The Darkened Second Male Lead Seeks to Rewrite the Original Storyline

“Your Highness, I greet the Crown Prince.”

The sudden appearance of Darren drew everyone’s attention. Darren tried to make sense of the situation.

Ernie was trembling, Byron was kneeling, and Siklaen seemed restless. The only ones who remained composed were Zen and Ria.

Zen and Ria? It was a combination Darren had never considered grouping together.

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

Darren deliberately took a step closer and asked, only for Zen to narrow his eyes in response.

‘That look…’

Zen wasn’t someone who usually had such an expression. He was known for his confident gaze, one that wouldn’t falter even under the brightest sunlight. But now, his eyes were filled with darkness.

“What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I was just processing some documents my father entrusted me with—”

Before Darren could finish, Zen abruptly stood up.

“Your Highness?”

“This has become boring.”

Stretching his body with a yawn, Zen turned away without hesitation.

‘Huh?’

What confused Darren even more was what happened next.

“Let’s go.”

Zen casually grabbed Ria’s wrist and pulled her to her feet. To anyone watching, it looked as though Zen was deliberately taking Ria with him.

‘The Crown Prince with Ria?’

Ria even made a few attempts to shake off his grip, albeit unsuccessfully.

Darren’s mind replayed the words Ria had said to him the previous day.

“I have no interest in Zen. If anyone’s interested, it’s Zen in me, not the other way around. If you think it’s nonsense, see for yourself.”

“Why on earth…”

Watching them disappear into the distance, Darren frowned deeply. The idea that Zen was the one interested, not Ria, didn’t sit right with him.

He plopped down into the chair Ria had been sitting in. He hated this. He hated not understanding even more. Taking a deep breath, Darren tried to calm his anger.

Beside him, Siklaen blinked and cautiously asked, “Is something wrong?”

Darren tilted his head back completely, looking up at Siklaen. Her curly brown hair and round, puppy-like eyes were filled with genuine concern for him.

Darren reached out his hand toward her, aiming for the small pin in her hair.

“What’s this?”

“Huh? Just… do you think it doesn’t suit me?”

Swoosh—

Without asking for permission, Darren naturally removed the pin. Once the pin was out, her hair cascaded down naturally. Stroking her flowing curls, he smiled with satisfaction.

“You’re the prettiest just the way you are.”

At his words, Siklaen’s face flushed bright red, and Darren immediately felt a sense of calm.

Just like her curls returning to their natural state when the pin was removed, just like how her face turned red at a simple compliment—he liked things to stay as they were.

‘Everything was perfect until now. Why is everyone suddenly abandoning their rightful place?’

Darren especially disliked Ria. He feared she might even influence Siklaen with her behavior. Siklaen, who was already beautiful and perfect as she was, didn’t need to change.

“Did Ria say anything to you?”

“Say anything?”

Siklaen widened her eyes at his question.

“Just… anything unnecessary.”

Shaking his head, Darren dismissed it. Provoking Siklaen now wouldn’t do any good. The more he doubted, the more Siklaen would defend Ria.

‘No need to stir things up unnecessarily.’

He had to secretly restore Ria to her original self. If that wasn’t possible, he needed to uncover her true intentions.

With his brows furrowed, Darren thought to himself. He wished for a life filled only with predictable problems.

“Are you crazy?”

Ria shouted, shaking off Zen’s grip. Not only had he appeared suddenly and made things awkward, but he had also dragged her away without even seeking her consent.

The place he brought her to was a secluded corner of the garden where they had first met.

“You figured it out. Yes, I’m crazy.”

Zen slowly approached Ria.

It was after their lessons and even after teatime. The sun had started to set, and the secluded corner of the garden remained without any proper lighting.

Ria glanced around at the surroundings, now much darker than before. The thought that no one would know if anything happened here made her even more uneasy. The already strange behavior of Zen felt even scarier.

Ria silently reviewed the magic spells she had learned earlier that day.

‘It’s barely at the level of a lighter, but it’s better than nothing.’

That was the extent of Ria’s thoughts as she took in the ominous aura Zen exuded.

Zen approached, paying no mind to Ria’s hesitation, and grabbed the strands of her long black hair cascading near her waist.

Ria frowned but didn’t stop him, doing her best not to provoke him.

“I told you I’d only give you one day.”

Zen pressed his lips to her hair, strand by strand. As he looked up at her, a smile lingered on his lips, but his eyes were chillingly cold.

Ria had been ready to accept his proposal today, but seeing him now, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Agreeing might improve his mood, but something told her it would irreparably change her future.

“Where were you during the day?”

Zen asked, his voice still eerily calm.

“…I was in class. Where else would I be?”

“Ah….”

Zen let out a sigh, as if her response had caught him off guard.

“For a moment, I almost thought you had run away.”

He smiled faintly, a bright, sunny smile reminiscent of the Zen she knew from the original story. Yet, when paired with his unsettling tone, it made him seem like a completely different person.

“So, have you given my proposal some thought? Can I expect an answer? You wouldn’t waste my time, would you?”

His voice was low, heavy, and carried a veiled threat.

‘What should I do?’

Ria recalled how Zen had referred to her as his crown princess earlier. He was serious.

Last night, she’d convinced herself that her decision had no bearing on Siklaen’s life. All she had to do was accept his proposal. That way, she’d have a role to play, and there would be no danger.

‘But can I really trust that?’

Today, Zen felt exceptionally dangerous. She remembered his desperate cries the night before, warning her that time was running out. Could she truly afford to get involved with him?

To make matters worse, she’d learned that the person who wanted Zen dead was Corende.

‘What could that possibly have to do with me?’

There was likely a deeper, hidden connection she hadn’t uncovered yet. She needed time to think.

“Ria.”

The problem was, Zen clearly didn’t have the patience for that. His tone, sharp and foreboding like a countdown, made Ria flinch.

Zen locked eyes with her, moving his hand slowly to his waist in a deliberate motion. Ria’s gaze instinctively followed.

‘Huh?’

What Zen revealed at his waist was a sword, proudly adorned with the royal crest.

He ran his fingers along the blade’s sheath. The dark scabbard was intricately wrapped with a dragon design, and its hilt was bound with crimson cloth, a symbol of the royal palace.

‘Who brings a sword to school?’

Ria’s eyes tracked his every move as Zen unsheathed the blade with a graceful motion.

She recoiled in shock, stepping back until her back hit the cold surface of the garden wall. There was nowhere else to go.

“Why do you even have a sword at school? Put it away!”

She tried to act calm, but her trembling voice betrayed her fear.

“Are you scared?”

Zen twirled the sword in his hand effortlessly, his silver hair shimmering under the dim light as it swayed with his movements.

If Ria weren’t the one standing right in front of him, she might have found the sight of a handsome man in a black uniform wielding a sword quite striking.

But as the blade sliced through the air, she couldn’t help but flinch. Each time it swung closer, Zen took another step forward.

Gulp. Unable to endure it anymore, Ria squeezed her eyes shut. Her body trembled as she braced herself.

“What could you possibly be thinking with that tiny head of yours… that you still can’t give me an answer, hmm?”

The sound of the sword cutting through the air echoed in her ears.

“Hmm….”

Zen let out a contemplative hum before Ria felt something cold press against her neck. She froze like a statue.

‘This… this can’t be…’

A cold sweat ran down her back. There was no time to debate existence or purpose. If she made the wrong move, she could die here and now—quite literally.

With trembling lips, Ria managed to stammer, trying to ignore the sensation at her throat.

“Zen. Wait… let’s talk this out.”

“Then talk.”

He didn’t seem inclined to move the sword. If it was a mistake not to realize he was this unhinged, then she was paying the price now. He’d said he didn’t have time, but at this rate, she’d die before he did.

Ria cracked her eyes open slightly, her lashes trembling. Through her hazy vision, she could make out Zen’s silhouette and the sword he held to her neck.

Squeezing her eyes shut again, she shouted desperately.

“…I’ll do it!”

“Do what?”

Swish.

The sensation at her neck moved like it was cutting through the air, sending a shiver down her spine.

‘This isn’t because of the threat. I already decided last night that I’d marry Zen, didn’t I?’

Trying to convince herself, Ria raised her voice.

“I’ll do it! Be the empress or the crown princess or whatever! Just put the sword away!”

Zen chuckled softly. The sound made Ria frown instinctively.

‘Is he seriously laughing in this situation?’

At the unsettling laugh, Ria cracked her eyes open again and glanced cautiously at her neck. The sword that had been pressing against her was no longer there—or so she thought.

In reality, what had been against her neck wasn’t the sharp blade but the blunt sheath.

‘He tricked me?’

Over something so ridiculous?

Ria snapped her head up, ready to confront him.

“Hm?”

Zen smirked, as if daring her to say something. One hand still rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist, as though ready to draw it again at a moment’s notice.

Ria instinctively clutched her neck, shielding it protectively. It may have been the sheath this time, but she wasn’t confident the next time would be the same. With Zen, she couldn’t take chances.

Plastering on a stiff smile, she replied, “Is there… a problem?”

“No. I just thought the sword was beautiful.”

“It looks better covered in blood.”

“What?”

Ria gasped, her voice high with alarm.

“Just kidding.”

Zen’s tone was devoid of humor as he spoke.

Ria stared at the elegant sword, its polished blade reflecting the moonlight. In that moment, she realized with certainty that this transmigration wasn’t going the way she’d imagined.

The genre of the story was shifting into something far beyond her control.