The Darkened Second Male Lead Seeks to Rewrite the Original Storyline

“Prince Zen’s character is so outstanding that he doesn’t say anything. But if you mistake that for an opportunity and try to climb—”

“Climb?”

At the unbearable insult, Ria cut off Darren’s words sharply.

“You’re the one who should stop climbing.”

“What?”

“Yes, I liked you, that’s true. Back then, I must have been out of my mind.”

“Ria Keblick!”

Darren shouted in a low voice, his tone harsh, completely unbecoming of a noblewoman.

“But not anymore. I regret ever liking you. So stay out of my business.”

Ria realized she was reacting sharply, but she couldn’t stop herself from speaking.

Every emotion she had felt when reading the original story only intensified as she faced Darren in person.

‘Ria was constantly belittled just because she liked Darren.’

She thought Darren’s attitude had played a huge part in the original Ria becoming more twisted, even to the point of slapping Siklaen.

‘When I read the original, it was written from Siklaen’s point of view, so I could excuse the male lead, but now…’

There was no excuse. Darren was a mess. Ria glared at him coldly.

“If you’re done talking, maybe you should leave?”

Ria spoke harshly. Darren stared at her, then made a strange expression, as if he now understood.

“Ha… Looks like you’re dreaming a futile dream.”

“What?”

“I heard you’ve met Prince Zen a few times lately… It’s embarrassing as a fellow noble. You need to uphold your dignity.”

“What are you talking about?”

Darren’s lips twisted.

“I’m telling you to act properly. Stop running around so crudely.”

Ria was at a loss for words. It wasn’t because she didn’t have a response, but because she found it so absurd.

“Crudely?”

“Prince Zen keeps you around only because of his childhood affection. Don’t mistake his favor for something more.”

Ria placed her hand on her forehead. It seemed that Darren thought she was chasing after Zen because she liked him.

She glared at Darren and snapped.

“Are you upset because the person who used to like you now doesn’t, and I’m not playing along?”

“What?”

“You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either?”

“I don’t think—”

“If that’s not it, then please mind your own business. Whether I like Zen, meet him, or become the empress of this country.”

Ria made sure to stare directly into Darren’s eyes as she said it, emphasizing every word, then stood up abruptly. Darren looked up at her in utter disbelief.

“Do you know you’re really strange these days?”

“When did you ever start caring about me?”

“I’m not caring about you. I’m thinking about the effect you’ll have on Siklaen. I heard recently you sided with Siklaen.”

“…Do I need your permission to side with Siklaen? Are you her guardian now?”

“Considering what you’ve done until now, you shouldn’t be saying that.”

Ria unknowingly clamped her mouth shut. It was clear that what she had done to Siklaen couldn’t be forgiven.

“This is laughable. Now you side with her… Do you think I’d believe that? Not just me, but everyone who knows you will be suspicious. They’ll wonder what you’re up to, lingering by Siklaen’s side.”

“Lingering? What—”

“Ah, finally that stupid head is starting to work properly?”

“What?”

“Well, if you’re targeting Prince Zen, it’s about time you start pretending to come to your senses. You can’t live like a child throwing tantrums forever.”

Ria bit her lower lip so hard it hurt. It seemed that Darren thought she was just trying to create an image for a possible marriage with Zen. Her anger boiled over, only to freeze into a cold, detached feeling.

With a face now set in a hard, cold expression, Ria looked down at Darren and said,

“The stupid one isn’t me; it’s you.”

“Stupid? Me?”

Darren scoffed as if hearing such a thing for the first time in his life.

“Do you think image matters to me? Do you really think such things would matter to the youngest daughter of the Cablik family, who holds the second greatest power after the royal family?”

“…….”

“Even when I was throwing tantrums as a child, people never stopped surrounding me. Do you know why?”

“Ha, it was probably to make a good impression on Prince Zen. If you show a different side of yourself now—”

“Show a different side? Do you really think Zen would believe it?”

“What?”

“You said it yourself. Everyone who knows me will be suspicious.”

“That’s…”

Darren, who had been rendered speechless, finally closed his mouth.

“Let me tell you something else. I don’t have any interest in Zen. The one who’s interested is Zen, not me.”

“You’re saying—”

“If you think it’s nonsense, go ahead and check for yourself. Of course, only if you’re close enough to Zen to ask him personal questions.”

As she coldly walked past Darren, Ria added one last remark.

“Oh, and if you want to uphold the dignity of the nobility and proper manners, you should probably stop showing up uninvited to the house of a noblewoman in the middle of the night without any prior notice.”

Leaving Darren standing there with a bewildered expression, Ria left the parlor without hesitation.

