I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original

* * *

That night, at the Master of the Tower’s quarters.  Rakrensius paced restlessly, troubled.

He thought of Selleana’s captivating smile from earlier that day, and without realizing it, Rakrensius found himself stroking his cheek. It felt rough, likely due to lack of sleep. Could it be that the angel who seemed smitten with his face had not recognized him?

…No. It was better she didn’t recognize him. There was nothing he could do about it.

The moment he saw Selleana in the parlor, his heart felt like it was bursting.

But upon reflection, something seemed off. He had severed all connections to provoke her competitive spirit.

Erasing all traces of Wilshe, he thought she would try to find him somehow. That led to various guilds, which might eventually connect to the magic tower… But so soon? Furthermore.

He had made a quick conclusion. So, this was not about meeting the man from that day but the Master of the Tower. Not as Lea Kim, but as Lady Elard. Then everything fell into place. The power to enter the palace periodically without her parents. The wealth to rent out the entire Arnum Hotel for a party.

She was the Lady Elard, who was considered by the imperial family to be the mate of the first prince…

“Ah, why didn’t I see it…!”

[Why would you? You know no noble by face.]

Rakrensius sighed, leaning heavily on the table.

He thought of his half-brother, whom he had hardly ever seen – the rightful heir of this empire.

And also…

He had to bury his feelings for Selleana’s sake.

His expression was filled with misery. For the past month, in fact, for years, he hadn’t missed a day thinking of her. To give up on her the moment they reunited. All his expectations drowned in the mud at the very moment he was most thrilled to see her. Indeed, the gods of this empire never allowed him anything…

The veins on his hand, resting on the table, stood out.

“Di, why didn’t you tell me?”

His voice, hidden beneath the hair that covered his face, echoed as secretly as the wounds he bore.

“Didn’t you recognize that the angel was the lady of Elard?”

[I may know the list of noble family’s names, but how could I recognize their faces?]

“…”

[And the first time I saw her was at the last party.]

Di’s response was calm. He knew Rakrensius was pouring out his directionless anger.  He who had lived longer had to understand.

[Anyway, what a strange fate. To think she’s the lady of Elard…]

Rakrensius let Di’s musing pass by one ear, collapsing onto the sofa. If this was how it would be, it might have been better not to have met at all…

It was still good. Not recognizing him, she had greeted him with proper etiquette as if meeting for the first time, proposing a deal with arrogantly confident demeanor, as if he couldn’t refuse.

His lips involuntarily curved into a smile, lost in the memory. Her radiant smile, the deep charm, the graceful greetings… Even today, it is no different. All the glamour was in her attire, but to Rakrensius, no jewel shone brighter than her.

Pondering the facts about the Elard family to calm his mind was futile. How could his heart not race when the angel smiled at him from across the table?

Not to mention, every word she unknowingly uttered in front of him, who was the subject, was overwhelming. Enough to compensate for the long wait. It was regrettable to dismiss her proposal without proper explanation, but he had no choice.

[So, what will you do now?]

“What can I do? It’s over now.”

[Over?]

A deep sigh escaped from Rakrensius’s upturned nose. Having refused so bluntly, she wouldn’t look for him anymore. He would no longer have the fortune to see his angel.

His life had mostly been devoid of good fortune since his childhood separation from his mother. Now that he knew where she lived, he could watch her from afar when he missed her… Even though it was so miserable, a bitter smile appeared on his lips. It was fortunate that he knew magic due to his mother’s bloodline.

* * *

Contrary to Rakrensius’s resignation, Selleana visited the magic tower again the very next day.

“Master of the Tower, have you changed your mind today?”

Dressed in a lavender organza silk dress portraying a pure image, Selleana caught Rakrensius off guard.

Rakrensius pulled his hood tight over his head to block her beauty from his sight.

“This is a golden opportunity to join hands with Elard.”

“No, Lady…”

“I’m what?”

“…Did you see any reason for me to think about it again?”

“I didn’t, but…”

“Then why…”

“Today might be different.”

“You’ve misjudged it.”

Rakrensius cut the conversation short and sent her away, not wanting to get drawn into a lengthy dialogue.

But the next day.

“Don’t you feel like accepting my offer today?”

And the day after.

“Master of the Tower?”

Every day.

“It’s a good day for a deal, right?”

“…”

Selleana did not give up.

Finally…

“Master of Tower, Lady Elard has arrived.”

“I know.”

“I mean, she’s here in the office.”

“Here? In the office? Now?”

When Rakrensius refused to meet, Selleana barged into his office.

“Master of the Tower, may Orot bless you on this peaceful afternoon. ­

, you were surprised, right?”

Surprised by her sudden appearance, Rakrensius scrambled to put on his monocle and pull his hood over his head.

“No, the afternoon was peaceful until… If I don’t come to meet you, it means I don’t want to see you…!”

“

, did you? I didn’t know.”

. Selleana smiled graciously at Rakrensius’s aide, who let her in.

The problem was not just that Rakrensius was captivated by Selleana. The famous Lady Elard visiting the magic tower every day initially drew curiosity from everyone. Seeing her being rejected by the master of the tower every day garnered sympathy.

“Look at this.”

“What is this…”

As Selleana placed something on his work desk, Rakrensius froze. Fortunately, she didn’t notice his reaction.

“This is something that man left. His own writing is perfect for identifying the person. He must have torn it by hand, so there should be biological information for the magic to recognize. It’s perfect for activating the detection magic. Aren’t you curious if it can find someone with this?”

“…That, no, it’s second-class confidential magic. Who told you all this?”

“I told you before, I’m capable of more than you thought, right?”

And she winked as if punctuating her statement. But Rakrensius just stared at her, not responding.

Feeling the silence as a rebuke, Selleana hesitated. “I mean, it’s possible… right?”

“…It’s not about the way you speak.”

“Is that so?”

“…”

A bitter taste lingered on Rakrensius’s lips.

Taking that as her playfulness working, Selleana chuckled. “Please, just once, use the detection magic with this. Yes?”

Selleana pushed the note towards him with her fingertips, right on top of the documents he was reviewing. It was to the point where he could no longer avoid her gaze.

The writing on it was unmistakably Rakrensius’s own… He reluctantly took the paper, feeling like he wanted to evaporate.

“…Does Elard know about this?”

“Of what?”

“That Lady goes to the magic tower every day to find a man.”

“What does it matter? I’m doing it.”

Selleana laughed lightly and perched on his wide work desk. Perhaps because they had been face-to-face talking for days, the master of the tower, also the fifth prince, who initially seemed like a stubborn antisocial, now felt strangely familiar.

Selleana glanced down at him. Since the first day, he had been so secretive about his face. It felt like a long time since she had seen him this close. Still, only the area below his eyes was visible due to the hood.

It seemed similar.

“Master of the Tower.”

“Yes.”

“Have we met before?”

The note in Rakrensius’s hand fell to the floor.