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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: I Thought I Was the Protagonist
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“Ugh! That’s too much!”
Today too, with no reply, I was so angry that I threw myself onto the bed and flailed my arms and legs wildly.
And I pounded the air with my limbs as if Crown Prince Luciano were there.
‘You annoying male lead jerk!’
So what if you’re all that? Why keep ignoring me?
“Sigh, Miss. What are you doing in a skirt?”
The nanny approached and straightened my skirt, which had flipped up from all my thrashing.
I wasn’t in the mood to listen to her nagging, so I ignored her and kept pounding the bed.
“Nanny, no contact again today! It’s the third time already! Isn’t that too much?”
After being chased out of the imperial palace that day, I had sent three letters.
I had very politely asked if I could visit.
But up to now, I hadn’t received a single reply from Crown Prince Luciano.
I could understand no response to the first letter.
The second letter’s silence annoyed me a bit, but I held back.
But the third? Isn’t that going too far?
‘How can he ignore me so consistently?’
At this point, I was starting to think maybe Crown Prince Luciano wasn’t my guy after all.
In possession stories like this, things usually went smoothly.
Especially when the heroine extends a helping hand to the male lead during his tough childhood—didn’t that cliché have him opening his heart right away?
‘So why can’t I even meet him!’
I even gave Imperial Consort Isabel a piece of my mind!
With Crown Prince Luciano giving me no opening, I had no idea how to get close to him.
I needed to become childhood friends quickly for the story to progress, but how?
“He’s too much, isn’t he, Your Highness? Why refuse our lovely miss?”
As I was racking my brain, the nanny dropped a bombshell.
I shot up in shock. I was stunned by the words coming from the nanny’s mouth.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve been rejected three times!’
No, counting the time I was chased out on my first visit, it was a whopping four rejections.
I was mad when I thought he was ignoring me, but realizing I’d been rejected hurt my pride too.
It sparked a twisted sense of defiance.
This won’t do.
If I kept waiting for his permission, I’d never see him again.
Thinking back, even in the original story, the heroine forced their meetings through sheer stubbornness.
It was never all smooth and ha-ha-ho-ho from the start.
They clashed constantly, almost like fighting, building emotions that way.
Just waiting obediently like this meant I’d never connect with Crown Prince Luciano.
I’d show him the textbook shameless sunshine heroine.
‘I’ll force a meeting no matter what!’
I jumped up and went to my desk. Then I wrote a letter of fury.
[Dearest Crown Prince Luciano.
The warm weather continues, making for pleasant days.
I hope you’re having a happy day.
The reason I’m writing is to ask if I may visit you on the upcoming 7th.
How about we have lunch together and spend some enjoyable time?
I believe it could be the first step toward strengthening the bond between us.
I’ve reached out several times before but haven’t received a reply, so I’ve been unable to visit, which has been regrettable.
I understand you’re too busy to even write back.
Still, you must eat, so I’ll time my visit for lunchtime.
If there’s no word this time either, I’ll take it as your positive acceptance and come anyway.
Wishing you peace in all your endeavors, from Espin Samuel.]
It was long-winded, but the short version was this.
I know you’re deliberately ignoring me.
That’s fine.
But if you ignore this letter too, I’ll consider it permission and barge in.
How bold was that?
If he replied, great—he wasn’t ignoring me. If not, I could go anyway.
“Nanny! Send this to the palace!”
I sent the letter and waited impatiently for the 7th, the date I’d set on my own.
Time passed in a blur, and the promised day was now tomorrow.
No reply from Crown Prince Luciano, but that was fine.
‘I’ll just meet him in person!’
I was extremely excited. More from determination to snag him somehow than actual fluttering.
“Oh my! Miss!”
“What?”
“A reply came!”
“What?”
I’d been planning for tomorrow when the nanny’s words made me leap up.
Seeing her beaming face and the fancy envelope in her hand, I knew exactly who it was from.
“Hand it over quick!”
I hadn’t expected a reply from Crown Prince Luciano at all—I’d planned to force my way in—so I was thrilled.
“Here.”
I took the letter from the nanny, slit it open with my paper knife in one go.
Reading it with a pounding heart, I froze.
[I refuse.]
Not even a greeting—just a curt rejection.
It was so firm it left no room for my shameless push.
He hadn’t even bothered signing; he’d just stamped his seal. Impenetrable.
“That’s too much!”
“He said not to come?”
“Very firmly!”
As I kicked the air in frustration again, the nanny let out a pitying “Oh dear.”
Her lack of sincerity offered no comfort.
“So what will you do?”
“Write another letter!”
I couldn’t give up like this. I went back to the desk and wrote.
[Resolute Crown Prince Luciano.
I’ve been waiting so eagerly for tomorrow that my neck’s about to snap clean off—
I received your crisp rejection loud and clear.
But I reject your rejection.
See you tomorrow.
