The appearance of Crown Prince Eden, who suddenly appeared at the jousting competition and said strange things, was ridiculous.
Eden kept talking to me in a ridiculous way.
“There were things I couldn’t forget. Didn’t you say you would help me forget, Lady Kailyn?”
What the heck!
This guy again! Another one of those things?
Is he pressuring me with a 19+ rated novel from the night market again?
I glared at Crown Prince Eden.
Leon alternately looked at me and the prince with a bewildered expression.
I wanted to say, ‘That never happened!’ But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
If I said that, I couldn’t guess what Eden would say.
In such a crowded place, I ultimately thought I had to get through this situation somehow.
“Prince Eden Darkus, I wanted to help you forget unnecessary memories, and I believe my handkerchief will be of great help.”
Take the handkerchief, and don’t bring up that book again!
“I knew you’d say that. The memories will become ours, not everyone’s.”
What ambiguous nonsense is that!
What a memory just for the two of us.
If others hear it, they’ll think something strange is going on between us!
Although I was annoyed by Eden’s words, he was an unpredictable person, so I bit my lip and reluctantly handed him the handkerchief.
Ugh! Take this and stay away forever!
He smiled and tied my handkerchief to his spear shaft.
Just as Leon’s face turned as red as it could get, he passed by me.
Ah…! This is bad.
Only when Eden, who received the handkerchief from me, started moving again did I finally remember the message I had a maid place on the handkerchief.
<Filled with Deep Affection – Kailyn Brockburg>
It’s ruined!
I thought of giving it to Calix, but ended up giving it to Eden…
A sudden rush of anger rose.
To Eden, who snatched my handkerchief, and to Calix, who left without taking my handkerchief.
Hey, Calix, what’s wrong with you!
I lifted my head to find Calix.
He had finished the march and was now sitting on his horse, surrounded by many knights, waiting for the commencement of the tournament.
You didn’t take my handkerchief, so I awkwardly gave it to Eden!
I glared at Calix.
*****
The jousting competition continued for a long time.
Initially, several participants engaged in a collective battle, where horses stumbled, lances broke, and surrender cries echoed, eliminating one contestant after another from the arena.
Now, only ten participants remained in the arena, and the last one standing would be the ultimate victor.
Of course, the last one standing would undoubtedly be Calix.
However, Eden hadn’t participated in this, and it seemed odd.
But such deviations from my novel’s plotline were becoming increasingly familiar.
Many situations had already gone beyond the scope I had written or deviated slightly.
Regardless, among the final ten were Calix, Eden, and Leon.
In the novel, at this point, Calix would ruthlessly target Leon, eventually causing him to fall and be defeated. However, today, I didn’t give Leon a handkerchief. So, nothing should happen, right?
One by one, as the number of remaining participants dwindled, four contestants remained.
As expected, maybe because I didn’t give Leon a handkerchief, Calix and Leon didn’t face off, unlike in the novel.
Rather surprisingly, Calix was engaged in combat with Eden, while Leon faced the commander of the Crown Prince’s personal knights.
My eyes were chasing Calix, of course.
Calix and Eden were in a close race.
Calix’s swordsmanship was at a level that no one could match, but perhaps due to the nature of this jousting competition being focused on spear skills, Eden surprisingly demonstrated a skill level comparable to Calix.
Ah, that’s right!
Spear…
At that moment, something came to mind when I saw Eden wielding a spear.
Eden with the spear…
“Ah!”
As I recalled something I had written in the novel, Calix, who was attacked by Eden, staggered, and involuntarily, I exclaimed.
However, Calix soon regained balance and began launching a counterattack.
“Phew…”
Once again, I let out a sigh.
Wait a moment!!!
What is this?
Why am I doing this?
Am I worried that Calix might get hurt?
I realized that, in every precarious moment, I was anxiously watching, as if I had resolved to reciprocate his affection. It seemed like I had even immersed myself in the role of Calix’s lover.
Well, Calix is my main character after all… and he’s handsome like that.
This much affection for male lead as a writer is natural, right?
Or maybe it’s because I find Eden annoying, making me relatively supportive of Calix.
It was then.
“Whoa…! What the!”
Amidst the mix of people’s cheers and sighs, Calix and Eden’s fight remained intense, showing no significant changes.
Something seemed to have occurred in the other jousting matches involving spears.
I turned my head towards the direction where everyone’s attention was focused and gasped in surprise.
This…
What’s going on?
Leon, who was fighting against the commander of the knights, had fallen off his horse and closed his eyes.
Oh no…
It’s exactly like what I wrote!
While the person who knocked out Leon wasn’t Calix but the knight commander, deviating from my novel, Leon was lying on the ground, unconscious, just as I had written.
Calix briefly glanced at the fallen Leon, but without any noticeable change in expression, he continued his fight with Eden.
In this scenario, it was the knight commander, not Calix, who caused Leon to fall and lose consciousness. However, the fact that Leon was unconscious remained the same as in my novel.
Everything was strangely different from my novel, yet subtly or even more significantly the same.
But as I watched Leon being carried away, fear gripped me.
Could it be that, despite my efforts to avoid it, in the end, I would still meet the same fate as in my novel?
Me as well, no matter how hard I try not to die, I’m not gonna end up dying… right?
My body was shaking with fear as I watched Leon being carried away.
*****
According to the original storyline, after this jousting competition, I spend time visiting and caring for Grand Duke Leon in and out of the Imperial Palace.
