[Chapter 2] Heading to Meet My Favorite Character Now.

“Damn it, what should I do….”

Thud.

As I stopped writing and slumped forward, a sharp, sour smell stung my nose.

Turning my head to the side, I saw the ink-stained nib, now abandoned, bleeding into the parchment. I must have dipped it too deep into the inkwell—the unwelcome black intruder had crept dangerously close.

Splat!

“Ah! This is driving me crazy!”

As I hastily pushed myself up, my chair rattled noisily.

Nyx Elach, the rightful heir of the Marquisate of Elach. A cherished existence within the household.

‘And a completely useless saintess who disappears after four measly lines.’

That was exactly why I was racking my brain over this, struggling to put my thoughts into words.

But what more was there? In the original story, she was dismissed in just four lines. And now, I am Nyx Elach. This extra’s life—I’ll have to carve it out myself.

‘Alright, what do I have?’

Accepting reality, I took a deep breath and resumed writing.

I am a noble. Not just any noble, but the daughter of a high-ranking marquisate. And above all, I’ve read the original novel to its conclusion before ending up inside it.

The story barely mentioned the Western Marquisate, but from what I gathered, the House of Elach was wealthy, possessing a knight order, mines, and vast lands. Whether or not I became a saintess as in the original story, the title of rightful heir to the Marquisate of Elach was a solid card in my hand.

Swish, scribble.

With momentum on my side, I started listing my objectives.

Things to do from now on:

Meet my ultimate favorite character, no matter what.
Bring him in and raise him in a good environment.
Prevent him from turning into a villain.
Heal him if he gets hurt.
Get him together with the female lead.
If I become a saintess, retire immediately.
If I inherit the marquisate, hire a few advisors and do the bare minimum of work.
‘Perfection!’

I clapped my hands in satisfaction.

“My lady, is there anything Meril can help with?”

“No… wait! Actually, yes, Meril.”

Hearing the sound of my applause, Meril, who had been working nearby, quickly approached. I hadn’t planned to call her, but now that I had her attention, I decided to take advantage of it.

“Meril, can I go see my father now?”

“Yes! Of course, my lady. The marquis is busy, but you are always welcome to see him.”

Meril’s reassuring response made me jump out of my chair.

“Great! Let’s go!”

“Yes, my lady! Let’s go together!”

At my energetic declaration, Meril beamed, matching my enthusiasm. She had no idea why I suddenly wanted to see the marquis, which only made me want to tease her.

‘Hehe. She’s going to be so surprised when she finds out why I want to see him.’

“Meril, I’m going to the Founding Festival!”

“……!”

* * *

A few days later.

After some twists and turns, I managed to get the marquis’s permission to attend the Founding Festival by acting adorably as the only child of House Elach.

And now, here I was, in the townhouse in the capital. It was the day before the festival.

Warm sunlight seeped through the delicate lace curtains, gently touching my face.

‘The perfect weather to meet my favorite character.’

Lying in bed, I smirked at the thought of bringing Leon with me. As I gazed at the vast, clear sky through the curtains, memories of the original novel surfaced in my mind.

[Life at the orphanage was hell. One meal a day—if you could even call it that—consisted of just a few pieces of hard bread. The staff even forced the children to handle their work, making them endure excessive labor. There was no mercy, even when sick.

They had to endure everything. If a child displayed any ability—whether it was divine power, magic, or aura—the imperial army would take them away. That was the last place he ever wanted to go.

And sometimes, nobles would glance at him.

It was terrifying, but he couldn’t say a word. If he did, it could be an excuse for a beating. So, to survive, he escaped to the slums.]

‘My poor baby… You really suffered so much as a child.’

I had to save him, no matter what.

Just as I was strengthening my resolve—

Knock, knock, knock.

“My lady, did you sleep well?”

Meril greeted me with a bright smile.

Despite our late arrival last night, she looked as energetic as ever.

“Morning, Meril. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, my lady. How would you like me to prepare you today?”

“I’m going out. There’s somewhere I want to go. Tie my hair in a half-up style and dress me in something comfortable for moving around.”

“Yes, my lady! I’ll have you ready in no time.”

“Thank you, Meril.”

Her hands moved faster and faster until—suddenly—they stopped.

“All done! My lady!”

“Already?”

“Yes! I didn’t even try that hard, and yet…! Goodness, how is it possible to look this stunning?!”

With a hairbrush in one hand and an oil bottle in the other, Meril dramatically gasped at my appearance.

“If someone steals you away, what will I do?! Meril—Meril isn’t ready for that yet!”

Her orange eyes gleamed with a strange intensity, and she exhaled sharply. The hairbrush in her grip was starting to bend.

I stared at her blankly. This… was not an unfamiliar sight.

I was already excited about meeting my baby, and now Meril was making it worse.

‘…I need to use her as a mirror and calm myself down.’

If I got too carried away, I wouldn’t even be able to talk to him before running away in embarrassment.

“Calm down, Meril.”

I managed to soothe her sudden outburst. She had a peculiar way of speaking in the third person, but she was endearing.

‘It’s not so bad, feeling this cared for.’

After settling her down, I stood up and checked my reflection in the full-length mirror.

My hair, swept up from the sides and tied high, was adorned with golden beryl-studded hairpins.

I wore a yellow dress decorated with white lace. And, of course, I hadn’t forgotten my safety shorts underneath.

A typical lady would have tightened a corset and puffed up her skirt with a pannier.

‘But that doesn’t apply to me.’

Next, I slipped on low-heeled shoes, matching my dress with white floral accents.

