For My Derelict Favorite

“…?”

I think I fell asleep while wailing in the temple’s prayer room, but when I opened my eyes, what I saw was my familiar home—honestly, this still doesn’t seem real to me.

Did someone bring me here? No, there’s no one in the new building to bring me here. Even if they didn’t know who I was—even if they did—they were not allowed to ask for the location of my house and take me there like this.

I woke up with my head filled with questions.

“Oh…?”

I felt light. I didn’t feel sick. I was almost dying because I didn’t take care of my health at all. It felt easy to get up somehow. Did I somehow go back in time? Wait, what? Regression?

That was the first thing that came to mind, like a reader of rofan novels. No way! I rushed to my desk.

I had been checking the date meticulously since I possessed this body in the novel. Wasn’t it natural for real fans to wonder when major events would occur?

It was a bit far-fetched to feel that I had become younger by a year or two, but I didn’t feel any pain. Wasn’t that enough reason for my suspicions?

“!”

And as expected, the rofan reader’s hunch was right. I returned to the end of the novel, not the start.

The final part of the novel is the wedding ceremony of the female lead, Diana, and the male lead, Helios. I looked reflexively at the clock on the wall. It was almost the end of the wedding reception. How could I go back at such a perfect time?!

But some questions suddenly came to mind. Who the hell brought me back? And why?

Soon enough, I shook my head vigorously and shook off my thoughts.

“I’ll think about it later…!”

Kaelus died when it was the wedding night of the crown prince and his wife. Therefore, there was still time, and Kaelus was still alive!

My dearly missed favorite, the second lead of the novel, Kaelus. A pale, expressionless face, brilliant silvery hair tied neatly, and mysterious purple eyes, which were uncommon in the world of this novel.

The two years alone after his death were miserable. Honestly, I didn’t have any more regrets about this world, but if I could see the face of the living Kaelus again, I didn’t have to worry about the unnecessary things here. I couldn’t let him die. Now that I had come back in time, I had to make sure that I saved my favorite.

There was no need to worry about going against the original because, as of today, the novel would have a complete ending, and after that, the work would not be updated. Of course, this world would still be a world created by the author, but it was not the published part anyway. If I changed it, that was it! In other words, it was a realistic sequel.

Would I be able to return to my present life after I save Kaelus? I didn’t know, but even if I couldn’t, I would make sure to bring him back to life today.

The reason why Kaelus was so heartbroken was none other than Diana: she abandoned him. Due to the cruel and cold treatment shown in the process of destroying the evil villainess and her family against Diana, Diana blamed Kaelus and began to act coldly toward him.

Was there anything more hopeless than a loved one not knowing the truth? Was it as easy as eating a meal to kill a wicked woman for Kaelus? Maybe he didn’t expect to be reprimanded.

Definitely not. Kaelus really wanted to keep Diana safe at all costs.

Only by removing this despair from Kaelus’ heart can he be saved. Not to make Diana remarry Kaelus, who is already married to the Crown Prince, but to make her realize his true love for her. Ultimately, what I hoped was that Diana, who dumped Kaelus, desperately regretted it.

If the Crown Prince Helios was the one who courted Diana with a fiery passion, Kaelus enveloped her with a subtle warmth. Was it just like comfortable air because it was so warm? And in the end, Diana didn’t appreciate Kaelus.

Shouldn’t the crown prince and his wife be happy? Yeah, if you were happy, you two should be happy. However, if you knew that there was a person who was hopeless and discouraged enough to turn their back on the world after that happiness, I thought that the two shouldn’t walk on the flower road so easily. Anyway, thanks to the utmost sincerity of the two men throughout the novel, Diana only walked on the road of solidity and with justice! So, it was time to sneak up on the dirt road.

Why should the woman’s heart only lean toward Helios even if Kaelus did the same thing? If this was reality, not fiction, surely you would have been torn between the two wonderful men and weighed them against each other once.

However, the novel is now over, and Diana, who quickly chose Helios because she was blinded by the prince’s status without much thought, will now have to go through “serious worries” about the missed love even later.

Therefore, I was willing to take the villainess position in the novel epilogue. I would no longer be a standby reader and an extra in the novel. From now on, I will actively intervene in the relationship between the world and the main characters.

Diana, I would take away all the things you had received from Kaelus, the things you had enjoyed, thanks to Kaelus. So, I would make you realize how much Kaelus had done for you in your life and how thoughtless the accusations you had made against him had been.

