TBKBS 02

Chapter : 2 

I adapted fairly well to the reality I had possessed.

After all, this was the inside of my own novel.

Not long after I possessed this world, a banquet was held at the imperial palace.

Of course, it was the banquet I had written about at the beginning of the novel.

From this banquet onward, I resolved to change the story’s course and begin executing my survival plan.

I intended to show Calix a dramatic reversal of my feelings—
that “from now on, the person I love isn’t Leon, but you, Calix.”

However, when the moment came, when I actually saw him at the banquet—
instead of smiling at him the way I had planned—
I just stood there, dazed.

Because Calix was just…

Perfect!!

His short, cropped black hair, his brilliant blue eyes, and his delicate features harmonized with his sharp jawline, making him look like a finely sculpted statue.

His tall height and solid build overwhelmed his surroundings.

Even though his banquet attire, buttoned up to the collar, covered most of his body, to my eyes, his entire frame looked like a canvas filled with tightly woven lean muscles.

Maybe it was my author’s omniscient perspective or just the longing in my eyes piercing through his clothes—either way, I could see it clearly.

And his skin! Why was it so dazzlingly pale, as though it absorbed all the light in the banquet hall only to reflect it back? His face seemed to glow.

I had this near-unshakable feeling that if I touched that face, it would feel soft and velvety.

His features and body were perfect—just as I had written them, the ideal male lead shaped entirely by my tastes.

But…

Something was different.

In my imagination, Calix had always been beautiful yet dangerous, his inner darkness and obsessive nature giving off an ominous aura.

But the real Calix before me radiated something else entirely—bright, dazzling, almost angelic.

I had designed him to be a dangerously alluring man, but why did he shine like this?

Still, perfect was perfect.

But wait—this man, with that flawless face, was supposed to be so obsessed with the woman he loved that he would eventually kill her?

The author must’ve been out of her mind.

If someone who looked like this was obsessed with me, I’d be grateful. And yet, I had written that he would kill the woman he loved because of it?

From the start, it was a plot hole with zero plausibility.

Like a magnet, I found myself drifting toward the group Calix was standing with.

Thankfully, my brother Luke was there.

I bowed to the crown prince.

“I greet His Highness, Crown Prince of the Everetian Empire.”

Calix, who had been chatting among nobles, turned his head at my greeting and, almost reflexively, began to speak.

“For a long… ah…”

He closed his mouth mid-sentence, then simply smiled faintly and nodded at me.

Huh?

For a long… what?

Was he about to say he had been waiting for me all this time?

Why stop halfway?

Was he so happy to see me that he was struck speechless?

Yeah, that must be it.

Considering the relationship between Caelyn and Calix until now, it made sense he’d be at a loss for words.

He listened to the conversation while occasionally sipping from his wine.

Gulp.

I watched, entranced, as the wine slid down his throat.

Too sexy. Way too sexy.

Once again, I cursed myself for creating a man with such an absurdly beautiful face.

I pretended to listen to the nobles’ conversations, but I couldn’t focus.

Because this didn’t make sense.

The Calix I had written would never have mingled so naturally among nobles, smiling and chatting at a banquet.

He was meant to inspire fear and awe—not idle chatter.

And yet, here he was, seeming completely at ease.

As I puzzled over it, someone brought up a new name.

“Prince Iden is running late. Even though the imperial family threw this welcome banquet for him. I suppose the rumors are true—he really is self-indulgent.”

Prince Iden?

Ah, right. Today’s banquet was Iden’s welcome party.

He was the crown prince of the neighboring Dacus Empire, which shared a border with Everetia. And he was also the heroine Estelle’s older brother.

<Iden – Heroine’s brother, crown prince of the powerful neighboring Dacus Empire, handsome womanizer.>

That was how I had set him up.

He was important only as a catalyst for the hero and heroine’s relationship—not a major character otherwise.

He had no real connection with Caelyn, the role I now occupied.

As I recalled Iden’s character settings, the nobleman continued.

“Have you heard the rumor about Prince Iden? The one about him seducing a noble lady in Sorel Kingdom?”

Some people hadn’t heard it yet, so the man happily explained.

“He went traveling in Sorel, seduced a noble lady who was already engaged, and carried on with her until the fiancé challenged him to a duel.”

Another noblewoman chimed in.

“They say the fiancé died in that duel. But instead of taking responsibility for the lady, Prince Iden just abandoned her and returned to Dacus.”

The nobles whispered and gossiped about Iden’s scandal.

Right… I had written that.

