Oh No, I Possessed a Male Character! (13 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 14
I returned to my seat and tensed up at the presence beyond the wall. Fortunately, Klaus seemed to be focused on his work again as usual.
“Phew….”
I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, I couldn’t help grinding my teeth in frustration.
Idiot, fool, that clueless Durumi!
I silently grabbed my head in exasperation.
I didn’t know exactly what Rumi had done, but one thing was clear—she’d lost major points with Klaus. And she’d messed things up so badly that there was no way I could fix it.
Yet, oddly enough, Durumi’s expression when I ran into her on my way back from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had been brimming with pride.
She wore a face that showed absolutely no concern for the icy atmosphere in the office—a chill so obvious even a snotty-nosed child could have sensed it.
There were too many watching eyes for me to speak to her directly, but I was certain Rumi had smiled faintly as she glanced my way.
While Klaus briefly dozed off on the sofa, claiming fatigue, I quietly approached a steward.
“What exactly happened earlier?”
“Oh, well…”
The steward let out a deep sigh and then whispered what had taken place.
Princess Elfride had crossed through the garden beside the office, violating security protocol, and the Crown Prince had calmly pointed it out and gently admonished her.
However, the princess showed no sign of acknowledging she’d done anything wrong.
He shook his head slowly.
“Now that the princess has become Her Majesty the Empress’s aide, shouldn’t she at least know the basic rules required of those working in the imperial palace? Yet she doesn’t seem willing to learn at all—it’s becoming a serious problem.”
He complained as if pleading for help.
Anyway, I now understood the situation. My next task was to find out from Rumi how she intended to fix this mess.
I returned to my desk and tapped a document lightly with my pen, lost in thought.
“Sigh….”
There was one major issue: how could I meet with Rumi alone without drawing anyone’s attention?
There were too many watchful eyes within the imperial palace. I could suggest meeting again at the cathedral as before, but judging from past experience, there was no guarantee Rumi would keep her appointment precisely on time.
Besides, I had no desire to wait around the cathedral all day again just for her.
“Seriously, this girl!”
My annoyance flared. I started chewing the tip of my pen absentmindedly.
You promised you could handle it! You said something as trivial as a villainess reincarnation trope wouldn’t be a problem!
Then why, after forcing your way into becoming the Empress’s aide, is your only achievement making our handsome male lead’s face freeze over like ice?
While I fumed silently inside, a low groan came from the sofa in the office.
“Mmgh….”
I snapped back to my senses and hurried over.
“Your Highness, have you awakened?”
“Yes.”
Klaus nodded slowly, his brow slightly furrowed. His languid expression carried a strangely decadent allure, making my heart flutter without my realizing it.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he immediately walked over to his desk and sat down.
“Muzel. You remember the matter of flood relief funds discussed at the last cabinet meeting, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
How could I forget? That chaotic scene where it was hard to tell whether they were debating state affairs or just clawing at each other.
“Go to the Treasury and find out how much funding has been secured so far. We’ll need a concrete plan for how to allocate it.”
“Understood. I’ll go right away.”
Giving work orders immediately after waking up—apparently the male lead’s mind needed no warm-up time.
I headed straight to the Treasury and obtained the necessary documents from an official. It was a record detailing how much each noble house had contributed since the noisy cabinet meeting.
“Count Mecklinger really is impressive.”
I muttered while reviewing the papers. The final resolution from the meeting had been “equal contribution from all, with the option to donate more if capable.”
Yet the House of Mecklinger had contributed twice their required share—exactly as he’d declared during the meeting.
If his intention was to showcase his house’s prestige, he’d succeeded brilliantly—upholding his own stance while still obeying the Crown Prince’s command. Truly masterful.
The House of Mecklinger was the only family in the empire whose status could rival the imperial family. But before worrying about the fragile authority of the royal family, I found myself more concerned about Rumi.
If that girl started acting recklessly, relying on her family’s influence, she wouldn’t be a reincarnated villainess—she’d simply be a true villainess herself.
In typical villainess reincarnation stories, the protagonist who takes over the villainess’s body always acts with enough common sense and morality to satisfy readers. Isn’t that the standard trope?
That’s precisely why such protagonists can achieve happy endings, replacing the original heroine and winning the male lead’s heart.
I sincerely hoped Rumi had studied the villainess reincarnation tropes properly.
Because if she herself becomes the “villainess,” even after being possessed by one, her ending will remain as tragic as ever.
“Sigh….”
“Oh my, I wondered who could be sighing so deeply—it’s Lord Muzel.”
“!”
