Chapter 03
A light glowed at the tip of Russell’s hand. It seemed like he intended to start with healing first and deal with everything else later.
But even that action alone became a burden to me. No, it wasn’t just Russell—Gawain and the Duke’s behavior added a hundred times more pressure.
I repeat: I was a reader who supported Erina.
—Are these really her family? Why are they acting like this toward Erina?
—If they’re family, shouldn’t they be a bit more supportive?
Of course, it was a common setup for villains to have a harsh environment around them. But even so, Erina didn’t have to become a villain.
If someone in the Marvas Duke household—her older brother or father—had shown even a little interest in her, then even with a failed awakening, there would have been no reason for her to fall so deeply into darkness.
Erina, after all, had beauty that could stand proud even with the strong backing of the Duke household.
This wasn’t just my opinion; all the readers who supported Erina agreed.
So even though Gawain and Russell were candidates for the male lead, they were characters heavily criticized by readers who supported Erina.
Yet now, one of the very characters who had driven Erina to that state was approaching her with a face full of worry, as if she were on the verge of death. It wasn’t convincing—it couldn’t possibly be genuine concern.
I reflexively stood up and stepped back a few paces. Russell froze in place.
“I told you it’s not that serious!”
I’d raised my voice without thinking and realized it, but then again, considering Erina’s character, this reaction wasn’t that strange. This was exactly how she would behave.
“…I’ll be fine if I rest a little, Russell. You don’t need to go through the trouble of healing me.”
“Erina, healing magic has no effect if the body is in normal condition…”
“Why is everyone suddenly so concerned about me?”
Russell’s eyes flickered. Exactly—why are you all suddenly breaking character and worrying about Erina? Because of the Duchess’ funeral?
But in the original story, their indifference didn’t lessen—it only continued.
“This hasn’t happened before. It feels… strange.”
Please, just ignore me like in the original. That way, I can escape this household.
I meant it. Even if they were harsh to Erina in the original story, I would have preferred they continue like that.
Knowing the story would then be an advantage, but they started acting out of character from the very beginning. It was absurd, maddening, and cognitively dissonant.
I even started wondering if I had been reading the novel wrong all along.
I was going to walk a thorny path anyway; I just wanted to survive it.
So please, act the way I know you! Once I leave the Marvas household, I won’t care how you behave!
Russell’s expression contorted. He looked on the verge of tears but quickly pushed the thought away.
Crying? Russell? No way—that prick who always tried to avoid seeing Erina with a scowl? That had to be my imagination.
I quickly stepped backward. I could feel the three men’s gazes pinned on me, but the desire to remain at the table, feeling like I might choke, had vanished.
“…I’ll eat separately.”
With that, I left the dining room as if fleeing. Once I found an excuse to escape, leaving as fast as possible was best.
Russell slowly lowered his hand. In his line of sight, Erina’s figure was rapidly retreating, almost like she was running away.
—Why is everyone suddenly so concerned about me?
Her genuinely confused expression, eyes wide as if she didn’t understand at all, was still sharply etched into his memory.
Her hesitant, almost fearful steps struck him painfully.
“Russell.”
“…Father.”
Russell glanced at the Duke. Gawain’s expression was similar.
“Our sudden behavior… seems to be a burden on Erina.”
At those words, Russell clenched his teeth. Hearing confirmed out loud the fact he had vaguely sensed—or stubbornly denied—felt more miserable than he expected.
“Do not rush.”
“But Father—”
“Rushing won’t change anything. Moreover, there is still time, isn’t there?”
The Duke’s cold but realistic words made Russell and Gawain bow their heads.
“Do not act impatiently.”
“But Father, even if there is time, who knows what might happen before that.”
At this, the Duke’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Gawain, and Gawain met his father’s stare.
“…Will you allow such a thing to happen?”
“Of course not.”
“Then do not speak such words.”
At the Duke’s firm words, Gawain clenched his fists.