Not because I cared about Iden, but only to highlight Calix’s state of mind.

Any moment now, someone would ask the question I had written into the scene.

And sure enough—

“If someone tried to steal away the woman you love, what would you do? And what if that woman loved the other man instead? Hearing about that poor fellow who died in the duel makes me curious.”

I fixed my eyes on Calix’s lips.

When would he say the line?

He only swirled his wineglass silently.

Come on, someone, ask him directly already…

Never mind. I’ll just do it.

“Your Highness, what would you do?”

At my question, his brows lifted slightly, his eyes widening as though surprised.

Was he startled because I asked him so directly?

Or flustered because I was giving him so much attention?

But soon, he masked his expression and calmly replied.

“Well… I’ve never given much thought to the emotion of love. So I have nothing to say.”

Smack!

It felt like a bucket of cold water to the face.

What?

That’s not your line!

Never thought about love?

Lies!

Sure, you weren’t supposed to be talkative, but you never said things you didn’t mean.

Why are you spouting something so empty?

The line I had written was:

“The man who steals my woman, and the woman I cannot have… I’d kill them all.”

That was supposed to be Calix! The terrifying man who would obsess over Caelyn until he killed her!

So why was he speaking like a normal, well-adjusted person?

…Wait.

Maybe this was it.

Maybe he was pretending—acting indifferent while hiding something even darker?

That could be it. Maybe he’d leveled up into an even scarier puppet master.

Still… the more he strayed from what I wrote, the more uneasy I felt.

Don’t do this, Calix.

I’m ready to accept all your obsession until Estelle shows up.

Just reveal it openly!

Anyway, the heroine wouldn’t appear for another two years.

Until then, anything goes!

I studied him closely as he smiled benignly, hiding his darkness and obsession beneath a mask of sociability.

But something was wrong.

To everyone else, this sociable Calix seemed normal, as though this had always been his personality.

How could a character’s nature just change like that?

No. Focus!

It couldn’t change without a reason!

Even if he pretended to be normal, I was the author who had created him.

He couldn’t fool me.

I sharpened my gaze like a hawk, determined to watch him more closely.

He swirled his wineglass, then lifted it to his lips again.

Just as I thought he was going to swallow, he suddenly turned and locked eyes with me.

Gasp!

The intensity of his gaze froze me in place.

And as I stared blankly, he swallowed the wine.

He drank it while looking right at me?

Was he trying to quench his thirst for me with wine?

As if that would work!

But seriously, were we just going to keep staring into each other’s eyes like this?

His absurdly beautiful face and eyes were too overwhelming to hold in direct view for long.

It felt like I was being pulled into the depths of his gaze. I wanted to look away, but couldn’t.

Then he spoke.

“Lady… do you…?”

Yes, yes. You’re handsome.

Very, very handsome.

Like a sailor enchanted by a siren, I was so spellbound by his face that I couldn’t even process his words.

“Lady Caelyn Brockburke?”

Ah!

When he called my name again, I finally snapped out of my daze.

“What did you say?”

Ugh, I’m crazy.

This is the male lead who literally holds my life in his hands! I should be listening to his every word as if my life depends on it!

“I asked if you had something you wanted to say to me.”

Huh? Something I wanted to say?

To you?

Not the other way around?

The only thing I wanted to say was—

“Please don’t kill me.”

But of course I couldn’t say that.

Why ask me this all of a sudden?

Ah! I get it.

Because I’ve been sticking close to you and treating you kindly, you’ve started hoping for something—but you’re too scared to confess.

So you’re fishing for hints about how I feel?

Yes, that must be it.

Until now, Caelyn probably never even looked your way.

If a woman you’d been pining for suddenly changed her attitude, you’d wonder if it was real or not… unless she said it herself.

As the author and as Caelyn fighting for survival, I decided to reassure him.

“Ah, Your Highness! I actually think that kind of love—the kind that’s so obsessive you’d stake your life on it—is wonderful.”

Please don’t stab me.

You don’t have to keep up this sociable act. You can be the dark, obsessive man I originally wrote.

I’ll accept it all.

But then—Calix clenched his left hand into a fist.

That was his habit whenever he felt anxious, displeased, or angry—whenever negative emotions surged.

Why now?

Was he nervous in front of me?

Whoa, whoa—calm down!

Thankfully, he relaxed his hand again and smiled.

“Is that so? Lady Brockburke has unusual tastes. I hope you find such a love someday.”

…What?

Unusual tastes?

What are you talking about?

I was matching your tastes!