I Became the Female Lead Ruined by Others - Chapter 12

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 12

‘Visits in daylight, he’d said…… Was that today?’

Though looking at the man’s current state, “visit” hardly seemed the right word.
Yet he bore no resemblance to someone dragged in bound—his composure was absolute, unmarred by a trace of fear.
Since his hands weren’t free to brush back the hair that had fallen across his face, he tilted his head with an air of leisure all the same.
His bearing was remarkably unhurried and assured, at odds entirely with his circumstances.

“Do you know this man, sir?”

The butler who’d brought him in looked visibly perplexed.
The two men standing behind the stranger exchanged uncertain glances.

‘If even the butler doesn’t recognize him, it seems he’s never made a formal visit to this Manor.’

That lent credibility to his claim that this was their first meeting.
Still, I had to say something.

“Ah, well……”

As I stood there gaping, the butler spoke first.

“We apprehended him attempting to infiltrate through the Reception Room balcony.”
“He put up minimal resistance, and we subdued him at once, but there’s no doubt he’s suspicious.”

The two men behind the stranger nodded vigorously in agreement with the butler’s account.
The stranger glanced back at them, then turned to me with a nod of his own.

“Yes, that’s correct. But the timing was poor, so I ended up captured like this.”
“You insolent bastard! Don’t go babbling whatever pleases you in front of the master!”

One of the servants burst out sharply at the man, who spoke with an oddly grave expression.

‘Captured?’

This was the same man who’d subdued an Assassin effortlessly last night. There was no way he’d allowed himself to be taken so readily.
As I frowned slightly, the butler raised his voice and added urgently:

“The Assassin we apprehended during the night is being held in isolation in the Basement. We haven’t been able to confirm it yet since he hasn’t regained consciousness, but there’s a high likelihood they’re accomplices!”

Within just one day, I’d come to recognize the butler’s competence—but even he was wrong this time.

‘Still, since I don’t know this man’s identity, I have no idea how to introduce him.’

In the end, I resolved to wear an intimidating expression and bluff my way through with something vague.

“That’s……”
“You’re misunderstanding.”

But the man’s quiet voice cut off my words.
He smiled beautifully, as though he didn’t grasp his own dire situation in the slightest.
Then he threw down the bomb.

“I’m an Entertainer.”
“……What did you just say?”

I was so caught off guard that I forgot to breathe, and it was the butler, a half-beat too late, who answered instead of me.
He merely shrugged his shoulders while remaining bound.

“An Entertainer.”

With that single word, a heavy silence descended upon the room.
All four of us could do nothing but stare at him with expressions of utter bewilderment.
Yet he remained perfectly composed, gesturing toward me with a nod before continuing.

“The Young Lady has seemed troubled lately, so I thought I’d prepare something special for her. Though I never expected things to unfold quite like this.”
“Why would an Entertainer need to slip in through the balcony of all places?”
“You can’t stay competitive in this line of work without thinking beyond the conventional approach.”

The man who said this suddenly burst into laughter, as if something struck him as tremendously amusing.
Looking at that ingenuous smile, I found myself uncertain whether his words were truth or fiction.

‘An Entertainer?’

His eyes, unnaturally clear, held a peculiar softness to them.
His features were sculpted with meticulous care, his frame lean and graceful, and there was an air of elegance about him altogether.
It stood in stark contrast to the impression he gave—something distant and unapproachable—that had nothing to do with what he’d just claimed.

‘It feels like a lie.’

His bound hands, fidgeting against the rope, appeared pale and smooth at first glance—as if he’d lived without ever knowing hardship.

‘But those are the hands of someone who wields a blade.’

The Duke, who had once been a hero of the empire; Leonardo, who’d inherited his blood and possessed a talent for Swordsmanship; and Baron as well. During my years as a young lady, there was no shortage of sword-wielders around me.
So I had learned to recognize a swordsman’s hands.
The calluses embedded between thumb and forefinger, or within the palm; the veins that stood prominent across the back of the hand.

‘If he were truly an Entertainer, why would he need to hone his Swordsmanship to this degree?’

My mind had already concluded it was an obvious lie, yet somehow I felt oddly susceptible to being swayed by his claim.
It was because of that guileless expression and his effortlessly deceptive manner.

“An Assassin, you say—just the thought of it makes me dizzy.”

