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The original story’s male lead, Rael, “regressed”?
It wasn’t entirely impossible. This was a different time from the original story, and there was still well over half a year before the timeline of the original story even began. Right now, the only person who would know the details of events that hadn’t yet occurred in the original story was me, possessing Tiana’s body.
But if Rael knew about events that shouldn’t happen at this time, that meant he also knew what was supposed to happen “now.” And that was only possible if he knew the original story.
“I can’t believe it… but the possibility is higher than I expected.”
Considering how Rael’s personality and behavior had changed from the original story, and judging by the meaningful words he had just spoken, it was entirely possible that he had regressed. If I could possess someone else, then perhaps the original male lead could also regress.
If he really had regressed, it could explain the differences from the original story so far—the way he met Angelica for the first time, his behavior toward me and Lucius, and his proactive stance on marriage. Looking back at his interactions with Angelica, it was definitely different from the original story.
“If Rael really regressed… why?”
I hadn’t read the main story to its conclusion, but in the last side story I saw, the matters concerning Lucius and Tiana were revealed, and both had died. With Lucius and Tiana—the greatest rivals to the main couple, Angelica and Rael—gone, the two main leads should have had a happy ending.
Could it be that the main story continued after that side story? I vaguely remembered the author leaving a note at the end of the side story when I lost consciousness, but I couldn’t recall the details. If it continued, then perhaps Rael and Angelica didn’t have a happy ending in the main story?
If a new main story was serialized after the side story, and the ending I hadn’t seen wasn’t happy, then for some reason the two of them never fully came together—and that might have caused Rael to regress.
“Is this happening because I possessed someone?”
No… rather, it was more accurate to say that the original world had reached a conclusion that defied my expectations.
The last thing I had seen wasn’t the main story’s conclusion but a side story, so I didn’t know how the ending turned out. I had only assumed, based on the circumstances, that Rael and Angelica had a happy ending. I never imagined it could have ended differently.
“No… maybe it’s not over yet.”
If the expected happy ending didn’t occur, and Rael regressed because he and Angelica ultimately didn’t come together, then from his perspective, the “original story” was still ongoing.
In this situation, it had to be considered a new progression—similar to mine, yet slightly different.
Both Rael and I knew the original story and had been altering events even before the story officially began. I was doing it for Lucius and me; Rael, most likely, was doing it for himself and Angelica.
There was one key difference between him and me: he knew what happened in the main story after the side story. That knowledge likely explained his unusual actions and his proactive behavior.
“What on earth happened after the side story?”
Lucius, whom he had considered the greatest rival, had exposed the evil deeds of Tiana, the villainess, and then ended his own life. Tiana, who had tried to conceal her identity, and the Marquis Calvino, who had conspired a rebellion to place Lucius on the throne, along with his forces, were all dealt with by him.
Since Lucius had eliminated the remnants of the noble faction before his own end, there shouldn’t have been anyone left to challenge Rael.
Did a new force emerge afterward? That seemed unlikely—only the emperor’s faction and the neutral faction remained, and there was no way Rael couldn’t control them.
“Maybe the Marquis Even acted at that time.”
Earlier, Rael had mentioned that he didn’t expect Marquis Even to move “at this time.” That implied he had acted at another time, which might have been the events following the side story I had seen.
And if it was because of Marquis Even that Rael and Angelica never came together and met a tragic ending, that could explain why Rael regressed. That also helped me understand why he referred to it as an “unexpected” variable.
“I never imagined that there would be someone other than Marquis Calvino strong enough to threaten Rael.”
When I read the original story, Marquis Even barely appeared. He sometimes appeared as background, but his presence was negligible—less than an extra.
Instead, his daughter, Lady Even, was mentioned more often. She, too, was a minor character who exited early, but she had appeared a few times in scenes with Tiana and Angelica. Jealous of Angelica, who received all of Rael’s affection, she had occasionally caused petty trouble.
Perhaps as a consequence, she died suddenly in an accident one day. She had slightly more importance than her father, but even then, the author spared only a single line to describe her. The author was surprisingly ruthless with extra characters.