Bang— The door to the parlor slammed shut, and Isabel, waiting outside, was startled.

“Miss, you’re done already?”

Ria gritted her teeth. The calm expression she had been trying to maintain all this time quickly twisted into one of frustration.

“…From now on, never let that jerk into our house again.”

The more Ria thought about it, the angrier she became. While she had tormented Siklaen, there was no reason to be spoken to like that by Darren.

She had truly liked him, but to be called “vulgar” for that…

Ria pounded the pillow with her fist, her anger rising higher.

“Vulgar? Trashy?”

Her face flushed with rage.

“Ha…”

She threw herself back onto the bed and, as if making a decision, immediately sat up again.

“Fine… if it comes to this, I’ll just marry him.”

Seeing Darren, who seemed to think that Ria was chasing after Zen, made her want to strike back. If he valued status and manners, at the very least, he wouldn’t be able to ignore her if she became the empress.

Of course, it wasn’t just for such childish reasons. After cooling down and thinking it through, the position of empress wasn’t something that would cause her any harm.

‘Harm? It’s more like a lifeline thrown at me in this situation.’

Anyway, Zen’s presence hadn’t faded. Whether it was because he was the crown prince or not, the important thing was that he still had presence. The fact that his presence hadn’t faded meant that he was still one of the main characters in the story.

In most novels, the characters that are given significance are the protagonist, the antagonist, and the supporter. Since she was neither the protagonist nor the antagonist anymore, what remained for her was the role of the supporter.

The role of being a family member of a main character could also be seen as a supporter. Additionally, she could use her position as empress to create events. Just like Zen had helped Siklaen in the original story, perhaps she could do the same. She could make connections with high-ranking nobles or invite people to royal palace social gatherings.

However, one thing that bothered her was still Siklaen’s life. If Zen didn’t sacrifice himself, she would die.

‘…But from the start, whether I marry him or not, it shouldn’t matter, right? Zen doesn’t really love me.’

If Zen still loved Siklaen but was planning to marry Ria for some reason, he would save her regardless of marriage.

On the other hand, if he truly didn’t love Siklaen, he wouldn’t save her, whether they were married or not.

Ria felt her mind cool. In the end, her choice and Siklaen’s death had nothing to do with each other. What mattered was Zen’s decision—whether he would sacrifice himself or not.

But at least if she stayed close to Zen, she might be able to persuade him to save her. Ria’s eyes sparkled with the clarity of her conclusion.

‘But still, there’s one thing bothering me… He said he could save my life through marriage…’

Plopping back onto the bed, Ria lay there for a moment, as though weighing something, before suddenly shouting.

“Isabel!”

The door opened as if on cue, and Isabel entered.

“Yes, Miss?”

“What happened with the investigation on Zen?”

“Oh, yes, Miss. I was just about to tell you…”

Isabel seemed hesitant to speak to Ria, who was clearly upset after her conversation with Darren.

“Tell me. Everything you found out.”

She was planning to meet Zen and accept his proposal today. If that happened, she might actually marry him.

Before that, Ria wanted to know more about him. After a few experiences, she had realized that this world was far larger than the original story she had read. Perhaps there were things about Zen that she didn’t know.

‘And he mentioned my life…’

The weight of that word was too great to simply ignore. There must be something, something she didn’t know.

Isabel hurriedly came closer, looking around before whispering.

“First, Zen Widia is currently the only heir to the throne of the Baissen Empire. He has no siblings, making him the sole legitimate successor. So, it seems there won’t be any issue with him ascending to the throne.”

“I already know that.”

Isabel swallowed hard and continued in a lower voice.

“Yes, however, after doing some digging, I found that if… if, by any chance… Prince Zen’s life were in danger or if the throne were threatened…”

Perhaps because it could easily be misunderstood as treason, Isabel was speaking very cautiously. Ria didn’t rush her, nodding for her to continue. Isabel leaned in and whispered in Ria’s ear.

“The one who might pose a threat would be His Majesty the Emperor’s younger brother, Zen’s uncle… Duke Corend Widia.”

“K… Corend Widia…”

Ria rolled the name around in her mouth. It sounded somewhat familiar.

‘Corend Widia, Corend… Duke Corend…’

“I can only gain one thing. My life.”

Ria’s eyes widened.

“My life!”

“Y-Yes?”

Isabel, startled by Ria’s sudden shout, clutched her chest in surprise. Ria, seemingly not noticing Isabel’s shock, stared into the air as she muttered to herself.

“It was him…”

A scene from the original story flashed in Ria’s mind.

Corend Widia, the name of the person who had taken Zen’s life in the original.