…Of course, that didn’t mean I actually fell for it.
I avoided his gaze and waved my hand dismissively.

“Take him to the Reception Room.”

At this point, I couldn’t think of any clever way to avoid him.

“As he is.”

I gestured toward his bound hands as I spoke.

“But, my lady…”

The butler trailed off uncertainly, wearing an expression of distress.
Just as he pressed his forehead with his hand, unable to come up with a suitable excuse to explain the situation.
The butler suddenly spoke out with force and clarity in his voice.

“Ah, understood! I shall take him to the Reception Room at once—rather, escort him there!”

And with that, he hurriedly led the man out of the room.

“Wait, I didn’t say anything.”

My words tumbled out of a mouth left gaping, and no one answered.

* * *

After a quick change, I walked slowly down the Corridor.
With each step, my thoughts grew noisier.

‘I can’t make heads or tails of any of this.’

The word “Entertainer” seemed like a transparent lie.
But that wasn’t what mattered, anyway.
What mattered was what relationship I’d had with that Possessed One, and what he knew.

“Excuse me, sir.”

As I reached the Reception Room, the butler stopped me with a quiet voice.

“I’ll ensure no one approaches near the Reception Room. No one will pass by the door. I’ve taken measures to keep everyone away.”

I turned to look at him with an expression of sheer incredulity.
Still, he only nodded with grim determination.

“If your business—rather, your conversation—is finished, please ring for me.”

The look in his eyes—the one I didn’t want to understand.

‘Is this not the first time…?’

I asked quietly, my eyes vacant and drained of all will to explain.

“Have I ever summoned an Entertainer like this before?”
“Y-yes? Ah, no! Absolutely not—never, not even once!”

Right. No matter how much of a mess that Possessed One was, that would’ve been crossing a line.
I made his usual annoyed expression and spoke irritably.

“Good. Then stop imagining strange things and quietly withdraw.”

As the butler’s hand reached for the doorknob, I added one last thing.
I needed at least a minimal safety measure, given I didn’t know who this man was.

“If you hear something being struck hard twice—no need to ring the bell—come straight in.”
“Understood, sir.”

And so the Reception Room door opened.
In the quiet stillness, a golden brilliance blossomed again—a sensation I felt I would never grow accustomed to, turning my stomach queasy. The man half-reclined on the white sofa seemed almost part of the room’s décor.
A man who had dissolved seamlessly into that garishly ornate landscape without the slightest discord.

“Just call whenever you need me.”

Even after the butler spoke and the door closed, the man didn’t turn his head.
Only when I had walked slowly to the seat across from him did he look at me.
He kept his bound hands neatly folded over his crossed legs.
His face remained utterly serene, as if he were a welcomed guest.

“Your taste is rather classical. Reminds me of someone I know.”

A soft voice that somehow set one on edge.

‘Just who is this man, really?’

How I wished I could glimpse the truth behind those eyes that gleamed without moonlight’s touch, as they had the night before.
But the problem was that this man before me showed no sign of being easy to read.

‘He won’t move as I’d like him to.’

So the best plan I’d managed to devise was this.

“Formalities between us don’t matter, so let me speak plainly.”

He gave a light nod at my words, as though inviting me to continue—my composure as steady as I could manage.

“Let’s forget it all ever happened.”
“Forget what?”
“Everything. All of it.”
“All of it?”
“From now on, we keep an appropriate distance.”
“Ah, so that’s why your tone’s become so stiff.”

Despite his offhand reply, his eyes blazed with a light entirely different from before.

‘I can’t think of anything else—what do I do!’

Right now, I knew neither what had transpired between this man and the Possessed One, nor his true identity.
Being alone with him like this carried considerable risk.

‘I have to get him out of here.’

Even a crude method without reason would have to do.
I couldn’t think of any other way to avoid this man than by drawing such a line.

‘Better still if he takes offense and storms out.’

Whether the attempt succeeded or failed, even a brief separation was desperately needed.
Especially if this man was someone I’d inevitably have to face again.
I needed time to learn who he was.

“Ah…”

The man sighed softly, tilting his head back. Then, as if reconsidering something, he fell silent with his eyes closed.
But not long after, he straightened in his seat.
And with a gaze so resolute it cut through the air, he looked at me and spoke in a low voice.

“That won’t do.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————