Chapter 3
“Miss, your shoe heel broke.”
A maid helping Daisy with her dressing showed the shoes Daisy had planned to wear today.
I had noticed something was off with them recently, and now it seemed the heels had finally worn out.
“Really? I liked these…” Daisy frowned. I had finished my own tasks and was just sipping my drink, so I got up and took the shoes.
“There’s nothing for me to do anyway, so I’ll take them to the workshop to get fixed.”
“Why are you going?”
Daisy, who usually didn’t like working herself, gave me a sharp look, clearly annoyed.
“Do I have to act like a useless ghost stuck here?” I teased.
“What’s going on? This is just a little outing.”
I joked, and Daisy, her cheeks puffed out, turned her head in irritation. Seeing her like this was nothing new. I laughed lightly and picked out another pair of shoes that matched her dress, placing them in front of her.
“Shonne will fix your shoes quickly, so wear these for today, okay, Miss?”
“I’m not a Miss!”
There it was again. Just like a stubborn four-year-old.
I ignored her antics. The maid brushing Daisy’s hair tried not to laugh.
Daisy could act composed and polite around others, but in front of me, she showed all her childish side. Probably because she felt safe enough to reveal everything to me.
It was flattering, but also a little stressful.
I’m not your romantic lead, friend… I’ll be leaving this mansion someday.
“Alright, get ready to go. I’m going to get some fresh air.”
“Then buy ten snacks for me!”
“That would take me a few days!” I joked while putting the shoes in my bag.
“Then just two!” Daisy pouted.
Recently, her emotions had been up and down, likely because of her relationship with Lennox.
I guessed that by now, Lennox’s unknown fiancée might be appearing to cause trouble.
Daisy shared almost everything with me, but her love life she kept mostly private. So I didn’t know the details of her current situation.
But I had knowledge from the original story! Usually, the heroine’s rival in romances is just a temporary obstacle. Seeing Daisy struggle was worrying, though.
Watching your favorite character date someone else is hard, right?
I knew my place. I was just an extra.
I was happy seeing my favorite character happy with the heroine. I had no interest in replacing her.
Lennox dating me…? That’s unimaginable.
After ten years of fandom, all I wanted was for my favorite character to be happy. Not to get tangled up with some extra like me.
And honestly, it’s satisfying seeing your favorite and second-favorite characters together.
I calmed my overexcited fan-girl tendencies and got ready to leave.
Daisy still had a sulky face. I had to indulge her a little.
“Okay, then give me some pocket money.”
I held out my hands playfully, and Daisy’s sad face lit up. She looked so cheerful shaking her full pockets.
“Can I give you all of it?”
“One gold coin is enough!”
“Tch.”
Why is she disappointed?
Daisy always worried about not being able to do enough for me.
It was more than friendship. If I didn’t know the story, I might have wondered if she liked me.
I often said I would leave the mansion, and Daisy often said she wanted to stay with me forever.
Honestly… I had to admit it. Part of my conscience was buried in Korea.
I got everything I could by sticking close to the heroine for survival, and now I felt guilty.
I wasn’t even a maid, just doing small errands and wasting food. Yet I got paid extra for playing “Miss.”
…Anyway, I straightened my guilty conscience and forced a smile.
“Daisy, have a good time. You look beautiful today.”
“Really?”
“I’m not lying.”
I brushed her bangs lightly, and she smiled sweetly, so lovely that I wanted to hug her.
Even the maids watching from the mirror couldn’t hide their smiles.
“Celus is my favorite.”
“Suddenly? What about Lennox?”
“Lennox… comes after Mom and Dad!”
Somehow, the main male lead became less important. I just smiled faintly, picking up the shoes and a gold coin.
Ignoring Daisy shouting “Two snacks! No, three!” I left the room.
Now, what should I eat…?
“Here’s your strawberry cream cheese royal parfait.”
The parfait arrived with the clerk’s polite voice.
But… is this really a parfait? It looked enormous.
“Thanks…?” I said, taking a spoon. Let’s just try it.
I had left my broken shoe at the workshop; it would take about two hours to fix.
So I entered a dessert cafe I had noticed while passing by.
I didn’t usually like sweets much, but Daisy would be grumpy all day if I didn’t eat anything.
The cup was huge… probably three servings, maybe enough to skip dinner.
I rolled up my sleeves and dug into the whipped cream.
It felt like my taste buds were being overwhelmed. Wow! So sweet!
While shivering from the sugar, I heard a voice nearby.
“Did you hear?”
That familiar beginning signaled an interesting story.
I peeked at the chatting table nearby. I tried to ignore them, but couldn’t help listening.
“The Northern Duke is coming to the capital!”
Northern Duke?
That word caught my attention. A cold, strict ruler who’s warm only to his woman… A classic “lonely wolf of the North” trope.
“That’s annoying… I hope he’s not coming to find a bride.”
“My friend’s cousin’s coworker saw him near the palace once. Just seeing his back made them feel dizzy.”
Wait… how do people remember who heard it from whom?
Anyway, let’s continue.
“They say his curse is terrible.”
“Yes, it’s so awful, it’s disgusting just thinking about it.”
Three women continued gossiping about the Northern Duke.
A cursed Northern Duke? That sounded tragic.
I ate some cream and strawberries, frowning at their tangy sweetness.
Lonely, cursed Northern Duke… sounds like a classic romance trope.
The heroine shows up, chaos ensues, kindness is offered, and love blooms.
But… something felt familiar.
Wait, think. Minsele!
Why did I know the term “Northern Duke”?
“His face is really strange!”
“Yeah, he wears a mask. No one has seen his face.”
Cursed, masked, hated by everyone… The Northern Duke?
Oh!
“…Ah!”
A memory suddenly struck me. I jumped up, then awkwardly sat back down.
Sorry!
Listening to them reminded me of memories I’d buried. I had met all other characters, too!
The Northern Duke, Solard Artencia.
He was a hidden character—you could only meet him if you completed certain routes.
Other male leads appear regardless, but Solard could only be reached through Lennox’s story path.
Hidden because the developers added him later in an expansion idea.
I had no memory of playing his route.
Cursed Northern Duke… just the word itself screamed “I’m going to be dramatic!”
Not my type. I preferred cheerful, kind characters.
Love Lennox! Be happy with Daisy! I’ll officiate!
“Why is he coming? I hate him being in the same city…”
“Maybe he’s looking for a bride.”
“No way he’s going to get married!”
Wow… people are brutal.
I felt sorry for a character I didn’t even know, and curiosity spiked.
