‘What is this?’

Aside from feeling amazed by Lina, who handled a dragon like a puppy, the content of their conversation gave me goosebumps and made my head and heart grow cold.

Regaining some of my rationality, I tried to organize the situation in my own way.

I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but one thing was certain.

They expected my visit.

It smelled very suspicious. Could it be that Lina also wanted to change the original story, like me?

‘But why?’

Pinion and Enril were once-in-a-lifetime, no, once-in-three-generations, stunningly handsome men.

Even without seeing them, I could tell that Gined and Iscallion were just as good-looking. If it were me, I wouldn’t let a single one slip away.

‘Well, that’s a matter of personal values.’

There were many other strange points.

The order in which Lina met the male leads was Gined, Pinion, Iscallion, and then Enril.

According to the original story, it was questionable how the heroine, who hadn’t even met Gined yet, had already met Enril and built such a deep relationship with him.

Moreover, Enril was supposed to be sealed a thousand years ago and remained asleep until the middle of the novel.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I realized a bit late that the surroundings had become quiet.

By then, a strangely sticky atmosphere was flowing between the two protagonists, who had finished their argument.

It wouldn’t have been strange if they continued their conversation in another way right then.

When I was reading the text, it was welcome, but seeing it live right in front of my eyes was a different matter.

“Ahem. So, what business do you have with me?”

Only then did Enril and Lina remember my presence and look at me.

Enril’s wild eyebrows twitched.

I felt like an uninvited intruder.

“For a human, you’re quite bold. How dare you interrupt our conversation.”

‘No, you were originally talking to me.’

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud.

Fortunately, Lina had common sense, unlike Enril.

“Enril.”

At Lina’s signal, Enril visibly deflated.

“Alright… Where were we in the explanation?”

“Up to the introductions.”

“Was that so? I don’t want to waste time, so I’ll get straight to the point. Lina and I have already experienced one ending and turned back time for the first time. During that process, we realized that you too are from another world like Lina.”

His words were quite shocking.

“What? You turned back time? Why?”

This time, Lina answered.

“To erase the dreadful ties from the start. I’m tired of it all.”

“What do you mean, Lina! Aren’t you the heroine of this novel? Weren’t you supposed to live happily ever after?”

Lina smiled bitterly.

“Lou, did you perhaps not finish reading the novel?”

“No. I died before I could see the end…”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

She explained to me what she had gone through.

The reverse harem novel I had read without much thought for fun turned out to be a desperate-for-survival story that one couldn’t hear without tearing up.

‘A kidnapping, confinement, mass murder, and a tragic ending…’

Although the war with the demons ended in victory, the male leads’ bodies and souls were invaded by demonic energy during the final battle.

As a result, the male leads, who faced their hidden brutal nature, confined Lina in a secret place where no one could reach her.

In the process, everyone Lina had given even a bit of her heart to either died or went missing.

The elderly couple who had taken her in were no exception.

Traumatized by this, Lina didn’t even meet the elderly couple after her regression.

“At least Enril, being a dragon, came to his senses late and granted my request.”

“How could such a thing happen… I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault, Lou.”

Lina smiled bitterly and continued.

“Now, I’m planning to return to my homeland. With the only mate I acknowledge. Oh, and I’ve blocked all the passages that the demons used to invade, so it should be safe now.”

That was the most surprising statement I had heard so far.

But there was no reason to stop someone, who had even taken care of the aftermath, from leaving.

Moreover, Lina was a dimensional traveler. Unlike me, who had no place to return to because my body in the other world had died, her situation was different.

“Lou, do you understand my choice?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Lina smiled brightly. Her smile made the whole world seem to brighten.

I wondered if this was how Blind Man Shim¹심봉사 is a character in Korean traditional stories. He is usually described as a blind man who uses his sense of touch to navigate and communicate with others felt when he regained his sight.

Enril smiled faintly following Lina and kissed her on the head.

