The Male Lead Is the Villain, and I'm the Only One Who Knows - Chapter 1

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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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The Male Lead’s True Identity Is the Mastermind, and Only I Know It — Episode 1
“The Empire’s Star, His Highness the Crown Prince, enters!”
At the voice that rang through the hall, all eyes turned in a single direction.
A man in a crisp navy-blue uniform stepped forward into the hushed expectancy.
As his neatly arranged black hair parted and his green eyes curved gently downward—
“Oh my….”
Admiration spilled out naturally.
By merely appearing, he commanded the hall’s atmosphere, and he took his place on the platform with an elegant stride.
Evan Pell Erjet.
With looks, bearing, and character all flawless, he was the first-choice groom candidate coveted by everyone in the Empire.
“I hear His Highness visited the slums of the Eastern Region again this year and personally cooked meals for the children?”
“And he sent a substantial sum to the avalanche site in the Northern Region. It must be an angel descending.”
“Just the other day, he went all the way to that dangerous Frontier and lifted the soldiers’ morale in person. Truly a perfect sage-king.”
As people revered Evan, I—
“Phew….”
—was hiding in the corner of the party hall, breathing heavily.
‘Finally, I can breathe again.’
I’d forgotten to breathe at the sight of Evan’s face and nearly fainted. I gradually steadied my returning breath.
All I did was look at his face—so why was I like this?
‘Insane, is this real? His face is absolutely legendary. The two-hour journey here was totally worth it!’
Evan is my favorite, after all!
Peeking toward the hall, Evan’s elegant and beautiful features came into sharp focus.
Every time he smiled, it was as if dazzling starlight poured forth. Yes, that’s it. That’s what a “face” truly is…!
‘I can’t leave. I should just stay here for good, seriously.’
Recently, I’d transmigrated into a romance novel called “The Monster Duke’s Doll,” which I’d been thoroughly enjoying.
The only minor issue was that it’s still serializing, so I don’t yet know the identity of the Mastermind who’s killed hundreds of people.
In any case, my favorite Evan was a perfect man in the original work—a sage-king and angel of the century unlike any other.
Unfortunately, he’s the Second Male Lead who doesn’t end up with the female lead.
‘But that’s exactly what I love about him.’
True to his fate as the tragic Second Male Lead, Evan doesn’t merely cheer on Shana and the male lead’s love—he secretly watches over her, helps her, sacrifices for her, and cares for her repeatedly.
‘Living for the happiness of a woman who doesn’t love him—now that’s a true devoted lover…!’
He doesn’t even step forward in front of her, lest it burden her. Genuinely pure-hearted lover, certified.
As they say, love is most beautiful when it’s hopeless. Mm-hmm.
“Hmm? Where’d he go?”
While I was lost in thought, Evan, who’d been on the platform, vanished. When I turned my head, he’d already descended into the hall and was offering a light greeting to the gathered nobility.
“If the opportunity arises, I hope to see you again.”
As if ready to depart already, Evan bid the nobles farewell with an angelic smile and moved toward the back exit of the party hall. In his wake, only the enraptured cries of his admirers lingered and dispersed.
“Does he always leave after just a greeting? Such a shame….”
Perhaps because he had many duties as Crown Prince, Evan rarely stayed long at parties even when he attended.
Lately, he barely showed his face before departing, yet for the nobility, his mere attendance was enough—no issue there.
‘I should probably head out too.’
Once Evan left, a few young noblewomen who’d apparently come only to see him began to depart. Just as I was quietly turning to leave myself,
‘Huh? Just now—something felt strange….’
An unpleasant sensation I’d never felt before brushed my skin. Though it lasted only an instant, it sent goosebumps across my entire body.
Yet looking around, no one else seemed to have felt this presence.
It was too vivid to be a mistake, though. Strange.
‘Ah, I shouldn’t be too curious about things like this.’
In novels and movies, the curious ones always die first.
‘But.’
Ignoring it completely would pose a fatal problem.
‘This presence is trailing toward the back exit where Evan went.’
The presence stretched like a thread in the direction Evan had disappeared. As if beckoning me to follow.
‘Could something have happened to Evan?’
The moment I thought that, my body moved reflexively.
‘Although I’m just an extra, I’m a mage of sorts!’
If he’d run into trouble, I might be able to help. A chance to aid my favorite and receive his gratitude? How could I pass that up. Moving now.
