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Chapter – 1
“Lenia, please… please stop.”
Ignis pleaded with Lenia.
In response to his words, Lenia sneered and slowly opened her mouth.
“Then you should’ve looked back at me just once, Ignis.”
“……”
“Just once. Even once would’ve been enough for me……”
Clear droplets formed in her light green eyes.
As if desperately wishing the tears wouldn’t fall, Lenia bit her lips tightly.
Watching her like that, it felt as though everything was my fault.
If Ignis and I hadn’t shared our feelings with each other, you wouldn’t have betrayed us and joined a dark magic organization. You wouldn’t have led so many people to their deaths.
You were a warm person, after all.
Seeing Lenia standing before me with her sword raised, even I felt like crying.
To be honest, a part of me was angry too.
Angry that you only cared about your feelings for Ignis, that you neglected the friendship we shared.
And yet, despite all that, I prayed—again and again—that you would return to our side like before.
But—
“Lilliana!”
Lenia showed no intention of answering my desperate wish.
She advanced toward me, sword in hand, as if she were about to stab me at any moment.
As I watched her draw closer, I slowly closed my eyes.
There was nothing I could do.
I didn’t have the courage to harm her, so this kind of ending was inevitable.
A lukewarm liquid splashed across my face and body.
I braced myself for the tearing pain that should follow.
But then—
Why doesn’t it hurt?
I slowly lifted my closed eyelids.
What came into view when I opened my eyes again was—
“…Lenia.”
Ignis, with his own hands, killing Lenia.
The tears I’d been holding back finally burst forth.
Feeling the sobs escaping through my clenched teeth, I slowly walked toward them.
Ignis cradled Lenia’s body in his arms, gently wiping the blood from her face with his own hands.
Considering all the sins Lenia had committed, he should’ve felt relieved after killing her.
But the only thing I felt was sorrow.
Foolishly.
And I wasn’t the only fool.
Ignis was shedding tears endlessly, his expression more painful than anyone else’s.
Lenia weakly raised her arm, as if trying to wipe away his tears.
But her arm couldn’t reach him, falling back to the ground.
Even in her final moments, Lenia never managed to reach Ignis.
…Never reached him?
What is all this?
“Lenia! Are you conscious?”
…What happened?
As I slowly opened my eyes, light flooded my vision, and Ignis’s face appeared before me.
He looked at me with tears welling in his eyes, as if they might fall at any moment.
“…Wow.”
“Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
Neatly groomed golden hair. Brilliant blue eyes that looked like they had jewels set into them. And despite being only sixteen, broad shoulders and a solid build.
Ignis, you’re handsome no matter when or how I look at you.
Well, of course you are. You’re the male lead.
…Huh?
What did I just think?
I slowly pushed myself up from where I had been lying on the floor.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“……”
Ignis is… the male lead?
…Right. I reincarnated, didn’t I?
Well, no matter who I reincarnated as, as long as it’s not the villainess, it should be fine.
Lenia… What kind of character was Lenia again?
…The villainess.
“Ha… haha.”
The moment I realized I had reincarnated as Lenia—the villainess—a hollow laugh escaped me.
At my behavior, the murmurs around us only grew louder.
“Lenia.”
After laughing for a while, I suddenly felt my body lift into the air.
Ignis had picked me up from where I lay sprawled on the ground.
“Lenia, don’t lose consciousness. I’ll take you to the infirmary right away!”
“……”
“Just hang in there a bit longer!”
Whether Ignis was running with me in his arms or not, I kept laughing blankly.
Because I was a villain destined to be brutally killed by the male lead.
By Ignis himself—the very man carrying me right now.
Whether thanks to his long legs or because I was lost in thought, we arrived at the infirmary before I knew it.
Even after he laid me down on the bed, Ignis didn’t withdraw his warm hands.
Our eyes met—his still filled with worry.
Unable to meet his gaze, I turned my eyes away.
At that moment, I felt a slight tremor in his hand.
Soon after, he gently placed me on the bed, and treatment for my minor injuries began.