“Tiana?”
“Huh?”
Just as I was sorting out my thoughts, I heard Lucius calling me. Looking curiously at him, Rael, who was standing nearby, spoke to me.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Ah…”
I must have seemed a little dazed. I had been lost in thoughts about the possibility that Rael had regressed. For now, I would have to observe the situation carefully. I couldn’t exactly ask him in front of Lucius, “Sir, did you regress?”
I forced a small smile at Lucius, who looked worried, and Rael, who was giving me a peculiar look, and spoke.
“I was just thinking for a moment. Oh, I also heard that there’s something you’d like to discuss with us.”
“Discuss? Right.”
Rael stared at me for a moment before continuing.
“Actually, I could decide this on my own, but I think it’s better to hear from someone experienced and a woman’s perspective.”
“Angelica, is this about Lady Werner?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, lifted Rose, and gestured for Lucius and me to follow him. Turning toward the table placed in the garden’s shaded area, we went after him.
On the table were neatly arranged flowers and a cup of warm black tea. When was this prepared? Steam rose from the tea, so it wasn’t long ago. No maids or servants had come during our conversation, so perhaps magic was used.
Rael sat down, and Lucius and I took the seats opposite him. He fed Rose a snack and sipped his tea, prompting me to lift my cup and take a sip as well.
It had been a while since I had last drunk black tea. Lately, I had mostly been drinking flower tea from Café Roland’s city branch. Baron Evitt, as a return for his investment, had been sending flower tea almost daily, so even at the mansion, I usually drank flower tea at tea time.
“Flower tea is nice, but black tea has a richer, more substantial taste.”
The deep flavor, stimulating my tongue, seemed to mildly chastise me. I had indeed been neglectful. I would have to drink it more often from now on.
“You seem to like this black tea,” Rael observed quietly. Smiling, I replied as I savored its deep aroma.
“Yes. It suits my taste perfectly. Drinking it after so long makes it even more enjoyable.”
“I prepared this black tea because you’ve been enjoying flower tea lately. It’s good to try new things, but it’s also important not to forget what’s familiar.”
His words sounded casual, but there was a subtle weight to them. “Don’t forget what’s familiar.” What could he mean? Was I forgetting something? His ambiguous remark lingered in my mind, but I let it pass for now.
“Yes. Familiar things are always comforting and stable, which is why they’re good.”
“That’s the advantage of familiarity. Even if you forget, you can always find it again and remember.”
“Meow!”
Rose, sitting obediently on his lap, tapped his thigh with her paws as if agreeing. Smiling at the sight of Rose kneading his leg, Rael continued.
“That doesn’t mean you should avoid new things. A little novelty is always good. Mixing the new and the familiar in proper balance allows you to feel both freshness and comfort. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“…Yes.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant. Something about his words seemed directed at me, but I couldn’t grasp the point. New things were flower tea, familiar things were black tea—was he telling me to mix them? What nonsense.
Was he giving business advice? Or was there another reason? Unable to fully understand his intention, I gave him a puzzled look, prompting him to speak again.
“The conclusion is that you’re doing well now, so keep it up. I have high expectations for you.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you can accomplish something that even Lucius and I cannot.”
“Excuse me? Me?”
What did he mean? That I could do what neither he nor Lucius could? I didn’t see how that was possible. Their thoughts and mine were different, sure, but it wasn’t like I could do something extraordinary. Why was he placing such high expectations on me? I was curious, but the pressure made my chest tighten.
Sensing my hesitation or perhaps unaware, he sipped his tea calmly. I cautiously spoke.
“I can’t promise that I’ll provide opinions that will fully satisfy you, even if you have certain expectations…”
“Hm? Ah, don’t worry. What I want to discuss now is something your opinion is perfectly suited for.”
“My opinion?”
Smiling, he glanced at Lucius and said:
“I’d like you to give your thoughts on how a proper proposal should be made, based on your experience.”
Ah, this definitely requires my proactive input.
