Instead of the Heroine, I Married the Male Lead

 

Philome, realizing the seriousness of the question, let out a hollow laugh.

“No.”

Receiving this letter had caused her thoughts to freeze.

She experienced firsthand that when something is too absurd, it can leave you speechless.

Kaien’s finely arched brows furrowed. He asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So this is her true nature?”

“Um… maybe.”

At first, Philome had met Nadia without knowing she was the heroine. At that time, she had no memories of her past life.

By chance, she met Nadia during a small tea party. They quickly became close because their family circumstances and situations were similar.

Philome, who had maintained a decent relationship with her, first heard about Kaien Wintbell when she was 15.

At that moment, Philome realized she had been transported into a novel.

“I thought I had a rough idea of Nadia’s personality, but I was wrong. I didn’t expect her to be this unreasonable.”

“There’s no way you could have accurately gauged such a personality. No sane person would think like this.”

Kaien rubbed his chin with a stern expression.

He continued to stare at the letter on the table, as if he wanted to tear it apart.

After taking a few deep breaths, Kaien looked at Philome.

“What do you want to do, milady?”

Philome contemplated Kaien’s question once more.

Even while locked in the room, she had been contemplating whether to seek revenge or not. If she decides to, how should she go about it?

Philome’s lips moved as if she were about to say something.

Knock, knock.

A frantic knocking came from the door.

“Duke, Milady. You need to come out quickly.”

“What’s the matter?”

Since they were in the middle of a conversation, Kaien furrowed his brow.

“That is…”

Sebastian, who stood outside the door, hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Nadia Alice has come to visit.”

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Philome nearly slid down the hall’s stairs.

As she headed outside the mansion, she saw a delicate woman standing alone beyond the main gate.

Her elegant blonde hair fluttered softly in the breeze. Her moist blue eyes sparkled like jewels, harmonizing beautifully with her golden locks.

Under her petite face were a slender neck, delicate shoulders, and limbs that drew onlookers’ attention.

Even though Nadia was wearing a simple dress without any elaborate adornments, her mere presence commanded attention. In short, she was mesmerizing.

‘Ah.’

It was clear at a glance that she was the heroine of this world.

Philome’s heart raced rapidly.

She instinctively turned to Kaien.

During her time with Kaien, she had concluded on her own that, in the original story, the heroine and the hero fell in love at first sight based on each other’s appearance.

Whether Kaien had met Nadia before was unclear, but the likelihood that he would fall for her at first sight was high.

So, if this was their first meeting, then at this very moment, they were experiencing that fateful first love at first sight…

“Milady.”

Philome raised her head in response to the soft voice and saw her reflection in Kaien’s deep, lavender-colored eyes.

“Are you alright?”

Only Philome.

Although Nadia was close enough to be seen clearly, Kaien’s gaze did not turn in that direction.

Philome slowly inhaled and exhaled, nodding her head.

“…Yes.”

Perhaps because she expected Kaien to look at Nadia, she felt as if her thoughts had momentarily stopped at his unexpected reaction.

Kaien examined Philome’s face and said, “No. You don’t look well. We should go inside.”

“P-Philome?”

The delicate voice interrupted Kaien.

They both turned to look at Nadia.

Tears welled up in Nadia’s large eyes as she spotted Philome. She clung to the main gate and fell to the ground.

“Sniff! Philome! Waaaah!”

It was an unexpected outburst of tears.

Nadia cried like a child, busy wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

Her appearance was incredibly fragile and pitiful, leaving Philome and Kaien speechless in disbelief.

“Are you not going to let me in? Sniff! Do you hate me that much? Waaah! How could you abandon me for a man…? Waaaah!“

Even if someone struck them alternately on the back and forehead, it seemed unlikely that they would be this shocked.

Nadia’s words were so absurd.

Philome gestured to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeepers, who had been standing like statues regardless of Nadia’s crying, opened the main gate. Nadia, as if waiting for this, lifted her face from her palm.

Her face was still beautiful despite her tears.

She blinked, as if gems were about to fall from her eyes.

“Is it okay if I come in…?”

“Nadia.”

“Thank you, Philome!”

Nadia jumped up from her spot and ran to Philome, hugging her tightly. Perhaps because she was a bit shorter, she fit snugly into Philome’s embrace.

“I-I was really scared… I got chased out of my family… Really… Sniff!“

She doesn’t even have a runny nose.

Philome watched blankly as Nadia wiped her tears on her clothes.

“What is going on here?”

Kaien’s hand abruptly intervened.

He tugged at the portion of Philome’s clothing that Nadia was holding, pulling it away. Then he gently wrapped his arm around Philome’s shoulders.

Naturally, a distance formed between Nadia and Philome.

“Ah…”

Nadia, momentarily flustered, looked at Kaien and slightly parted her lips.

Her eyes trembled as they focused on Kaien. Her pale cheeks, which had looked almost ghastly, flushed prettily, and her neatly aligned teeth bit into her full, pink lips.

Philome immediately realized.

Nadia had fallen for Kaien at first sight.

And Kaien did not reciprocate those feelings for Nadia.

The original story’s fate completely changed at that moment.

“P-Philome. Who is this gentleman…?”

Nadia, unable to tear her gaze away from Kaien, tugged at Philome’s sleeves.

Kaien frowned at the sight.

‘After I went through the trouble of separating them.’

It was absurd that, after he had managed to separate them, she was now back to wiping her tears on Philome’s clothes.

Kaien pondered how to handle Nadia’s thoughtless hands.

Nadia was still trembling with her wet eyelashes.

“Philome?”

“…This is Duke Wintbell.”

Philome barely managed to tear her gaze away from Nadia.

“Philome’s fiancé.”

Kaien naturally added Philome’s name.

“Rather, we’re more like a couple about to get married soon.”

Then he flashed a smile at Philome that seemed almost drawn.

As his thin lips curled into a smile, the sharpness in his gaze softened, instantly changing the cold atmosphere.

Philome, flustered by Kaien’s gentle look, unconsciously averted her eyes.

“Ah, I see…”

On the other hand, Nadia blushed and twisted her body, as if Kaien’s gaze had captured her.

Philome quickly assessed the situation, looking at Nadia.

She truly, genuinely had no intention of seeking revenge on Nadia—until she came so brazenly.

‘How could you abandon me for a man…!’

Moreover, Nadia had so naturally shifted the blame to Philome, making it an unbearable situation.

‘Right, Nadia. So this is how you’re going to act?’

Philome smiled.

“…For now, I’ll show you to a room.”

Philome turned her head to Sebastian, who had followed them.

“Sebastian, please show Nadia to a room.”

“Yes, milady.”

Philome needed to separate from Nadia and sort out the situation.

As they were about to lead Nadia into the mansion, she suddenly stumbled toward Kaien.

“Oh…!”

Nadia squeezed her eyes shut.

“Ouch!”

Instead of a solid body catching her, she fell onto the hard, rough floor.

Nadia looked up in confusion.

The spot where she had fallen was where Kaien had been standing. But Kaien was now standing a few steps back, his arm still wrapped around Philome’s shoulders, as if Nadia were something dirty.

“Be careful, Lady. You almost hurt Philome.”

Philome was in no danger of getting hurt.

After all, Nadia had staggered precisely toward Kaien.

He should have caught her, but instead, he had stepped back, leaving Nadia to fall alone onto the floor.