Chapter 8
“Please let us get married.”
There was only one person in the world who had eyes like his.
I had read those descriptions of him so many times before I transmigrated—descriptions from the main story of The Emperor’s Heir.
And that face… it was on the cover of the printed book.
How could I possibly forget?
He was the one I desperately wanted to meet ever since I arrived in this world.
And now, here he was, standing right before me.
“…Lucius.”
Lucius Eyarl Roderick.
The villain of this world. The man who would become my husband.
A deep sense of fulfillment surged from within my chest.
Sneaking out through the terrace window was worth it.
I was just in time to meet him before he left.
Though I was thrilled to see him, I regretted the situation.
I had hoped to show him a more proper first impression.
Even though he only saw my back, reaching into empty air like an idiot must’ve looked strange.
When I saw Lucius stiffen with slightly widened eyes, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
See? He’s totally shocked.
Having read both the main story and the side stories thoroughly, I knew that expression.
Slightly raised eyebrows, widened pupils, and not even blinking once—Lucius looked utterly stunned.
But… was my outstretched hand really that surprising?
He still hadn’t changed his expression, which was puzzling.
Then, after hesitating slightly, he opened his mouth.
“…Do you… remember me?”
“What?”
“I heard… you lost your memory…”
“Ah…”
So it wasn’t my odd actions that surprised him—it was the name I called him by.
That’s right… I had just called him “Lucius.”
Even though we were said to be lovers, the current “me” had amnesia.
Lucius would’ve found it strange, understandably.
I’d blurted it out without thinking. I really needed to control my mouth better.
Feeling his gaze, I forced a smile and answered smoothly:
“I heard a guest had arrived. They mentioned the Grand Duke by name, so I assumed it must be you.”
But still, it’s not normal to greet someone using their name right away, especially not someone of high status like him.
He was more formally known as Grand Duke Roderick, after all.
It was a flimsy excuse.
Lucius’ expression remained rigid, suspicion still in his eyes.
This was the time to stay shameless and keep acting.
Right now, I was the pitiful, amnesiac noble lady—Tiana.
Ignoring the weight of his gaze, I gently lifted the hem of my dress and curtsied.
“Forgive my late greeting. I am Tiana Quin Celeste.
It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”
His stare felt painful as I slowly lifted my head, but I kept my expression carefully composed.
When our eyes met again, his golden irises subtly trembled—and my heart skipped a beat.
“…You’re… speaking to me?”
“…?”
His pained, hesitant eyes nearly made me gasp.
This was a look only someone who had read the novel would recognize.
It was the exact expression he wore on the cover of Volume 2.
My throat tightened.
This wasn’t 2D. This was real.
The power of 3D was overwhelming.
As I kept staring, unable to look away, his eyes twisted slightly and he spoke again.
“…You’re not ignoring me?”
“Sorry? What do you mean…”
That’s a strange question… Did I do something wrong?
Or maybe… did the original Tiana ignore him?
But weren’t they supposed to be lovers?
Lucius looked disoriented, as if he didn’t know how to process this.
He couldn’t even meet my gaze properly.
For a moment, I was confused. But then I noticed his slumped posture, his pained expression—
and I remembered the side stories of Lucius and Tiana.
Tiana hated Lucius…
No, more than that.
She despised him.
She used him, gave him not even a speck of attention, and discarded him like trash.
Who would’ve guessed that such cruelty was hidden behind her noblewoman mask?
Lucius, who had stayed loyally by her side, was portrayed as the villain, while the true villain was her.
The author really did a number on him.
But weren’t they lovers in the current timeline?
Even if she had a bad personality, could she have been that cold?
“…Is it alright if I… stay with you?”
“…?”
That one sentence, spoken so hesitantly, shattered the small hope I had.
Maybe I had judged Tiana too generously.
She really had been a terrible woman.
How could someone say that to the person they loved?
Even with amnesia, the fact that he felt the need to ask that said everything.
It didn’t even seem like they’d had proper conversations in the past.
Disgusting.
I remembered how in the side stories, Lucius could never go against a word Tiana said.
This—this wasn’t a man who’d ever been cold or cruel.
The author had truly done him dirty.
