I Seduced the Male Lead’s Lover

Several days passed after the party where she’d achieved many results. Perhaps from seeing all those splendid sights, sweet cakes appeared in her dreams even days later.

Emily, whom she’d thought would be difficult to befriend, turned out to be a more proactive person than expected.

Unlike her quiet personality Maria had predicted from the party conversation where she didn’t lead discussions or talk much, Emily sent letters almost daily after that day.

[Maria, I thought deeply about what you said a friend is. Thinking about it, I don’t have many ladies maintaining the level of friendship you mentioned. Strangely, despite attending many parties and tea times, I had no lady I met that frequently.]

At first, she thought Emily was softly expressing rejection in an aristocratic way, feeling burdened about friendship. But as time passed, Emily’s letters gradually grew longer and more chatty.

[I thought about the friend-making you proposed, and for our first start, how about going to see the currently playing, Nomeo and Julia? They say this performance hired very famous actors doing well in other countries. By the way, don’t worry about reservations. House Sackelpine can always reserve the best VIP seats anytime.]

As letters arriving from House Sackelpine increased, Maria thought.

[But thinking about it, watching performances is too cliché, right? I might be insisting too much on classic methods. My family has always educated that law, discipline, and classics are best, but I found that quite stale and stubborn. If this makes you uncomfortable, please tell me anytime. So next I thought, there’s a cafe I frequent often……]

‘Somehow…… she seems excited……?’

[Also, I’ve been thinking, when you’re in a bad mood, how do you curse about others? I’ve heard Noah badmouth people occasionally, but Noah is originally like that, so it’s fine. Of course, I’ve seen and heard plenty of ladies talking about other ladies. But that’s conversation that came up coincidentally, whereas according to what you said, it’s a method of badmouthing some target when you’re in a bad mood?

Ladylike refinement always teaches to have manners and culture, but I wonder if friends can do that…… Ah, Maria, don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean I don’t want to be friends, but the method of friendship you suggested seems quite novel.

When I first heard it, should I say I felt something thrilling for the first time……]

At this point, she’s enjoying it, right?

Emily sent letters of this length almost daily. The beginning started with Maria’s tastes, then interests and various other topics.

As exchanged letters increased, Maria suggested they just meet instead, and Emily readily agreed. Not knowing what results that would bring…….

Maria was fine until they explored new places each time they met. But some days from the capital center to the outskirts, other days entirely devoted to shopping—gradually her stamina began hitting rock bottom.

Formally requesting friendship like this seemed to have brought Emily considerable enjoyment.

But when things go too far, they drain your energy—unable to bear it anymore, Maria spoke with a haggard appearance at a cafe they’d stopped by to rest.

“……Let’s stop for today……”

Maria swore that after transmigrating, she’d learned for the first time that the Kingdom of Samoa had this many shops and cafes. She’d thought everything was only on the capital’s central street, but the more successful or upscale stores weren’t located on capital streets at all—many sold within separate estates.

Of course, going sightseeing was nice at first, but going back and forth across the capital center daily made her increasingly dizzy.

When Maria’s complexion grew increasingly pale, Emily finally noticed and showed a very apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry, Maria…… I was so happy without realizing it that I seem to have burdened you too much.”

“Not at all. Emily, I enjoyed it in my own way. Though my stamina was a bit lacking.”

“Still, to make your complexion like this. I think I went too far as a friend.”

Maria wondered if her complexion was really that bad, but only realized when a servant bringing cake beside her glanced at her and startled in shock.

‘Must be…… pretty bad.’

“I won’t trouble you anymore. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s really fine. If I’d hated it that much, I would have said something. All the places you took me were so fun and enjoyable.”

“Still……”

“Shh, stop now.”

Maria quickly cut her off, feeling like Emily’s condition might relapse.

Emily strangely seemed both oblivious and excessively perceptive.

Anyway, being able to catch her breath finally allowed her to turn her attention to the cafe interior and desserts.

