Episode 93. I Am the Protagonist of My Life (2)

Daniel’s mind had never been clearer. The fog that had clouded his thoughts for so long had finally lifted.

“Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I was unhappy all this time, or maybe I was actually happy and just didn’t realize it.”

Daniel’s smile was cold as he gazed down at the woman whose face he held tightly in his grasp. Her face was flushed red, a result of his firm grip, which prevented even a single word from escaping her lips.

He steadied himself, refusing to waver in the face of her plight, and spoke to Beth in a slow, deliberate tone, enunciating each word clearly.

“But I know one thing for sure: my happiness doesn’t depend on the few pitiful words you spew.”

Beth’s eyes darted wildly, her pupils trembling with fear. Inside her mind, alarms blared red. This was a crisis.

‘I need to turn back time.’

Daniel, who had once acted as if Beth was his entire world, had now reverted to the way he was before, feeling nothing for her. This meant that the power she wielded over him, her ability as the heroine, no longer worked. And even if she could turn back time, there was no guarantee things would return to the way they were.

But in her desperation, all Beth could think of was provoking a penalty by saying something harsh enough to force the system to rewind time.

‘But how can I do that when my mouth is covered?’

It felt like she was sinking into a bottomless pit. While Beth floundered in her thoughts, the commotion between her and Daniel had drawn the attention of everyone in the banquet hall, including the emperor and Sienna.

Julius’s voice boomed throughout the hall, amplified by a magical device. His tone was heavy with authority.

“What is this commotion in the throne room?”

“Your Majesty,” Daniel replied, still keeping a firm grip on Beth’s mouth as he addressed Julius.

“This woman is a witch. A witch who uses her sly tongue to bewitch people! I was under her spell for a long time, but now I’ve come to my senses.”

“A witch?”

“Yes! You mustn’t listen to anything she says. If you do… urgh!”

Don’t say another word!

Beth, realizing that if Daniel revealed how her influence worked, it would lose its effectiveness, acted in panic. She bit down hard on Daniel’s hand, causing him to yelp and recoil in surprise. Freed from his grasp, Beth immediately spoke in a soft, almost hypnotic tone.

“Daniel.”

Though her voice was barely a whisper, it was enough. The man who had just moments ago seemed ready to denounce her as a witch now softened, his eyes drooping as he gently pulled her into an embrace.

“Beth… What have I done to you?”

Under normal circumstances, this would have been a non-issue, but given the situation where everyone’s eyes were on them, it was a disastrous move. The people in the hall, who had witnessed Daniel’s sudden change in behavior, recoiled in fear, taking steps back.

“She’s a witch.”

“She really is a witch.”

It seemed everything was falling apart. Beth anxiously bit her nails.

‘Should I turn back time?’

But even that decision was fraught with difficulty. While Sienna, Percy, and Julius might have been unaware, Beth had already restarted this game several times.

‘I’m sick of rewinding time. And this is the first time I’ve made it to the banquet. I can manage this.’

If she turned back time again, who knew if she would make it this far next time?

‘Besides, I can always turn back time later. For now, I’ll do my best to manage the situation.’

All she needed to do was endure a few more hours. What could be worse than restarting everything from the beginning?

With her mind made up, Beth released Daniel’s hand and knelt on the floor. She squeezed out the most pitiful voice she could muster.

“Your Majesty, my fiancé has recently been suffering from a mental disorder. Please, I beg your understanding.”

Julius raised an eyebrow at her statement.

“Are you saying he’s changing his words due to this mental disorder?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ve heard that his condition was serious…”

Looking at Daniel, who stood there with a blank expression, Julius frowned. Beth, tears welling in her eyes, continued to plead.

“The sudden passing of the late Count Bohan must have caused him great mental anguish. Please, have mercy.”

Many of the guests at the banquet were characters who had made brief appearances in the game, and they were quick to support Beth upon seeing her tears.

“I heard that Sir Daniel has stopped attending court recently.”

“He’s hardly been seen at public events lately.”

“While I can’t say everything she’s saying is true, it’s hard to dismiss her claims entirely.”

As one or two people began to voice their support, the atmosphere in the hall shifted rapidly. Beth, her head bowed, allowed a small, satisfied smile to creep onto her lips where no one could see.

‘Yes, this is how I’ll handle it.’

She felt a pang of guilt for Daniel, but with his resignation from the royal knights and his life now confined to the Bohan estate, a damaged reputation was something they could afford.

‘After all, this is a world of an otome game. Even if the male lead never works, the household will continue to run smoothly.’

What a perfect world it was. As Beth was lost in the anticipation of a life without work, a sharp, high-pitched voice cut through the hall.

“More importantly…”

The voice alone was enough to capture the attention of everyone present. Beth found herself raising her head instinctively.

Sienna, dressed in her white gown, walked slowly and deliberately towards the emperor, her heels clicking with each step. With a graceful flick of her wrist, she waved a fan and spoke with a composed tone.

“I never sent an invitation to the Bohan estate. How did you come to be here?”

Just as Beth had managed to turn the tide in her favor, Sienna’s words yanked the focus back onto her. Beth gritted her teeth in frustration.

‘Sienna Liata.’

It was all because of that woman.

* * *

With Julius escorting me into the grand hall, my eyes widened as they fell on a familiar figure.

‘Beth!!’

There they were, Daniel and Beth, standing confidently in the center of the room. They were adorned in luxurious jewels and draped in expensive-looking garments. While Beth’s delicate beauty seemed almost out of place in such ostentatious attire, the effect was surprisingly striking—provocative and alluring in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

‘I had a feeling they might show up somehow.’

My quest—the villainess downfall event—required me to avoid Daniel Bohan’s attempt to kill me. For that event to unfold, Daniel and Beth had to be present at the banquet. Though I’d tried to prevent their attendance, I knew that the original story’s grip was strong enough that they might find a way to attend regardless.

‘At least Daniel didn’t bring any weapons.’

I wasn’t sure how he’d managed to bring a weapon to attack me in the original story, but now, as an invited guest, it would have been impossible for him to smuggle one in.

‘The condition for a happy ending was to survive Daniel’s attempt on my life. So, it’s okay.’

I forced myself to calm the unease bubbling inside me.

‘If only the banquet ends without incident…’

But that was too optimistic, as chaos erupted in the banquet hall.

“Shut up! I decide my own happiness!”

“This woman is a witch! A witch who uses her sly tongue to bewitch people!”

It was a confrontation between Daniel Bohan and Beth.

Despite his previous gentleness towards her, Daniel now seemed like a completely different person, furiously silencing Beth by covering her mouth. Watching the scene unfold, I clenched my hands.

‘So, Daniel Bohan’s actions weren’t entirely his own will?’

The way Daniel changed the moment Beth spoke made it clear something was amiss. My eyes narrowed. The angelic heroine I once believed in now appeared to wield her power like a devil, controlling and manipulating those around her.

I couldn’t stay silent any longer as I listened to Beth trying to paint Daniel as a madman.

“More importantly, I never sent an invitation to the Bohan estate. How did you come to be here?”

“Well…”

The moment I revealed that Beth wasn’t on the guest list, the nobles’ gazes sharpened. This was the young emperor’s first banquet, and everyone here took pride in being personally selected. The idea that Beth had possibly stolen someone else’s invitation to attend made their irritation palpable.

‘The privileged always despise those who try to claw their way up from below or imitate them.’

I silently challenged Beth, wondering what excuse she could possibly come up with now.