royal Highness Crown Princess Pavellian, and his partner, Lady Eunice of the Marquis Jenon, have arrived!”

At the top of the stairs leading to the inner palace, Pavellian was dressed in formal attire, standing with his partner.

Selleana glanced impassively at the crown prince, showcasing his golden hair as usual. Out of sight, out of mind, that was all. As he waved to the audience, their eyes briefly met but then quickly passed by. The youthful smile of the man who had lived as the first prince all his life brightened the banquet hall. But was their exchanged gaze observed by all?

“Did you see, did you?”

“His Highness totally ignored her, right?”

“It was such a cold gaze.”

Gossip followed as if they had witnessed a scene of former lovers encountering each other. No, they never dated. It was a clear superior-subordinate relationship, not that of close friends. That’s why the more dignified she had to appear. As Selleana straightened her back and smiled even more radiantly, new ripples spread around her.

“It seems true that Lady Elard withdrew herself from the selection contest.”

“Pretentious, isn’t it? Why did she come separately from her family if she was so confident?”

“What’s there to be not confident about?”

A man who was shy despite his big size would have wilted under such a barrage of attention. Did the thoughtful tower master foresee this and dissuade her?

Selleana blinked her eyes and shook her head slightly.

“Look, she’s trying to assassinate you with her gaze.” Then, Agnesia’s teasing reached her ears. “Is that her? The one considered you a rival.”

“…Right.” Selleana knew without looking at who Agnesia was referring to.

Eunice Jenon, Pavellian’s other confidante, was glaring at Selleana. She was someone Selleana would find difficult to understand for the rest of her life. It was because she truly loved Pavellian.

Of course, she respected physical preferences, but the problem was that person was Pavellian.

Selleana was sure that Eunice Jenon would be the happiest about the current situation. In fact, she seemed anxious to show off to Selleana.

From the start, Selleana’s involvement with Pavellian was solely because she was an Elard. Her own will was never considered in it. It was something Eunice Jenon could never imagine.

Seeing no particular emotion on Selleana’s face, perhaps out of impatience, Eunice Jenon eventually whispered something to Pavellian. With her gaze fixed on Selleana, whispering into his ear.

“Isn’t he into you? Pa… that stupid man’s eyes looking at you hotter than looking at his partner.”

“…”

Listening to Agnesia’s brief commentary, Selleana thought.

  As expected, Doloret was never wrong.

The birthday banquet began with the greetings from the foreign delegations.

Selleana, having sent Agnesia to the high priest and Michi to her foster parents, stood by her family, watching the scene. Her seat was right below the dais where the imperial family sits.

Elard, being the highest-ranked noble in terms of protocol, was next after the delegations. It had been nearly ten days since they last saw each other, but her family treated Selleana indifferently. They all knew she was doing well, so there was no concern.

“Next is the delegation from the Duchy of Gillosen. Representing the delegation is the second son of the Duke of Gillosen…”

With five delegations attending the birthday banquet, the greetings dragged on, bringing a sense of boredom.

“I thought you’d come with the 5

th

prince, but you’re doing quite well?” Peredo, standing beside Selleana, couldn’t help but sneer.

Selleana glanced at her second brother with a look of disdain. “Brother, do you think I can’t even discern that much?”

“Is a girl who kicks the position of the crown princess to the curb discerning?”

Peredo gestured towards Pavellian, who was sitting in the main seat. Pavellian, who seemed to have been watching them, quickly turned his gaze away.

“Discerning, that’s why I did it, okay?”

“You’re quite back-talking.”

“You also have bad speaking habits, so don’t back-talk yourself, get it?”

“Selleana Elard. How could you talk like that to your own brother?”

At the short scolding from the duke, Selleana clamped her mouth shut. His tone was closer to concern than anger for his runaway daughter.

What has been conveyed to His Majesty about this story? Would His Majesty share the same opinion as the empress?  As Selleana pondered, the greetings from all delegations ended, and it was Elard’s turn.

“Greetings to the eternal sun of the empire. Congratulations on your forty-fourth birthday, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed. Elard, the oldest friend of Nepelsian.”

As Tashur III scanned the Elard lined up right below the dais, his gaze abruptly stopped on Selleana. Trying to gauge his mood, Selleana quickly lowered her gaze.

Tashur III, sharing the same golden hair as Pavellian, also had blue eyes. Slightly lighter than Pavellian’s cyan, now looking at them, they were strikingly similar to Rakrensius’s eyes. It was a moment when Rakrensius’s status as a prince felt more real.

“Everyone, raise your heads.”

Following the emperor’s permission, Selleana straightened up and stealthily scanned the back of the dais.

Pavellian, the second and third princes born from the second empress, and the fourth prince from the current empress. All of them had blond hair, differing only slightly in shade from Tashur III. It was a common belief among Nepelsians that the imperial family had blond hair, but when you think about it, Rakrensius was an unusual case.

Little was known about Rakrensius’s mother, even by Doloret. The most credible theory was that she was a commoner Tashur III met during his incognito travels in his youth.

Selleana secretly imagined Rakrensius beside the fourth prince in her mind. He was always hooded, but assuming he was tall and well-built… if dressed properly like the other princes, he might also appear splendid. Of course, if he came, he would come as the tower lord.

But recalling occasionally seeing the silver-haired tower lord at imperial banquets when she was younger, it was uncertain. Wouldn’t it be nice… if he came?