I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original Chapter 5

“The fifth prince? Our duke says he’s a bit… lacking. That’s why he doesn’t show up in official events.”

 

“That’s right. There was a time when the High Priestess was called to the imperial palace to bless the fifth prince.”

 

“Really? It’s a bit different from the information I’ve gathered…” Doloret tapped her temple with a pen.

 

“Well, my father wants Pavellian to be the crown prince. Maybe the other princes just aren’t up to his standard?” To prevent her friends from getting too heated over trivial matters, Selleana deliberately spoke in a lively manner. “Besides, who knows if he would be any different from the other guys.” Selleana’s eyes looked at Agnesia and Michi.

 

Even if she didn’t hear Agnesia’s word that men in this empire are b*stards, it was clear to her. Michi, who had run away from the obsession of the four academy superstars, also nodded her head. So, if there weren’t people who could communicate well with her, wouldn’t it be better to choose the most powerful one among them?

 

“I’d rather become crown princess, crowned as empress, and start a revolution.”

 

“Revolution?”

 

“For example, if you tell a lady of a minor age to be a chaste woman, you will be fined 300 million reot?”

 

The girls burst into laughter at Selleana’s words. Various ideas followed, such as banning the wearing of corsets for those under 20, deleting ‘good wife and wise mother’ from the dictionary, and imposing sanctions to prevent nobles from harming the bodies or taking the lives of the servants.

 

After talking about that for a while, Selleana said as if she felt refreshed, “So, first of all, I want to do a lot of fun things like this with you guys. So that I won’t regret it when I enter the imperial palace later.”

 

“…I happen to have a good idea.” The eldest among them, Doloret, quietly listening to her friends’ chatter, showed excitement from the look in her eyes.

 

* * *

The following fall, Benichi’s Tea Salon opened on Edellun Street, the busiest street in the capital. Of course, it was a huge success. This was the first business officially owned by Benichi’s youngest child, who was favored by the two ducal ladies, Elard and Glen. Not only just that…

 

“What drink does Lady Elard often drink?”

 

“Lady Elard often drinks Today Coffee.”

 

“Today… Coffee?”

 

It was a tea salon, but the highlight was the coffee. Until then, there had been no coffee in Nepelsian, but the coffee bean trade, which had been Doloret’s greatest wish, had finally come to fruition. It was an instant for the unfamiliar drink to become a popular item among Nepelsians, especially among young ladies.

 

“Please give me that drink too!”

 

“Here too!”

 

“Ugh, it’s pretty bitter…”

 

“Lady Elard has a very mature taste.”

 

“Is there anything less bitter?”

 

“Lady Glen drinks coffee with milk.”

 

“Give me that!”

 

“I think this bitterness is attractive.”

 

“That’s right. There must be a good reason for the enjoyment.”

 

She just wanted to drink coffee but couldn’t believe she was leading the trend.

 

Having power is the best. It’s thrilling!

 

Selleana, who got a share of the tea salon in return for having her name used in the promotions, found all her stupi… no, beloved customers to be exceptionally lovely. They were so lovely that they sometimes did all sorts of crazy things. For example,

 

“Is coffee the name of the tea leaf variety?”

 

“Ah, that’s…”

 

“I’ll explain.”

 

On the way to the tea salon’s manager’s office, which has become their new hideout, Selleana first sent away the clerk flustered by an unexpected question and then discreetly observed the customer. The tea salon had become so famous that it attracted attention from wealthy people worldwide to even the most influential members of the imperial family. As a result, a diverse array of stu… no, customers were flocking in recently.

 

So, what about this customer?

 

Oh my.

 

This customer’s jawline even looked handsome. He was a bit suspicious because he wore his hood deeply, but all the customers were lovely.

 

“Coffee is made by roasting, grinding, and brewing the fruit of the coffee tree that grows in the Etinya region of the Southern Continent.”

 

“Ah, as expected… Thank you.” That’s what he was saying, and the voice of the man reciting was also very good to hear.

 

Hmm, that made me feel better.

 

“You’re the first customer to ask about coffee. As a way to encourage you to come often, I will treat you to what you ate today.” As she said that, Selleana smiled brightly.

 

Thud! She heard a dull sound and saw that a book had fallen to the floor. It was in that man’s hand before.

 

Oh dear. Selleana was all too familiar with it, having men mesmerized by her smile. She bowed, and her sinful smile deepened. This customer was so lovely, so she had nothing to complain about.

 

It was the moment she reached out her hand to pick up the book.

 

“Ouch!”

 

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

 

The man also tried to pick up a book but ended up hitting her forehead. Thanks to that, she was able to get a glimpse of the man’s face hidden under the hood.

 

Oh my!

 

Unlike his sloppy attire, he was a handsome man with quite a noble atmosphere. Even in this world where rolling stones are handsome, his handsomeness is enough to stand out. At first glance, his eyes are bright blue and even have a truly cool tone. His hair couldn’t be seen because it was covered by the hood, but the jawline, bridge of the nose, and mouth of the man revealed underneath were all equally impressive.

 

What a shame…

 

His appearance was top-notch, but seeing as he came alone dressed suspiciously, it was clear he was a commoner.

 

Seeing him read such a thick book, is he an academy student…?

 

Selleana handed him the book she had picked up and took a quick look at it. The book looked sloppy as if he had copied it because his circumstances were difficult, and he couldn’t afford to buy it.