I drove my own small carriage to the marquis’ territory. In the meantime, the sun set completely, and only starlight shone in the dark sky. It was a beautiful night, but there was no time to admire it.

Finally, I arrived at Kaelus’ residence. I jumped out of the carriage and shook the heavy iron gate.

“Hey, is anybody there?! I have something to tell you!”

The gatekeeper appeared with a look of great annoyance.

“This is the residence of the Lord of Illion, the Marquis Kaelus. Don’t make a fuss.”

I had spoken informally, but I couldn’t change it now. Rather than revealing my identity, it was urgent to check if Kaelus was safe first.

“Well, did the marquis return home by any chance? It’s a very important matter!”

“He just came back. But he won’t be welcoming any more visitors.”

“Then call me a butler! We need to make sure the marquis is safe right now!”

Perhaps my tone was unusual, but the gatekeeper frowned heavily and went into the mansion anyway.

“Tsk, wait here.”

Each minute crawled excruciatingly slow. I couldn’t afford to stand still and wait until the gatekeeper returned.

In the past, I went through the school gates by jumping them, so I decided to go through the iron gate of the mansion the same way. Oh, was I this quick? Even though I had possessed this body for about three years, I realized it only after regressing today.

It happened to be a dark night without the moon rising. Strangely enough, no one stopped a strange intruder from running through the front yard.

There was a mysterious but unpleasant silence. Why? There was something like that sometimes. It was like something big was about to happen, something creepy and eerie for no reason. It was just like that then.

I knew exactly where to run. While the novel was in full swing, I spent a lot of money to find out that Kaelus’ bedroom was on the second floor. I pushed open the unlocked front door and ran up the gorgeous steps in the center.

Someone shouted. “What? A man!”

It wasn’t he, but rather, she. However, there was no room for correction.

I saw the butler standing in the middle of the hallway on the second floor and cried out, “What about the marquis?”

My running spirit was so fierce and ferocious that he turned the handle he had been touching and opened the door.

Almost at the same time, the butler and I entered the room.

And the sight that caught my eyes at that moment.

“!”

“Kaelus!”

A shadow with a dagger raised against its own chest. As if surprised by the sudden intrusion, the shadow stopped and stiffened.

I jumped in without thinking, and he whipped his hand and dropped the blade to the floor.

“…!”

The situation ended in a flash.

He flopped down on the spot. By a hair’s breadth, Kaelus was saved.

“…”

“…”

“…”

In the dark room, three people stood staring at each other. Me, the butler, and my favorite, Kaelus, who just narrowly escaped with his life.

My hands trembled, and my heart thumped violently at the worst situation that was narrowly prevented. I was gasping for breath.

“…What is it?” The voice was angry and chilling. It was Kaelus’ first word to me.

But another part of me cheered furiously. My favorite talked to me for the first time! Plus, long silver hair and loose pajamas; a very sexy figure in front of me had loosened his pajamas to stick a dagger in his chest. In the meantime, I couldn’t believe that I could see this, and I still hadn’t gotten used to the attitude of an extra.

Anyway, I should avoid the anger that would come right away. Kaelus, once left alone, stooped politely toward the butler.

“…I await your orders, Marquis.”

Only then did the butler, who came to his senses, hurriedly call me up. “No, don’t go back yet. Just wait in the nearby room for a moment, my lady.”

He was a quick butler. Even though my clothes were a mess from jumping over the iron gate and running through the yard, he could see at a glance that I was an aristocrat.

I nodded quickly. “Very well.”

The rest would be handled by an experienced butler. To calm Kaelus down and to make sure he wouldn’t do anything like that again.

While waiting quietly in the next room, I organized the next plan in my head. The ultimate goal was to make Kaelus willing to live a happy life without longing for death anymore. And to do that, I needed to fix the cause of his irreversible despair and hurt.

To be honest, I didn’t want to objectively weigh the cause and effect of my favorite. I wanted my baby to be happy no matter what. I just wanted to do it.

After all, wasn’t this world a novel? It might be real for those who lived here, but it was completely “unreal” to me. I didn’t want to cry for morality and justice like the heroine while restraining my desires for others.

The only reason I was here was for my favorite. I wasn’t a character in this novel. I didn’t recognize this place as my world, my reality. It was a novel that I had read the ending of anyway, so why couldn’t I just mess it up?

From now on, I will write my own story. And the main character was a second lead abandoned in the original.

“My lady, Master Kaelus has called for you.” The butler treated me with the utmost respect.

