“So what?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think that’s a reason to forgive your rudeness?”

I pushed hard to hide my true feelings.

I was a candidate for the heir title, so if I step back, I’ll be laughed at.

“I-I have sinned. Please forgive me.”

The desperate knight bowed as if his waist would break.

“Get lost.”

I would end up losing if I pushed any further. It would be better to pretend to lose at this point.

“T-Thank you!”

The knight straightened his waist and tried to leave as if escaping.

“Wait. Leave that before you go.”

“T-This? Alright.”

The knight placed the sketch on the sofa and left without even looking back.

“Give it.”

I stared silently at the sketch handed to me by Tia, and then I burst into a hollow laugh.

“No wonder.”

At first, I was uncertain, but upon closer inspection, the woman in the sketch strangely resembled me.

From the dark hair to the loose hairstyle, and even the elegant dress, it was almost too much of a coincidence.

Now I could understand why the male lead told me to escape toward the slums.

Although not certain, I couldn’t help but wonder if he mistook me for the woman in the sketch who escaped from the Earl’s mansion.

‘…Things I couldn’t even imagine in the original.’

The awkwardness of being mistaken for the woman in the sketch, the advice left for me to evade pursuit—it all seemed unimaginable to happen in the original story.

‘I might be able to draw a new picture if I do well.’

I should think carefully when I return to the duke’s residence.

How continuing to meet with the male lead before the regression might turn out to be advantageous for me.

*

After returning to the mansion, I washed and immediately fell asleep as if I had fainted.

Thus, I woke up to the faint dawn sunlight.

“…Good. There’s a lot to think about.”

I got up from the bed and took out a piece of paper from the desk drawer. It was a timeline detailing major events within the noble society, recorded in chronological order.

With a highlighter in hand, I underlined ‘Yussis Regression,’ which marked the beginning of the original story.

Then, I went back in time and added a sentence to the bars that corresponded to the current timeline.

[Before Yussis’ Regression]

“He really seemed like a different person,” I mumbled to myself.

I couldn’t have imagined that the personality of the male lead would be so different before and after the regression.

Despite looking exactly the same, his speech, personality, and even his demeanor were completely different.

“It’s not that I don’t understand. The things he’ll experience from now on are bound to be quite harsh.”

In Episode 0—Yussis’ first life—the male lead’s life was tragic.

At the age of thirteen, Yussis experienced the pain of losing his entire family and territory at the hands of the villain.

Surviving miraculously, he became a mercenary, risking his life to pursue revenge.

After tracking down the evildoers, the male lead discovered that the mysterious group that attacked his territory was a cult seeking the resurrection of the Evil Lord.

‘And then he learns the truth.’

The fact that the souls of his deceased family and people were sacrificed for the resurrection of the Evil Lord.

That’s why Yussis, driven by revenge, stood against the resurrection of the Evil Lord to save his loved ones.

In the process, he lost precious comrades and faced betrayal from someone he trusted, but he did not waver in his determination.

However, in the end, the male lead failed to achieve his goal and faced a tragic death at the hands of the resurrected Evil Lord.

This was the male lead’s story in Episode 0, as far as I know.

“It’s kind of weird.”

I saw a side of the male lead that was completely different from the original. The side that I didn’t know about left me feeling uneasy.

I wondered what emotions the male lead, who had closed his heart to save his loved ones and prevent destruction, went through each day.

With the weight of the impending doom resting on his shoulders, I could somewhat understand the torment he must have felt, leaving him with no other choice but to become a monster.

“Enough. What’s the use of getting lost in my thoughts like this?”

I exhaled and cleared my emotions. As my mind calmed, I turned in a more rational direction.

“…How about getting to know him before the regression?”

Even though I was willing to join Evan, meeting the male lead after regression itself felt burdensome.

Given the spectacular track record of Kiana, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t try to kill me.

From that perspective, now might be the right time to score some points.

Since the male lead in Episode 0 didn’t remember me and was reasonably sensible, it might be a good idea to approach him now.

“Or should I just boldly seduce him?”

I immediately dismissed the thought with a shake of my head.

I would like to boast about how I can do anything with my beauty, but the male lead’s mind was likely filled with a desire for revenge against the villain who annihilated his family and territory.

Just because he looked fine on the outside didn’t mean there weren’t hidden wounds in his heart.

And besides the situational factors, there was another decisive reason why I couldn’t seduce the male lead.

“He’s the ultimate iron wall.”

In the original story, even though prominent beauties like the enchanting sorceress Sybilla, Saintess Lily, and even Princess Eliana openly expressed their favor, Yussis, the cold-blooded male lead, never gave them a glance.

The comments from frustrated readers, wondering why he wasn’t interested in anyone and asking if he was some kind of eunuch, had poured in like a torrent.

“I’ve decided. Let’s put it all aside and make sure we get some points.”

‘Yes, that should be enough.’

If I helped Yussis and proved that I was not an antagonist, that should be enough.

It would serve as a seed that could uproot the prejudices and malice toward me ingrained in the regressed male lead’s mind.

‘There’s no time. I need to find the male lead first.’

It was rare for the male lead to stay in one place for an extended period, since he was tracking down information about the mastermind behind the attack on his family and territory.

Especially considering that just yesterday, he was involved in an incident in the underground sewers.

I was certain he’d leave Syllas soon to avoid more trouble.

Knock. Knock. At that moment, I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Tia entered the bedroom to take care of morning tasks, greeting me politely.

“I have brought water for you to wash, Miss.”

“Later. There’s something urgent to attend to.”

I called her closer and handed her a paper with information about the male lead’s identity.

“Go to Thieves’ Guild and ask them to find the person written here.”

“Shall I go right away?”

“Yeah. Pay them double the asked price on the condition that they find his location as quickly as possible and inform me.”

The amount didn’t matter much. As the heir candidate of the Brunak family, the monthly allowance I received was far from small.

“After completing the task, don’t return home; instead, join me in the slums.”

“Yes, Milady.”

Tia left the bedroom, and soon after, another maid entered to attend to me.

After finishing washing, I had a light meal of soup and salad. I dressed, and I headed straight to the slums.

“Now, if only Evan would show up…”

I had acquired the rune armor and an opportunity to establish contact with the male lead.

Everything was going smoothly, except for Evan’s absence.

‘Let’s wait a few more days.’

I tried to stifle my impatience and focus on a more positive perspective.

It was better for my mental health to avoid unnecessary worries and anxieties.

When I arrived at the slums, Tia was already waiting. I pulled her into the carriage.

“How’s the task?”

“They say they’ll contact us as soon as they find something.”

“Well done.”

I got out of the carriage and stood in front of the distribution stand. Meanwhile, a long line of people had formed, eagerly waiting.

“Come this way.”

It was time to distribute food to the people in line.

“Hello.”

Daisy, the young girl who had come to ask for food for her sick mother on my first day here, approached.

“Here. Including your mother, two servings, right?”

“Ye-yes. Thank you!”

Daisy thanked me with a bow and hurriedly left.

‘Her face has brightened.’

I silently rejoiced and placed my hand on the food container.

Just as I raised my head to start distributing the still-warm bread,

“…!”

In the distance, I saw a boy standing on the railing of a shack, staring intently in our direction.

‘Oh?’

For a moment, my eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

My breathing became heavier, and my heart raced.