I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original Chapter 136

“To Lady?”

 

“Me? What?”

 

With the sudden words, Rakrensius stopped moving, and Selleana looked at him with a puzzled expression. As soon as the matters at the imperial palace were settled, she terminated her contract with Di, so she couldn’t hear Di’s words.

 

[Where are you now? Don’t tell me you’re not coming home. Come back immediately, or I won’t allow the marriage. What if something went wrong, etc…]

 

“…Lea, I think you need to go home.”

 

“What? Right now? In the middle of this?” Selleana’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Rakrensius wasn’t exactly happy about it either…

 

“…The duke is writing messages every minute…”

 

“What?”

 

“Ah… Now, he’s saying that since I couldn’t possibly be holding you this late, you must have been kidnapped by a hostile family, and he’s about to deploy his private soldiers…”

 

“Aack!”

 

* * *

“La-Lady, you’ve arri… Ah, Yo-Your Highness!”

 

“Good evening…”

 

It was late at night at Duke Elard’s residence. There wasn’t even a sound of a carriage, but suddenly, Selleana appeared, surprising everyone. And then a distinguished guest followed, causing Aiven to be even more flustered.

 

“Where is father?”

 

“I-Inside… Shall I bring some tea?”

 

“No, that’s alright.”

 

Selleana, holding Rakrensius’s wrist, strode across the hall and up the stairs. They soon arrived at the duke couple’s chambers.

 

“Father! Here I am, just as you called!”

 

She flung the door open, revealing the duke armed as if ready to charge into the imperial palace. Apparently restless, he was awkwardly standing in a corner, writing something in the notebook Rakrensius had given him as a magic tool.

 

“Lea, you’re here.” Ignoring her husband, the duchess, dressed in indoor clothes and having shed all the layers from the banquet, greeted Selleana while enjoying her wine.

 

At her voice, the duke turned abruptly toward the door. “Lea, you rascal, who comes this late… Gasp!”

 

“…We meet again.”

 

“Yes, that, Yo-Your Highness… H-How…”

 

It was Rakrensius, lowering his hood with an embarrassed look, who met the duke’s eyes.

 

“Your Highness, please come in.”

 

“Sorry for the sudden visit….” Rakrensius managed a slight nod as the duchess gave him a warm smile.

 

“Lea, what is the meaning of this…!”

 

“Father told me to come home!”

 

“I-I did, but…!”

 

“I didn’t want to leave my lover, so I just brought him along!”

 

“You, little…!”

 

“Hahaha!”

 

While the duke stammered, the duchess’s clear laughter echoed.

 

“We’ll be playing with Michi, so don’t even think about snooping around the east wing, okay?”

 

“You, how can an unmarried lady bring an unrelated man into the house…!”

 

“He won’t be unrelated for long!”

 

“Y-You…!”

 

“If Father keeps this up, I’ll run away again! Let’s go, Master of Tower,” Selleana pulled Rakrensius’s arm and slammed the door shut behind her.

 

Inside the room, it felt like a storm had just passed, and the only sound was the duchess chuckling as she sipped her wine.

 

With a thud, Duke Elard collapsed onto the sofa. “Raising a daughter is all for nothing…”

 

“Why? Just a while ago at the banquet, you were all smiles when they praised Riishuryung territory, saying it was a prime spot, saying you’re getting a fine prospective son-in-law who’s handsome, lord of the tower, and a prince.”

 

“T-That’s…!”

 

Duke couldn’t help but swallow his words, knowing his wife was right.

 

“Times have changed. I just think he’s nice to look at.”

 

* * *

“Michiii! I’m home!” Selleana flung open the door to her parlor in the east wing. “Huh? Do my eyes deceive me, or I’m seeing my brothers here?”

 

“It looks that way to me too….”

 

The parlor was a complete mess. Michi and the Elard brothers, still in their banquet attire, were chatting with a couple of wine glasses in front of them. On the table were already five or six opened bottles of wine.

 

“Are you saying this is lighter… than that?”

 

“Can’t you tell? Here, it has a nutty aroma like young beans, and here, it smells fresh and fruity like clear juice.”

 

“You’re right. It’s quite light, like the wine you recommended at the Enet Palace.”

 

“Exactly, you sure know your stuff, Milord.”

 

“I have no idea what I’m supposed to be feeling.”

 

“Lord Peri, is there something wrong with your sense of smell?”

 

“Indeed. It’s a good thing you became a knight.”

 

“I feel like Michi and my brother are just making fun of me….”

 

“I never thought I’d see this day….”

 

Selleana’s eyes turned cold as she watched the scene. “This is why I banned you from the east wing….”

 

“Banned…?”

 

“Michi attracts all the men in the world, as you can see, even at the banquet earlier. Even when the saintess is already ruined, her halo is still strong,” Selleana muttered grumpily.

 

Rakrensius figured this too must be related to Michi’s fate.

 

“What are you all doing in a room without the owner? Didn’t you drink enough at the banquet?”

 

“A lot? We barely started. Did you enjoy your private time?”

 

“We had a great time. Absolutely wonderful.”

 

“Cough, cough.”

 

“Oh dear, this girl….”

 

At Selleana’s nonchalant reply, her brothers’ faces froze. Rakrensius was no different, though in his case, his face turned red.

 

Geez, Michi grinned and shook the bell for calling. The maids, who entered promptly, had slightly flushed cheeks. They too had been enjoying good wine, apparently given by Michi.

