Episode 92. I Am the Protagonist of My Life (1)

Dressed in a vibrant red gown and adorned with expensive jewelry, Beth looked stunning. The maids at the Bohan estate couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

“Wow, you look absolutely beautiful, my lady.”

“No one will be able to take their eyes off you.”

“Oh, you’re too kind,” Beth replied gracefully, though her true thoughts were far from humble.

‘Of course. I’m the most beautiful person in this game.’

Beth gazed into the mirror. Her luxurious golden hair, clear lake-like eyes, and flawless pale skin that remained untarnished even in sunlight were all incredibly striking.

‘I really love this face.’

It was a beauty that couldn’t even be compared to her previous life. Smiling, Beth gently stroked her cheek.

‘My body in the real world has probably already been buried by now. There’s no going back.’

And in that despairing situation, she had woken up to find herself as the heroine of a new world. It felt like a gift from God, an opportunity granted out of pity.

‘I’m going to be happy.’

Because that was the future she was destined for.

Clutching the hem of her striking red dress, Beth walked out with a confident stride. Seeing Daniel, who had dressed up handsomely for the occasion, only brightened her mood further.

‘Today is my day.’

It was the day when everyone would condemn Sienna, and she, beautiful and virtuous, would be adored by all. Just imagining the scene made the corners of her mouth twitch with glee.

She had always enjoyed the villainess’s downfall the most when playing the game.

“Wow.”

The actual banquet hall was even more beautiful than she had imagined. The drapes, a mix of purple, white, and pale blue, were sophisticated, and the arrangements of finger foods scattered throughout the hall showed great attention to detail.

‘Delicious. Even the champagne is sweet.’

She wasn’t well-versed in alcohol, but perhaps because she was in such a good mood, the typically bitter taste went down smoothly.

“Beth, that’s enough,” Daniel said, stopping her from drinking more. Without his intervention, she might have continued drinking until the emperor’s arrival. Beth blushed slightly as she reluctantly set her glass on a nearby table. She then noticed that no one else in the banquet hall seemed to be drinking their champagne.

‘You should have told me that sooner.’

Beth glanced sideways at Daniel. Her mood, already soured, made every little action of his feel like a thorn in her side.

‘Didn’t he sound very condescending earlier? How dare he, someone who hides in his room like a recluse, look down on me?’

What she was most sensitive about was being disrespected. The reason she had been so furious when Daniel gagged earlier was that it felt like he was dismissing her.

‘I’m starting to lose affection for the male lead.’

No matter how much she liked his looks, her growing resentment towards Daniel was making her increasingly bitter.

‘Maybe I should switch to another male character.’

Preferably someone who was more susceptible to her tearful pleas.

As Beth narrowed her eyes, deep in thought, a voice echoed through the hall.

“His Majesty, the never-setting sun of this empire, and Princess Sienna Liata!”

The true stars of the banquet had arrived. Beth’s heart began to race.

She knew exactly what was supposed to happen next.

‘When Princess Sienna enters, everyone will be in awe of her beauty. But then they’ll realize that her dress is the same as someone else’s, and that someone is even more beautiful than Sienna.’

Beth smiled and confidently lifted her head.

‘That someone is me.’

By now, everyone should be looking back and forth between her and Princess Sienna with doubtful expressions.

But when she raised her head, she was met with an unexpected sight.

‘Why is her dress different from mine?!’

Contrary to her expectations, Princess Sienna was dressed in a dignified and pristine white gown, like a blooming cotton flower. Beth nearly tore her hair out in frustration. Panic began to set in.

‘If things continue like this, there won’t be any conflict!’

The story only ends with the defeat of the villainess. But at this rate, there was no reason for a fight to even occur.

‘What went wrong? Everything should have been perfect. I didn’t do anything wrong.’

As things began to deviate from the game’s script, Beth nervously bit her nails. At that moment, a quiet voice reached her ears.

“Sienna…”

It was Daniel.