Seeing Enril again made me realize. No matter how much of a dragon he was, turning back time wouldn’t have been easy.

Even without asking, I could guess that he had made great sacrifices.

The fact that he could still smile like that made my heart swell.

‘True love must be something like that.’

Compared to that, my feelings for Pinion were nothing but trash. I felt sorry even to compare them. I felt shameless for dragging the Crown Prince all the way here just for my own safety.

“So, Lou, can you bless us? I really want to hear your blessing.”

“I wish you both a future full of blessings. I hope you return to your world and live freely and happily!”

I sincerely wished for Lina’s happiness.

However, there was a bit of uneasiness left.

I was particularly obsessed with the true love between the protagonists.

‘So, did Lina choose Enril just to return to Korea?’

As if reading my expression, Lina spoke firmly.

“Don’t misunderstand. I truly love Enril. Because I love him, I could make this decision.”

Her words made me feel a pang of guilt, and to avoid the awkwardness, I hastily asked any question that came to mind.

“Yes, yes. Of course. Um… What was the most attractive thing about him?”

“Of course, I love everything about him, but the most attractive thing is that he can transform freely. You saw it too, right? Not only his appearance, but he can also adjust his size.”

“I see…”

I decided not to think too deeply about what size she meant. Anyway, if they were happy, the novel had a happy ending.

But there was still another unresolved question.

‘Wait, what happens to the novel if the heroine disappears?’

“Oh, I almost forgot because we were talking. Please accept this.”

Out of the blue, Lina handed me something.

Without thinking, I took it, and it was a necklace. It had a blood-like red jewel hanging from a platinum chain, looking incredibly beautiful and valuable at a glance.

Even as the only daughter of a duke who had seen all kinds of expensive jewelry, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

“What is this?”

“It’s a necklace Enril made for you. It’s a treasure imbued with a dragon’s energy. We couldn’t just leave because we were worried about you…”

“Since you’re from the same place, Lina has been very concerned about you.”

Enril added.

‘So that’s why he mentioned the crafting cost earlier.’

I didn’t know why they were giving it to me, but since they asked me to accept it, I took it.

“I’ve placed a calming spell on the necklace. It has the ability to soothe excitement, but only for the protagonists.”

“I see. But why give this to me…?”

“From now on, you are the heroine. Thanks to you, I can leave with peace of mind. Thank you.”

“What? What do you mean? I’m the heroine?”

“Since this is a romance fantasy world, a heroine is essential. I’m leaving, so someone has to take my place. Otherwise, the world will collapse. Please save the world with true love!”

‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

Seeing me speechless from shock, Lina kindly added an explanation.

“Let’s see, there’s about a year left until the ending… Within that time, you need to get a confession of true love from the male protagonists. Of course, Lou, you also have to love him.”

“What…?”

“Don’t worry. Even though your body is from this world, your soul is from another, so you are qualified to be the heroine. Now that you won’t die midway, you just need to bravely lead the story.”

“But you just said it was a tragic story a moment ago! And now you want me to be the heroine!”

“That’s why I gave you the calming necklace. Even if it’s a tragic story, there’s a big difference between a general audience version and a rated version. At least sudden death can be prevented. I didn’t have that, so I faced many crises.”

Lina blushed and shyly lowered her gaze. Then she innocently asked again.

“Besides, now that the demons won’t appear, what’s the problem? You just need to enjoy your romance comfortably.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Unable to bear it, I shouted, and Enril quickly stepped in front of Lina.

“You have only two choices. Obey her words or die by my hand.”

“No, but this doesn’t make any sense! How can you just spring this on me out of nowhere?”

“Don’t think too negatively. You don’t have to fall in love with everyone. Since it’s primarily a romance novel, the world will keep turning even if you end up with just one person.”

“You… are crazy. You know that?”

I muttered in despair, but it seemed like this insane couple didn’t hear me.

They continued to say what they wanted, regardless of my despair.