147. This must be the difference between the original heroine and herself

Kincaid’s stubborn remark made Hailey bristle.

‘So he does think he owes me an apology, huh?’

To be honest, even Hailey herself had lingering guilt about what happened two months ago. She had gone so far as to betray Kincaid’s goodwill in order to demand Lysa’s life be spared, and she could admit she had crossed the line.

But when the other person acted like this, her desire to resolve things peacefully evaporated.

‘If you won’t apologize, then I won’t accept it either.’

Muttering inwardly, Hailey lifted her head—only to flinch. Clenched fists, flushed cheeks, restless, darting eyes, and an unsteady stance…

It was a far cry from the always-composed Kincaid she knew. Startled, she suddenly remembered something.

‘Come to think of it, the original novel did have him tagged as a “tsundere male lead,” didn’t it?’

A hero who grumbles for no reason, pretending not to care while secretly caring deeply.

“You don’t have to apologize,” she tried saying, just in case.

Kincaid’s eyes trembled wildly. If anything, that was the perfect textbook example of a tsundere hero.

‘Ugh… of all things, he had to be this type…’

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Hailey decided she might as well be honest.

“I went too far last time too.”

At her candid admission, Kincaid’s expression twisted sharply. Judging by the mood, he looked ready to hurl insults at any moment, but instead—

“Never choose someone else over me again!”

What came out was a line steeped in obsessive possessiveness.

‘Right… his second keyword was “obsessive man,” wasn’t it?’

Realizing again what she had already known gave her a strange, almost amused feeling.

“I admit I was wrong last time. But you went too far too. Not once have you ever given me any certainty.”

Kincaid’s refined features were tightly drawn with grievance as he voiced his complaint.

“You’ve never once told me you liked me. Sure, you didn’t avoid my kisses or sharing a bed, but without knowing your true feelings, I could never be sure of anything.”

Wow… just hearing that, I feel like some kind of legendary femme fatale.

But Kincaid didn’t stop staring at her—eyes burning, intense, unrelenting. Thanks to that, Hailey could only force herself to forget that they were standing at the very front gates of the Crown Prince’s Palace, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but think about it.”

“?”

“If I truly had no intention of returning your feelings, don’t you think I would have run away by now?”

She knew the palace’s secret passages and escape routes better than anyone. If she had really hated Kincaid, she would have found a way to flee the moment his death was announced.

‘But instead of doing that…’

The instant she’d heard of the death of that ill-tempered, ruthless tyrant, she had realized her true feelings in the most paradoxical way. She never wanted to feel the dark despair she had experienced in that moment ever again.

“Why else would someone as calculating and materialistic as me stay by Your Highness’s side until the very end?”

At her words, Kincaid’s face froze, his earlier irritation vanishing.

“I don’t know if I can call that love, but—”

Before she could finish, Kincaid’s hand shot out, pulling her into his arms. A strong grip locked her in place, and then hot lips pressed firmly over hers.

‘Tsundere male lead, obsessive male lead, and the final keyword…’

A man of unmatched physical skill.

Caught in a kiss so intense it felt as if her soul was being drawn out of her, Hailey could only fully grasp the true force of that last keyword with her entire body.

***

In the time they’d been apart, Kincaid’s hair had grown longer, now spilling down past his shoulders. When she reached out and cautiously ran her fingers through it, it was as soft and lustrous as his strikingly handsome face suggested.

“Mmm…”

Lying there on the bed, looking at the Crown Prince’s sculpted, beautiful face, Hailey couldn’t help but admit—

‘Yes, he really is just absurdly good-looking.’

When Hailey, without realizing it, gave a little nod, Kincaid let out a snort as if he’d seen right through her.

“I suppose I’ll have to tell Burnett to revise his opinion. My face works just fine on you.”

“Yes, yes. I surrender.”

When she frankly declared defeat, Kincaid’s lips curved into a pleased smile. The hand that had briefly dropped away pulled her shoulder close once more.

“Mmph…”

Hailey let out a faint sound. The hands that struck down enemies mercilessly on the battlefield were, in bed, delicate and gentle.

Because of that, Hailey had come to know sensations she had never experienced before.