With anxious eyes and restless movements, Ignis spoke to me in a careful voice.
“…Are you okay?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
I turned my head toward the window beside the bed and said whatever came to mind.
“People are born, and eventually they die anyway……”
Suddenly, a sharp pain flared on one side of my cheek.
“Ow! Aiden!”
“What do you mean, die? You’re perfectly fine.”
Rubbing the cheek Aiden had pinched, I glared at him when he wasn’t looking.
“I can tell you’re glaring at me.”
“When did I ever glare?”
He’s annoyingly perceptive.
While I was busy mentally badmouthing Aiden, Ignis looked at my wounds and spoke.
“I’m sorry, Lenia. If I hadn’t hit you so hard, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“I’m really fine.”
“……”
“Um… I’d like to be alone for a bit. Would that be okay?”
Was that really so shocking?
Aiden stared at me as if he’d heard something unbelievable.
Well, I guess it made sense.
Up until now, I’d always been busy following Ignis around.
For someone like me to ask Ignis to leave first was—
“Maybe we should examine her again.”
“Why? Does something seem wrong?”
Of course they’d think it was strange.
“I’m truly fine. So please, just let me be alone for a while.”
“…It’s probably best if we step out, Ignis.”
“And you too, Aiden.”
“Me too?”
“She said she wants to be alone.”
I forced a smile and pointed toward the door.
Aiden and Ignis stared at me for a long moment, then each said a word before leaving.
“Call if anything feels uncomfortable.”
“I’ll be waiting nearby too.”
As soon as the door closed and their footsteps faded—
“Why did it have to be Lenia? Why…?”
I ran my hands through my hair and started pacing in place.
I realized I had reincarnated into a novel just moments ago, while crossing swords with Ignis.
As usual, I’d challenged Ignis to a duel, and because he failed to control his strength, I took a hard hit—triggering memories of my past life.
The novel I reincarnated into was Everyone’s Happy Ending.
After graduating from the academy, the male lead Ignis and the female lead Lilliana fight against a force that engulfs the empire in dark magic. Ignis emerges victorious, becomes emperor, marries Lilliana, and the story ends happily.
“If you were going to reincarnate me, you could’ve at least made me the female lead. Why did it have to be…?”
Why did I have to become Lenia—the one who betrays her friends and ends up killed by Ignis?
“Haah.”
Letting out a sigh, I stared at the spot where Ignis had been standing just moments ago.
Suddenly, tears welled up and began to fall uncontrollably.
What hurt most after regaining my past memories wasn’t my death.
“It means I can’t love Ignis.”
Because just like in the original story, I already loved him.
After crying for a long while, the sky outside the window had darkened.
…I stayed too long.
If I linger any more, Aiden will start to think something’s wrong.
As I stepped outside with those thoughts, Aiden’s sharp gaze landed on me.
“Did you cry?”
“No. I didn’t.”
Aiden looked me over once more, then let out a deep sigh.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that with a face like yours.”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
I examined my reflection in the window.
…It’s a mess.
My eyes were so swollen they were almost closing shut, and my cheeks and under-eyes were flushed red.
Anyone could tell I’d been crying.
Aiden stepped closer with another quiet sigh, placed his hand on my head, bent down, and met my eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“……”
“You don’t want to talk about it right now?”
“…Sorry.”
“Well, can’t be helped.”
Despite my apology, Aiden straightened up, as indifferent as ever.
“Tell me when you feel like talking.”
“…Thanks, Aiden.”
“For what?”
He’s always like this—so indifferent it actually makes me grateful.
Aiden was my childhood friend, someone I’d grown up with.
With exceptional talent in healing magic, he was already in charge of the academy’s infirmary at just sixteen.
Life won’t be easy for you either—destined to become the second male lead…
…Huh?
I quickly covered my gaping mouth with both hands as I looked at Aiden.
Then, as he gave me a puzzled look, I stepped closer and patted his shoulder.
“What is it? Why are you acting like that?”
“…Nothing.”
Looks like I found a comrade.
