I Became the Female Lead Ruined by Others - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 26

The man knelt on the floor beside the bed, gripping my hand tightly.

“I spent the night in tears, terrified that you might leave me.”

His eyes were dry, not a trace of moisture, yet his blue irises trembled as if they might spill over at any moment.

“My heart feels torn to shreds, as though it might collapse any second now…….”

Listening to that pitiful, almost heartbreaking voice, a memory surfaced.
The moment I’d collapsed—that man’s face, twisted with an expression I’d never imagined him capable of, as he surged to his feet.

‘……Isn’t he laying it on a little thick?’

How perfectly did he want to deceive everyone in this Mansion, anyway?
I frowned and looked away, my voice emerging hoarse and cracked.

“I’m fine.”
“I thought you’d stopped forever, frozen at that moment. But I won’t burden you by describing these past two days of agony—it would only cause you pain…….”
“I’m fine.”
“I would have given my life without hesitation if it meant you would wake.”

If I had to describe my current state of mind in one word, it would be: discomfort.

‘He’s not even enjoying this anymore—he’s been completely consumed by the act.’

I tried once more to pull my hand free, but without my strength fully restored, I failed.
After giving up gracefully, I shifted my gaze toward Masha—my throat felt raw, and I needed water.

‘What’s wrong?’

But something about Masha, standing there with a damp cloth, seemed off.
Her gaze was fixed on the back of the man’s head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her lips pressed into a tight line.

“Masha?”
“Oh, yes! Master!”

Masha responded belatedly to my call, stepping forward.
As she turned her attention to me, her foot caught on something and kicked it aside with a soft sound—though I didn’t catch what it was.
But before I could identify the noise, Masha rattled off in rapid succession.

“Nothing unusual to report over the past two days, Master. The butler stepped out briefly to procure vitamins but should return shortly. Frodo and even Isa have been assisting with Mansion security, so you may rest at ease. I apologize for my delayed report due to my emotional state. Since you’ve only just awakened, I shall prepare a light meal. Rose and Cap are already preparing potatoes for your favorite Potato Soup.”

The man, who had by now rested his face against the sheet, let out a small exclamation.

“Wow.”

I found myself impressed by that flawless delivery—but it also sparked a recollection.
The task I’d been thinking about right before I collapsed.

“Could you call Cap for me?”

At those words, both the man and Masha lifted their heads, tilting them in unison.

“I want to discuss something with Cap while we have soup.”

* * *

By the time Ted arrived back at the Mansion, tears spent and composure restored, the situation had begun to settle into place. His account differed little from what Masha had told me.
At least nothing had happened while I slept.
Unlike Ted and Masha, who had stubbornly stood their ground despite my repeated insistence they leave, the man had released my hand without much resistance. Yet he hadn’t forgotten to turn back with that melancholic gaze of his.

‘About that dream, then.’

To dream of an era I could never return to—how strange it felt.
Everything I’d grown accustomed to over that span of time, however long or short it had been, seemed to haunt me now.

‘But that’s not the real problem.’

Without thinking, I touched the nape of my neck—the place where Baron had breathed against me in the dream. The Baron of my dream had turned that same hostile gaze on me that I’d seen at the funeral.
Remembering those eyes burning scarlet, I felt goosebumps crawl down my spine, and my mouth went dry.

‘It doesn’t matter how I incurred his anger. What matters is what Baron said he’d do once things settled down…….’

I was running my fingers through my thoughts, throat parched despite the lukewarm water, when the door opened again.

“Master! You’re not hurting anymore?”

A boy with vibrant orange hair streaming behind him entered carrying a tray.
I took the tray from Cap, who came bounding in with a bright, animated voice.

‘Younger than I expected.’

Looking at his innocent, somewhat simple face and those endearing freckles dotting the bridge of his nose, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

‘But this second transmigration was always unpredictable.’

So I studied the small child carefully as I ladled the soup.

“Yeah, I wasn’t really hurt to begin with. Just tired, that’s all.”
“That’s a relief! I was so worried when you were sick! And my brother too!”
“Brother?”
“Yes! Brilliant!”

At his words, the question mark that had floated above my head scattered like ash.
In this Mansion, there was only one man to whom the descriptor “brilliant” could apply. It was an undeniable fact, separate from my personal feelings about him.

‘But does Cap not even know his name?’

I gestured for Cap to sit on the stool beside me.

“Seems you two got close quickly.”
“My brother bought me lots of delicious things and even played ball with me!”
“……Is that so? I wouldn’t have expected that from him.”
“Pardon?”
“No, never mind. Cap, do you happen to know his name?”

His name?
Cap, who had been staring at me with those wide eyes, suddenly gasped and trembled.

“No! I didn’t even know my brother’s name this whole time! What am I supposed to do?”

What am I supposed to do—as if I know any better…….

‘Wait.’

Perhaps I could learn the man’s name through Cap. That might help me uncover his true identity.

“Wouldn’t you tell me, sir?”
“Hm?”
“You must know his name already, don’t you? He’s always telling me that you and he are special friends—that there’s no one else in the world quite like your friendship!”

We weren’t friends, but it was true enough that we shared something special and utterly unique.
I should be grateful that I’d preserved the child’s innocence with a careful blend of half-truths and reality.

‘But now I’m in a bind because of that man all over again!’

I spooned more soup into my mouth, avoiding those gleaming eyes.

“Why don’t you ask him directly instead?”
“Why would I do that?”
“He might be waiting for you to ask his name.”
“Oh, is that it?!”
“He might be hurt that you haven’t asked.”
“That couldn’t be……!”

Cap’s face crumpled in shock, and he tugged at his own hair.
I waved my empty hand back and forth, signaling him to stop his dramatic reaction.

“But it’s not too late. Go ask him and come back—I’ll verify what he says. If he’s sulking, he’ll give you a false name and joke with you. If he’s not, he’ll tell you his real name.”
“Really?! Yes, sir! He’s such a prankster that he’ll definitely play a trick on me!”

Cap, who had just displayed an almost unchildlike perceptiveness about the man, beamed with delight.

‘He might use an alias, but that’s better than knowing nothing at all.’

Watching the child clap his hands in glee, I swallowed hard.
Now I had to deliver my prepared words—as naturally as possible, yet with an air of secrecy.

“But Cap, is there anything you wanted to tell me? Something we kept secret, just the two of us perhaps……? You haven’t forgotten anything?”

His eyebrows—a shade of orange deeper than his hair—flickered once or twice, and then his innocent face suddenly brightened.

“Oh, the candy!”
“The candy?”
“Yes! You always gave me candy on the days I got all my Dictation Practice right! But last time you said you’d give it to me later, and you never called me for it……. So I’ve been remembering it all by myself!”

Ignoring my face as it flushed with shock, Cap continued cheerfully, counting on his fingers.

“Um. Um~ including what you gave me before you left on your trip, I should get four pieces total!”

The handwriting in the servant ledger was hasty, scrawled in what one might call a typical ‘adult’s hand.’
But the letters I’d written to Marquis Brilliant showed handwriting that was excessively careful, each stroke pressed down with excessive deliberation.
Like the handwriting of a child practicing penmanship.

“Cap, could you bring me some paper and a pen from that desk over there?”

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