The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 32

The innocent young ladies around me paused mid-sip, their attention riveted. The plan was working perfectly.

People, regardless of status, always love a story that stirs their curiosity. If that was true in the 21st-century Korea I came from, how much more would it be in this book’s world?

The Haile Empire, thanks to its indulgent emperor, had a notably open culture when it came to such matters. One-night stands weren’t considered scandalous for either gender. But even so, there were still those who had never encountered a suggestive tale. And even the most jaded would be intrigued by stories about someone else’s first night.

The naive ladies around me—and even Lady Reyna, who had been taking every opportunity to challenge me—were all ears, leaning in. How cute. I was about to give them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.

“That night, rain drizzled down steadily. Kyle and I were…”
Just as I started painting the scene, a thought struck me. Was our first night together even appropriate to share? Could it be told in a way that would suit a room of young ladies?

The answer was obvious. Absolutely not. I had been so drunk that I’d practically tackled the male lead just because of his face—far from proper or wholesome.

So, I decided to improvise a little.

“Kyle and I… well… we met in a sacred moment by a quiet lake, modestly covered and full of reverence.”

“But, Lady Diane, didn’t you say it was raining?” one of the girls interrupted.

Curses. Time to get creative.

“Of course. We got drenched, so obviously we couldn’t keep wearing wet clothes, could we?”

“Oh my!”

“Goodness!”

“So, we went to a hotel. Just the two of us.”

When I jumped to the point, the ladies widened their eyes. One of them even placed her hand on my shoulder, her voice urgent.
“What happened in between?”

“The narrative and emotions are crucial, Lady Diane.”

“Ah, yes… narrative and emotions…” I muttered. How was I supposed to explain that Kyle’s face was both the narrative and the emotions? That his looks had done all the work? No, that was too scandalous.

Feigning confidence, I let out a soft chuckle and lied through my teeth.

“Have any of you ever fallen in love at first sight? When it feels like a spark, an instant connection? Well, Kyle and I had that spark. His deep gaze…”

In truth, I had been too tipsy and carried away by his face. But the young ladies seemed captivated by the idea of love at first sight, so I continued.

“We entered the hotel, mutually agreed upon all proper precautions, ensured everything was respectful, and, well… you know.” I finished the tale with a bright smile, watching their disappointed expressions.

“Lady Diane, I think you skipped the most important part.”

“Yes, could you start again from when you entered the hotel?”

Their stern voices were almost amusing. I had to admit, I had glossed over quite a bit. But there was one major problem: I didn’t remember much about that night. I only remembered making some embarrassingly direct requests, asking for more of this and that without any shame.

Faced with the lack of real details, I had no choice but to delve into creative storytelling again.

“The chill made my skin prickle as we took off our wet clothes. But it was fine. Kyle called my name, and when I turned, his firm arm wrapped around my waist, and his warm breath tickled my ear…”

Just then, as I glanced ahead, Claire appeared walking my way. Between us, a woman with platinum blonde hair hurried past, her locks gleaming so brightly in the light that they almost seemed silver. I couldn’t catch the color of her eyes, but a glimpse of her necklace confirmed my suspicion.

That woman could very well be the original heroine, Vanessa Mavibrante. Without thinking, I shot to my feet and chased after her.

“Lady Diane! You can’t leave it there!”

“Amel, where are you going?”

“Claire, could you finish the story for me? I think I just saw someone I know!”

She had to be nearby. The woman had a fast stride, but I was confident I could catch up.

I could feel the frustrated gaze of Lady Reyna following me, but I ignored it and quickened my pace.

Vanessa’s defining features were platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. But there was one item that set her apart: Harmonia’s Necklace.

I remembered it clearly from the cover of The Magnate’s Downfall and What Followed. Harmonia’s Necklace was Vanessa’s symbol in the original story. True to her mysterious past, how she obtained it was never explained.

Harmonia’s Necklace was just a moniker for the elaborate piece. The chains and three-tiered diamond sections were stunning, but what made it unique was the Arete’s Core set at its center—the same as in my engagement ring.

I suspected that Vanessa, the leader of the empire’s strongest mercenary group, Aretists, had gained her Arete powers through that necklace.

“Lady Diane! Are you really running away in the middle of our conversation?”

“Lady Reyna, I’m a bit busy right now. We can chat later.”
Ignoring her indignant voice, I pressed on, determined to find the platinum-haired woman.

Now that I had changed the original timeline, meeting Vanessa before Kyle did was crucial. It would help me plan my next steps.

After searching through the crowd, I finally found her, Harmonia’s Necklace glittering at her neck.

“Excuse me, just a moment!”

Startled, the woman turned to face me. But her eyes were brown, a far cry from Vanessa’s blue.

…Was she wearing colored lenses? No, those didn’t exist here.
“Oh, Lady Diane. I’m Arina from the Barony of Grechel. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, smiling warmly.

I returned her greeting, my gaze still fixed on the necklace.
It felt like my ring, with an aura unmistakably similar. That had to be Harmonia’s Necklace, the heroine’s item from the original.

But why did this Baroness Arina have it?

“Lady, did you need something from me?”

“No, it’s just… your necklace is beautiful. Where did you get it?” I asked, trying to sound casual. But Arina looked puzzled, and so did Lady Reyna, who had caught up with us.

“Lady Diane, do you not recognize Harmonia’s Necklace?”

