Chapter 9
“Don’t you think your presence has been fading lately?”
Zen, who had been blinking blankly, suddenly burst out in loud laughter. His mouth opened wide as he laughed, leaving Ria too flustered to say anything.
‘Why is he laughing like that?’
Zen finally stopped laughing and spoke.
“Presence? Me?”
Only then did Ria realize his laughter had been nothing but a mocking sneer at her absurd words.
“The only heir to the throne of the Baisen Empire—me?”
His arrogant tone made Ria frown. As though he had just understood, Zen continued:
“Is that why you came here? Because you think your place has been taken? That’s why you feel like you’re fading?”
Before she knew it, her serious worry had been turned into nothing more than a child’s sulky complaint about losing a friend.
“That’s not it—”
Just as she was about to deny it, Zen suddenly stood up, walked around, and sat down beside her.
“What are you doing?”
Zen, half-turned toward her, grabbed Ria’s hand and brought it to himself. When she just stared blankly, he spoke in a low voice.
“Stay by my side.”
“……”
“If you do that, I’ll give you a place that will never be taken, a place where your presence will never fade.”
‘A place where I belong…’
Zen spoke as though he truly understood her heart, as though he knew exactly the words she wanted to hear most right now. He slowly kissed her fingers, his gaze never leaving her face. The gesture seemed decadent, yet sacred at the same time, and Ria found herself staring at him blankly.
Still holding her fingers to his lips, Zen whispered:
“The position of this country’s empress.”
“What?”
Ria’s face twisted in disbelief. Of course. He claimed he would give her a place, but it was just another one of those impossible proposals.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to withdraw from school? If you marry me, I’ll let you.”
“…Sorry, but I’ve changed my mind.”
Just a few days ago, she had thought withdrawing and escaping this novel was her only option. But things were different now.
‘If I leave school, I might actually die. I need to stay here no matter what.’
Zen frowned, displeased.
“You changed your mind that quickly?”
“Something happened.”
“…Then tell me what you want. Money, honor—I’ll give you anything.”
“What I want isn’t something you can give—”
She snapped irritably, then suddenly bit her tongue.
‘What if Zen’s presence really hasn’t faded?’
She recalled the earlier commotion, when all the students’ eyes had turned to Zen. Even more than when she shouted looking for him, his arrival had drawn their gaze.
“I am the crown prince of this country. Why would there be anything I couldn’t give you?”
Zen’s arrogance dripped from his words. Looking at him, Ria’s thoughts deepened.
‘What if it wasn’t me, but Zen who drew all that attention? And if it was really because of his role as the crown prince…’
She remembered: in the original story, Zen hadn’t just played the role of the second male lead. He had also played the role of crown prince. He was the bridge between Syclaean and the imperial palace.
So maybe… that itself was one of the “roles.”
Not just protagonist, ally, or villain—but the position of crown prince.
‘Could that really be possible?’
Her head throbbed. Too much had happened today.
But one thing was clear: she needed a role. And Zen’s offer was dangerously sweet.
“…Do you really want to marry me, unconditionally?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“I already told you. For my life.”
Zen clearly had no intention of explaining further.
“…Give me some time to think.”
She couldn’t accept so hastily, not with Zen as her marriage partner. He had to save Syclaean. If she married him, she might become an obstacle to Syclaean’s happiness.
Her own life weighed against Syclaean’s happiness—Ria needed time to weigh them. Zen sighed, his face twisted with irritation.
“How long do you need? Do you… have feelings for Derren?”
“What?”
It didn’t seem like a real question. He continued without waiting for her answer.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not asking you to love me. I’m asking you to marry me. Derren will end up with Syclaean anyway—you know that.”
“That’s not the reason.”
“Then what is it!”
Suddenly, Zen shoved his chair back and shot to his feet. His roar made Ria flinch.
It was so abrupt that she stumbled back, startled. Zen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pressed his eyelids with his fingers, as though trying to control his emotions. His chest rose and fell heavily.
“…I don’t have time.”
His voice was hoarse and cracked. He gripped Ria’s shoulders tightly. A chilling cold spread through her body.
His clear blue eyes flickered, swallowed by shadows and strange colors before fading away. Ria stared in shock.
‘…Is this really Zen?’
He had been strange before, but today he was worse than ever. The bright, harmless Zen from the original story was nowhere to be found.