 

Herina... Frodo and the Fairy’s Stone? ^[1] In case you didn’t know, the title is parody of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’.  The title seems somewhat familiar.

 

“Well, here you go.”

 

Even as he received the book, the man could not take his eyes off Selleana’s face.

 

“It must be hard to make ends meet.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“That…”

 

The man pursed his lips as if he were going to say something more.

 

Say something! It was the moment when Selleana tilted her head to one side and smiled.

 

“…I just want to say thank you.” The man quickly replied in a shy, low voice. His shy smile was so wonderful.

 

… Well, of course. Because no one doesn’t smile when they see me. Selleana smiled guiltily again and shook her head. “Now, let’s have fun.”

 

* * *

It has been 3 years since Benichi Salon opened. Doloret succeeded in various businesses using Selleana and Rosalli. In addition, the two ducal ladies, adding their influences to their backgrounds, debuted in society and laid the noble society at their feet. Along with the success of her friends, Agnesia became a priestess.

 

Yet, Selleana still couldn’t find a way to avoid the arranged marriage. She was almost giving up and after another dozen tea parties… 

 

It was one day when Selleana had turned 20.

 

“Lea, there’s Wilshe’s new book.”

 

“Big Sis, I love you!”

 

The moment she entered the manager’s office at Benichi Tea Salon, Selleana’s eyes sparkled like a puppy. Those who admired her like a goddess couldn’t even imagine.

 

“Oh my gosh, Wilshe must be Korean.”

 

The book Selleana picked up was titled <I, the illegitimate child of a duke, become the king of mercenaries?>

 

“This is the sadness of not being able to call your father as ‘dad’ or your older sister as ‘Noona’.”

 

“Crazy.”

 

Doloret expressed her admiration. “As expected, we must find Wilshe.”

 

Wilshe. Three years ago, a girl with a scar on her nose entered a magic school and went on an adventure knowing that her parents’ keepsake rings belonged to the elves. Wilshe was the novelist who emerged like a comet with the publication of the <Herina Frodo> series.

 

Selleana happened to see it in a bookstore, and it reminded her of something the handsome customer at Benichi Salon was reading. From then on, she became a huge fan of Wilshe, to the point she bought all their books.

 

In addition to the < Herina Frodo ^[2] Parody of ‘Harry Potter’ > series, she fell in love with the nostalgic world of her previous life works, such as < The Little Princess ^[3] Parody of ‘The Little Prince’ > and < Arrogance and Rash Judgment ^[4] Parody of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ .>

 

The problem was that Their writing was also attractive to people here. Its popularity grew so much that Doloret’s guild had to work hard to obtain new copies.

 

“That’s why we’re bringing Wilshe to our club. Then, we can take advantage of my acquaintance’s chance to see the first draft, right?”

 

“It will save me trouble.”

 

Rosalli and Agnesia added words to Doloret’s snort.

 

“If they were really Korean, they would have appeared when we were advertising. How much money did you spend back then?”

 

“Based on common sense, would a woman write the story of Hong Gil-dong ^[5] Hong Gil-dong is a prominent figure in Korean literature and folklore, often likened to Robin Hood in Western culture. He becomes a leader of a group of outlaws, stealing from the rich and corrupt officials and helping the poor and powerless. Later, he is celebrated as a symbol of resistance against social injustice and a hero of the common people. ? I’m afraid that person is a b*stard.”

 

“You should read it properly. How delicate is the author’s emotional line? Even if the author is not a woman, to have this kind of sensibility…”

 

“What? Proposing a contract marriage now? When is the selection contest for the crown princess coming up soon?”

 

As Rosalli dismissed the idea sharply, Selleana pouted her lips as if to say, ‘Can’t I even dream?’.

 

Indeed, the imperial family announced that the battle for the crown princess would be held soon as if they had been waiting for Selleana to become an adult.

 

The crown prince was Pavellian, who secured the succession position 3 years ago when the fifth prince gave up his right to succeed the throne. And the winner of the battle for the crown princess, of course, would be Lady of Elard. 

 

Still, Pavellian didn’t suit Selleana’s taste. Your personality should have been right if your face didn’t fit my preference. The boy grew up to be a handsome man as an adult. However, he was more robust than Selleana’s ideal type, with a broader chest… and still had warm-toned blond hair.

 

“Sigh, it would be better if I could change his habit of saying things like presumptuous and audacious.”

 

“Hey, that’s the dignity of the imperial family.”

 

“Dignity? Dignityyy? The dignity of the warm-toned person?”

 

Rosalli frowned at the familiar whining. “You need to stop your habit of categorizing men by their personal color.”

 

“Listen.” Selleana tapped the cover of the book. “The male leads in Wilshe’s novels all have black hair. What does this tell you? Wilshe and I are twins in taste.”

 

“There she goes again.”

• 1. In case you didn’t know, the title is parody of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’.
• 2. Parody of ‘Harry Potter’
• 3. Parody of ‘The Little Prince’
• 4. Parody of ‘Pride and Prejudice’
• 5. Hong Gil-dong is a prominent figure in Korean literature and folklore, often likened to Robin Hood in Western culture. He becomes a leader of a group of outlaws, stealing from the rich and corrupt officials and helping the poor and powerless. Later, he is celebrated as a symbol of resistance against social injustice and a hero of the common people.