Though he had been dazed and unfocused earlier, his eyes were now clear and sharp as he gazed up at Sienna, who was ascending the dais. His intense, almost desperate expression, like a parched man finding water, sent a wave of anxiety through Beth. She clung to his arm with both hands.

“What are you doing, Daniel? Snap out of it! I’m the one you love!”

Daniel turned to look at her reflexively, but the pain in his head made him clutch it with both hands. In the haze of his blurry memories, long-buried fragments of his past began to resurface.

He remembered the day before his engagement to Sienna, the first time he had met her.

As he walked toward the garden where Sienna was waiting, a group of maids passed by, chatting excitedly.

– Did you hear? Princess Sienna is getting engaged.”
– Really? No wonder. I heard she wore a white dress, which isn’t like her.
– She looks all prim and proper on the outside.”
– Whoever it is, they’re unlucky. I mean, of all the princesses, they’re stuck with Sienna Liata, the one who didn’t even receive a proper royal surname.”

The maids giggled like sparrows, their laughter filled with a certain joy as they gossiped about someone else’s misfortune. Daniel, who had been momentarily distracted by their conversation, straightened his back and continued walking forward with a steady gait.

‘I don’t expect anything from this marriage anyway.’

He thought. He was only doing it because the emperor had ordered it, and he assumed that the princess wasn’t marrying him out of love either. It was destined to be a marriage in name only.

At least, that was what he believed at the time.

As he approached the garden, he caught sight of a woman with striking red hair, sitting upright among the bushes. Sunlight seemed to pour over her rounded forehead like a golden stream. Her hair, styled in two rounded buns, made her look like a young girl, though Daniel couldn’t tell if it was intentional or just done by someone else.

‘So, this is Sienna Liata.’

He remembered her pure and youthful face, which didn’t match the many terrible rumors he had heard about her.

“Ugh.”

“Daniel.”

Daniel groaned softly as he recalled the memory. After that day, all he heard were stories of her cruelty—how she had bullied, harmed, and driven others away. Naturally, he had come to despise her. But now, he realized the truth. It wasn’t true hatred he had felt. What he couldn’t admit was that he had been captivated by her, the woman everyone else scorned.

And in his foolishness, he had run away from that truth, only to lose her completely.

‘It’s all because of this woman.’

Though he knew deep down that he was the one most at fault, his human nature led him to shift the blame onto someone else. Without hesitation, Daniel pushed Beth, who had been clinging to his arm, away from him and spat out his words with disgust.

“Get away from me. You’re not the one I love.”

“What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?”

Beth’s face turned pale at Daniel’s sudden declaration. She, too, became hysterical. The victory was within her grasp—she only needed to defeat that woman now.

‘This man!’

Breathless and panicking, Beth grabbed Daniel’s arm again and shouted in a frantic tone.

“The imperial banquet is the last event! The last one! So why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

“The last event! The last!”

Daniel could no longer stand hearing her repeat those words. This time, he pushed her away so forcefully that she couldn’t grab hold of him again. He shouted back at her.

“If this banquet is the last event, what happens after that? Do you just let me go?”

“What do you mean… let go?” Beth stammered. That was something the male lead was never supposed to say to the heroine. Her eyes trembled violently as she responded in a pitiful voice.

“The last is the last! It just means we’ll live happily ever after, forever. No pain, no suffering.”

That was the life Beth had always dreamed of—a life where she didn’t have to endure suffering to gain something, where she didn’t have to prove her worth through achievements. A life where she was loved simply for existing.

That life was within her reach, but the man who was supposed to fulfill it was now rejecting her. Growing desperate, Beth pounded her small fists against her chest as she pleaded.

“Why are you acting so strangely when eternal happiness is right in front of you? I’ve told you so many times—I’m your happiness…”

But before she could finish, Daniel clamped his large hand over her mouth, silencing her. Beth’s eyes blinked rapidly in confusion.

“Shut up. I decide my own happiness!”

Daniel growled at her in a tone filled with menace. Beth, who had never been treated so harshly by him before, turned pale.

It was only then that she realized everything had gone terribly wrong.