Startled by the sudden voice, I quickly stuffed the documents I’d been reading into an envelope. Turning my head, I saw the original heroine, Evangeline, standing there with her diamond-like silver hair gleaming.
“Oh dear, you seem terribly startled.”
Startled? My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, damn it.
I barely managed to compose myself and greeted her calmly.
“Lady Evangeline, what a surprise to see you here at the Treasury. It’s been a while.”
“Hehe, I came to deliver some refreshments to my father. Looks like I’ve been blessed with the good fortune of running into Lord Muzel.”
Though this was only our second meeting, Evangeline was already being quite friendly. She casually approached and sat down beside me on the bench.
“Your father must be Count Feuerbach of the Treasury, then.”
“Of course—you work in the imperial palace, after all. No need for further explanation.”
“Ha, anyone living in the capital would know that much.”
“But Lord Muzel, you’ve only recently arrived in the capital, right? There must still be plenty for you to learn.”
Evangeline’s affable manner made me feel at ease around her.
“I’ve already memorized the basic information of most noble families in the capital. It’s part of my duties as the Crown Prince’s aide.”
“Oh my, as expected.”
Evangeline nodded with a smile, without a hint of sarcasm.
“Actually, I’ve been wondering how I might meet Lord Muzel again.”
“Me?”
I feigned ignorance while inwardly cheering.
Finally! The bait I laid at the cathedral last time is bearing fruit!
“Yes. You helped me when my shoe broke, remember? You even promised you’d let me thank you properly.”
“Ha, I’m surprised you remembered. I assumed it was just a polite formality, since it was such a small thing.”
“Of course not! That’s why… how about joining me for dinner at my place this weekend?”
An invitation from Evangeline herself—this was even better than I’d hoped.
But if I accepted too eagerly, I’d seem desperate. I should gently decline once first.
“Oh… that’s a bit troubling. As the Crown Prince’s direct aide, I worry it might give the wrong impression if I start forming close ties with noble families so soon.”
“Hmm, surely one dinner wouldn’t cause that much trouble. But if you’re still uneasy, I’ll speak to His Highness myself.”
Oh no—you absolutely mustn’t! Rumi strictly told me to keep the original heroine far away from the male lead, and now you want to see him in person? Disaster!
I smiled and shook my head.
“No, there’s no need for that. I’m sure His Highness won’t mind if I explain the situation properly. After all, it’s just one dinner, as you said.”
A subtle smile appeared on Evangeline’s face.
“You really are as thorough as the rumors say—or perhaps just incredibly cold.”
“Huh?”
That was completely unexpected. My mind went blank for a moment.
Still smiling, Evangeline replied,
“I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that people say Lord Muzel is always smiling, yet impossible to get close to.”
“Is that really what people are saying? I’ve never heard that before.”
“Hehe, but somehow, I think I understand why.”
I waited for her to continue, but Evangeline, fox-like, withheld the crucial part and only smiled mischievously.
“I’ll tell you the reason over dinner this weekend. See you then.”
Having said her piece, Evangeline stood up. Reluctantly, I had to bid her farewell as well.
“Yes. Please take care on your way.”
Evangeline gave a light wave and walked away with elegant grace.
I stared dumbly at her retreating figure.
“Hmph.”
Her words had truly caught me off guard. Calling me cold? Saying I’m hard to approach?
I never intentionally crafted that image. I was just being cautious not to reveal I’m a woman, and trying to quickly adapt to this world by observing everything carefully.
“Actually, this works out nicely.”
I muttered to myself. Yeah—maybe it’s for the best. I never intended to make close friends here anyway, nor do I need noble connections for career advancement.
My sole purpose is to somehow placate Rumi and get her to return to her original life.
But if my image is already like this, perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to subtly build walls with everyone else while being unusually friendly only toward Evangeline.
That way, she might develop a liking for me more quickly.
If things go well, I might even accomplish Rumi’s mission to charm the original heroine without much effort!
“Hmm, this weekend, you say.”
My mood lifted.
I double-checked the documents from the Treasury and hurried back.
Thanks to meeting Evangeline, I’d been delayed quite a bit—so I braced myself for a good scolding upon return.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
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Waiting for rumi to either mature up for once or to just get out of the picture 🫠
Waiting for rumi to either mature up for once or to just get out of the picture 🫠
“If he had never learned that Muzel was a woman, he might have mistaken it for deep friendship”
I had this thought, and this semi confirmed it for me: Klaus seems to like Muzel no matter the gender. He maybe bi, but it maybe only for Muzel. Like Shang from Disney’s Mulan