Chapter 5.1

The next day, Ellie deliberately wore the dress made by Tiahren.

As she approached the café, her heart began to pound with nervous excitement.

Right before entering, she took a deep breath.

“Phew…….”

Clenching her fists, she entered the café in a battle-ready stance.

There was no one on the first floor, so she went up to the second floor and saw Rozelia sitting in a corner seat.

Her palms became sweaty for no reason, so she wiped them on her dress and walked over.

As Ellie approached, Rozelia seemed to sense her presence and turned her head to look at her.

“You’re here?”

“…Yes.”

“Sit down.”

Normally, someone would at least stand up, but Rozelia simply stayed seated.

Ellie decided not to say anything and took a seat across from Rozelia.

It would be rude to come to a café and order nothing, so she ordered some herbal tea.

Rozelia said nothing until the herbal tea arrived.

When the tea was served, Ellie looked at the steaming cup and spoke first.

“Lady Azenne, why did you ask to meet?”

“Because I’m curious about something.”

Rozelia set her cup down with a loud clink.

“What is it?”

She raised her chin on purpose and asked confidently.

After staring at Ellie for a few seconds, Rozelia spoke.

“Are you really engaged to Fero—no, to Grand Duke Calliet?”

“…Yes.”

One of Ellie’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Rozelia had clearly started to call him by name and then quickly changed her words.

“Do you love the Grand Duke?”

“Of course.”

This, Ellie could answer with confidence.

At first, she had been so caught up in the original story that she couldn’t sort out her own feelings and wavered, but now she was sure.

“Then… does the Grand Duke love you?”

“Of course.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pardon?”

Ellie furrowed her brow a little.

“I asked if you’re sure the Grand Duke loves you.”

“I’m sure.”

She had heard countless confessions of love.

So she nodded confidently.

But Rozelia smirked, lifting one corner of her mouth.

“I don’t think so.”

“What?”

“Do you really think the Grand Duke’s love will last forever? Truly?”

Ellie flinched.

For a moment, she remembered the original story.

“The Grand Duke is just being fickle.”

“…….”

“His feelings will soon change. Of course, toward me.”

Rozelia was certain.

Her voice held not the slightest hint of doubt, as if it was absolutely going to happen.

Ellie stared at her quietly and spoke.

“Why are you so sure?”

“What?”

“Even if the Grand Duke’s feelings for me fade, no one knows whether he’ll love you or not—how can you be so sure?”

“That’s because…….”

Rozelia, who had been answering confidently just a moment ago, suddenly trailed off.

As she hesitated, Ellie’s suspicions became certainty.

“Because you’re the heroine of this novel?”

“You…!”

As Ellie finished speaking, Rozelia’s eyes widened and she shot up from her seat.

“You, don’t tell me…”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Ellie slowly stood up as well.

While she was at it, she decided to bring up what Rozelia had said about lying yesterday.

“Yesterday, when you called me a liar, you meant when I said I found Tiahren after seeing it in a fashion magazine, right?”

“…Yes. Tiahren is a boutique no one really knows about.”

Rozelia answered, glaring sharply.

Ellie shook her head slightly and said,

“That wasn’t a lie. I really did find it after seeing it in a magazine.”

“What?”

“At first, I didn’t remember either. I saw the magazine and recalled it, so I went there… It’s not a complete lie.”

On purpose, Ellie shrugged to look a bit annoying.

If Rozelia had acted friendly, that would be one thing, but since she was being hostile, Ellie felt no obligation to be kind in return.

Rozelia glared at her and spoke.

“Getting close to Tiahren is my role. Not yours!”

“So that’s why, when our eyes met in front of Tiahren, you didn’t greet me and just left.”

At Ellie’s words, Rozelia quickly averted her gaze.

“Since you have no connection at all to the Grand Duke—no, to Feroza—you called me out.”

“…….”

“To try to get into this position.”

Ellie smiled sweetly, and Rozelia looked at her again, frowning.

“Yes, so what? That was always my seat. You stole it from me.”

“…….”

“You’re just an extra. No screen time, just a name mentioned here and there.”

Ellie’s smile gradually faded from her lips.

Rozelia flinched, perhaps frightened by Ellie’s now expressionless face.

“That was before I entered this body.”

“What?”

“Now that I’m here, I have no intention of living by the story’s rules.”

