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Chapter : 1
0. The Villainess Is a Man—And Only I Didn’t Know
Late at night, the clock tower.
I was anxiously biting my fingernails while waiting for a man.
“If this continues, I’m going to end up marrying the Crown Prince.”
Not long ago, the Emperor proposed that I marry the male lead of the original story—the Crown Prince.
I was Vivian, the original heroine, and my partner was Allen, the original male lead. So in this world, our marriage would have been the natural course of events…
“But that guy is the regretful type!”
A terrible man who only regrets after the heroine—who has a terminal illness like me—dies!
That’s right.
This novel had a sad ending where the terminally ill heroine dies in the end…
So ever since I learned about the original story ten years ago, I’ve been trying hard to twist its course.
“So why am I getting entangled with him again?!”
I had deliberately kept my distance, but at this rate I was going to be forced into marrying him.
“I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love.”
I already had someone else—my lifelong promised best friend.
Well… I haven’t seen them in nearly ten years, but still…
“Our friendship hasn’t changed.”
Anyway, after much suffering, I came up with a plan.
A contract marriage!
A classic trope from all the romance fantasy novels I used to read in my past life.
“Of course, unlike those novels, I’ll only do a real one-year contract marriage and then divorce.”
But the problem was—
Where could I find a trustworthy man willing to marry for exactly one year?
While worrying about it, I contacted my best friend Rahel using a magical diary—a magical tool that allows exchanging messages no matter where the other person is.
As if waiting for it, Rahel immediately replied.
Then how about that guy?
Who?
Rahedis. You two seem to get along quite well. If possible, it’s better to choose someone you like.
Rahedis was the knight sent by Rahel, who was currently in another country, to ensure my safety.
“A contract marriage with Sir Rahedis…?”
The moment I thought of him, my chest tightened and my heart began pounding.
Just like every time I thought of him recently.
And so, now.
I was waiting here to meet him and discuss this matter.
Soon, the clock tower bell rang, signaling the hour.
And as the sound faded—
Footsteps grew clearer as someone climbed the stairs, and the person I had been waiting for appeared.
A man with jet-black hair and cold blue eyes like a frozen winter lake.
“Vivian.”
With a pleasant low voice, a tall figure approached me.
“Sir Rahedis!”
“What’s wrong? At this hour.”
“Um… did you hear what happened at the imperial banquet?”
“I heard. The Crown Prince proposed to you.”
Hearing it again from someone else made my situation feel even more hopeless… sob.
After hesitating for a moment, I carefully spoke.
“So… could you find me a trustworthy man?”
“…A man?”
“Preferably a foreign noble. You know many people in other countries, right?”
At that moment, the atmosphere around him suddenly felt cold.
‘Huh? Must be my imagination?’
Rubbing the goosebumps on my arm, I continued explaining.
“Because of what happened at the banquet, I need to get engaged or married immediately. Otherwise, I might end up marrying that Crown Prince.”
“….”
“So I need someone I can do a one-year contract marriage with… do you know anyone reliable?”
“Hah.”
He let out a cold laugh after silently listening to me.
“So you’re saying you’re going to go through with some contract marriage with another guy?”
His voice had turned icy. When I looked up in surprise, I saw his blue eyes twisted in pain.
“You said you’d live with me forever.”
“Huh?”
“You said you wanted to marry me.”
“…Me?”
When did I ever?!
But looking at his wounded expression, I suddenly felt like I had become some kind of trash person without realizing it.
“I never said anything like—”
Just as I was about to protest, I suddenly remembered someone with eyes very similar to his painful gaze.
[“I’ll come see you again then.”]
The only person I had ever promised my life to.
My best friend who was cold but warm to me, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time but always missed.
Why does that person’s eyes overlap with his?
“Rahel…?”
I accidentally muttered the name that came to mind and quickly covered my mouth in shock.
‘Th-That’s impossible. Rahel is the villainess of the original story!’
I shook my head to dismiss the ridiculous thought and looked at him again.
Hoping he would deny my absurd imagination.
But instead of denying it, he urged me for an answer.
“Answer me, Vivian.”
At that moment, as if sealing that impossible possibility into reality—
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice overlapped with his face.
“Even if it’s a contract marriage, once we’re married, we’ll hold hands like this.”
Rahedis… no, Rahel intertwined his fingers with mine.
The hand that used to be similar to mine as a child had grown so large it could now completely envelop mine.
As I stood there flustered, unable to speak, Rahel stepped even closer.
So close I could feel his breath.
“And we’ll have to kiss too.”
His face up close still faintly resembled the Rahel I knew as a child—but he was unmistakably a man now.
“Could you do that with another guy?”
At Rahedis’ question, I felt like crying.
‘No way I could do it with you either!’
My lifelong promised best friend… was actually a man?!
Isn’t this basically fraud?!