Finally, I fastened a golden beryl necklace—its gemstone matching my golden eyes.

Whether I looked while rolling forward or backward, the mirror reflected an unmistakably noble and elegant young lady.

‘Kyaa! What if my Leon falls for me?’

…No, that was impossible.

My baby was a second male lead who was obsessed with the female protagonist—so much so that he became a villain because of her.

‘Ugh, Meril hyped me up too much. Now I’m falling for myself.’

Shaking off my thoughts, I looked at the mirror again.

‘…Well, I am quite stunning.’

Turning to Meril, I gave her a bright smile as a sign of gratitude.

“Thanks, Meril. I’ll be off now.”

“My lady, please take me with you.”

Like an anxious puppy, Meril begged to come along.

“No, I have my knight escort. You’ve worked hard taking care of me, so take a break today.”

“But it’s your first time in the capital! Wouldn’t it be better if I went with you?”

Even though I was trying to give her some well-earned rest, Meril wasn’t convinced.

I responded in a calm voice.

“Relax. The festival lasts for days—we’ll have plenty of chances to go out together. Just rest for now.”

“…Alright, but please come back early, my lady.”

“Of course. I’ll be back soon.”

After reassuring the reluctant Meril, I was finally able to step outside.

‘Honestly, Meril really is like a little puppy.’

* * *

Just as I was about to head out, the head maid bombarded me with overprotective warnings, insisting that I take at least five knights as escorts.

It was the Founding Festival, a time when all nobles gathered. Security was already heightened, making it one of the safest times in the capital. But five knights? That was excessive.

“Head Maid, this is my first time in the capital. I want to explore freely.”

“Absolutely not, my lady. You are the sole heir of House Elach.”

‘Ugh, no way. This is my first meeting with my favorite character—I can’t have anyone interfering.’

I needed a plan.

‘Heh… Time for the Enlightened Noble act.’

“Head Maid, I’ve always lived as a fragile young lady of a marquisate, right?”

“It doesn’t matter what qualities you have, my lady. You are still the next marquis.”

“Exactly. And as the future marquis, I need to understand the lowest part of the empire.”

“…Excuse me?”

“To understand the heights of power, one must first understand the depths of poverty. I want to see the slums.”

“…The slums, my lady?”

The head maid, with her neatly tied-up hair and prim expression, widened her eyes in shock.

“Head Maid, you know I’ve gotten stronger. You’ve seen it yourself. I want to become a marquis who protects Meril, you, and everyone in House Elach—including the people of our territory.”

“…Oh, my lady!”

“Please, give me the chance to experience the world.”

“But if you are going to the slums, you’ll need five escorts at least!”

“No way. That would only draw more attention.”

“My lady…”

“Head Maaaid~ Just one! Give me the strongest knight. That should be enough, right?”

I gave her my best pleading kitten eyes.

“……”

Clatter, clatter.

‘Yes! Finally, I’m going!’

I was completely drained after convincing the head maid, but my spirits soared.

Sitting inside the moving carriage, I simulated different scenarios for meeting my favorite character.

First, stay calm.
I couldn’t let my emotions overwhelm me in front of him. I needed to stay composed.

Second, let my gaze overflow with love.
Obviously, this love would come naturally—but every moment, I had to make sure my baby only felt warmth and affection.

Even a single flower petal shouldn’t hurt my precious baby.

Third, don’t be sad if he rejects me.
My favorite character had escaped from an orphanage and survived alone in the slums.

It was only natural that he would be wary of a stranger.

‘I just have to make sure I don’t startle him. I can always come back.’

About thirty minutes had passed since we left the townhouse.

Through the carriage window, I spotted worn-out shacks and children in ragged clothes that were too big or too small for them.

The adults were barely visible, likely out working even though it was the day before the festival.

The other side of the capital.

Upon arriving at the crumbling slums, I put on the dark brown cloak I had brought.

It was long enough to cover me from head to ankle, and I pulled the hood over my head.

As the carriage slowed, it eventually came to a halt.

Knock, knock, knock.

“My lady, the roads ahead are in poor condition. You’ll need to proceed on foot from here.”

My knight escort informed me of the situation from outside.

“Understood.”

Stepping out of the carriage, I entered the slums.

‘I need to find Leon here.’

Step, step.

I carefully observed my surroundings as I ventured deeper into the district.

Then—

Whack!

A sudden, sharp pain struck my shoulder.

At the same time, my hood was pulled back, and my golden beryl necklace vanished.

‘Which bastard—?!’

I couldn’t even let out a scream; the shock forced it down my throat.

Seriously, I got mugged in broad daylight?

My left shoulder throbbed terribly. There would definitely be a nasty bruise later.

Furious and bewildered, I turned toward the direction where the thief had fled.

Through the narrow alley, I saw a head covered in grime and dust, sprinting away.

‘Ugh… I’m so pissed off!’

“My lady, please wait. I will retrieve it immediately.”

With terrifying speed, my knight bolted after the thief.

Before long, he returned with the culprit, who was now kneeling before me.

The boy had been tied up with a thin rope, and my necklace was safely returned to my hands.

Judging by the scrapes on his body, there had already been a struggle.

His head hung low, making it hard to see his face.

But peeking through the grime and filth, I caught sight of something—

‘…Pink hair?’

A wave of anticipation, excitement, and doubt surged through me.

I stepped closer.

Swoosh.

The boy remained motionless, so I reached out and gently grasped his chin, tilting his face upward.

“……!”

It was as if a flower bud suddenly bloomed in spring.

A pink geranium, so stunning that even the goddess of beauty, Venus herself, would grow jealous, sat right before me.