Liriope stared blankly at the communicator that had suddenly cut off. For a moment, she wondered if it had broken, so she tapped and turned it over, inspecting it closely. When she pressed and held the power button, the communicator turned back on, displaying the family crests of various noble houses on the basic screen. That meant it wasn’t broken.

‘That jerk… did he hang up on purpose?’

Liriope’s brows furrowed sharply. She was baffled by the abrupt “Ten minutes,” but eventually realized he probably meant he’d send a bodyguard in ten minutes, and her eyes narrowed at the thought.

‘Seriously, that Northern Duke bastard.’

Did he have some condition where he couldn’t speak in full sentences? How was she supposed to understand what he meant with just a random “Ten minutes” thrown out before cutting the call? It was only because she was quick-witted and good at picking up context that she even understood what he meant. If she were slower, it might have taken her a whole week to decipher that cryptic message.

Thankfully, the heart that had been pounding wildly from seeing Theo smile calmed down quickly—but still, his personality left much to be desired. However, since he had agreed to send someone within ten minutes, she decided to let it slide.

If someone were to arrive here from the ducal estate within ten minutes, it meant he was using a teleportation portal. Considering how expensive teleportation was, she figured she could overlook his lack of social grace this once. Of course, for a duke ruling over the entire North, portal fees were probably pocket change.

Liriope waited patiently for ten minutes.

And waited…

But the person who appeared before her wasn’t a guard or escort. It was Theo himself.

“Wait, why are you here?!”

Startled, Liriope blurted out the question. Theo, more composed than she had ever seen him, replied calmly.

“Why else? I came to guard my fiancée.”

‘Yeah, but why you?’

The words hovered unspoken on the tip of her tongue.

Maybe it showed on her face, because Theo gave her that same relaxed smile she’d seen through the communicator earlier and said,

“You’ve got that look—‘Why the hell did you come?’”

Theo put particular emphasis on the word you, and Liriope let out a small, awkward cough, as if caught red-handed in her thoughts.

She was dying to ask why he, of all people, had come himself, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it out loud. Instead, she forced a customer-service-grade smile onto her face and asked the only question she could manage:

“…Aren’t you busy?”

To that, Theo shrugged once and replied,

“Even if I am, what choice do I have? My fiancée needs protection.”

“But… you could’ve just sent someone else…”

“I’m the most reliable guard within the ducal estate.”

“…”

“The Duke will be more at ease knowing I went with you myself. He trusts me more than Sir Gray, after all.”

Muttering the last part almost as an afterthought, Theo glanced around the room.

“So, where’s your graduation project?”

“I’m not telling Father I’m going. And it’s not a graduation project—it’s a Lynix.”

“There’s no such thing as a secret in this world, you know. Anyway, where’s the Lynix? Since I’m here, I’d like to see it.”

‘So this guy… he actually came to see my phoenix, didn’t he?’

Liriope’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

When Liriope had last seen them together, her phoenix Lynix had seemed unusually fond of Theo — and apparently, the feeling was mutual.

‘Hmph, I’m not showing him.’

“She’s sleeping in my room. It’s her usual nap time,” she said.

A trace of disappointment flickered across Theo’s face at her words, but he nodded without protest, apparently not eager enough to disturb the phoenix’s rest just to see her.

“But… having you come with me personally is just a bit…”

‘Way too overwhelming,’ she thought, but couldn’t bring herself to say it outright, so she trailed off awkwardly.

Theo let out a long sigh, reading her hesitation like a book.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, just think of me as one of the guards I sent.”

He said it as if he could see right through her.

Liriope gave him a sideways look, equal parts annoyed and exasperated.

“What kind of crazy woman thinks of her fiancé as just a bodyguard?”

“It’s good to know you do acknowledge me as your fiancé,” Theo replied, clearly amused, letting out a satisfied chuckle.

“Well, I wouldn’t have signed the engagement papers if I didn’t.”

“You were hanging out with that idiot Kaiden, so I thought maybe you didn’t take it seriously.”

Theo said, emphasizing the word that with a sharp accent, as if he had a habit of stressing words he found particularly irritating.

“That situation couldn’t be helped,” she said.

“There’s always going to be situations you can’t help, Riri.”

“I mean, it’s not like I have any special connection with His Highness, the Crown Prince, or anything… Wait, why are you calling me Riri?”

“Hmm?”

Theo tilted his head to the side at her sudden question.

‘Seriously, even the way he tilts his head like that looks unfairly handsome.’ 