Espin Samuel, wounded by Your Highness’s resoluteness.]
Since Crown Prince Luciano had ditched formality first, I dropped politeness and got straight to the point.
I folded the letter neatly, slipped it into an envelope, and handed it to the nanny.
“Nanny, send this!”
“Yes, Miss.”
At my call, the nanny swiftly sent the letter. She knew it was urgent, so she moved quickly.
Even after sending it, I couldn’t relax.
Right, we’re both still young, so romance is premature anyway.
Still, wasn’t this too much?
At this rate, we wouldn’t even become friends.
It was truly a headache. So frustrating I sighed.
Shouldn’t possessing a romance novel come with some luck, things falling into place smoothly?
Picking up gold even when tripping!
Landing on the male lead when falling from a height!
Saved by a sub-male lead even when cornered by thugs!
The whole universe helping, connections to male leads forming naturally, money piling up!
I’d argued with Imperial Consort Isabel right in front of him—it should’ve stuck in Crown Prince Luciano’s memory. So why no reaction?
I wasn’t expecting love at first sight given his personality.
But shouldn’t he give me at least a little opening!
‘How’s the story supposed to progress like this!’
“Miss.”
As I sent the letter and sank into thought, the nanny called.
There was an unusual fuss in her voice.
“Another letter came.”
Not ignoring me, and the second one already!
He’d replied right after I sent mine—my heart raced.
I checked the reply the nanny handed me immediately.
[No time to deal with you.]
‘No! Why are you such an iron wall!’
Two sentences—did that break a finger or something?
I fumed for a moment, then wrote another furious letter.
[Busiest of the busy Crown Prince Luciano, too swamped even for a long reply.
No matter how busy, you have to eat, right?
Just lunch together.
Your understanding and generous Espin Samuel.]
“Nanny!”
This time too, the nanny quickly took my letter to Crown Prince Luciano.
My nanny through and through.
As if realizing I’d really barge in, another reply came right away from him.
[Are you dense? I said don’t come.]
Did he read my mind?
Still, two sentences this time.
If I gave up here, I wouldn’t be the protagonist.
I hurriedly wrote back.
[Crown Prince Luciano, who seems to be waiting for my letters.
Enjoying real-time letter exchanges with me, are you?
Your replies come as if anticipated—I’m delighted.
But letters can’t compare to meeting in person, right?
See you tomorrow.
Likewise enjoying replies, Espin Samuel.]
I mean, I was the type who’d said everything oblivious-like in front of Imperial Consort Isabel.
Playing oblivious in letters? I could do it a hundred times.
And so our letters went back and forth in real time several more times.
We exchanged quite a few, but it was all the same loop.
[I’m coming!]
[Don’t!]
[I said I’m coming!]
[I refuse!]
[Hey! I’m coming!]
[I said I’m busy!]
Short summary.
Fueled by a “let’s see who wins” defiance, I kept writing.
[Crown Prince Luciano, with whom I’ve exchanged letters all day and grown much closer.
Our real-time back-and-forth has brought us so close.
No awkwardness when we meet tomorrow.
Let’s meet face-to-face tomorrow and chat happily.
Your very good girl, eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s meeting with Your Highness, Espin Samuel.]
As we traded letters, the sunset glowed outside before I knew it.
I sensed this would be the last one.
“Nanny!”
At my call, the nanny automatically took the letter and left.
The more I wrote, the more defiant I got from his replies, but I also kept feeling a surge of frustration.
I even thought of giving up on meeting Crown Prince Luciano.
But to meet sub-male lead Harrison, I needed to be by his side.
In the original, Harrison was Crown Prince Luciano’s escort knight.
They hadn’t met yet, but later he’d appear and stick by Crown Prince Luciano throughout the story.
If I didn’t connect with Crown Prince Luciano now, meeting Harrison would be iffy too.
Harrison wasn’t the protagonist, so his past wasn’t detailed.
Sure, as a sub-male lead, his backstory came up a few times after the heroine appeared.
But that was far in the future.
I wasn’t leveraging this pre-story advantage at all.
Same for black-bellied Damian.
In the original, early on, Imperial Consort Isabel and her son Prince Steven were the overt villains.
Damian didn’t show up until midway.
His sudden black幕 debut caused such a comment uproar about padding the story.
Meaning, early info on Damian was even scarcer than on Harrison.
I couldn’t just storm his house or hideout blindly, so I had to wait for a natural meeting after the story progressed some.
That’s why I had no choice but to cling to Crown Prince Luciano!
But wouldn’t all this clinging annoy him?
Rather than love sprouting, he’d probably hate the sight of me...
‘No, think of the original.’
The heroine and Crown Prince Luciano fought massively.
This was just the starting point—I decided to think positively.
Was my desperation touching the heavens?
[I understand. I permit your visit tomorrow.]
Finally, I received his reply granting permission.
I Thought I Was the Protagonist