“But… is it really okay for us to be idling like this?”

Hailey suddenly asked, worry in her voice.

“His Majesty’s birthday ball is being held, isn’t it? You shouldn’t be here like this.”

On top of that, countless people had seen her arrive at the Crown Prince’s residence. And right after that, she had vanished together with Kincaid…

‘Another round of nasty rumors will be circulating in the palace.’

The problem was, this time it wouldn’t be baseless gossip—it would be fact.

‘What was I thinking, doing something like that in broad daylight where everyone could see?’

While Hailey was sighing in belated self-reproach, a sly hand crept up to toy with the knot of her dress. She shook her head at the obvious intention.

“This isn’t the time for that. You need to attend the ball.”

“A tedious event like that? I’ll just skip it.”

The moment Kincaid uttered the irreverent words that he intended to skip even his own father’s birthday celebration, there came a knock at the door. Startled, Hailey quickly stepped away from his side.

“Your Highness, this is Sernan of the Main Palace. I have a message from His Majesty.”

At the sound of the deep voice of a middle-aged man outside the door, Kincaid’s face took on an annoyed expression.

“If it’s not urgent, let’s do this later.”

“Unfortunately, it is urgent. And the message is not for Your Highness, but for the lady with you.”

‘Me?’

At the unexpected turn, Hailey’s eyes went wide, and Kincaid frowned as he moved to the door. Thankfully, she had tidied her clothes a moment earlier, so they were spared an awkward scene.

“Your Highness, it has been a while.”

When Kincaid opened the door, the dignified middle-aged man bowed politely.

“I am Sernan, chief attendant to His Majesty. I was unable to offer my greetings during our previous encounter due to the circumstances.”

The chief attendant of the Main Palace also bowed respectfully to Hailey. Then, holding out a bundle of documents with both hands, he presented them to her.

“This is His Majesty’s message. He instructed me to read it aloud in your presence.”

“To me?”

Hailey, surprised, looked at Kincaid’s face. For once, even Kincaid seemed taken aback, his expression stiff.

“Go on and read it.”

At the Crown Prince’s command, the attendant cleared his throat and began reading the Emperor’s words without delay.

“Hailey Brooke, senior maid of the Crown Prince’s household, during the recent treason incident, displayed the highest loyalty, saving not only myself but also many others. Furthermore, she acted with quick wit to assist in dealing with the disloyal faction, and this is most worthy of praise.”

The message, delivered in the tone of a school principal’s long-winded speech, made Hailey’s head spin…

“Therefore, I, in recognition of Hailey Brooke’s loyalty to the Empire and the Imperial family, hereby grant her the noble title of the Countess of the House of Vernette.”

“!”

“I, furthermore, bestow upon Hailey Brooke, formerly a maid of the Crown Prince’s household, the name and inheritance of the long-destroyed House of Vernette. Along with this, I grant her, as a noble, the right to freely enter the palace and the authority to host a ball. May the glory of the Empire be ever with you.”

When the reading ended, silence fell over the room. Hailey felt as though her mind had gone blank from the sheer unexpectedness of it all.

‘I… am now the daughter of the Vernette Count’s house?’

The person she had been so desperately searching for since realizing she’d transmigrated—turns out, it was herself all along? Still reeling from shock, Hailey couldn’t speak, but Kincaid seemed to have misunderstood her state.

“Don’t get me wrong. I only asked for permission to marry you—I didn’t plan for this to happen.”

Kincaid looked at her quietly for a moment before adding lightly:

“Would a count’s title be too little for you? If so, I could always…”

“N-no, it’s not that. But… why the House of Vernette, of all things?”

There were dozens—no, hundreds—of noble families in the Empire, so why that one?

“Remember what you told me once? That you were looking for the House of Vernette for some reason. When I looked into it, I found it had been destroyed long ago. Since rumors were already spreading that you were the Count’s daughter, I figured it would be best if you truly held that title…”

It seemed that word of it had reached even the Main Palace. Well, at least it saved them the trouble of fabricating anything, so it worked out. Kincaid explained it offhandedly.

‘So that’s how this happened?’

A single offhand comment had brought her to this outcome. Realizing the truth, Hailey felt utterly dazed.