The symbol of the original heroine. The precious item housing the Arete’s Core. But was there more to this than I knew?
The young ladies who had been sipping their tea froze, their eyes now locked on me. It seemed my plan was working.

People love stories that spark their curiosity, regardless of status. That was true in the 21st-century Korea I came from, so how much more so in this fictional world?

The Haile Empire, with its indulgent emperor, was known for its relaxed attitude toward such topics. One-night flings were not seen as scandalous for either men or women. But there were always those who hadn’t encountered such stories before, and even the most experienced would find tales of someone else’s wedding night irresistible.

The innocent young ladies—and even Lady Reyna, who seemed to live to provoke me—were all ears, eager for more. How adorable. I was about to give them a little lesson.

“That night, rain poured steadily. Kyle and I were…”

Just as I was setting the stage, a thought crossed my mind. Was our first night together something I could describe without embarrassment? Was it even appropriate to tell, especially to these young women?

The answer was clear: absolutely not. I’d been too drunk and had practically pounced on the male lead. Not exactly the kind of story that fit the mood.

So, I decided to take some creative liberties.

“Kyle and I… we met under a gentle breeze by a serene lake, modestly covered, in a moment of reverence.”

“Lady Diane, didn’t you just say it was raining?” one of the young ladies pointed out.

Crap. Time to improvise.

“Yes, but we got wet, didn’t we? And, well, you can’t stay in soaked clothes for long, can you?”

“Oh my goodness!”

“Ah!”

“So, we went to a hotel. Just the two of us.”

When I fast-forwarded through the details, the young ladies looked ready to riot. One even placed her hand on my shoulder, pleading.

“What happened in between?”

“You can’t skip over the buildup and emotions, Lady Diane.”

“Right… the buildup and emotions…” How could I explain that Kyle’s face was both the narrative and emotional pull? I couldn’t exactly say that. Not appropriate. I forced a smile and spun more fabrications.

“Have any of you ever fallen in love at first sight? When sparks fly instantly? Well, Kyle and I experienced just that. His gaze was so deep and compelling…”

In reality, I’d been tipsy, smitten with his face, and had made the first move. But the idea of love at first sight seemed to enchant the ladies.

“We entered the hotel, fully agreed on everything in a respectful manner, and, well… you know.” I wrapped up with a cheerful smile, enjoying their frustrated expressions.

“Lady Diane, you skipped the most important part.”

“Yes, please go back to when you entered the hotel.”

Their firm voices showed how badly they wanted the juicy details. Fair enough, I had glossed over quite a bit. But there was one huge problem: I didn’t remember much about that night. The only clear parts were me asking shamelessly for more, again and again.

Having no real details, I faced the challenge of more creative storytelling.

“The cold made my skin prickle when we shed our wet clothes. But I didn’t mind because Kyle called my name, and when I turned, his strong arm wrapped around my waist, warm breath brushing my ear…”

Just then, I spotted Claire approaching, but a woman with platinum-blonde hair crossed between us, catching the light and making it gleam almost silver. I didn’t see her eye color, but the necklace she wore confirmed my suspicion.

That woman could be Vanessa Mavibrante, the original heroine. I leapt to my feet and started following her.

“Lady Diane! You can’t stop there!”

“Amel, where are you going?”

“Claire, could you finish the story? I think I just saw someone I know!”

The woman should still be close. She had walked briskly, but I was sure I could catch up.

I could feel Lady Reyna’s frustrated gaze as she followed me, but I paid her no mind and quickened my steps.

Vanessa’s known traits were platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes. But one thing set her apart: Harmonia’s Necklace.

I remembered it vividly from the cover of The Magnate’s Downfall and What Followed. Harmonia’s Necklace was Vanessa’s symbol. How she obtained it was never explained in the story, only that it was hers.

The necklace itself was a beautiful piece made up of triple-tiered diamonds, but what made it unique was the Arete’s Core at its center—the same as in my engagement ring.

I suspected that Vanessa, as the leader of the empire’s most powerful mercenary group, Aretists, gained her Arete power from that necklace.

“Lady Diane! Are you really running away mid-conversation?” Reyna called.

“Lady Reyna, I’m busy right now. Let’s talk later.”

Ignoring her, I continued my search for the platinum-haired woman.

Now that the original story had changed, meeting Vanessa before Kyle did was vital. It would help me figure out my next move.
After weaving through the crowd, I finally caught sight of the woman wearing Harmonia’s Necklace.

“Excuse me, may I have a moment?”

Startled, she turned around, but her eyes were brown, not the blue of Vanessa.

…Was she wearing colored lenses? No, this world didn’t have those.

“Oh, Lady Diane. I’m Arina of the Barony of Grechel. It’s an honor to meet you,” she said, smiling warmly.

I returned the greeting, but my gaze stayed on the necklace.
It had an aura similar to my ring’s. This was definitely Harmonia’s Necklace, the heroine’s artifact.

But why did Baroness Arina have it?

“Do you need something from me, Lady?”

“It’s just… your necklace is beautiful. Where did you get it?” I asked, trying to sound casual. Arina looked puzzled, and Lady Reyna, who had caught up, shared her confusion.

“Lady Diane, don’t you know about Harmonia’s Necklace?”

The heroine’s symbol. The treasure with the Arete’s Core. Was there more to this story than I knew?