“Oh, yes.” Maybe after saving Kaelus, I felt more relaxed, so I answered with a smile on my face.

As I stood up, the butler hesitated a little and lowered his head. “I really don’t know how to thank you. You saved my master’s life…”

“Don’t mention it. I’m glad I wasn’t late.”

“The marquis is very sensitive right now. If he says something rude, please understand.”

“I will. Thank you for your concern.”

I could feel his sincerity in his words, perhaps because he took care of Kaelus, who lost his parents early as if he were his biological child.

I followed the butler and stood again in front of Kaelus’ bedroom.

“Master Kaelus, I have the lady here.” No reply came from inside, but the butler pushed me into the room. “He’ll be very prickly, but…”

“Oh…”

I understood. He had just tried to kill himself, so it was hard to expect him to have a cool head. Maybe all kinds of hysteria would pour out towards me for stopping him.

Nevertheless, there was no choice but to confront it. I blocked his sword right away, but if I wanted to continue my life, I would have to bear all the despair that had stained him.

To cast off the shadow of death from Kaelus, I set my foot down firmly.

“…”

Kaelus was sitting on the sofa, looking like a painting. Long silver hair flowing down over his shoulder and mysterious purple eyes that were like gems. His loose pajamas were still not properly adjusted.

“…what are you?” It was a hollow yet chilling voice.

I puffed out my chest as if I were not afraid. “My name is Hestia.”

It was my first time talking to a major character in a novel. I wished the atmosphere was better but was it time to be picky?

“I could have been in big trouble. I’m glad to arrive before the marquis got hurt. There are a lot of people who love and worry about the marquis, and I’m sure everyone was surprised. I’m really relieved. I’m thankful that you’re safe.”

“…”

Kaelus’ purple eyes looked at me with resentment.

His eyes tightened my chest. But I took a deep breath and began to explain my position as calmly as possible. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re very embarrassed to see me all of a sudden…”

“What do you want?”

“…what?”

A cold voice without the will of the world cut off my words that had wanted to explain the situation.

“What do you want?”

“…”

What should I say? Actually, I didn’t know. The psychology of the person who was interrupted while trying to take his life with his own hands wasn’t my field of expertise. Did he get angry because I blocked him when he was ready to die? Or was he thankful that I stopped something big from happening on impulse?

Whatever it was, this man now seemed to be bothered by everything in front of him. His eyes, attitude, and voice showed it. Rather than thinking about the identity of the unexpected and uninvited guest who broke into his room in detail, he just wanted it gone from his eyes.

In other words, even if it was a little too much to ask, Kaelus, in a very confused and exhausted state, could roughly say yes to anything.

So I shouted. “…I want to be a marchioness.”

“…”

His pale expression distorted.

Was it too absurd? I suddenly became embarrassed, but I couldn’t stop talking. “Well, I’m asking you this ridiculous favor because I have one wish in my life, and the closer I am to you, the better. If you’re troubled by this, I’d like you to have me by your side as your assistant and figure out what kind of person I am…”

“Do as you please,” a dry voice replied.

I was surprised. “What?”

Kaelus slowly rose to his feet like a ghost. Then, as if everything was annoying, he walked toward the bed, turned around, and lay down.

I doubted my ears, so I suppressed my bursting heart and asked again, “Do you really want me to be your wife?”

“Call the butler. Talk to him about what you need,” he replied curtly, lying in bed with his back turned.

“Oh…”

It must be real! You accepted this ridiculous request so easily? Did you really give up on your life? Were you crazy? Who do you think I was?

“…”

But soon, a bitter feeling filled my heart, and tears were about to come out. Because it was true—Kaelus had truly given up on his life.

“…I see. I’ll see the butler.”

“…”

He never looked back at me while I helplessly left his presence.

The butler was waiting for me right outside the door. I asked him with a bitter smile, “Did you hear what we talked about inside?”

Unless it was perfectly soundproof, someone might have heard it to some extent, but the butler shook his head extremely politely.

“I didn’t hear anything, my lady.”

“Then this will be quite the long story. May I speak to you for a moment?” I asked him for a conversation. The butler acquiesced and sent another servant into Kaelus’ room so that Kaelus wouldn’t act recklessly again.

“Wait and see if the marquis is sleeping properly.”

“Yes, sir.” When instructed, the servant politely bowed and quietly entered Kaelus’ room.

“Then, please come this way, my lady.”

I nodded and silently followed him into a nearby empty room.

“It’s late, but let me introduce myself. My name is Hestia, the daughter of the lord of Elea.”