However, with no intention or desire to do so, I remained indifferent to occasional news of his recovery.
My mind was preoccupied with the ongoing actions of Marquis Kerkain, who persistently approached me despite my strong disapproval.
Despite repeatedly asserting that I would not marry Leon, I couldn’t understand why my father continued to align himself with the empress’ faction.
On that day, feeling stifled by the presence of Marquis Kerkain visiting our house, I decided to take a walk a bit earlier than usual.
But when I walked a little, the sun was so hot.
It’s impossible without some shade, isn’t it?
Turning my steps back home, I noticed someone observing our house from a distance.
He was the deputy commander of the crown prince’s knights.
Having been among the last 10 in the recent spear joust, he was a face I remembered. I had set him as a character resembling Calix in appearance.
Why is he here?
Oh!
Is he keeping an eye on our house?
In my novel, Calix’s obsession with Kailyn was more intense than his desire for the throne. Strangely, in the current situation, Calix didn’t openly show any strong attachment to me.
However, the fact that the crown prince’s subordinate was watching our house means that Calix was paying attention to the rebellion.
Although I didn’t rule out the possibility that he might be observing our house due to his attachment to me…
For whatever reason, a shiver ran down my spine.
Suddenly, I became worried that I had been too passive until now.
With the mpress’s desire to put her own son, Leon, in the ascendancy of my father’s incomprehensible sympathies, I also had to stick more firmly to Calix.
I had to be more active and let them know that I was on the absolute side of the crown prince and that I would not let my family join the rebels.
In the end, I decided to visit Leon.
Because I needed an excuse to go to the imperial palace to meet Calix, who rarely appears in front of me.
*****
Leon had injured one leg as he fell from the horse, and he had to spend his time confined to bed.
When I went to visit him, Leon called my name with a voice filled with joy.
“Kailyn!”
Seeing his face, seemingly on the verge of shedding tears of joy, made me feel a bit guilty for coming to see him under the pretext of meeting Calix.
“Your Royal Highness, I’m here to see if you’re feeling all right.”
“Lyn! You’ve been worried about me. I thought it was just bad luck falling from the horse, but now that you’ve come to see me, maybe it’s not all that bad.”
Saying that, Leon laughed with great joy.
That’s exactly what I wrote, isn’t it?
He uttered the lines exactly as I wrote them in the novel.
As he spoke those lines, Leon’s injury became an opportunity for Kailyn’s constant visits and the creation of moments just between the two, deepening their emotions.
However, that was just a novel.
In reality, you’re a personal minefield I must avoid.
“Your Highness, thank you for your kind words, but considering your discomfort, lingering here might do more harm than good. I’ve seen your face now, so I’ll take my leave. I hope you recover quickly.”
After saying that, I tried to stand up immediately.
“Lyn!”
Leon urgently called my name.
“Yes?”
“Why are you doing this?”
Leon’s face had turned hard before he knew it.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Why suddenly say you want to part ways? You and I were in love! Why are you doing this?”
He seemed unwilling to accept the farewell letter I had sent.
Well, then I’ll say it clearly in your presence.
“Your Highness, my feelings for you are no longer the same. I no longer love you. I neither support your pursuit of the throne nor our love.”
Leon’s face turned pale.
“Why are you suddenly…? Why? You wanted to marry me!”
“That was the old me; now my feelings have changed. I hope you recover quickly. Goodbye, Your Highness.”
“Kailyn!”
Seemingly infuriated by the fact that he couldn’t get up from the bed, Leon struck the bed once and called me again with a strong tone.
A sigh came out.
Yes, it would be hard to accept if the woman who said she loved him and would make him an emperor changed suddenly and withdrew her love and support.
But whether or not I look like a crazy person with extreme mood swings, I have to live for now.
No matter how you look at me, how you feel about you, that’s not what matters to me.
The male lead wielding the sword is Calix.
“I’m sorry. No matter how much you insist, my feelings won’t return to what they were. I can’t do more to help you become emperor.”
I spoke calmly.
Face the reality now!
Your old Kailyn isn’t there anymore.
“Kailyn! I don’t need to be emperor! You love me. If you’re doing this because you’re worried our plan with Calix might fail, let’s just leave this empire together. Let my brother take the throne. I only need you!”
Wow…!
Why does it sound like a romance novel?
With Leon acting this way, Kailyn and him seem like a perfect match.
Kailyn also actively participated in Leon’s rebellion plans, even though she didn’t harbor any ambitions for the throne, thinking that Calix, in pursuit of the throne, might pose a threat to Leon.
In essence, both of them were driven solely by love, rather than power ambitions.
Sigh.
I’m sorry Leon, I’m not your Kailyn.
I’m Lynn. Kim Lynn.
I don’t need power or love, I just want to survive.
“Your Highness, Grand Duke Leon! I don’t need you, the throne, or anything. I just want to live peacefully for a long time. I’m sorry. Then I’ll take my leave.”
In the face of my changed attitude, Leon was not only bewildered but probably hurt. However, I had no room to consider Leon’s feelings.
The purpose of coming to the palace was not Leon but to see the male lead, Calix.
“Kailyn! Don’t do this!”
Ignoring Leon, who seemed unable to accept my words, I quickly headed in the direction of the prince’s residence.
At this moment, the prince would be in the command post of the personal guard.
I pretended to have lost my way and intended to bump into the command post promptly.
