Prologue
Warm breeze blew faintly across my face.
Suddenly, I looked up at the sky.
The sky on that summer day was clear and bright. A beautiful clear sky, with beams of sunlight embroidered across it. Suddenly, ‘He’ appeared before me, without any warning.
I looked towards the owner of that voice. At that moment, he seemed even brighter than the sun, which was already as bright as it could be on a summer day.
Dressed in a plain white shirt, his alluring clavicle was left exposed by a few undone buttons.
The only skin visible was his collarbones, yet he still exudes sensuality.
As soon as he ran into me, he tilted his mouth and smiled.
As if you’ve already noticed my situation, that man with a captivating smile.
I could tell right away who he was.
Chapter 1: The Ex-Girlfriend, Erica
I believe that everyone has their own role.
There is a saying, “One creates their own destiny,” but at least in this world, those words couldn’t be applied.
This is because the world that I lived in was a world set in a book, where the main character’s role was predetermined.
「Yuliana」
It’s the title of this world, the title of this book and at the same time, it’s the name of the female protagonist.
Yuliana works as a maid of honour, hiding her identity as a royal princess.
She is destined to be loved by various men.
Basically, this is a reverse harem novel.
The Matapju, the Grand Duke and even the prince of another kingdom will come to like Yuliana.
Ah, to be a heroine and be loved by all the best men in the world. That must be nice. Compared to her, what’s the role of this person I possessed?
“…So, I hope we can stop seeing each other.”
I looked at Michael, standing in front of me like a mute.
He dropped his gaze with his lips clenched.
Michael.
Until we came to the banquet together, he didn’t know this was going to happen.
I had this thought for a moment that I should comfort him.
But I didn’t.
I was leaving Michael, the man I had dated for the last 3 months. I couldn’t be weak now. Waiting for his answer, I listened to the faint sound of music coming from the banquet hall.
Standing in the garden under the full sunshine of a midsummer day was a bit hard, but listening to the music gave me some relief.
What’s taking him so long?
Suddenly, there was a voice that did not match the soft tune of the performance. It was Michael, who seemed to speak with his jaw clenched.
“Erica Kernels. I can’t accept what you’re saying.”
His voice held a deep sense of anger rather than sadness.
I thought back to my name, which Michael called. It was my new name which I became familiar with.
‘Erica Kernels.’
That’s the name of the woman I possessed in the book ‘Yuliana’.
Originally, she played the role of the villain.
Erica was the only daughter of the Marquis of Kernels, a woman with an appearance too good to be a supporting character.
With her pink hair, green eyes and sensual charm, she was a social gossip who changed men as often as she changed clothes. And she was Leo’s ex-girlfriend.
Come to think of it, it turns out that 3 years have passed since I broke up with Leo. A bitter smile rose to my lips.
“Erika, please say something.”
I answered Michael with a smile. To him, who can’t accept our breakup.
“Why can’t I break-up with you?”
“It’s too one-sided. Did I do something wrong?”
I shook my head. There was nothing wrong with Michael.
“Then why on earth…?”
He carefully brought his body closer to mine.
His brown eyes, once my favourite, looked deeper today.
“Michael. I don’t know if it sounds cruel.”
“….”
“But I’m tired of you.”
Hearing it out loud, it really was pretty cruel. I wonder if Michael thought so too, and his eyes fell on me. He looks furious.
But, I wouldn’t let his anger stop me.
Because I was really sick of him.
To add a little bit more to the description of Erica in the novel…
In the novel, Erica Kernels was a woman who was easily bored with all men except the male lead Leo.
There was only one man Erica Kernels really loved throughout the novel.
That man was the hero of the novel, Leonardo Stein.
I wasn’t really Erica. Originally, I only wanted to act according to the set rules that Erica had, but surprisingly, I also got tired of other guys except Leo.
It was just as if I became the real Erica.
After breaking up with Leo to overcome this unwritten rule, I dated several men. Thanks to Erica’s beautiful appearance, dating many men was a piece of cake.
Strangely, however, those relationships never lasted more than three months. After three months, or 90 days, my interest in others would cool off.
His taste, how he laughs, what makes him sad.
Such things were usually determined within 90 days.
Then it’s less interesting. I was curious about him before I met him, but after about 90 days of meeting him, I became bored. It was a strange thing.
Michael was no different.
I was willing to last longer with him, but after 90 days, everything about him became troublesome. I didn’t want to see him anymore because I was so excited to see what he would say when I broke up with him.
Even if it sounded cruel, it was bound to happen anyways.
“….”
Michael clenched his fist and his body trembled.
I squinted my eyes and made a rough estimate of what he would do next.
Michael, the count’s heir, was hot-tempered. Given that temper, he was surrounded by many violent rumours. But that didn’t mean he was always like that.
Because his face I liked was gentle.
Nevertheless, Michael would occasionally show his hot temper in front of me. Whenever he did that, he would crumple his face and try to quell the fury that’s threatened to explode.
That’s exactly what he looked like now.
He was crumpling his face with all his might.
Maybe he wanted to hurt me, like slapping me on the cheek.
If he’s about to hit me, why don’t I just grip his hand like the women in dramas?
All I would need to do was grab him by the wrist when he lifts it over my face and say,
‘Are you going to hit a girl now?’’
But then, Michael would be even more angry. How should I deal with it?
Given my current situation, I was rather calm. This was the skill of a person who has experienced numerous breakups.
Funny enough, I could even understand a bit of his anger. I knew it was because the declaration I had made was cruel and uncaring.
My prediction was correct.
It wasn’t long before I saw his hand raised above my head.
Are you sure you’re going to slap me?
But he couldn’t bring himself to do it right away, his hands were in the air, shaking faintly.
I lightly pressed and stretched my hand, and prepared to grab his wrist.
“…..!”
It was then that someone got in between us.
Someone grabbed Michael’s arm, which was raised to the air. Somebody with white, slender hands.
I looked behind Michael.
There was a man who appeared silently. A very handsome man, that looks like a main character.
Michael was handsome, but he was even more so.
Who could he be?
He snatched Michael’s arm, while I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off that man’s face. His silver hair reflecting the summer sun looked smooth, and his golden eyes were unfathomable.
He was a man who caught my eye, as if he was born to attract people’s attention. But he didn’t care.
When our gazes finally met, that man only showed a fierce smile.
“I found you.”
His voice was pleasant, but I couldn’t understand what those words meant.
You found me?
This man who came out of nowhere says he’s looking for me? The man’s glossy red lips opened again.
“No matter the reason, it’s never right to hit a woman”
It was a faint smile, but there was a certain chill in it. It was a warning. Though it wasn’t directed at me, even I suddenly felt nervous.
“You think so too, don’t you? Beautiful lady.”
He winked at me, asking for my approval.
No way. He couldn’t be referring to me as a beautiful girl right… It gives me goosebumps. A silly smile appeared on my face before I realized it. It was totally out of place, considering my current position.
I just watched him with a smile on my face.
His deep-set eyes , the strange manner of speaking and his soft side.
I naturally recalled this man in the「Yuliana」book.
Matapju, one of the men who liked the female lead.
That Matapju is here.
I spat out his name, even though I thought he wouldn’t show up here.
“…Zionne?”