I told him who I was with the identity I paid for as a fanatic. In fact, the land of Elea was literally a small mountain wall, and on paper, the author of Yeongju, who became my stepfather, was almost like a ragged man, even though he had the title of Baron. My decision to be his adopted daughter for a considerable sum of money was a mutually profitable contract.

“Oh, I see. Lady Hestia, I can’t help but thank you again.”

After a formal greeting, the butler bowed again, and I waved my hand in haste.

“Don’t mention it. If you hear what I’m going to tell you next, your heart might drop.” I decided to be honest with the butler who really cared about Kaelus.

He looked at me in wonder. “What is it, my lady?”

Unlike Kaelus, who had lost his mind, this butler had a sound head. A different pain than before tightened my throat.

“I know it’s kind of reckless, but I asked the marquis a little while ago that I wanted to be a marchioness. He said nothing but to discuss it with the butler…”

“!”

I looked at him like a sinner without realizing it. Unbelievably, the middle-aged gentleman had his eyes wide open.

“Do you really mean that you asked him that…?”

“Of course, you can accuse me of taking advantage of the marquis’ condition, but I have a clear plan to make sure that he doesn’t act as extreme as he does today. In order to do that, I had to be given as much authority as possible, so I boldly asked him.”

“….”

The butler was silent. It was only logical, of course. How could you not be flustered when an unidentified woman who came in in the middle of the night suddenly said she would become the marquis’ wife? Perhaps this faithful butler was more difficult to overcome than Kaelus himself.

“You must be wondering how I found out about today, right? I know it’s hard to believe, but actually…”

It was cheesy, but the plan was foolproof. From then on, I was a character in a novel. A character in a fantasy novel where a lot of unrealistic things happen.

“…I have the ability to see the future. Not only today but what’s going to happen…”

“!”

I somehow felt guilty seeing him agape, but since I was acting, I had to make him sure.

“Didn’t the marquis get a very precious pink diamond? With that, he wanted to make a gift for Saintess Diana, who became the Crown Princess today. Eventually, he failed to actually give it to her.”

“How did you know that?”

The butler was shocked. However, readers who had binge read the novel nine times had no choice but to remember it. While we were at it, let’s guess where the diamonds were stored.

“Maybe the jewel is now in Kaelus’ library drawer. Well, if you don’t believe me, you can go and check for yourself.”

The butler groaned quietly at my confident words.

I continued in a serious tone, “I’ve ruined this night for the marquis anyway, and I want to use this special ability that I have for him. I don’t really mean to be the marquis’ companion. However, for outsiders, I can be considered the marquis’ spouse. I’d be happy to write a contract. I will not act as a marchioness in this family at all. I will never do anything that will do the marquis any harm.”

Discussing Kaelus’ marriage with someone other than Kaelus was a bit absurd, but it couldn’t be helped as the situation had turned out that way.

After pouring out words quickly, my heart beat mercilessly. Would my persuasion work? Would I be able to overcome the obstacle of “The Marquis’ Butler”?

While looking at the opponent, who didn’t easily open his mouth, I added, “Prince Helios, the marquis welcomed him as his companion. Don’t you think it’s strange for two best friends to put a special person between them?”

This was the unreal world of fiction. A world where contrived probability was more appropriate than realistic logic. It was a little reckless, but let’s make a bet.

Was this a sign of success? Then the butler looked at me and said, “…I’m honestly embarrassed about all this, but I’ll write the documents for now because the marquis’ savior had said so. However, we will only proceed with the procedure once the marquis calms down and expresses his intention more clearly.”

I agreed quickly, “Yes, I’ll wait.”

The butler nodded. “It’s too late for you to go home today, so please sleep in this room, Lady Hestia. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He stood up and went out, acting politely to the end.

“Phew….” I was left alone. It was only then that I began to sigh.

Was it okay to do this? I had never been married before in both worlds, but I had rattled the big events of my life like this.

“…oh, I don’t know! Someone tell me what to do…” I muttered while motioning as if shaking myself from the anxiety.

Actually, I didn’t even mean to get married. At first, I thought I’d start as Kaelus’ assistant or secretary, and gradually went from there. However, as soon as I saw the eyes that meant he could die again at any time without any desire for life, I stopped screaming properly when asked what I wanted. Rather than having a thorough plan, it was quite impulsive.

Yet, I still felt that I was doing well. As I said to the butler, it was best to be his spouse to exercise the marquis’ status as much as possible.

