There Are Too Many Second Male Leads!

 

She didn’t plan on having a staring contest, so She politely nodded toward the nobles instead of looking at the unfamiliar lady.

“I am Roella Clemend.”

Standing higher than them, She carefully scanned the nobles seated around the round table. Chase, Evan, and Louise were sitting right in front of the dais, and right next to their table were Kai and Isabella. She tried to greet Kai with a warm smile, but he seemed unresponsive, staring at her without any movement.

“You don’t think she’s doing that because I’ve been reading a R-rated romance novel, do you?

Tsk!

“Could it be because of that mature romance novel I read? Surely, that’s not the reason.”

Ding!

Boom! Pow!

[Special Event Start!]

With the sound of fireworks, She widened her eyes at the window that appeared. The nobles became confused as they observed her surprised expression.
She quickly realized the fact that she was on the dais and shifted her gaze from the midair back to its original position.
“It has been a year since I woke up, and there are many shortcomings. It is also true that I have lost my memory.”
Her first words caused a stir in the room.
After the invitations were sent out, rumors about her spread throughout the entire Ruman Empire, and one of them was that ‘Lady Clement has lost her memory.’
Chase had said that being completely honest would make her life more comfortable. To her concerns about losing her memory being a weakness, Chase smiled gently and reassured her that it wouldn’t be a problem.
“No one in the Ruman Empire would dare to touch Lady Clement.”
Thanks to having a powerful father, She could honestly confess that she had lost her memory. She addressed the murmuring nobles with confidence.
“I am prepared to build a new life with the resolve of being reborn after the past year. I also wish to establish good connections with all of you here. Please watch over me with understanding.”
‘Alright, I spoke well without trembling!’
“Alright, you spoke well without trembling!”

She bowed politely amidst thunderous applause. Scanning the nobles clapping, She looked for the two male lead candidates she would encounter today.

“I found Matap.”

Finding Enoch wasn’t difficult. The affinity meter above Enoch’s head made him immediately noticeable.

Enoch stood in a black robe at the right corner, and people kept a certain distance as if guessing who he was.

‘Matap is over there… but where’s the Crown Prince?’

The party officially began. As the music played, the garden quickly filled with a majestic atmosphere.

Simultaneously, the footsteps of the nobles became lively. Nobles swiftly found conversation partners and gathered in small groups. The heads of the four ducal houses approached her first and greeted her politely.

“I am Duke Hughes. Congratulations on Lady Clement’s recovery.”

“I am Duke Valliere. Congratulations on your recovery.”

Duke Hughes had a small stature and thinning hair, giving off a delicate impression rather than a typical noble appearance.

On the other hand, Duke Valliere, with his thick brown hair and broad shoulders, looked enormous. His eyes narrowed upwards, giving a shrewd impression.

“I am Roella Clement. I am truly grateful for the direct congratulations from the heads of the four ducal houses.”

With Angel’s Smile (I didn’t know who it was), She greeted the unfamiliar dukes and smiled until her cheeks hurt.

‘Ah, I need to find the male leads first! And I also need to find the golden key!’
The nobles seemed eager, not giving her any room to breathe. Among those greeting her was Isabella. Angel, responding to Chase’s call, left her in Isabella’s care and moved away.
“Lady Clement, congratulations on your recovery. Unfortunately, my father couldn’t attend due to business on our estate, so we came on behalf of him.”

Even when Isabella greeted her, Kai seemed to be lost in thought from a distance. Isabella seemed to signal Kai, but he remained indifferent to coming over. Without paying much attention to Kai, She responded to Isabella.

“It’s okay! I heard from my father. I’m grateful for your constant visits, even though you had to come again.”

Isabella smiled kindly while giving her a troubled look. Perhaps it was because of Kai. Kai, with a sidelong glance from afar, didn’t come closer, behaving like a stubborn child.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

Suddenly, She felt a piercing gaze from a distance. She turned her head in the direction of the gaze. There, a red-haired beauty with sharp features was approaching her with a hostile demeanor, her arms crossed.
‘Who is this girl who’s been bothering me since earlier?’
“Nice to meet you, Roella Clement.”
The red-haired beauty stood in front of her alone, chin raised defiantly. Behind her, other beauties who seemed like followers exerted pressure on her shoulders, resembling antagonists tormenting the protagonist.
“…?”