In the original work, there was never a detailed description of the female lead, the Young Lady of Count Vernette. If I gathered the few facts that were revealed…

Her first meeting with the male lead, Kincaid, took place at an imperial ball. Surprisingly, she came from a humble noble family. Rather than beauty, it was her personality that captured the male lead’s heart — a sunshine-like heroine. And she was the only conscience who supported the male lead as he evolved into a tyrant.

‘That’s all just me!’

Though the details differed, the general description of the heroine pointed entirely to herself. How had she not realized it until now?

Hailey felt a strange sense of shock. And when she added to that the noble title of Count VeVernette’s young lady, bestowed upon her by the Emperor…

‘The original heroine, Count Vernette’s young lady… was me all along.’

At last, Hailey could no longer deny it.

“Lady Vernette, congratulations on receiving your new title.”

The chief attendant bowed politely. Then, turning to Kincaid — who was wearing a slightly crooked expression — he relayed the message:

“His Majesty has approved the matter you requested. He also said he will deliver his congratulations on your engagement at the ball, and asks that you be sure to attend.”

“…Tell him I understand.”

Kincaid, who had planned to spend this time alone celebrating with Hailey, replied with a disgruntled expression. The attendant, having delivered what was to Hailey a bombshell announcement, bowed again and left the room.

“Why are you making that face?”

Kincaid asked, noticing how uncharacteristically dazed Hailey looked.

“Ah, well… it’s just something I need to mentally prepare myself for.”

“Even if you’ve become a noble, what will that change? What matters is that you claimed my heart long ago.”

“You really do say the most outrageous things like it’s nothing.”

Hailey muttered without meaning to, and Kincaid’s lips curled into a smug half-smile.

“Sorry, but that mental preparation will have to wait. We’re cutting it close if we want to make the ball on time.”

Now their roles were reversed — Kincaid was the one hurrying her along. Hailey wanted just a little more time to collect her thoughts… but, as always, there was no resisting Kincaid’s stubbornness.

***

“Lady Vernette, allow us to help you change into your gown.”

An uncountable number of maids swarmed in to assist with Hailey’s preparations.

“Lady Hailey Vernette, could you please turn slightly?”

The maids treated her with an entirely new level of deference. Among them were those who had once worked alongside her as fellow attendants, which made Hailey all the more aware of how much her circumstances had changed.

After hours of commotion, her preparations were finally complete, and Hailey stepped out of the dressing room.

“So it’s finally over.”

Kincaid, who had changed long ago and spent the intervening time in boredom, looked at her quietly.

“I look decent enough, right?”

Feeling awkward under his steady gaze, Hailey spoke first, and Kincaid whispered in a low voice:

“No, more than that. You’re so beautiful I couldn’t possibly describe it.”

Hailey had never imagined that Kincaid could utter such an exquisite compliment.

“Shall we go, then?”

Kincaid held out his hand to her. For a moment, Hailey hesitated.

‘Am I really allowed to take this hand?’

‘There are still so many things left unresolved…’

Prince Lysa’s place of exile hadn’t yet been decided. The rebels who had committed treason were still at large. And what about the ill-tempered Empress Dowager and princess who were sure to make her life difficult?

‘Still…’

The one thing Hailey was certain of was that she would not run away like the original Lady Vernette.

‘I’ll stay by his side and protect him to the very end.’

Thus, she would seize with her own hands the fate the original heroine had failed to grasp. That, perhaps, was the difference between them.

Resolute, Hailey firmly took Kincaid’s hand.

“His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Kincaid, and his fiancée, Lady Vernette, are entering!”

At the herald’s ringing voice, the eyes of the nobles who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival turned to the entrance of the hall.

Feeling the weight of hundreds of gazes upon her, Hailey flinched — and, as if waiting for that moment, Kincaid tightened his hold on her hand.

‘You can rely on me without worry.’

With that silent reassurance, Hailey drew a deep breath. Then, casting away her fear, she stepped proudly onto the red carpet before her.

It was the moment when Kincaid, who would later ascend as Emperor Bronteum III, and his Empress Hailey, first appeared together in public.