While Others Became Female Leads In Romantic Fantasy Novels, I Became A Closet Monster
Chapter 47
“From now on, Didi, you’re going to call me Mary. Got it?”
“Okay, Mary.”
Watching him say my name, a silly grin leaked out again.
He beamed back at me, smiling brightly.
‘No, but seriously, I love it\!’
I had a name.
Excluding the name from my past life that I couldn’t even remember, it was the first name I’d ever been given.
To me, who was always alone and known by no one, Dedrick had engraved my existence into this world like a seal.
From the moment he first saw me that day, it was as if I had been saved by him.
I was so grateful to him for recognizing me. Just then, Dedrick’s body gave a slight shiver.
“I’m a little cold.”
Was the window open?
But the window was shut tight. And the temperature didn’t seem much different from yesterday.
Yet Dedrick was trembling so much that he held my hand tightly even as he shook.
I let go of his hand and spread my arms wide.
“Come into Marilyn’s arms\!”
He smiled and hugged me tight.
“My body temperature is higher than most people’s, so if you’re cold, you can snuggle up anytime. Okay?”
“Okay. I have a bit of a low body temperature, so…”
As Dedrick added that almost apologetically, I shouted back that it was actually a good thing.
“Then I can just hug Didi whenever I’m hot\!”
Only then did Dedrick brighten up and nod.
“Yeah…\! That would work\!”
At that moment, the faint sound of hoofbeats reached us.
As Dedrick and I approached the window, three or four carriages were pulling in one after another.
They were the young ladies and lords of noble families flocking to attend the banquet.
“They’re gathering earlier than I thought.”
“It’s to look around beforehand. The Grand Duke’s Castle has so much to see.”
“Later, when Didi becomes an adult, show me around everywhere.”
“Okay, I’ll be sure to take you everywhere.”
Dedrick made the vow quite seriously. I laughed at how cute he was and looked back out at the procession of carriages.
By the way, when will the female lead arrive?
‘She might already be inside one of those carriages.’
Originally, Dedrick was supposed to be humiliated according to the Grand Duchess’s plan, flee the hall, and hide in a corner crying, which is where he would meet the female lead.
‘But this time, I’m going to overturn the Grand Duchess’s plan.’
Then the event where he meets the female lead would disappear.
How would they meet then?
I was curious whether the female lead and Dedrick would still meet if I changed the direction of the story, or if the moment would simply pass by without anything happening.
If there was such a thing as the narrative force of the original work, wouldn’t it make them meet somehow?
‘It’ll be a problem if that really exists, though.’
Because that would mean the ending where I burn to death would also approach somehow….
I shook my head vigorously.
Let’s not think ominous thoughts.
Nobles often opened their mansions to hold luxurious banquets.
And among them, the most popular was the banquet held at the Grand Duke’s Castle.
The day of the banquet, held under Delaney’s leadership, arrived.
‘Finally, the day I get to see the female lead has come\!’
Since the guests mostly stayed in the annex, I couldn’t see her right away.
I didn’t even know when she had arrived….
“Mary.”
Would that person have arrived too?
Besides the female lead, there was one more important person who would be a help to Dedrick.
I absolutely have to make sure Didi forms a connection with them this time\!
“Mary\!”
I turned around, startled.
“Sorry. Since I’ve never had a name before…”
I hadn’t realized he was calling me.
“No, it’s okay.”
Dedrick approached me wearing the banquet attire Delaney had given him.
Acting the part of the good stepmother, Delaney had provided him with a suit that fit perfectly.
I checked him over, straightening his crooked tie.
Thanks to his hard training, the clothes hung perfectly on his frame. Though he looked a bit gloomy because of his long bangs, he looked exactly as Delaney would want him to.
“Mhm, you look handsome\!”
“I don’t want to go…”
He mumbled, letting out a deep sigh.
“It’s okay. I’ll be following you around anyway\!”
“…Really?”