Though a small, cozy cafe, the interior and accessories were all decorated in subtle ivory tones without exception. According to Emily, the cafe changed its interior and accessories to seasonal tones, making it especially popular with noblewomen and young ladies.

The unique thing about this cafe was that it deliberately only accepted reserved customers. Of course, seats for great nobles like Sackelpine were always kept open, so they could come without reservations.

Whenever she heard things like this, she felt Sackelpine really was an incredible wealthy family.

‘I should stay close.’

Maria thought with a cunning smile. So what if her stamina hit rock bottom? This young and rich lady took her to so many nice places.

She felt slightly undignified, but thinking about it, that wasn’t quite true either—Emily always asked about her tastes and wishes, so Emily wasn’t such a self-centered woman.

Maria smiled brightly and took a large piece of blueberry pie with her fork.

“But Lady Philoso, they say war will break out soon.”

While continuing small talk with Emily, voices of ladies came from not far away.

The ladies lowered their voices as if afraid of being heard.

“What do you mean, Lady Jess?”

“My husband told me. Soon Habe, Atra, and Salo will join forces, call themselves the Allied Nations, and try to strike Geta……”

“Goodness……”

The ladies gasped and covered their mouths.n

Originally, the Geta Empire was located quite far from the Kingdom of Samoa where Maria lived.

One of the nations with the broadest and most vast territory, but due to weak national power and customs worshipping all kinds of superstitions, it was a country with high cultural and religious development rather than economic development.

Nevertheless, the reason Geta hadn’t collapsed until now was because powerful warriors protected the nation.

Probably as the ladies said, soon the three Allied Nations would strike Geta, and that plan would soon lead to the Allied Nations’ bitter defeat.

How did she know in such detail about what would happen? Because the next location in the original story would be precisely Geta. And this scene was one of the original’s highlights and also the part where Luca would completely fall in love with Claude.

Maria had sent several letters to Luca during this time, but he still consistently ignored them, and at this point, Maria’s hope for him gradually cooled.

‘Doing well, my *ss.’

She’d thought his heart had softened a bit since she’d saved him. Last time he’d said he absolutely couldn’t use magic, but in the end he’d used magic to save people, and she’d been included in that.

So she’d thought he’d displayed humanity with a broad heart as the protagonist.

Originally Claude should have saved him in that scene, but in the end the two would have met, so there would have been some emotional exchange.

Whether Claude admired Luca for saving people or grew angry at him for not waiting for help, Luca resolved the misunderstanding, and they gradually opened their hearts to each other.

So if the two worked out, her role as supplier would end too, which wasn’t bad. She’d just hoped to have better relationships with the protagonists beforehand (excluding Claude since that was hopeless).

Luca hadn’t replied, and since he unilaterally avoided contact, Maria felt a bit bitter.

“Don’t worry.”

“Pardon?”

“About the war between Geta and the Allied Nations. There won’t be zero casualties, but it’ll probably pass quickly.”

Of course, Emily had no idea what Maria was thinking and spoke to reassure her, seeing her expression worsen.

“Yes, of course. It’ll pass quickly.”

“Luca and Duke Aemon will participate in this war. Then I think it’ll pass without major damage.”

Maria was surprised that Emily knew more information in advance than expected. How did she know information those ladies behind them had just learned? Noticing this, Emily winked at Maria and said.

“Noah tells me quite a bit about what’s happening in the kingdom.”

Ah, that made sense. Noah Sackelpine went everywhere, so it explained how she’d known this information in advance.

“Still, this is terrible…… With Sir Clodence in such poor health, I wonder if he’ll even be able to participate as a diplomatic envoy this time.”

“What? Who’s sick?”

“Luca. I heard he’s so unwell he can barely get up……”

This was truly the first Maria had heard of this. Luca was sick? Why? The questions floated through her mind, but Maria realized the answer immediately.

It was because he’d used magic.

He’d used magic on sheer willpower without any supply from his supplier, and this was the aftermath.

“I heard Luca was dispatched as a diplomatic envoy this time to deliver the weapons he created to Geta. This is terrible.”

With Emily’s words, Maria found herself unable to speak any further.