 

“Since the lady and her darling are here, bring more glasses and some snacks.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Beyond the courteous reply came sly giggles. The maids, tipsy, didn’t hesitate to glance at their lady’s new companion.

 

Sigh. Is this the second round of the banquet…? Rakrensius’s face turned pale at the blatant stares.

 

Leading her frozen partner to an empty sofa, Selleana continued to grumble. “Father kept messaging me, ruining the mood. So, what were you guys up to? Teaching Brother Peri about wine?”

 

“Exactly. Lord Peri said all wines taste the same. Does that even make sense?”

 

“Of course not. We even have Baron Branto’s family as our vassal….”

 

“Milord, you really know your stuff.”

 

“I guess Brother had some expertise about it too.”

 

Selleana frowned at her brothers’ behavior. “You’re getting along well with Michi. But you didn’t believe me when I said I made friends with master of tower…”

 

“Friend, my foot. Everyone knows you were chasing after him from the start.”

 

“Ahem, well. I might have, but to master of tower, I was just a friend.”

 

“Not really though…” Rakrensius, who had been shrinking back, cautiously added his voice as the lively atmosphere continued.

 

Knock, knock. The maids returned with a trolley carrying various sizes of wine glasses and light snacks. They set the items in front of Selleana and Rakrensius, giggling as they left. Rakrensius blushed again at their playful glances.

 

“I was quite rude to you before, Your Highness.” Theonis moved closer to Rakrensius, filling his glass. He was referring to when he visited the Magic Tower and told Rakrensius to stop seeing Selleana.

 

“No, not at all. Back then… it was understandable.”

 

“Anyway, now that it’s come to this, our Lea has many shortcomings, but please take care of her….”

 

“No, she is more than enough for me… Rather, I should be the one asking for your care.”

 

“Oho, as expected, Master of Tower knows your stuff.”

 

Michi’s playful remark made Peri laugh. He still thought Pavellian was a better match as a man. Still, he had to admit that Rakrensius cared for and suited Selleana better.

 

The evening continued pleasantly. The Elard siblings’ candid chatter, Michi’s excitement at being out without glasses, and Selleana’s occasional affectionate gestures… Sometimes the topic of conversation, other times a sincere listener, Rakrensius also enjoyed the evening in his own way.

 

As the hours passed and the early drinkers’ speech grew sluggish, signaling the end of the lively atmosphere, Rakrensius quietly got up and went out to the balcony. It was one of the places he often visited when secretly coming to Selleana’s place.

 

The duchy garden was in full view. Compared to what he used to gaze at all day during his confinement in the West Palace, this garden was much larger and elegantly adorned with various species of trees.

 

The soft light of the magical street lamps and the gentle moonlight created a serene atmosphere despite its grandeur. It was a view he never thought he would enjoy in his lifetime. Having never seen it, he had never imagined it, and he certainly never thought he would become the owner of such a historic mansion’s splendid garden.

 

“What are you thinking about?”

 

A delicate arm wrapped around his waist and Selleana’s face nestled against his side.

 

“How much would it cost to build a mansion with a garden like this… something like that?” Rakrensius left a light kiss on Selleana’s graceful forehead.

 

“It’s too noisy, isn’t it?”

 

Rakrensius lifted his arm and hugged her shoulder, and Selleana snuggled up to him.

 

“But this is my first time playing so freely with my brothers. I used to keep them away from my place, worried they might have a bad influence on Michi.”

 

Selleana’s words continued like an excuse, knowing that Rakrensius preferred quiet environments and was probably straining himself.

 

Rakrensius smiled faintly and stroked Selleana’s hair. “I told you, I lived with just my mother when I was young.”

 

“Yes. You said you traveled a lot.”

 

“Then I suddenly ended up in the Imperial Palace… Shortly after arriving, many people got hurt because of me.”

 

“People got hurt… because of Master of Tower?”

 

Rakrensius smiled painfully. The servants who lost their memories after learning his secret, the gardener who fell while teaching him the names of the plants in the garden, the cat he cared for that got bitten by a military dog… His nightmares were filled with these figures. But now, he probably wouldn’t dream those nightmares anymore.

 

“Anyway, during my time at the imperial palace, I didn’t have anyone to interact with personally except for Di. So, I never thought about living a life mingling with others… It all feels like a dream now.”

 

The man’s mouth twisted into a smile as he looked down at Selleana’s clear face.

 

“But why do you keep forgetting my name?”

 

“…It must be a habit.”

 

Selleana stuck out her tongue and giggled. That innocent smile brought a smile to Rakrensius’s face as well. His head slowly bent down.

 

“All thanks to you, Lea.”

 

As Selleana slightly tilted her chin in anticipation, his mouth engulfed her lips in a passionate kiss. Every kiss was filled with emotion. It felt like every moment confirmed that he could cherish and desire her as much as he wanted… With that overwhelming feeling, he explored her soft lips, the tender and warm tongue, and the neat little teeth.

 

After a long moment, Rakrensius barely pulled away from her. “…I love you.”

 

The man’s face, filled with shyness and deep emotion as he confessed his love, seemed even more beautiful. Or perhaps it was because Selleana was looking at him with eyes full of affection.

 

“…Me too.”

 

Selleana laughed as she hugged his neck. Her face, resting on his shoulder, was filled with pure joy.

 

“Please send the proposal as soon as possible, okay?”

 

“Of course, my angel.” Rakrensius’s charming laughter softly echoed in Selleana’s ears as he embraced her.

 

The end of main story.