Chapter 1.2

“My, Miss, you’re being so odd today… Ah, what would you like for breakfast? Should I bring you cream soup and carrot juice as usual?”

“Uh… no. I’d like something different today.”

“Really? What would you prefer?”

“Um… a freshly baked, warm bagel, crispy bacon, fresh salad, and a sunny side up egg. And a cup of black coffee.”

At her order, the maid looked at her with a strange expression.

‘Was that not allowed? Really?’

Even if she had possessed an Earl’s daughter, eating hotel-style breakfast in bed was… maybe too much.

“Will you be able to eat that much? You usually eat very little in the morning.”

“I’m especially hungry today.”

“All right. I’ll go prepare it. Please choose your dress and jewelry in the meantime.”

Thirty minutes later.

For the first time in her life, she sat on her bed wearing a diamond necklace, earrings, and ring, eating brunch, dressed in a princess-like gown.

‘Hooray! Possession is the best!

I want to live here forever!’

* * *

It was a joyful ball.

Lovely young ladies and handsome gentlemen were dancing joyfully to the lively music.

……But that was everyone else’s story.

She couldn’t dance.

Wasn’t that obvious?

How could an ordinary twenty-two-year-old college student from Korea know how to ballroom dance?

Unable to dance, the extra who had possessed this body quietly enjoyed delicious food in the corner, reviewing her situation.

No matter how many times she thought about it, this was definitely a case of being possessor in a novel.

The novel was definitely <The Flower of Ernel>, which she had read some time ago.

Of course, since the female lead with her tragic life was right here, it all made sense.

It was still the very beginning of the story, and as she recalled, today—the female lead’s birthday!—was when she would finally meet the male lead, the Duke, for the first time, and through a series of coincidences, the two would end up living happily ever after….

It would take about a year in the story for their wedding to happen.

So, all she had to do was enjoy delicious food, wear beautiful dresses, and adorn herself with expensive jewels as a happy extra, the Earl’s daughter.

Once she clapped and cheered at their wedding, the story would end and she’d return to her original world.

“Miss Ripley! Thank you so much for coming all the way here.”

“…Ah, yes!”

She had been busy munching on macarons, and it took her about five seconds to remember she was Ripley and quickly answer.

And when she turned around, what she saw was…

‘……Who are you?’

She had managed to answer, but seeing the smiling, beautiful foreign young lady, she didn’t know what to say next.

‘In times like this… just smile.’

“Ahahaha.”

“The birthday present you sent was wonderful. Miss Ripley, you have such great taste.”

‘Ah! If it was a birthday present, then this must be Etwar?’

Realizing that the female lead she had wished happiness for was standing before her, she looked at her anew.

Just as described in the novel, her sparkling blond hair and gentle blue eyes were striking. Her shy, smiling face was certainly beautiful.

Among all the blond men and women, Etwar’s innocent, lily-like smile made her smile as well.

“Oh, it was nothing, really.”

“I’ll treasure it. Please enjoy yourself today.”

“Um, wait!”

As Etwar was about to leave with a beautiful smile, she couldn’t help but call out to her.

“Yes?”

There was so much she wanted to say to Etwar.

Like, ‘if the villainess Roze gives you a cake, don’t eat it, or if you get called to the shop for a dress fitting at a certain time, don’t go, or don’t hold back from speaking up for yourself so the jealous Duke doesn’t misunderstand….’

“Happy birthday, Miss Etwar.”

“Thank you.”

But she knew she shouldn’t say anything. If she did, the original story might get twisted.

Besides, Etwar needed to go through all those things to reach her happy ending as the heroine.

Knowing just how much hardship the female lead endured before being adopted as the Baron’s daughter, she sincerely wished for her happiness.

But…

“I actually like the gentle Wright more than that obsessive Duke.”

She sipped her champagne, watching Etwar’s retreating figure.

‘Surely, today would be the day the two met for the first time, so the Duke must be here somewhere….’

“Let’s see, the Duke should be blond with blue eyes…”

……She couldn’t find him.

The author of this novel was obsessed with blond hair and blue eyes.

The female lead had blond hair and blue eyes.

The male lead had blond hair and blue eyes.

Even the villainess had blond hair and blue eyes.

The ballroom was filled with nothing but blond-haired, blue-eyed men and women.

It seemed impossible to pick out the male lead from this crowd.

“Oh? But this is really delicious!”

She looked anew at her champagne.