Upon seeing the red-haired beauty, Isabella’s expression turned contemplative.
The stares felt from the dais, Isabella’s reaction, and the arrogant greeting were enough to suggest that this lady held some resentment toward her.
“To publicly announce losing your memory, typical of Lady Clement.”
Her mocking tone was quite evident.
Although the person was unfamiliar to her memories, she now seemed to know who the red-haired lady was.
‘Now that I think about it, she does resemble Duke Valliere a bit…’
Red hair, raised eyebrows, and an openly hostile tone. The lady that Isabella warned her about, Dorothy Valliere.
She stared silently at the arrogant face of the red-haired lady.
“Did you really not consider that openly declaring your memory loss might be a weakness, Lady Clement? Or do you believe you can continue to act recklessly under your family’s protection as before?”
Despite Valliere’s blatant disrespect, none of the surrounding ladies sided with her. She seemed pleased with what she thought was a victory and raised her chin triumphantly.
Regardless of the noble house, whether from the four ducal families or the Clement family, She, as the next in line to the imperial throne, should have asserted her status just like the previous noble ladies did. However, Valliere immediately pointed out the social status of everyone, and the other ladies seemed to enjoy her rudeness rather than revealing their own identities. Isabella was the only one who showed a hint of discomfort.
‘This situation seems too familiar.’
Recalling her brief time in school, She addressed the red-haired lady with a sarcastic tone.
“It seems you’ve lost your memory too.”
“Huh?”
“Because you seem completely unaware of manners.”
The Valliere family was the second most powerful among the four ducal families. They weren’t known for military strength like the Clement family or exceptional magic abilities like the Twillyi family, but rather for being staunch supporters of the current emperor. Most nobles didn’t like the Valliere family, but only the Clement family dared to openly oppose them. Because of this, there had been a long-standing feud between the Valliere and Clement families.
“I don’t want to bring up unpleasant matters, but I feel I should inform you. The first time you attended a social gathering, there was a verbal altercation between you and Valliere, and Lady Clement, you slapped Valliere.”
“A slap?!”
“Ah, no. That was a slip of the tongue, I meant… Why…”
“I’m not entirely sure about that. However, after that day, most of the ladies sympathized with Dorothy Valliere, and Lady Clement, you refrained from social gatherings. If you happen to encounter Valliere again at this celebration, it might cause another awkward situation, so be aware.”
According to Isabella, She had only attended a social gathering once and didn’t have a particularly good standing among the ladies.
While many initially wanted to befriend Lady Clement, her brash actions led to an image of an “unfit daughter who doesn’t suit her status” being unconsciously established. The incident with Dorothy’s slap apparently solidified that image.

Moreover, the reason for slapping Dorothy was a secret known only to both of us. With her lack of Roella’s memories, only Dorothy knew the truth.

“Well, we can’t change the past, can we?”

To change the established image, She needed to be well-behaved but not appear overly submissive, earning the favor of the ladies.

“May I inquire which noble house you belong to, and yet, you don’t reveal your status even though you know I am Lady Clement?”

“That, that side?”

“Since you don’t reveal your family, I have no choice but to address you like that.”

Upon her words, the face of the red-haired lady flushed. Isabella, too, was surprised by her cold tone.

“…Dorothy Valliere. My apologies for the impoliteness in my eagerness.”

Either because there were many witnesses or due to her acknowledgment of her greeting, Dorothy politely lowered her head. The other ladies imitated her submissive posture.

“As expected, nature doesn’t change. Even though you’ve lost your memory, to once again be so rude to Lady Valliere.”

‘Wow. But who was the first one to be rude?’

“At this rate, it might tarnish the social circle. It was peaceful without you for a while…”

“What?”

It seemed the ladies who already harbored resentment towards her were trying to make an issue out of her attitude towards Lady Valliere.

However, her actions were not wrong. Despite the same official rank, there were distinct class differences within the four ducal families.

Although we treated each other with respect, there was an unspoken understanding of how the Clement family received special treatment among the four ducal families. She hadn’t openly accepted such treatment yet.

“Perhaps Lady Clement hasn’t received proper lessons yet?”

Seizing the opportunity, Dorothy gracefully spoke with a fan covering her mouth. Observing Isabella’s reaction, she seemed excited by Dorothy’s words and quietly clenched her gloved fists.

“That’s right. Come to think of it, if you can’t even manifest mana properly…”

“Well, she lacks manners, and now mana proficiency, too… What will happen if she faces a magic duel?”
“Ha!”

She turned to Isabella, who had taught her, and even she seemed to be subtly clenching her gloved fists in response to Dorothy’s words.
“Are you… are you mocking us?”

Translator Note: