Chapter 3: The Male Lead Is Obsessed with Proposing
It was a murderous aura unlike anything she had ever felt before.
At the same time, Senelia’s face went pale as she dropped to her knees before the emperor, bowing her head until it touched the floor.
She knew instinctively.
If she hadn’t done that, her head would’ve flown off in an instant.
“The Thorn of Cloracéan.”
It referred to those who altered their fates by crafting new destinies for themselves—those who deviated from the set path.
And within the imperial family, the truth about them had been passed down for generations.
“The Thorn of Cloracéan” meant those who had come from another world.
Possessed or reincarnated.
And in doing so, they strayed from the laws of this world, creating exceptions and, perhaps inevitably, altering fate itself.
“I…”
Senelia trembled violently.
Why now, of all times, did she have to realize she had been reincarnated?
And that she was just a minor character who loved the male lead in a book titled The Thorn of Cloracéan.
Should I pretend I don’t know?
Every ‘Thorn of Cloracéan’ who had appeared in the world so far had brought chaos.
Sometimes, they became the Tower Master, sometimes a Sage, sometimes a Hero, and even… an Emperor.
Senelia knew all too well what kind of person Emperor Cliff Heliosa was in The Thorn of Cloracéan.
But when she looked up, despair struck her.
If she pretended not to know, she would die.
“I can… become Your Majesty’s dog.”
She slammed her forehead to the ground again as she spoke.
The cold marble floor of the audience chamber was hard, but the pain ringing through her skull didn’t matter.
I want to live.
That was all Senelia wanted in this horrific moment.
She should’ve never realized she had been reincarnated.
If she hadn’t become aware, perhaps the Emperor would’ve let her live.
No… would he have?
She understood why the Emperor had summoned her.
Cliff Heliosa already suspected her of being a “Thorn of Cloracéan.”
A wave of hopeless despair swept over her.
Senelia realized quickly—once she had been summoned here, she’d never really had a choice.
“You can become my dog?”
The Emperor chuckled softly. He rose and looked down at her.
His large shadow loomed over her trembling body.
“I already have plenty of dogs. What use are you?”
He was the Emperor. Of course, he lacked nothing.
Senelia felt her mind go blank.
A chilling silence hovered just behind her neck.
She had to speak.
Anything.
She might die.
No—she would die.
The sheer terror overwhelmed her.
This was the Emperor’s audience hall. And she was merely the daughter of a lowly viscount family.
If she died here, who would care?
Who would dare raise their voice against the Emperor?
Her mother? Her father?
As long as the family survived, Senelia’s death would be nothing.
Stammering, she forced out words.
She had to think.
How did the heroine in The Thorn of Cloracéan survive?
“The Grand Duke… His Highness the Grand Duke…”
Her voice faltered like a fool’s. Fear made her voice quiver. But still, she could not remain silent.
If she delayed even a moment, her head might roll across the floor.
In the novel, the heroine regresses. And yet, she doesn’t die because…
“I will make him fall in love with me.”
…she was the first love of Benerucia Afron—the only person among the Emperor’s bloodline whom he had not killed.
Senelia clung desperately to that thought as she imagined the Emperor’s sword bearing down on her.
And at the end of her desperation, she finally found a plausible answer.
“I can become His Highness the Grand Duke’s leash.”
Thud!
Startled by the loud noise, Senelia flinched violently.
The Emperor had struck down with his sword, slicing off a lock of her long hair.
“You dare frame my beloved brother as a traitor?”
The Emperor’s voice was filled with rage.
The blade glinted right beside Senelia’s neck.
As she flinched in fear, a thin red line appeared on her delicate neck.
“A leash? How dare you insult the royal bloodline.”
There was naked killing intent in his voice.
Senelia couldn’t move a muscle.
If she did, the Emperor’s sword would slice through her veins, and her body would grow cold.
Her lips dried out.
All she could do now was tremble helplessly.
…Was I wrong?
Her mind spun with a piercing whir.
As far as she knew, the only reason the Emperor kept the heroine alive was because—
As long as he held her life in his hands, Grand Duke Benerucia could never defy him.
