The Darkened Second Male Lead Seeks to Rewrite the Original Storyline

“Wait, wait a moment!”

Ria hurried to stop the Duke, who looked like he was about to storm out of the room. Apparently, he doted on his youngest daughter even more than she had expected.

“It’s not like that!”

“Not like that?”

“No one’s bullying me or anything.”

“Then why on earth do you want to leave school?”

Ria’s gaze trembled. She had anticipated this question and prepared an answer in advance. Yet, now that she had to say it aloud, she wondered if such a flimsy excuse would really suffice.

As she hesitated, only moving her lips without a sound, the Duke fixed his gaze on her and rose from his chair again.

“It seems like you’re hesitant to report someone out of your kind heart. Fine. I’ll go to the school myself and—”

“I’m bored!”

Ria clenched her eyes shut and shouted.

“…Bored?”

“Yes. I’m just… just tired of it! I think I’ve been there too long.”

Tiring of school and throwing it away on a whim? It was a concept Ria couldn’t fathom, given her habit of perfect attendance in her past life.

“But this is just who Ria is.”

Forcing a shameless expression onto her face, Ria acted as though it was perfectly natural—just as the original Ria would when throwing a tantrum or behaving unreasonably.

The Duke narrowed his eyes, studying her as if to gauge her sincerity.

“Is that really it?”

“Y-yes, it is!”

Still looking unconvinced, the Duke pressed further.

“Could it be… that the eldest son of House Slanders said something to upset you?”

“Pardon?”

He was referring to Darren. It was widely known, not just within House Kavelik but among the entire noble society, that Ria had entered the Royal Academy because she liked him.

“It’s not like that! Well… okay, it’s kind of like that, but that’s not the reason! Anyway, please let me leave the school.”

The Duke scratched his head awkwardly before finally nodding.

“Alright, fine. But it’ll take a few days to process the withdrawal.”

“What?”

“That easily?” Ria blinked in disbelief. She hadn’t expected him to give in so readily.

“Why? Have you changed your mind?”

“No, no! I’m definitely leaving. I just… didn’t think you’d agree so easily. Thank you.”

Ria’s stammered gratitude made the Duke chuckle softly.

“When have I ever been able to go against your stubbornness?”

His eyes were filled with fatherly affection, and Ria couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She was, after all, taking the place of the real Ria.

The weight of that guilt only strengthened her resolve. No matter what, she would protect Siklaen. If Siklaen found happiness, everything else would fall back into place—or so Ria wanted to believe.

“I just need to stick to the original story. If I disappear, Zen won’t say strange things, and the plot will return to normal.”

She nodded to herself as if to reassure her decision.

Yet, deep within her heart, an inexplicable unease continued to stir, one she tried her best to ignore.

The Royal Academy’s uniform was a short, red dress representing the Imperial Family. Although it was short by the Empire’s standards, it couldn’t compare to the casual dresses Ria had worn in her previous life.

The dress, originally a floor-length gown, had been modified to knee-length years ago for practicality. Isabelle, the maid attending to Ria, gasped in admiration as she helped her into the uniform.

“I can’t believe I won’t see you in this red dress anymore, my lady. It’s such a shame.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, only members of the Imperial Family are allowed to wear red dresses, of course.”

“Oh, right, that was a rule.”

In the Baisen Empire, the red color symbolized the Imperial Family. Anyone who wasn’t royalty was forbidden from wearing red, except for the Royal Academy’s uniform. Conversely, royalty at the academy wore black uniforms to distinguish themselves.

“There’s only one member of the royal family currently attending school…”

Ria thought of Zen’s uniform from the day before. His black uniform, adorned with a crimson sash, was eye-catching no matter where he went.

“It really suits you…” Isabelle muttered with a pout. The red uniform did complement Ria’s jet-black hair perfectly, while the gold accents made her look even more elegant.

Ria tossed her glossy black hair over her shoulder and strode confidently forward.

“It may suit me, but a red dress isn’t what’s important right now.”

She had something far more pressing to take care of.

“Let’s get going.”

It was time to process her withdrawal!

The withdrawal process was completed in no time. All it took was a signature, thanks to the Duke having handled things in advance.

Feeling a sense of liberation, Ria made her way to the student dining hall. It was lunchtime, and she thought she might catch a glimpse of Siklaen.

“Oh, there she is.”

Ria spotted her instantly. She didn’t approach but instead hid behind a pillar, observing Siklaen from a distance.

The student dining hall wasn’t an ordinary cafeteria; with its outdoor terrace and elegant interior, it resembled a high-end hotel restaurant.