“…….”

“This character’s ending is death—do you think I’ll just follow along?”

Of course, getting involved with Feroza hadn’t been intentional.

That thought, she kept to herself.

Feeling parched, Ellie drank her now cold herbal tea in one gulp.

She put down the cup and met Rozelia’s eyes.

The shining blue eyes she’d seen at the last tea party were nowhere to be found.

‘Maybe that was the real Rozelia back then?’

Then when did she get possessed?

Ellie looked at her quietly and spoke.

“Do you remember meeting me at the tea party?”

“I don’t remember that.”

Contrary to Ellie’s expectation that Rozelia would ignore her as if she had no obligation to answer, Rozelia replied in a prickly voice.

‘So I was right.’

Back then, Rozelia really seemed to have zero interest in Ellie or Feroza.

Well, it didn’t matter much now anyway.

Ellie let out a light sigh and said,

“Forget the original story. The moment I announced my engagement to Feroza, the story was already off track.”

“What?”

“Don’t get hung up on it—just live your own life.”

She said it earnestly, as someone who had shared the same experience.

But Rozelia’s reaction was strange.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Her face turned pale.

“I’m supposed to be happy. How can I live happily if I don’t follow the original story?”

Hearing Rozelia’s words, Ellie was shocked inside.

Rozelia’s obsession with the original story seemed overwhelming.

A chill ran down her spine; she felt she needed to leave immediately.

“Anyway, I’ve said all I wanted. I’ll go first.”

She hadn’t brought anything, so there was nothing to pack.

Hurriedly, she turned and rushed down the stairs.

She could feel the other patrons looking at her curiously as she nearly ran down, but she didn’t have time to care.

She opened the café door and walked quickly away, when someone roughly grabbed her wrist.

“You have to give my seat back before you leave!”

Rozelia, her eyes bloodshot, glared at Ellie.

She gripped Ellie’s wrist so tightly it began to hurt.

Ellie frowned and spoke.

“What are you talking about!”

“You stole my seat! So you have to return it to its rightful owner—me.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Ellie gritted her teeth and glared right back at Rozelia.

“Move! Carriage coming through!”

From far away, a coachman was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Breathing hard, Rozelia suddenly flung Ellie’s wrist away, causing her to stumble.

Then Rozelia shoved Ellie hard toward the road.

‘Crazy…!’

Ellie’s body tilted helplessly.

The carriage was getting closer, and it was clear she’d be hit at this rate.

But there was no way to regain her balance.

In this situation, the only option was to crawl out of the road as soon as she fell.

At that moment, someone urgently grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace.

“…Ha.”

A low breath sounded in her ear.

A familiar scent filled her nose.

“…Feroza.”

She didn’t even need to check his face to know.

She’d been terrified, her head spinning, but as soon as she realized he was by her side, all that fear disappeared.

Ellie closed her eyes and exhaled a trembling breath.

She heard the carriage pass by her ear.

Feroza released his hold and began to check her over meticulously.

“Ellie, are you alright?”

“…No.”

Normally, she would have said she was fine, but today she didn’t want to.

When she shook her head, Feroza frowned slightly and shielded her behind his back.

“Lady Azenne.”

Feroza called Rozelia in a voice as cold as ice.

Rozelia, who had been staring at him blankly, flinched.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

“I-I…”

Rozelia’s voice trembled as she stammered.

“Were you trying to kill someone? What’s wrong with you!”

“…….”

“What were you thinking, pushing Ellie?”

It was a voice Ellie had never heard from him before.

She was so scared, she trembled slightly.

From behind Feroza, she peeked out at Rozelia.

Rozelia bit her lips hard and hung her head.

Feroza, watching her, spoke.

“The deal I was supposed to make with your father is off. I’ll return the peridot mine I received as a gift.”

“Wh-what? What do you mean!”

“Didn’t you expect this much when you did it?”

Rozelia reached out and grabbed Feroza’s forearm.

But before she could even process it, he easily shook off her hand.

“It’s unpleasant, so please don’t touch me.”

“Ah…….”

“I hope we never see each other again.”

Feroza replied coldly, then turned to look at Ellie.

“Ellie, let’s go now.”

His voice was gentle, completely different from before.

“Yes.”

Feroza softly wrapped his arm around her shoulders.