I planned to stick to him like glue.
Since I knew what Delaney was thinking, I had to help him avoid trouble.
Before leaving, I warned Dedrick one more time.
“Never look at me, and no matter what I say, never answer. Got it? You have to act like I’m not there.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Good\!”
We let go of each other’s hands and stepped outside.
The first person we saw as we stepped out was Somerset.
He had been leaning casually against the wall, but he straightened up as soon as Dedrick emerged.
What? How long had he been there?
However, I wasn’t worried at all about our voices leaking out. The soundproofing in the master bedrooms of the main building was excellent.
That was why I could chatter away inside the room without reservation.
As expected, Somerset, who hadn’t heard the conversation inside, curled one side of his lip and sneered.
“You just went ahead and wore it because Mother gave it to you? Have you no pride?”
I think you’re the one without pride.
Seeing him come back to pick a fight even after being humiliated like that, he was impressive in a certain sense.
I thought he’d been quiet for a while.
It was irritating to see him acting up the moment the Grand Duke was away.
Somerset scanned him from head to toe. Since he had decided to hunch his shoulders and bend his back while outside, Dedrick’s posture was a bit awkward.
Perhaps because of that, Somerset seemed quite satisfied with the sight.
“Well, nothing special.”
“Go on ahead. I’m going in late.”
With that, Somerset gave Dedrick’s shoulder a hard shove.
“The protagonist is supposed to arrive last, after all.”
“And shouldn’t you feel a bit of guilt?”
Guilt?
What guilt was he talking about?
“Joanna almost didn’t get invited because of you.”
Almost didn’t…?
That meant Joanna had been invited.
‘Originally, she was supposed to be invited.’
Since nothing had happened between her and Dedrick in the novel.
But this time, I heard she hadn’t been put on the guest list after meeting Dedrick and falling out of Delaney’s favor.
“I pulled some strings and barely managed to get her invited.”
Aha. It seemed Somerset had begged, and Delaney had allowed it.
‘To call it the narrative force of the original work…’
It was plausible enough, given how much Somerset liked Joanna.
‘Whatever the case, let’s stay sharp.’
He glared at Dedrick and gave a final warning.
“If you hang around Joanna again this time, you’ll be humiliated in front of everyone.”
“You’re the one who’s going to be humiliated\!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, and Somerset, unable to hear me, brushed past him.
“Let’s go, Didi.”
But Dedrick suddenly opened the door and went back inside.
“The banquet hall isn’t that way?”
He gestured for me to come in quickly.
Did he have something to say?
I followed quietly behind him, and Dedrick hurriedly closed the door and spoke.
“There is absolutely nothing between Lady Primrose and me. I have no feelings for that person whatsoever.”
“So… please don’t misunderstand, no matter what happens.”
“Huh? I won’t.”
If I were to misunderstand, it would be with the female lead.
And if he had really been interested in Joanna, he would have at least mentioned her to me, but Dedrick had lived as if she didn’t even exist.
Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. Dedrick pulled me closer and said,
“Let’s go. Oh, and if I have something to say, I’ll blink three times. In a row. Then you have to follow me, okay?”
I would have followed him even without that.
We finally headed toward the banquet hall.
‘Do you understand? You must apologize and beg for forgiveness\!’
‘Lord Somerset says he likes you, so why on earth do you keep saying no?’
‘It is the Great House of Blackwood, child. Even if it’s not to your liking now, it will be different when you become an adult. It’s a relief the Grand Duchess was generous enough to forgive you. Make sure you go and thank her.’
Joanna finally kicked the ground in frustration at her parents’ nagging, which was ringing incessantly in her head.
“Why do I always have to be the one to endure it…”
She had said over and over again that she didn’t need the position of the Grand Duchess or any of that\!
Joanna felt like she was going to suffocate from frustration.
Since that day, the image of Somerset smiling while beating someone had not left her mind, causing her quite a bit of distress.
