Episode 6
“But hey, Liber.”
“Yeah?”
“The same kind of thing happened the night before.”
“Huh?”
Leonie’s face was stiff with tension.
I gently took her hand to calm her down and spoke cautiously.
“What happened?”
“The air felt a little stuffy, so I opened the window. I was leaning on the car window, looking outside, when I heard Louisa calling me and turned my head for just a second.”
“Okay…”
“And then the open window suddenly slammed shut. All the glass shattered.”
“What?”
“I was so shocked. Even now, my heart races just thinking about it.”
Leonie’s hand had gone cold in an instant.
If Louisa hadn’t called her, she might have seriously injured her head on the slamming window.
“My goodness, you must’ve been terrified. We’ll have to get those windows repaired.”
“This has never happened before.”
Leonie muttered in a worried tone, then began to say something with a deeper meaning.
“I’m scared, Ribe. It’s like there’s some kind of ominous energy surrounding me right now.”
“Come on, don’t say that. It was just an accident. You were lucky—really lucky—that you avoided it.”
“No, Ribe. This wasn’t just an accident.”
Leonie’s eyes, trembling with anxiety, suddenly turned calm.
“I feel like this is just the beginning.”
“Why are you talking like that? You’re scaring me.”
I tried to soothe her, but Leonie’s fear wouldn’t subside.
“I’m scared, Ribe. I think this is a sign. That something worse is coming for me.”
When Leonie said that, I was speechless.
<This is your last chance. If you don’t solve the ruined puzzle within twenty tries, misfortune will destroy the young lady and everything around her.>
A sudden thought rose in my throat and choked me.
“Leonie…”
It’s my fault.
Leonie’s fate is changing because of what I did.
What if she gets hurt because of me?
The thought alone filled me with terror.
“No, that can’t be true.”
It was something I said more to myself than anyone else.
“Ribe, so I think I’d rather go pick out the dress tomorrow.”
“Leonie…”
And yet she came to check on me.
That only deepened my guilt.
I feel too sorry to face Leonie.
I glanced up at her face.
But it wasn’t easy to say something first.
Still, I couldn’t just sit here and pretend nothing was wrong.
With a conflicted heart, I stuffed a cookie into my mouth and chewed quietly.
Last night, I was too drunk—and so was His Grace. He must’ve felt nostalgic and excited returning to the place of his childhood for the first time in twenty years.
There’s still a chance.
There must be a way to fix this.
Maybe he won’t even care about one drunken night.
Let’s reset everything.
If I steer the story back to the original plot, I can leave this novel, and Leonie can live her life.
“Hey, Leonie.”
“Yeah?”
I carefully began, recalling the details of Leonie’s Tumultuous Life.
Yes, time to start setting the stage.
“About the Grand Duke—he’s really incredible, isn’t he?”
“Mm-hmm, he is.”
“I heard he has a thing for dazzling blond hair.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Not this dull brown like mine, but elegant and lovely… Oh! You actually match his ideal type perfectly!”
Leonie only nodded mildly, without much reaction.
“That so.”
What the heck, such a lukewarm response?
“There’s really no one like the Grand Duke. He’s got as much power as the Emperor himself, and he’s insanely rich.”
“……”
“And I saw him yesterday—he’s way, way more handsome than the rumors say!”
“That so.”
“That’s why the whole of Müten is buzzing! Everyone’s dying to get noticed by him. He’s the ultimate catch.”
“……”
“So when you go to the ball—”
“But Ribe.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not really interested in the Grand Duke. Even if I were, it wouldn’t make a difference.”
What is she talking about?
“L-Leonie. Why? What do you mean?”
“Well, I haven’t met him or anything. But you know the rumors about him?”
“Rumors?”
Is she talking about his past?
I quickly racked my brain, recalling Jerelach’s tragic childhood and how it drove him away from Müten.
That made him hot-tempered and distant, someone who never forgives when crossed.
That’s how I died, over and over again in my past life.
“I just don’t like men who are rough and violent. Even if he’s a Grand Duke.”
“……”
“I prefer someone gentle and kind. Someone I can have conversations with, who’ll listen to me.”
“……”
“I really hope I meet someone like that at the ball.”
Then her face flushed bright red!
Wait, what the hell are you talking about?
Leonie, your destined partner is already chosen!
“No, Leonie. That’s not right. The Grand Duke listens really well. He’s not cranky or violent like the rumors say.”
I waved my hands wildly, trying to defend Duke Cygnus.
Leonie shouldn’t misunderstand him.
She tilted her head.
“But they say he’s terribly rude to women?”
“What? No, not at all!”
I have to get Leonie interested in Jerelach.
They’re meant to be together—if I just lay the groundwork, it’ll happen.
“He’s super considerate. Even to his servants, he’s never harsh. Basic manners are second nature to him.”
“Ribe, how do you know all this?”
Oops.
I got too carried away.
“Uh, well, I just heard it in rumors too! Y-You know, just gossip about the Grand Duke here and there. Haha!”
“I see. But I’ve never heard anything good about him.”
Leonie sipped her tea and shrugged.
“Th-That’s probably because those rumors were spread by people trying to keep him in check. Now that the Grand Duke is here in Müten, the old power holders must be trying to stir up conflict.”
“Maybe…”
Leonie tilted her head again.
“Y-Yeah, I mean, he can’t be that bad. We haven’t even spoken to him ourselves yet.”
“……”
“You know? Isn’t it unfair to just call him bad from the start?
I used to think that too.
When I was seen as the villainess who tormented you, treated worse than an insect, he did look at me with merciless eyes.
But he’s endlessly gentle toward the weak.
Someone who can comfort the sad and ease nervous hearts.
You shouldn’t say things like that about someone you don’t even know. You have to see people without prejudice!”
By the time I finished, Leonie was staring at me with a strangely emotional expression.
“Ribe. You…”
“Huh?”
“You’ve changed.”
My heart started pounding like crazy.
Oh no, did I say too much?
Did I go overboard?
What do I do?
“Ribe, I think I’ve misunderstood you all this time. You’re really a thoughtful person.”
“What?”
“You’re defending someone despite all the negative talk. That’s so open-minded of you.”
“……”
“I’m honestly kind of touched.”
“Huh?”
Leonie’s eyes sparkled as if she were about to cry. She grabbed my hands.
“Leonie?”
“Honestly, I’ve been hearing a lot lately—not just about the Grand Duke, but about you too.”
I already knew what she heard.
In the original story, I was the villainess full of envy and cruelty.
She must’ve heard all kinds of things.
“Some even told me yesterday after seeing you drink that I should never associate with you again.”
Yeah, I did party hard last night thinking it might be my last day.
“But I think everyone’s got you wrong. You’re such a warm, sincere person.”
“……”
Seeing Leonie tear up made me feel genuinely guilty.
I almost wished she would just hate me instead.
“You’re truly an amazing, wonderful friend, Ribe. I’m so happy that you’re my friend.”
No, no…
This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!
