Episode 94. I Am the Protagonist of My Life (3)

When I lifted my chin and gazed at her with a relaxed expression, Beth, who had been floundering for a moment, finally stammered out her words.

“A gentleman who took pity on me for never having attended a banquet before offered me his invitation.”

“Offered it to you?”

I twisted my lips in disbelief, and then spoke in a cold tone.

“I would very much like to find out who that person is. How dare someone refuse the Emperor’s first banquet? It won’t be difficult to compare the guest list and find the culprit. However, if you forged or stole the invitation, you will face severe punishment.”

I was certain no one would have given up their place. Who would dare? Who would be foolish enough to offend His Majesty, the Emperor?

But as I watched Beth, who appeared genuinely wronged by my threat, I began to wonder if I had misjudged her.

“I really didn’t do anything illegal. I don’t know why you dislike me so much, but this is unfair.”

She was about to resort to her weapon again—tears. I drew a firm line before anyone could feel sympathy for her.

“Are you even worth disliking? I don’t even know who you are.”

Appealing to emotions to muddle the argument is incredibly frustrating when you’re on the receiving end. But for me, I just needed to stick to the facts.

“Were you even born a noble?”

“…!!”

Beth’s face stiffened at my pointed remark, but she merely bit her lips without answering. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to answer—she wasn’t from a family of sufficient standing to attend this event. I knew this from playing the early stages of the game.

As Beth and I squared off, Daniel suddenly, and cluelessly, intervened.

“Are you tormenting my fiancée again, Princess Sienna?”

‘Ignore him. If I respond, I’ll just be dragged into a useless argument.’

Or, rather, I wanted to ask, “Why do you keep tormenting me?” But I remained completely silent, and Daniel, after whining about being ignored, eventually fell silent too. Conversations are like ping-pong; if one side doesn’t engage, the rally quickly ends.

Julius, who had been watching the subdued atmosphere, clicked his tongue and spoke up.

“Today is my day, but it’s also my sister’s day. It’s not pleasant to see my one and only sister continuously insulted.”

He looked at me as if asking what I wanted him to do. I gestured towards the exit of the banquet hall with my chin. Julius nodded and opened his mouth to speak.

“Guards, escort them—”

“We sincerely apologize, Your Majesty!”

Just as I thought everything would be resolved by having Beth and Daniel escorted out, Beth suddenly prostrated herself on the floor and shouted.

“We truly only wish to celebrate Your Majesty’s birthday. Please, we beg for your forgiveness!”

Her slender, pitiful figure lying on the floor might have evoked sympathy from others, but knowing her true intentions, I found it nothing but distasteful.

‘Of course, she doesn’t want to be thrown out. She can’t reach the villainess’s ruin ending if she’s expelled.’

What a wicked woman. Her determination to stay and disgrace me was palpable. Just then, someone who had remained silent throughout the entire banquet finally stepped in.

“Since today is a joyous occasion, perhaps we could forgive them this once, Your Majesty.”

“Duke Stewart.”

A knight in a pristine Imperial Knight’s uniform, with a sword at his waist, bowed his head. It was none other than Percy Stewart.

‘Percy!’

I couldn’t help but smile brightly, only to quickly suppress it, worried that I might incur a penalty. Percy walked up to stand beside me, and I whispered to him in a grumbling tone.

“…Why are you just showing up now?”

“I’ve learned that the protagonist is always supposed to appear late.”

“And who made you the protagonist?”

“That’s true. The protagonist of my life isn’t me, but you, Sienna.”

He’s smooth with his words. I gave him a sharp look to stop his nonsense, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m on duty. Guarding the banquet hall.”

“Ah.”

Indeed, considering that this banquet was filled with the most important people in the country, it made perfect sense for security to be tighter than ever.

Percy took Sienna’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it. Despite the clear display of affection, his regal demeanor made it appear quite restrained.