Even the smallest gesture from him was magnetic enough to dazzle, and Liriope had to steel herself not to fall under his spell again.

“My dad and Gemma call me Liri.”

“And?”

“It’s just a little strange for someone to call me a nickname no one else uses. It feels… off.”

What she really wanted to say was that it bothered her, but she’d toned it down for the sake of civility.

Theo gave her a lazy smile.

“Isn’t that only natural? I’m not ‘someone else.’ I’m your fiancé.”

“…”

“And soon to be your husband, no less.”

He gave her a sly, self-satisfied smile.

At that, Liriope’s heart dropped like a rock.

That smile — that damn smile — was meant only for the female lead. The kind of smile he would never show anyone else. A smile solely reserved for her.

Liriope blinked, caught in a sudden wave of confusion.

***

Things were definitely starting to spiral, and Liriope couldn’t keep her tense expression from showing.

All of this had started because she tried to twist the original story to survive. And yet, she’d ended up entangled with the male lead.

The original plotline would soon begin in earnest, and when it did, Theo and Rosearin would be drawn to each other like they were destined to be.

Or maybe… destiny had already begun tying its invisible threads between them.

Even something as small as the handkerchief — an item not originally mentioned in the story — was a sign that their connection had already started.

Liriope felt a jolt of fear at the thought that she had become an intrusive presence wedged between the two.

She had driven the Crown Prince away to avoid her gruesome death ending, only to accidentally step into the dangerous role of a nuisance between the male and female leads — something that might bring her even closer to death.

‘I need to stay sharp. As long as I don’t interfere with the two of them and break off the engagement with the Northern Duke smoothly, I should be fine.’

Eventually, Liriope found herself in a carriage, seated across from Theo as they rode into the city together. Lost in thought while staring out the window, she was just reaffirming her resolve to stay sharp when she suddenly felt Theo’s gaze fixed on her.

She turned from the window to look at him, only to find Theo watching her with his usual lazy, arrogant expression.

“Is there something on my face?” she asked, bringing a hand to her cheek.

“No.”

‘Then why the hell are you staring at me like that, you jerk?’

“It just struck me… how beautiful you are.”

The unexpected words that followed his denial made Liriope’s eyes go wide.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve only ever thought of you as that haughty little lady — but seeing you like this… it’s a bit of a fresh feeling.”

‘What kind of feeling, exactly?’

Liriope couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud, and instead just blinked rapidly, flustered.

Her ears began to burn, quickly followed by her entire face. She didn’t need a mirror to know she was blushing furiously.

“Wh-what…”

She couldn’t lift her head as her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest. Theo, watching her, continued speaking with an odd look in his eyes.

“Well, I guess it’s something like, ‘I hadn’t realized my fiancée was such a stunning woman.’”

At that, Liriope couldn’t take it anymore and covered her face with both hands.

“Why—why are you doing this, seriously…”

“What did I do?” Theo asked, his voice tinged with laughter.

His teasing tone only made Liriope’s face feel like it was burning more intensely.

“I didn’t expect you to get this flustered. If you keep acting like this, I’m going to start thinking you really do like me, Riri.”

“…”

“If that’s all just an act, then you’re an incredible actress.”

“It’s not an act.”

“Well, either way, it’s a refreshing sight.”

“…”

“So why don’t you put your hands down now? I can’t see your face.”

There was an odd gentleness laced in his whispered words.

Liriope felt dizzy, wondering if this man had actually made up his mind to completely captivate her right here and now.

“Show me, Riri.”

With that tender plea, she had no choice but to lower her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, so her gaze landed somewhere lower — on the golden buttons of his uniform.

Unable to adjust to this strange, confusing situation, Liriope turned back toward the window and asked,

“Are you the type to fall for a woman just by her looks?”

Because if that were the case, then objectively speaking, Rosearin was far more beautiful than her — clearly his destined partner.

In the original story, after all, it was the Crown Prince who’d been initially drawn to Rosearin’s beauty, while Theo had gradually come to admire her kindness and actions. If anything, the Crown Prince had been the more superficial one.

But now Theo was suddenly calling her beautiful, saying things like she was “refreshing” — it all felt like he was flirting. It made her wonder if he was also the type who was influenced by appearances.

Then Theo gave an answer that took her by surprise.

“Not at all. I fall for the person I’m sure is mine.”

That sounded like he was implying that Liriope was his person, and he was falling for her.

Her heart began pounding so hard, she thought it might leap out of her chest.