Chapter 1
It all began during morning tea time.
“Father, I want a little brother.”
The Duke, who was sitting across from me, spat out the tea he had been sipping.
Pffft.
It made quite a cheerful noise, and the Duke began coughing uncontrollably, as if something had gone down the wrong pipe.
I wrinkled my nose at the now-soiled table.
“Cough, cough… What did you just say…?” the Duke asked, stumbling over his words. Thanks to that, I was able to drive the point home once more.
“I need a younger sibling. Let’s adopt one.”
“Rosent… Ahem! A child isn’t something you just bring home out of the blue.”
Despite his objection, I beamed brightly.
I had fully expected a response like that.
“Of course, I’ve thought this through,” I said, raising a fist and extending my thumb.
“First, we are in no position where we can’t raise a child. On the contrary, we’re more than capable—practically overflowing with resources.”
I extended my index finger next.
“Second, there’s the issue of succession. It’s too much for me to handle all the affairs of the duchy alone. You’ve been relying quite often on my uncle, Count Leafnell, haven’t you?”
A sigh escaped me.
“I appreciate your trust in me, but if we think about the future… I think it’d be better to give me a little breathing room.”
And just before I raised my middle finger for the third point, I carefully hid my true motive and added,
“While you’re away on business trips… I get really lonely.”
It was a strategy perfectly tailored to a daughter-doting Duke.
And sure enough…
“……!”
The Duke’s eyes began to tremble visibly.
My plan was working without a hitch.
And so, some time passed—and one day, the Duke of Agrinda returned home with a small boy in tow.
Light brown hair and red eyes.
Delicate, refined features despite his young age.
The combination made him look like a main character straight out of a novel.
No, rather—with those sharp eyes—he looked more like a villain…
I admired the child’s appearance quietly and asked my father,
“Father, who is he?”
“His name is Locus.”
Locus.
The moment I heard that name, I smiled more brightly than ever before.
Just as planned.
《They Came for the Honey》
To summarize the novel: the female lead, Honey Edren, and the male lead, Lucas L. Pepper, fall into a romance everyone envies.
But the author… oh, how cruel they were. Across all their works—this one included—there was a recurring trait:
A major character always had to die!
And the character who died in this story was none other than…
The antagonist of the story.
Locus Owen.
To be precise, he was a second male lead.
In the novel, Locus loved Honey more than anyone else. He was fiercely loyal.
And no, it wasn’t an obsession or madness kind of love. He truly, purely liked her.
To be exact… Locus was not a biological child of the Owen Marquisate, but an adopted son from an orphanage.
Perhaps because of that, he tried to fill the void of affection he never received as a child with Honey’s warmth.
One of the reasons Locus loved Honey was even stated to be her warm smile.
In contrast, Lucas was the one reeking of obsession and madness.
Trying to stop the tragedy, Locus was framed as the villain.
It was inevitable.
The story revolved around the male and female leads, and Locus, standing in opposition to them, could only ever be viewed as the “villain.”
But that didn’t mean Locus was inferior to Lucas.
He possessed a unique power no one else had—“Magic Swordsman.”
He had a tragic past, something only key characters were allowed to have.
And, as always emphasized in the author’s prose—he was breathtakingly handsome.
Now imagine a man that attractive, showing such devoted love?
Of course, that was more than enough to make readers go wild.
And—yes, I was one of those readers.
But what always happened to characters in novels who were just slightly more capable than the protagonists?
Snip.
That’s the word that comes to mind, right?
And Locus was no exception.
He got dumped by Honey and began participating in more and more battles…
I still remember it vividly.
Locus loved Honey his entire life, but despaired at his unrequited feelings.
Eventually, overwhelmed by loneliness, he didn’t dodge the enemy’s blade aimed at his neck.
That was the end of Locus Owen, the Marquess.
Just three lines.
That’s all it took to write off Locus—not as a side character, not as an extra, but as a main character.
That day was the coldest day of winter that year.
Even just breathing would cause white puffs to rise in the air. It was the kind of cold where it wouldn’t be surprising if someone froze to death.
And on that day, I was walking carefully along an icy road, utterly exhausted after a night shift.
