Prologue: No more, a role to be dead.
"Felicia's enemy.....”
“Hii--!”
With dark, piercing eyes, Duke pressed the tip of his sword against the man's neck.
The defeated man collapsed to the ground, his will to fight completely broken. As the knights dragged him away, Duke watched silently with his deep navy-blue eyes that glimmered faintly.
He had always been absorbed in himself, giving nothing in return to his fiancée, who had always stood by him.
And now, she was gone before he could ever make amends.
Though Duke had supported the crown prince and acted to benefit the kingdom in his own way, he deeply regretted failing to protect the woman who had been closest to him.
Having finally tracked down the one responsible for driving his fiancée to her death, Duke felt a faint sense of closure as he avenged her.
“Ah… Perhaps this will ease Felicia’s heart a little.”
“Yes. I’m sure Felicia would be pleased,”
“Belinda… Thank you for staying with me through all of this. I feel like I can finally move forward, even if just a little.”
Duke wrapped his arm around Belinda’s shoulders…
◇ ◇ ◇
“Felicia… Felicia…”
“…Mm, huh?”
“Are you all right?”
“…My apologies. I was spacing out.”
The moment I caught a whiff of the deep and refreshing scent near my nose, my head began to overflow with an overwhelming stream of memories.
—What was that just now?
Still confused, I forced a smile at Duke, my childhood friend and fiancé, who was staring intently at me.
Seeing my expression, Duke relaxed slightly, let out a small sigh of relief, and brought his cup to his lips.
And with that, silence returned.
The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the breeze softly filled the quiet.
A gentle wind blew, and I tucked a strand of my waist-length golden hair behind my ear as it swayed in the breeze.
When I looked away from my fiancé and took in my surroundings, I saw vibrant greenery, just like my emerald-green eyes, with cheerful white and yellow flowers soaking up the sunlight.
In front of the life-filled scenery, I found it hard to breathe as I reflected on my situation and let out a sigh.
If I didn’t start the conversation, we wouldn’t talk at all.
Though we had seen each other at least once every three months as childhood friends, now that we were engaged, we met once a month to share this quiet space together.
Until just a little while ago, I had cherished these moments.
But now, I was reeling from the flood of memories that continued to overwhelm me, and I closed my eyes to steady myself.
Normally, I would have brought up a topic that Duke might find interesting, but that was impossible for me right now.
Anyway, he wouldn’t talk unless I initiated it, so I told myself there was no need to speak. As I reopened my eyes and watched him, I began organizing my thoughts.
When our eyes met, Duke tilted his head slightly, as if asking, “What’s wrong?”
—He doesn’t seem completely indifferent, but…
Sitting across from me was Duke Walford, the eldest son of a duke.
With his smooth, deep-navy hair tucked behind his right ear, his cool and handsome appearance gave him an air of quiet authority. His navy-blue eyes carried a thoughtful and calm demeanor, and he was always composed and reserved in his speech.
Contrary to his intellectual appearance, he excelled in martial arts. No one in the academy could match his skill with a sword.
He treated everyone with fairness, showing a different side only when with the prince or his closest aides.
He rarely smiled or initiated conversations on his own.
As his fiancée, I could tell that Duke at least made an effort to consider me.
He always sent me birthday gifts and made time for us to meet regularly, fulfilling his duties.
Perhaps, in a way, that was special. But that was all.
Even now, my past-life personality judged my looks to be decent enough to match him.
My golden hair shone in the sunlight, and my large, double-lidded emerald eyes gave me a beauty often likened to gemstones. My personality was quiet and reserved, and I had always loved Duke, devotedly staying by his side.
Remembering my earlier memories, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself.
As the past-life version of me merged with the current Felicia, I glanced at the beautiful man before me. When our eyes met, he gazed at me intently before narrowing his eyes slightly.
—It’s that kind of expression that makes people fall for you.
What a sinful man he was.
Even though he wasn’t particularly interested in me, his occasional kindness, due only to our engagement, was still a treasure to me.
Overflowing feelings of love had idealized Duke in my mind. No matter what he did, I found him charming, which only deepened my affection.
I closed my eyes again, counted to five, and slowly opened them.
The two hours of our scheduled meeting were almost over.
“Thank you for making time for me again today.”
“Ah. See you next time.”
“…”
Normally, I would have replied cheerfully with an eager “Yes,” but this time, I simply smiled in silence.
I had always been so happy, hanging onto even the smallest crumbs like the word “next.” It was pitiful. Truly pitiful.
Even now, with the memories of my past life and personality stirring within me, my heart still fluttered at the sight of Duke. And that made it all the more painful.
I love Duke deeply.
Not wanting to burden him, I had always prioritized his schedule, going out of my way to meet him during his free time.
I brought him honey-lemon juice before his sword training, making sure not to disturb him. I would hand it over quietly and leave without saying much.
I had always devoted myself entirely to him, ensuring I didn’t inconvenience him.
But Duke never noticed.
For him, I was just his fiancée, someone he spent time with out of obligation. That was all.
It had always been enough for me—just being in the special position of his fiancée.
But now, remembering my role as the sacrificial side character, I couldn’t ignore the emptiness.
Still, a part of me stubbornly wished he would notice me as someone more than just a fiancée.
But reality was clear.
Duke was destined for the heroine, and I was merely the character meant to die for the plot.
If that’s the case, I’ll avoid my death, break off this engagement, and live a life free from Duke’s shadow.
I made up my mind as the carriage swayed.
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