Chapter 1: A Letter from the Past (1)
“…Ha.”
A hollow laugh slipped out of Chloe’s mouth without her realizing it.
Maybe it was her last defense—
a way to deny reality.
The arm holding the letter trembled
as if she were carrying something heavy.
It was just a single sheet of paper.
But what it contained—
was unbearably heavy.
[To my dear Gerard,
Gerard, whenever the scent of flowers fills the breeze like this,
I’m reminded of our childhood.
When we first met, you were shorter than me—
and now I’m the smaller one.
Every time I look up at you, I’m reminded of how quickly time has passed.
You know how precious the time we spent together is to me.
I hope that we can continue to rely on each other just like we did back then.
Recently, I heard from your mother that she’s looking for a partner for you.
She seemed worried that you have no interest in marriage.
She even asked me to introduce you to a good young lady if I knew one.
So I told her about Chloe Roem.
What do you think of Chloe?
You know how kind and wise she is, don’t you?
I hope Chloe becomes your partner.
If you stay by her side, I’ll feel very reassured.
That way, none of us will grow distant because of marriage.
To be honest, I’ve been worried lately that we might drift apart.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the North for six months and haven’t seen you both.
Let’s arrange a time to meet together soon.
I’ll stop here for now.
I hope only good things come your way.
—Your childhood friend,
Leila.**
P.S. You’ve noticed that she likes you, haven’t you?
What… was this letter even saying?
It didn’t feel real.
Or maybe—
Chloe was refusing to accept it as real.
Her mind went blank.
She repeated meaningless thoughts to herself.
It’s from eight years ago. Eight years.
Things are different now.
He’s kind, devoted, always respectful…
He’s my husband.
But—
A question kept rising inside her.
Has anything really changed?
What if it was all an act?
What if he’s just playing the role of the perfect husband out of duty?
Her thoughts reached the one question
she had avoided throughout her marriage.
Does he love me?
Her eyes found the answer before her mind did.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
The man who had once felt closest to her—
became the most distant.
“…Ah… sob… hic…”
Chloe collapsed to the floor.
Everything she had built—
felt like a sandcastle.
Her dignity as a noblewoman.
Her strength as a mother.
Her happiness as a wife.
All of it—
was denied by a single question.
She couldn’t even stand anymore.
“Ugh… sob… hic…”
The last thread of her sanity tried to suppress her crying.
She swallowed her sobs over and over—
afraid someone might hear.
But tears—
forced their way out anyway.
She covered her mouth with both hands—
her body trembling.
How long had she cried?
Her head spun.
Her body was exhausted—
Yet the tears wouldn’t stop.
“Hah… ha…”
She tried to steady her breathing.
But then—
a name surfaced in her mind.
“Leila… sob…”
Leila Stein.
No—
Now she should be called Leila de Anata.
The moment she thought of that name—
Something burned inside her.
A friend she loved—
and resented.
Perhaps—
she and her husband
would never escape that name.
* * *
Leila—
was the heroine of this world.
More precisely—
She had been the heroine nine years ago.
Bright.
Confident.
A little unpredictable.
If you turned the word “heroine” into a person—
It would be Leila.
Nine years ago,
she married Frederick de Anata
and achieved a perfect happy ending.
Leaving Gerard Blanchett behind.
Gerard—
her childhood friend—
had loved her for a long time.
He always comforted her
when she was hurt by Frederick’s coldness.
And yet—
the one she chose—
was Frederick.
The one who stayed beside Gerard—
was Chloe.
The woman crying here.
She was a side character.
A “female friend”—
meant to show how charming the heroine was.
A supporting figure—
who grows close to the heroine
and becomes her loyal helper.
That was Chloe’s role in this story.
And yet—
ironically—
she was the only one
who knew
that this world followed the story of a “book.”
Since when?
She wasn’t sure.
But ever since she met Leila,
She read that book every night in her dreams.
A strange book—
with no title,
no author.
Even if she didn’t want to read it—
She had to.
It never allowed her to refuse.
She learned the future.
The characters’ true feelings.
And yet—
She did nothing.
She knew what would make Frederick fall for Leila.
But she did nothing.
She knew Leila’s mermaid dress would become a trend.
But she did nothing.
She knew Leila would impress foreign envoys with her diplomacy.
But she did nothing.
It wasn’t just because she didn’t want to steal from her friend.
It was because—
Chloe had never been the main character.
And she was satisfied with her role.
No—
more honestly—
She couldn’t imagine herself as the heroine.
At home, she was overshadowed by her sisters.
Outside, she was compared to Leila.
She had grown used to giving up.
What if things turn out differently if I try?
She didn’t want to find out—
that she wasn’t the protagonist.
So she gave up.
Avoided.
Didn’t desire.
“…Haha… no, that’s not true. I did desire something.”
There was one thing she wanted.
Gerard.
The man left behind by Leila.
At first—
He reminded her of herself.
Stuck in a role—
unable to escape.
“Lord Blanchett, why are you standing there alone? Let’s go together.”
So she stayed by him.
Back then—
she even hoped
His love for Leila would succeed.
Because it might change this suffocating story.
“Lady Roem, if it’s alright… could you give this to Leila for me?”
“Why don’t you give it to her yourself…?”
“If I do… it will burden her. Please.”
Even after finding rare medicine,
He never boasted.
Only worried about Leila.
And Chloe—
grew envious.
Of the love Leila received.
Just imagining it—
felt sweet.
“It’s cold. You should go inside, Lady Roem.”
“…Ah… yes.”
Even small kindnesses made her blush.
Even though she knew—
They meant nothing more.
In the end—
She had to admit it.
She loved him.
But she never planned to act on it.
She would bury it.
“…I really thought that.”
But then—
Gerard proposed to her.
So—
just once—
She chose to want something.
It’s been long since the story ended… it should be fine.
I don’t even dream about that book anymore.
And so—
She took his hand.
And today—
She faced the consequence.
Chloe wiped her tear-blurred vision
and read the letter again.
“Ah…!”
Her chest tightened.
She couldn’t breathe.
It was real.
She couldn’t deny it anymore.
The timing—
was exact.
Six months after Leila went North—
Gerard proposed.
Late spring—
when flowers filled the air.
She remembered everything.
The atmosphere.
The weather.
The moment.
Because it had meant so much to her.
Gerard Blanchett proposed to Chloe Roem… because of Leila.
That one sentence—
destroyed eight years of happiness.
Every kind word.
Every gentle action.
Now—
felt suspicious.
And cruel.
Gerard—
who had been endlessly kind to Leila—
had been endlessly cruel to Chloe.