I still remember how cautious I was, not just because of the cold, but because the road was dangerously slippery.
But even all that caution wasn’t enough.
Thud.
I slipped on a downhill slope, hit my head hard on the pavement—and died on the spot.
I had lived my life as best as I could, only to die at a young age from a head injury on the street?
What a tragic, meaningless end.
But… that wasn’t the end for me.
Even though I died with my head cracked on the ground—
[Young Lady, should I add more firewood to the hearth?]
[Would you like more cake? It’s your favorite—loaded with Earl Grey.]
—I woke up as the beloved only daughter of a Duke’s household, surrounded by affection.
Though I had to take on the duties of the late Duchess at a young age, thanks to my father’s support, it wasn’t too difficult.
With pale pink hair like a flower in bloom, and rare crimson eyes.
Skin as white as snow with a soft blush.
My new name: Rosent Agrinda—meaning “Beautiful Pink Rose” in the imperial tongue.
But what excited me even more was this—
The empire Rosent lived in? It was the setting of my favorite novel!
And because Rosent had never been mentioned in the story—not even once—I was free of the constraints of canon.
How did I know?
Because the Crown Prince’s name was the exact same as the male lead’s in the novel!
Sure, I was more of a Locus fan than a Lucas fan, but I believed I’d meet Locus someday, just as I eventually spotted Lucas.
So I went around searching every day for a boy matching Locus’s description.
And finally—!
“…Ah.”
Overwhelmed with joy, I collapsed to my knees and let out a soft breath. The Duke, startled by my sudden behavior, asked,
“Is something wrong?”
No, Dad. There’s no problem.
In fact, it’s too perfect!
Seeing Locus restlessly standing beside the Duke, I rose to my feet again.
No need to act like a lunatic in front of the child.
“Take the boy to the guest room,” I ordered, turning to the waiting maids.
They bowed and promptly obeyed. Locus was quietly led away.
With the “Locus event” over and silence settling over the room, I launched into a barrage of questions.
“Did you adopt him from an orphanage?”
“Yes. You wouldn’t stop going on and on about a little sibling,” the Duke replied with his usual flustered expression.
Perfect.
Everything was going according to plan.
I looked at him with sparkling eyes.
The Duke, catching my excitement, continued proudly,
“He has red eyes and light brown hair—just like you wanted. Wasn’t that the combination you were looking for?”
Yes! That’s my favorite boy!
“Father, thank you. He’s such a precious addition to our family…!”
With a radiant smile, I hugged the Duke’s neck tightly.
They say when opportunity knocks, grab it and make it yours.
And right now, I think—
This is that moment.
If I’ve been reincarnated into this world, then I’m going to do something with it!
“I’d like to greet my little brother properly this time.”
“Take your time.”
“Yes—oh, but first, I need to check how I look. First impressions are everything…!”
Releasing the smiling Duke, I walked over to the mirror.
And I made a vow.
Now that I was inside the story, I would make Locus’s happiness my life’s goal.
There’s no way I can just sit back and let this precious opportunity go to waste.
I’m going to give Locus everything he ever wanted—everything he ever dreamed of.
No—wait, this is ridiculous!
Why does my child have to be the villain?
Why should Locus be discarded just for being labeled the antagonist?
Especially when all he did was see the world from a different perspective!
Locus was devoted to Honey, while Lucas—who acted like a textbook abuser—got crowned the male lead?
Do you really think that’s the proper setup and ending?
If I were Honey, I would’ve sued Lucas and then some.
I’m not going to let Locus be a side character or suffer as a so-called villain anymore.
I’m going to take him out of that role.
No—more than that—I’ll make sure every step of his life is coated in gold, not lacking in a single thing.
Especially compared to Honey and Lucas, Locus won’t be left behind in anything.
Thud.
In my excitement, I slammed my fist into the wall. The maids around me jumped in surprise.
Naturally, the Duke looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
But instead of caring about how I looked, I began mapping out my plan.
If I want Locus to live a happy life, the first thing I need to change is his environment.
Which means—
“Locus had a tragic family history from a young age.”
That single line?
I’m going to erase it from the story.