Zen stared into her trembling eyes, sighed softly, and added:
“One day. I can only give you one day.”
He yanked the door open and stormed out.
Bang— The loud slam echoed as the door shut, leaving Ria alone. She gripped the armrest of her chair, breathing heavily.
‘Everything is twisting out of shape.’
There was no turning back. Zen had changed, and she herself was at risk of dying after losing her role.
Ria buried her face in her hands. It was all because she had failed to fulfill her role as the villain. She could only sigh.
‘But… there’s no way I can expose Syclaean’s secret.’
For someone who had already endured so much pain once her secret was revealed, it was far too cruel.
Maybe this was always the destined outcome, ever since the moment she possessed this body.
When Ria returned home, she was greeted by none other than Derren.
“Sir Derren of House Slanders is waiting for you.”
The butler bowed deeply.
“Haa…”
Ria couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped her lips. Her body, exhausted after a day filled with too much, cried out for rest.
But she couldn’t just send Derren away. It would be impolite, and besides, everyone in the household—especially the butler—was looking at her with expectant eyes.
Her family and the servants all believed she liked Derren. They seemed convinced that something was blossoming between them.
“Miss, shall I fetch the new dress you ordered? The one with the open shoulders?”
Isabel, the most excitable of all, asked with her face flushed bright red.
“Sure, just bring… whatever.”
But then a jolt of unease ran through Ria.
“No. Bring me the plainest dress you can find.”
“What?”
“And do my hair as sloppily as possible.”
“M-Miss?”
Isabel’s eager smile collapsed into confusion and disappointment. But Ria only tilted her chin, urging her to hurry.
With the story deviating so wildly, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Call it paranoia if she must, but the last thing she needed was for Derren to develop feelings for her. He was too important to Syclaean’s happy ending—he had to stay exactly as he was in the original.
“Hurry, Isabel!”
Isabel, close to tears, finally returned with a dress.
It was white, embroidered with small yellow wildflowers. Modest enough—but against Ria’s striking beauty, the dress barely drew the eye. Tossing her gleaming hair back roughly, Ria exhaled.
“Whew…”
Since possessing this body, it was the first time she would meet Derren properly. But there was no thrill at the thought of meeting the male lead. She had never liked him much in the original story anyway, and now was not the time to feel anticipation.
Normally, she should have pretended to like Derren, to mimic the pre-possession Ria. But the situation had changed. Erni was now the villainess. Ria no longer had any reason to torment Syclaean.
‘I have to make it clear that I don’t like Derren anymore.’
With her fists clenched, determination hardening her face, Ria opened the door to the parlor.
Derren sat inside, on a blue-carpeted floor, wearing the red uniform of the royal academy. Just as described in the original story, beneath his dark black hair gleamed his crimson eyes—so sharp they were almost frightening.
Even though no one else was present, he sat perfectly straight-backed, stiff and formal. That alone revealed much about his character. Ria shook her head; she had always disliked that about him.
Suppressing a sigh, she walked up to him.
“What’s the matter? Coming all the way here?”
She plopped down across from him without ceremony. Hardly a polite gesture—and Derren’s brows twitched in irritation.
“School ended at the same time for us. What kept you until this hour?”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Hah.”
At her cold retort, Derren let out a strained laugh, as if forcing down his anger.
“They say the young lady of House Kevlik went about shouting for Prince Zen, calling his name so casually. Do you have no sense of dignity as a noblewoman?”
This time, Ria was the one who burst into laughter. Derren scowled.
“What’s so funny?”
“You came all the way here just to tell me that? What are you, Zen’s lapdog?”
“You… Every citizen of the Baisen Empire is the servant of His Majesty the Emperor. Naturally, that includes Prince Zen. To call him so carelessly—you drag down the honor of all nobility. Have you never thought about that?”
Ria already knew Derren wasn’t fond of her. She had been the villainess tormenting the heroine, after all. Of course the male lead would despise her. Even in the few encounters they’d had so far, he had looked at her as if she were some disgusting insect.
So this much contempt was expected. She only shrugged and answered calmly:
“Zen doesn’t care. Why should you?”
“His Highness’s character is simply too noble to complain. Don’t mistake that for permission to climb over—”
“Climb over?”
Her cheeks hardened at the clear insult.