“We are doing what we can now. If protecting Erina is too much for you, step aside.”
“…I have no intention of stepping aside.”
“Then think carefully about how to best protect Erina. You only need to ensure that not a single mishap occurs.”
The Duke’s eyes swept over his two sons. His gaze, cold and piercing, spoke volumes.
“I believe there is no fool in the Marvas household who would make the same grave mistake twice.”
Gawain and Russell’s eyes also sharpened. There was even a sense of determination in their gaze.
“Erina being assassinated will not happen.”
“This time, absolutely not.”
Muttering their vow-like words, they clenched their fists tightly.
Having successfully escaped the dining room, I finished a simple meal in my room with the help of the maids.
“Phew… finally, some peace.”
Thinking back to how I’d been nervously nibbling at the food without tasting it made me regret it.
Sipping the fruit juice for dessert, I recalled the novel’s setting.
“The unique setting made it fun to read.”
In I Did Not Wish to Be Loved, the Legreia Empire was the only nation in existence.
Thus, the emperor’s power was absolute, and naturally, he was one of the candidates for the male lead—or perhaps the true male lead.
Anyway, the most interesting setting involved dragons.
Dragons.
Powerful beings that could traverse worlds. On the continent, not only humans but animals and even plants could become dragons.
The reason only one nation and one ruler existed was tied to a pact with the dragons.
In return for protecting the birth of dragons and providing assistance, humans were granted glory and power.
Nobles were required to undergo the awakening ceremony at nineteen, which was also a ritual to become a dragon.
…but that didn’t mean dragons, godlike beings, were mass-produced like a factory.
Usually, only one of the dragon’s abilities manifested, or its body appeared.
In the novel, the dragon was the Duke of the South, Shrandis—only one. Oh, there was one more: the future heroine.
As the story progressed, the heroine would eventually awaken as a dragon.
But Erina was only seventeen, so that hadn’t happened yet.
People with dragon abilities existed nearby. The Marvas Duke had dragon blood; Gawain had wind powers; Russell had the ability called the “dragon’s eye.”
‘And Erina…’
Her awakening ability was considered the lowest tier: an appearance change, palm-sized wings that couldn’t fly, and scales on her arms—nothing else.
Thus, she had been criticized by both her family and the nobles. Just because you’re from the Duke household doesn’t mean you awaken superior abilities.
Moreover, Gawain and Russell had awakened early at fifteen, making their talents shine even more, leading to harsher judgment on Erina.
“I’m not interested in that future.”
Erina hadn’t cared about her post-awakening form in the novel, but I did.
Why follow the original story when I already knew what would happen?
“More importantly… why are the Duke household members acting like this?”
Weren’t they supposed to be indifferent, even deliberately ignoring Erina? Later, they even humiliated her in front of the heroine, prioritizing love over family!
“…Thinking about it makes my blood boil. Gawain, Russell, damn you both.”
No, that’s not the point now. The important thing is why they are suddenly acting in ways that break their original characterization.
“What’s going on? Well, sometimes hidden settings that weren’t revealed in the novel do appear after possession. That happens. But this…”
Still, it shouldn’t lead to complete character collapse. So why are they behaving like this?
I rubbed my forehead, sighing. There was no clear answer, no matter how I thought about it.
“Just follow the typical possession story flow…”
Then I could at least respond properly. What is this? Some new torture method?
But I quickly shook my head and reconsidered. Whether they acted differently or not, I planned to leave the Duke household anyway.
“Yeah, once I leave and never see them again, I won’t have to worry about any of this.”
Why was I even worrying? I sighed lightly.
…Alright, let’s get out of this mansion quickly. Find my own path before nineteen, quietly disappear, and that’s it.
The original story? Who cares. The best thing is to live comfortably, without worrying about money or people. Avoid entanglement with the characters entirely—that’s best.
With that conclusion, my mind felt clear.
Right… why was I even worrying? Just run away and it’s over!
…Just then, a knock on the door sounded, booming like thunder.