I was going to pretend to be a prophet who saw the future since I had to revive my favorite. That was my only purpose in the world.

The next morning dawned.

If you were waiting for the answer after proposing to your favorite person on impulse, wasn’t it normal to be nervous and unable to breathe? And yet I was so nonchalant. It was amusing yet left a bitter feeling in my mouth. Still, I may be taking my marriage as if it were someone else’s business as if I were reading a novel.

But taking this seriously, was Hestia in this world the true me?

To be honest, I doubt it. I was only role-playing as a character called Hestia from this novel, but I had never been incorporated into this world as a main character. My identity here was “extra in the works” or “reader of the original,” so there was no tension in the great event of marrying Kaelus. But was this really okay?

“Lady Hestia.”

“Oh, yes…!”

I stopped thinking about biting my own tail* and suddenly came to my senses at the call that came. The marquis’ butler was here.

*TN: As in, doing more than she can handle.

I hurriedly arranged my bedding and sat on the sofa. The door opened slightly.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you,” I answered politely to the butler who asked politely. The butler poured the fragrant tea and soon laid down a thick bundle of papers in front of me.

“Well, how about Marquis Kaelus?”

The butler smiled softly at my question. “Fortunately, nothing happened all night. You said you can see the future, but it must be hard for you to see this.”

“Oh….” I was at a loss for an answer. Still, we have to squeeze it out somehow. “It… it’s only for big events…”

“It was a joke, but I guess I surprised you a little bit.”

“Hahaha….”

Damn. It didn’t sound like a joke.

The butler pointed to the pile of papers he had put down and said, “I did my best to draft it. Lady Hestia’s agreement to be the wife of the marquis.”

“Whoa….”

So to speak, it was a marriage contract document.

While I rummaged through the papers, the butler rose quietly and left the room. He seemed to be considerate of me, so I could examine the document carefully.

To be honest, I couldn’t help but admire him. The butler was a man who truly cared about Kaelus. Let’s be honest, didn’t you think you could live by doing what you were told to do as long as you got paid on time? Nevertheless, he carefully handled everything so that his master didn’t ruin his own life.

The documents were generally about not allowing me to arbitrarily deal with the persona of Kaelus and the property of the Marquis. There was no reason to refuse, so I signed it, fully agreeing with the contents.

It was also written about the rights I could enjoy as a marquis wife. If not dogmatic, I could use the same level of authority as Kaelus himself. And it also included that a certain amount of money would be paid in the future. I agreed with all but the matter of inheritance. I had no interest in Kaelus’ property; it was the same when I signed a contract with my stepfather on paper, the lord of Elea.

After reviewing the documents, I called the butler again.

“Most of them, I have signed and agreed, but I won’t take over. I don’t want to be misunderstood as a swindler going after the marquis’ fortune.”

“Oh, is that so? Very well. Then I will see you after breakfast.” The butler’s tone was plain.

After some time had passed, I followed the butler to Kaelus’ bedroom. The room we entered was very gloomy, and the curtains were drawn.

“Master Kaelus, I have brought Lady Hestia.”

“…”

Kaelus was sitting on the sofa, disheveled as before, looking exhausted. It seemed that his mind was still hazy. My chest throbbed in pain.

The butler glanced at me once and held out the papers before Kaelus politely. “As you instructed, we have prepared documents to recognize Lady Hestia as the marquis’ wife. Lady Hestia has already signed it, so the only signature needed left is yours.”

“…”

Kaelus leaned back in his seat and glanced at me. If only his eyes were sharp. Unfortunately, his eyes were empty. His back leaned away from the sofa. He grabbed a pen and signed, flicking through the last page of the document.

The butler gave me an apologetic look. In less than five minutes, we got married.

After finishing the last of his signature, he threw his pen away as if he were annoyed.

“All right, get out.” His voice was filled with irritation.

I was choked up by an unknown sadness. Still, I endured it and bowed gratefully. “Thank you, marquis.”

“…”

There was no reply. Without a choice, I took the documents and left the butler and the bedroom.

The butler politely called after me, “Lady Hestia. I look forward to your kind cooperation. Please save him.”

That was why the butler drafted the documents without complaint and helped us to get married. It was all for Kaelus to regain his motivation to live again.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation. But how should I address the butler?”

“Ah, please call me Uross.”

Something felt weird. In the novel, he was only known as “the marquis’ butler” without a name, but after hearing his name, it felt like he had become a real person to me.

“I’ll be right back with the servants to greet the marchioness…” He waved his hands quietly.