I checked my surroundings, then slowly pushed open the firmly closed back door.
“So the garden was here?”
Beyond the door lay the Earl’s expansive white garden, well-maintained despite the winter season.
But Evan was still nowhere to be seen, and the presence continued to pull me deeper into the garden’s interior.
“Hmm.”
The moment I caught sight of it, my feet came to an abrupt halt.
‘Why is the Labyrinth Forest here?’
It was a gloomy wood where, when night fell, man-eating beasts were said to prowl—a place under Imperial control where entry was strictly forbidden. The Earl’s residence must be so remote that it bordered directly on it.
“Since it’s under Imperial protection, nothing should happen, right?”
…The moment you say that, it always does. Scratch what I just said.
After confirming no witnesses were near, I slowly stepped into the Labyrinth Forest. I hadn’t walked far when I felt a presence.
‘Is it Evan?’
I stopped briefly, then hurried to cast Confusion Magic on my face. Even if Evan saw me, he wouldn’t be able to remember it.
I couldn’t let myself get tangled up with him by accident and alter the original story! Extra rule number one: never forget it!
‘I don’t know how Evan got lost here, but… I’ll need to calm him down and lead him out.’
“You’re… quite… startled… aren’t… you?”
I was clumsily rehearsing my first words to him, and the moment I pushed aside the undergrowth to make my entrance—
A soft rustle.
Before I could even process what was happening, I saw fresh blood spray across his usually immaculate uniform.
“……What?”
Just now, something had—
As Evan’s silvery blade cut through the air with fluid grace, someone’s head was severed clean from their shoulders.
Thud-thud-thud. An unbelievable series of sounds poured into my ears.
It was only then that his bright emerald eyes turned toward me.
“You there—who are you?”
“…Insane.”
I bolted without thinking—pure instinct. The absolute certainty that if I didn’t escape this moment, I would die, and that certainty alone propelled my legs forward.
‘The second male lead is the mastermind? What kind of trashy novel is this?!’
The original story’s content, which I’d nearly forgotten during my peaceful time since the possession, came flooding back into my mind.
In the original work, the Lakis Empire was suffering at the hands of the Slaughterer. At irregular intervals, hundreds died without regard for age or gender.
Since the victims had nothing in common with one another, it was impossible to predict who would be next.
‘He left barely a trace, so even the prestigious Magic Tower couldn’t catch his tail.’
The Imperial Family had named him the Slaughterer and devised countless schemes to apprehend him, but nothing worked.
‘All the victims had their heads severed, they said….’
The person who’d just been killed the same way—throat cut, identical to every other victim so far.
The moment I realized the Slaughterer was Evan, my vision went dark.
‘Did I lose him?’
After running for some time, I noticed no pursuit, so I slowed to catch my breath.
Then—
“Resting already? You don’t seem to have much stamina.”
“—!”
At the sound of his voice so close to my ear, I lifted my head with a silent scream, only to lock eyes with his emotionless jade gaze.
‘When did he get here?!’
They say people who are terrified enough can’t even speak. That was exactly where I was now. Not even a scream—my mouth wouldn’t open.
“How… how did you…?”
Between my trembling lips, a voice broken by terror stumbled out in fits and starts.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Evan looked at my frozen form and curved his lips into a smile. It was the smile I’d seen countless times before, and yet now it felt like the cruel grin of a hunter.
“I’ll ask again. What’s your name?”
Hiccup.
Gripped by fear, a hiccup burst out of me. My heart was pounding so violently I thought it might literally leap out of my mouth.
“An unusual name. I’ll remember it.”
A clear killing intent radiated from Evan. I understood that this conversation itself was happening only by his grace.
“Are you… going to kill me…?”
“Yes.”
He answered with a bright smile before I’d even finished asking. His expression was so cheerful, as if to say: wasn’t that obvious?
‘My bias is chasing me to kill me. This is so…’
Under normal circumstances, I would have screamed in admiration at that beautiful face, but now I wanted to scream for an entirely different reason.
There was only one way out of this.
‘I… I need to use Teleportation Magic.’
But getting from Earl Anastasia’s Residence on the frontier all the way to my home in the heart of the Capital would require considerable magical power.
The fact that my proficiency with Teleportation Magic was low didn’t help. Who could have predicted something like this would happen?
‘If I burn through all that power, I’ll probably be bedridden for a whole day.’
But if I stay here, I’ll actually die….
First, let’s bolt!

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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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