The leash of Benerucia Afron.
That was how the novel described the heroine.
So what… what did I get wrong?
Even as blood dripped from her neck to the floor, Senelia was too numb to stop it. She trembled, deep in thought.
Her white dress slowly became stained red.
Her head began to feel dizzy.
But if she closed her eyes now, they might never open again.
She had to live.
That thought alone was the only thing keeping her grounded in that hellish moment.
“My family is far too insignificant to become in-laws of the royal family.”
Senelia finally spoke again.
Perhaps it was because she truly believed this was her last chance to survive.
This time, her voice did not tremble.
The heroine, Lucalina, was the only daughter of Marquis Elian, a childhood friend to both the Emperor and the Grand Duke.
“I have no outstanding abilities either.”
And Lucalina was the only swordmaster in the country, besides the Emperor and Grand Duke.
“Above all, I am afraid of Your Majesty more than I am of Benerucia Afron.”
Moreover, Lucalina had never feared the Emperor. She dared to stand before him.
That’s when it clicked.
Lucalina was Benerucia’s leash. And Benerucia was Lucalina’s leash.
It always made the Emperor uneasy.
Marquis Elian’s house, a strong ally to Benerucia… Lucalina’s strength, enough to rival him… and most of all, her fearless attitude.
Senelia had none of that.
So what she had said must be the right thing.
There was nothing else she could do now.
She lifted her head slightly to read the Emperor’s expression.
A satisfied smile tugged at Cliff Heliosa’s lips.
Senelia realized she had finally given the right answer.
Relief surged through her.
“Well, now… That’s a pleasing thought.”
If Senelia became Benerucia’s weakness, the Emperor would gain a leash that was far easier to control.
In that sense, Senelia was far more useful to the Emperor than Lucalina.
Far more.
“Then go ahead and try your best.”
At last, the Emperor withdrew his sword.
At the same time, Senelia lost consciousness.
Darkness closed in.
* * *
After that, Senelia had no other choice.
If not for Benerucia Afron, she would die.
So Senelia loved Benerucia—to survive.
From the moment they met until the moment she left him, not a single thing had been accidental.
She had lingered near him for a year without approaching, all just to make him believe in her confession of love.
Senelia had never been a naturally calculating person.
But it’s said that when life is on the line, anyone can find superhuman strength.
She was no different.
To make Benerucia fall in love with her, she first had to make him believe in her love.
And in the end, Benerucia believed it.
That’s why she could finally break up with him.
* * *
That day was just like any other.
Senelia awoke from sleep to find the once warm bed now cold.
Once again, she was alone.
She pulled the bell cord.
The maid who entered spoke in a flustered tone.
“His Highness…”
Being left alone after a night together was nothing new for Senelia.
Still, her maid always seemed to pity her.
“He’s a very busy man. He must have had work.”
So Senelia offered excuses for Benerucia on the maid’s behalf.
But strangely, the more she defended him, the more the maid’s expression clouded.
Pretending not to notice, Senelia rose from the bed.
She didn’t particularly feel like making excuses for him.
“Anyway, go call the maids to prepare my bath. I have a tea party today.”
“Yes, Lady Daphne.”
The maid bowed politely.
Within five minutes of her words, the bath was fully prepared.
Steam rose in gentle clouds from the water.
Despite how little time had passed, everything was perfect.
As if they had been waiting for her to give the order.
‘Things like this really are amazing.’
Senelia thought to herself.
She had been seeing Benerucia for six years now.
But it had only been seven years since she first came to the Grand Duke’s residence.
Seven years ago, she was nothing more than a woman who warmed his bed—not more, not less.
A year later, she became the Grand Duke’s lover.
And six years had passed since.
To be honest, Senelia didn’t think much had changed from back then.
In all that time, Benerucia had never proposed.
And in the meantime, her marriageable age had passed her by.
Still, since she was the only woman by his side, everyone believed they would marry.
‘That illusion was shattered two years ago.’
Senelia smiled bitterly.