“No, it’s fine. They don’t have to greet me. As I said, I’m not here to be the master of this place.”

“Well, then… I’ll show you to your room.”

The butler accepted my words with embarrassment but no hesitation. It was an unduly plain manner; I liked it quite a bit.

My room was at the end of the hallway, opposite Kaelus’ bedroom. It was as large and as colorful as Kaelus’. For some reason, I felt sorry. However, if I asked servants to make this room simple to suit my taste, it would cause unnecessary trouble for them. I should just leave it.

“Thank you, Uross, but I have to go out for a while. I have to bring my luggage from my old house.”

“Then I’ll make the necessary preparations.” The butler turned away at once.

“Whoo….” I sighed a little and looked at the marriage certificate in my hand. It was a piece of really light paper. However, it was the weapon that would be the biggest force against Diana and Helios in the future.

I approached the desk on one side of the bedroom and opened the drawer, placing the marriage certificate in it. I even turned the key firmly and locked it. Sooner or later, I would take this document to the Crown Prince and greet the marquis. What a look worth seeing.

I returned to the house where I lived by carriage. The first thing I packed was my fanatic notebook and calendar. Deokjil Note* was my number one treasure that meticulously recorded events in the novel. I planned to fill in the details of what happened before the return and what happened after the ending. It would come in handy one day. Clothes and accessories were not very important to pack. The packing ended without a hitch.

*TN: she named her notebook omg

When I returned to the marquis’ mansion, it was already evening. At the recommendation of the butler, I came down to the dining room for the first time and ate. Naturally, I greeted the chef and other servants. Only then did I realize that this was the consideration of the butler in his own way. Even if I became the marquis’ wife in the blink of an eye, Uross seemed to recognize me as another owner of the march.

This was why I had no choice but to do my best to save Kaelus. I felt a new burden on my shoulders.

“How is your meal? Please let me know if you enjoy anything in particular.”

“It’s as good as it can be. I can’t ask for more.”

I exchanged conversations with the butler. The chef looked relieved, too, smiling lightly. Once again, I emphasized with my whole body, I was not here to take over this property.

I asked cautiously, “Well, by the way, how was his day? Master Kaelus, that is.”

The butler’s eyebrows drooped. “He didn’t come out of the room all day. He didn’t even eat.”

“Well, I see. I can’t let that happen. We’d better get him a fruit punch with brandy.”

“!”

The butler didn’t hide his surprise.

“No, how did you…!”

He smiled slightly. Of course I knew the drinks that Kaelus would look for when he had no appetite. He was my favorite!

“It’s too early to be surprised. There will be more surprises ahead.”

“Ah…”

I said another word indifferently in front of the admiring butler.

“I should visit the temple tomorrow. I’m going to take back the land that the marquis donated for the Saintess.”

“Pardon…?”

The butlers and servants who heard me opened their eyes wide in disbelief. The reason why Diana, a commoner, was able to solidify her position in the temple was thanks to the land presented by Kaelus.

The frightened butler bowed his head at once. His voice trembled, “I see. I’ll get ready and prepare for your first outing.”

This was only the beginning. Diana, I would tell you one by one how great your love from Kaelus was.

Judging from the reactions of the butlers and other servants, Diana didn’t seem to have given them a good impression. The novel focused more on the narrative and emotional portrayals between the heroine and the second lead; it didn’t even elaborate on the perspectives of others watching them, so this was the first time I found out about it.

However, in the process of Diana’s happy ending with Helios, it was roughly well-known. The nobles initially opposed the love between the two but eventually agreed. The cause was simple; the daughter of the duke, who died after drinking the poisoned tea, was fiercely hostile to Diana, but after her death, the focus of public opinion was gone and became a yuyamuya*. In the end, thanks to her, the two ended up getting married safely.

*TN: Yuyamuya is slang for something to die down.

The Marquis’ people couldn’t have known Kaelus’ feelings. Not many of them, but they always banded together to serve their young master into adulthood. Perhaps more than I did, they cared about and loved Kaelus. So it couldn’t be helped that Diana was annoying in their eyes, too.

Of course, Diana also had her own grounds for choosing Helios instead of Kaelus. However, there were many things in the world that you couldn’t help but get emotional over rather than understand logically. We hated her for being the cause of Kaelus’ extreme behavior anyway.

“Everyone, thank you for everything. Please take care of me in the future.”

All the employees, including Uross, bowed their heads at my greeting.

“We are honored to serve the marchioness!”

Now we were in the same boat. Let’s do well together.