Siklaen sat at a table on the terrace, dining with a group of noble ladies.

Ria smiled as she watched Siklaen’s plump cheeks puffing up while she ate. Just seeing her made Ria happy. In fact, it was the one good thing about being in this world—getting to see Siklaen in person.

“My lady, aren’t you going to eat?”

Isabelle, who had followed her, asked curiously.

“Shh,” Ria held a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.

She had spent a week pestering Siklaen relentlessly, even going so far as to attempt slapping her.

“If Zen hadn’t stopped me, I really would have slapped her.”

There was no way Siklaen would want to share a meal with her now. Ria planned to just watch from the shadows for a moment before leaving.

Just then, a red-haired girl seated at Siklaen’s table scraped her chair back noisily as she stood. The sound drew everyone’s attention to her.

“Ernie?”

“You’re all eating as if nothing’s wrong. Quite the stomachs you have.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t dine with people beneath me, you see.”

Everyone stared at the girl called Ernie, clearly puzzled. The only one who didn’t meet her gaze was Siklaen, who kept her eyes fixed on her plate.

Ernie, clearly enjoying the attention, turned her sharp gaze on Siklaen.

“What would you think if a maid sat next to you and insisted on dining with you?”

A few people, sensing the implication in her words, began glancing at Siklaen.

“A maid? What are you—”

“Although, comparing them is an insult… to the maid, of course.”

“What is she doing?” Hidden behind a pillar, Ria’s expression turned ice-cold.

“Does she know about Siklaen’s past?”

Siklaen remained fixated on her food, while a few students, sensing the tension, stood up and moved cautiously to Ernie’s side.

Ernie was about to speak again, her face smug, when Ria, unable to stop herself, strode toward the table without a second thought.

“My lady!”

Isabelle’s panicked voice called out from behind her, but Ria ignored it. She hadn’t wanted to intervene, but she had no choice. If she didn’t step in, Ernie would expose Siklaen’s past for everyone to hear. Ria already knew the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

[“What’s the point of being a marquis’ daughter when you’re of filthy blood?”]

It was the same line Ria had uttered in the original story.

“What’s the point of…”

Ernie had just begun to speak when Ria grabbed the back of her chair with a sharp thud. All eyes at the table turned to Ria in an instant.

Ria knew the rumors that surrounded her in noble circles. The ill-tempered youngest daughter of House Keblick, the second-most powerful family after the Imperial House. The only woman who dared speak informally to the Crown Prince.

In other words, there was no one present who outranked her.

As expected, one of the noble ladies quickly stood up and curtsied.

“L-Lady Keblick! I am T—”

“Enough.”

Ria silenced her with a wave of her hand, cutting her off.

The rest of the noblewomen, except for Siklaen, rose nervously, their gazes darting between Ria and Ernie. Ria, however, kept her eyes fixed solely on Ernie.

Now all the attention was on Ernie, whose expression stiffened as she swallowed hard before bowing her head.

“L-Lady Keblick. I am Ernie, the second daughter of Count Ebon.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she introduced herself.

Ria, her expression deliberately indifferent, asked, “From where?”

“Pardon?”

“Which county, and what did you say your name was?”

Her tone was condescending, and the intent behind her words was clear. Sensing the rising tension, the other noblewomen subtly distanced themselves from Ernie.

“Ah… the second daughter of Count Ebon. Ernie…”

Ernie’s face flushed red, and her voice grew smaller and smaller.

“Speak up. I can’t hear you.”

Clearing her throat, Ernie tried again, this time louder.

“I am Ernie, from Count Ebon’s—”

Ria interrupted her once more.

“Oh, I must have misunderstood. I don’t usually bother speaking with people beneath me, you see.”

It was an exact mimicry of Ernie’s earlier words, and everyone present held their breath as they watched.

Ria dragged the chair forward with a loud scrape, causing Ernie, who was standing in front of it, to lose her balance and stumble.

With a cold expression, Ria said, “Move. I need to eat.”

Ernie’s face burned crimson.

“L-Lady Keblick! But if you knew—”

Realizing that Ernie was about to bring up Siklaen’s past again, Ria reached out and shoved the food on the table aside, scattering plates and utensils with a loud crash.

Clang! Crash!

The noise silenced the entire dining hall, and all eyes turned toward them.

Ria dropped herself into a chair and shouted, “Isabelle!”

From across the hall, Isabelle, who had been nervously hovering, rushed over. Ria crossed her legs arrogantly and ordered,

“Bring me my meal.”

“Y-yes, my lady.”

“And not this…”

Ria glanced at the mess of food she had pushed aside with disdain.

“Something suitable for someone of my rank.”