Just because you need a plot twist doesn’t mean you ruin a good person’s reputation.
For now, I needed to put him at ease.
He was still wary of me, but he clearly wanted to talk more.
His fingers trembled slightly—a subtle movement I caught easily thanks to my fan-girl eyes.
He clearly wanted to come closer but couldn’t.
Lucius looked like he had lost all composure, utterly confused by how different I was from the Tiana he knew.
So I would take the first step.
There were only a few steps between us.
I walked slowly, so he wouldn’t be startled.
When I was finally in front of him and he flinched as if to step back, I smiled brightly.
“Of course. Lucius, I want to be with you.”
Don’t worry.
I’m genuinely happy to see you.
The world seemed to pause around us.
Yellow flower petals fluttered in the air, playfully obscuring our view.
But I could still see his face clearly.
Lucius didn’t move a muscle—he was completely frozen.
He looked so shocked I felt bad.
Was that too much?
“Lucius? Are you alright?”
“….”
“Lucius? Can you hear me? Lucius?”
He didn’t respond.
Even my voice didn’t seem to reach him.
Panicking slightly, I reached out and gently grabbed his arm.
At the touch, he flinched hard and finally snapped out of it. His eyes refocused.
“…Lucius?”
“Ah… you said my name…”
“….”
He was so overwhelmed that even after coming back to his senses, he still seemed dazed.
I held back a laugh.
This was the real Lucius—the one only I knew.
Not the cold, ruthless villain from the novel.
But a shy, gentle man.
Just hearing me say his name had made him this happy?
With his hands covering his face and his cheeks turning red, he looked like a flustered child.
I was beginning to understand just how horribly the original Tiana had treated him.
Thank you—wherever you are, Tiana.
Whether you gave me your body or I took it,
I’m just grateful I get to see the character I loved so much right in front of me.
Now it’s my turn to do things right.
I’ll treat Lucius well.
So don’t you ever come back.
Right now, what I needed to do was act like the “Tiana” who had lost her memories.
I had to make him feel safe.
“I’m sorry. I was too bold calling you by name.
I don’t remember the relationship we had before… so I spoke carelessly.
Please forgive me.”
“….”
“Should I call you Grand Duke Roderick instead?”
“Ah… n-no! Please, just… like before…”
He flinched and quickly corrected me, looking more relaxed now.
He lowered his hand, letting out a small breath.
Though we were only a few steps apart, I could see it—
his guarded heart was still spinning with confusion.
He didn’t know how to treat me.
“…Please… call me Lucius.”
Finally, he seemed to come to a decision.
His voice trembled slightly, but his eyes—once constantly darting—now held steady as they met mine.
Those golden eyes sparkled brighter than anything else around us.
Barely holding myself together under their spell, I nodded.
“Yes, I will. Lucius.”
“…Tiana.”
When I smiled and said his name, Lucius paused, then smiled back—just a little.
My heart nearly burst again.
This really was real.
This was the world where the character I loved… lived and breathed.
I remembered how devastated I was when he chose to end his own life.
No one ever healed the pain he carried—not even once—because the author had fooled everyone with the twist ending.
Despite being constantly rejected, he gave everything to Tiana, believing in her alone.
And in the end, he chose to die with her.
Imagining the pain he must’ve felt in those final moments was unbearable.
But I’m here now.
I’ll make sure he’s never the villain again.
The main characters of the novel can take care of themselves.
If I support them from the sidelines while building a loving relationship with Lucius, the story should unfold just fine.
If Lucius and I are happy, and that slightly shifts how Angelica, Rayel, or others act—so be it.
I’ve already committed to living in this world.
I’ll deal with any ripple effects.
Turning the novel’s “main villain” into an ally won’t be easy.
But we’re not even in the original plot yet.
Lucius hasn’t done anything to deserve the title of a villain.
In truth, he was never one to begin with.
He was kind. Too kind.
We just need to shatter the shadow that people cast over him—
that oppressive, scary image he has in public.
It’s all because he doesn’t express himself well.
But with more conversations, more time spent together, we can change that.
I’ll peel away the “misunderstood villain” persona he’s stuck in.
There’s a lot of work to do.
So much.