“I wanted nothing more than to abandon my post and come to your side, but they say women prefer men who are good at their jobs.”

“Of course. A man who can’t do his job isn’t attractive.”

He chuckled in a low voice at my reply. I had no idea what was so funny. Just as I pouted my lips, Julius, who had remained seated, walked towards us. Percy and I bowed to him.

Julius lightly tapped the emperor’s scepter on my head and spoke.

“On this occasion, I bestow upon my sister, Sienna Liata, the title of Zulatán.”

Though I didn’t fully understand, it was clear that a change in my title was a significant matter. Even the Empress Dowager had been outraged by it.

‘So, from now on, I’ll be Sienna Zulatán.’

A murmur spread through the banquet hall. Julius then added in a strong voice, cutting through the murmurs.

“And.”

Everyone turned their attention to Julius. He shrugged his shoulders and continued.

“I hereby announce the engagement of Sienna and Duke Stewart.”

* * *

My name changed twice in a single day—from Sienna Zulatán to Sienna Stewart. The banquet hall, which was supposed to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, suddenly transformed into our wedding venue.

I whispered to Julius.

“Is this why you sent me the white dress?”

“Yes. You see, there’s never any harm in listening to your brother’s advice, is there?”

“You could have at least given me a heads-up.”

Even if no one else needed to know, surely I, the bride, should have been informed. As I glanced sideways at the smug Julius, Percy sighed beside me.

“Don’t even mention it. You have no idea how many people were clamoring to put you in a red dress. In the end, I had to enlist His Majesty’s help.”

His words made it sound as though he had no choice but to send the white dress on Julius’s behalf. I blinked in confusion.

“But didn’t you give me the red dress as a gift? Wasn’t that your intention?”

“I didn’t choose it, nor did I give it to you as a gift. No matter what other colors I selected, the designers claimed they were all out of fabric and could only make a red dress.”

“Wow…”

It wasn’t just me they were going overboard with; they did the same to Percy.

‘The power of the original plot is terrifying.’

Still, I was relieved to have avoided that fate. As I sighed in relief, Percy gently took my hand. I thought he might kiss it again, but instead, he pulled out a ring.

“Please, be my wife, Sienna.”

“Of course…”

‘Naturally.’

I was about to eagerly accept the proposal when I suddenly froze.

‘But can I really accept it just like this? What if the system crashes again?’

The system had been the most aggressive force in obstructing my relationship with Percy. Just as I was glancing around nervously, wondering if the system window would pop up, Julius handed me a document.

“Sign here, and the marriage will be complete.”

It was the marriage contract. But something caught my eye.

“Percy has already signed it?”

He had seemed hesitant to even confess properly, yet he had somehow managed to sign the contract so quickly. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he just shrugged.

“When I make a decision, I act fast.”

He was annoyingly adorable in that moment. I chuckled, picked up the pen next to the contract, and prepared to sign my name.

‘Let’s do this!’

System crash or not, I was determined. But just as I was about to sign my name, someone interrupted our wedding.

“This is unacceptable!”

Reflexively, I turned to see who it was, only to find myself frowning in disbelief.

“…Daniel Bohan.”

The person objecting to my perfectly normal wedding was none other than Daniel. Of all the people who could have stepped in, it had to be my former fiancé, creating the perfect spectacle for everyone to watch.

Realizing this, Daniel hesitated, his head lowering.

“Getting married during a period of mourning? It’s something everyone will criticize.”

At his words, Julius’s eyebrow twitched.

“Are you daring to question my judgment?”

“It’s a remonstration, Your Majesty. This isn’t something that should be done.”

Daniel, who I thought would back down at Julius’s sharp tone, surprisingly did not. Julius, now visibly irritated, retorted.

“It’s an unwritten rule, not a law. If there’s a pressing reason to marry, then it’s always encouraged.”

“A pressing reason to marry, you say?”

Julius’s words, easy to misinterpret, left not only Daniel but also the others around us staring in disbelief.