‘How could alcohol taste this good! Nobles really did drink something different!’

Great! One more glass!’

* * *

She wanted to punch herself from yesterday for saying, ‘How could alcohol taste this good! Nobles really do drink something different!’

Not only had she spent her first night with a stranger while drunk, but that person was…

“You mean you don’t know me, the sole heir to the Dukedom of Ernel Empire?”

“The Inglid Dukedom…… are you talking about that?”

“…….”

“Then you’re……Duke Zeronis de Inglid?”

‘I’m ruined! The male lead, who should have belonged to the heroine!’

“Um…”

She hesitated and looked at the Duke, but he just gazed at her indifferently.

‘Ah, what was I supposed to say?’

She didn’t know how things had ended up this way, but he had his fated woman, and she didn’t have a fated man, but anyway, he was already destined for another woman, so they should just pretend last night never happened….

How was she supposed to explain all this?

“Um…”

“What are you worrying about?”

“It’s not really a worry, exactly?”

She smiled brightly at the Duke.

Because in the story, this Duke was a handsome madman.

Because of his tragic childhood, he had developed a deep mistrust of people and completely abandoned any sense of empathy or understanding as a human being.

He never tolerated mistakes—there was a story where a chef who served him tainted food was fired on the spot, and a barber who accidentally cut him was never allowed to hold scissors again.

He would dissolve merchant groups that got in his way, wipe out families that tried to block him—he had both money and honor, so he handled everything cleanly.

He was also merciless with women—one young lady who wrote a romance novel about him and spread it as if it were true was sent to live a life of chastity in a convent.

And later, the villainess who tried to kill the heroine was gruesomely executed….

If one fell out of favor with this Duke, at least within Ernel, it was safe to say peaceful living was out of the question.

Or, one might just die.

“Hmm……”

She quickly began to think.

Except for the fact that she was a mere extra, and this man was the Duke, second only to the Emperor in the country, their situation was simply that of a man and woman who, by chance, had gotten together, and, as a result, ended up spending the night together.

‘No one would arrest someone for a one-n*ght stand at a club, nor would the police be called, nor would there be any lawsuits or accusations, right?

So, for adults, a one-n*ght stand was entirely possible……’

“You’re not thinking that a one-n*ght stand is something entirely possible for adults, are you?”

‘As expected! The Duke was thinking the same way!

Then, if we just parted ways coolly, it would all be over……’

“I sincerely hope you’re not planning to just part ways coolly and end things.”

‘Yes. So, absolutely not…… Huh?

Why would he hope not……’

“If you’re even considering such thoughts, I’ll make sure you never have them again by smashing that small, pretty head of yours.”

The Duke’s finger tapped her forehead.

‘Such an obsessive choice of words……

He was definitely the male lead from the novel she had read.

Originally, after meeting the female lead for the first time at last night’s ball, the two were supposed to bicker a little, and around now, he should be thinking, ‘Hmph, she’s quite a cute little kitten, isn’t she?’

“My… my head…?”

“Did you really think you could spend your first night with me, the Duke of Inglid, and just wipe your mouth clean as if nothing happened?”

“Well, um… that was….”

She glanced at Zeronis.

He flashed her a smile that seemed almost bloody.

Gulp.

“Absolutely not. I just didn’t realize you were such a considerate man who even cares for a lady’s first night, Duke.”

She hastily denied everything she’d been thinking, even adding a compliment.

With this crazy Duke, she felt he was fully capable of smashing her head.

Survival came first.

“Of course, a lady’s first night is important, but a man’s first night is just as significant.”

“Yes, of course, a man’s first… night…? Your, your first night?”

Startled, she looked at the Duke.

He seemed displeased with her reaction, frowning as he gazed at her.

“What’s with that reaction? Did I look like some beast in heat, sleeping around with this woman and that?”

“N-no! Absolutely not! Never!”

“Or was it not your first night?”

“Of course it was! It was definitely my first night.”

“Lady Ripley?”

“Y-yes! Duke.”

“A man and a woman giving each other their first night’s purity means they are, naturally, responsible for one another, don’t you think?”

“Uh… well….”

Feeling guilty, she hesitated.

At that, the Duke’s deep blue eyes sharpened like a blade.

“Yes. That’s right. If they shared their pure first night… of course, they must take responsibility… yes.”

At her answer, the Duke smiled in satisfaction, as if all problems were solved.

But it felt like none of her problems had been solved at all…