I am not the biological daughter of Countess Feria.

I am Roel Ibelre, the shame of the family born between Count Ibelre and a maid. A troublemaker who would only be a seed of discord within the family if allowed to live. A lump of flesh that was difficult to dispose of.

However, the Count, that is, my father, brought me to the Ibelre County as soon as I was born.

“You will not be able to conceive from now on. So I intend to make this child, who carries half of my blood, the heir.”

Before I was born, Feria had suffered repeated miscarriages. Just before my birth, she had even been told by several doctors that she would not be able to bear children.

And it was during this time that I was born from the illicit relationship between the Count and my mother, who was a maid.

My father, who despised the idea of losing the family to a collateral line, decided to take me in after much deliberation. He threatened Feria with divorce if she did not accept me as her own daughter.

“If you cannot accept this, we have no choice but to divorce. The choice is yours.”

Feria’s repeated miscarriages were quite a famous story in high society.

So if Feria were to be abandoned by the Count, she would find herself in a situation where remarriage was out of the question.

In the end, Feria accepted the Count’s proposal, and the illegitimate child who deserved to die was transformed into the biological daughter of the Countess.

“Still, it doesn’t seem like it was this difficult back then…”

Despite his busy schedule, my father looked in on me quite often, which is why Feria didn’t openly torment me.

However, when I turned four, the situation began to change little by little with the birth of Briella.

“Briella… I like the name Briella for this child.”

“It’s such a beautiful name, dear. It suits my daughter perfectly. Look at her. How can she be so beautiful… I can hardly believe she’s the daughter I gave birth to.”

From then on, the Count’s attention gradually diminished.

The year I turned eight.

The situation changed dramatically with the birth of my half-brother, Deon.

“I knew you could do it! Finally, a child worthy of being the true heir has been born! My lady, you may ask for anything you desire. I will grant you whatever you wish!”

A male child with legitimacy, born of his blood, and of the same gender as him.

Naturally, all of the Count’s attention was focused on Deon.

As a result, both Briella and I were pushed aside.

The only difference was that Briella was his biological daughter, and I was not. Because of this, the situation we found ourselves in after Deon’s birth was as different as heaven and earth.

As soon as I fell out of the Count’s favor, Feria began to torment me as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Being banished to a storage room, not being allowed at the dinner table when father was away, having various objects strike my head as I walked around the mansion – these were stories that didn’t appear in the novel.

Of course, that’s because I was merely a supporting character.

That’s why I thought Roel in the novel was so foolish for acting as if Casien was her everything.

But after being reincarnated and experiencing everything firsthand, I understood why Roel clung to Casien so desperately.

‘Who would have known that the life of a supporting character like Roel would be such a cesspool.’

In a life like this, who wouldn’t fall in love when a perfect man appears, acting as if he would give you everything?

Even I, who had been planning to deviate from the original story since birth, once tried to change the original by turning Casien’s heart.

But there are things in this world that don’t work out no matter how hard you try.

In this world, turning Casien’s heart was one of those things.

* * *

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, come in-”

Before I could finish speaking, the door opened and someone naturally entered the room. I jumped to my feet at the unexpected visitor.

“Casien, why are you…”

Casien approached with large strides and gently sat me back down on the sofa. Then he smiled nonchalantly.

“Roel. Did you sleep well?”

“…”

I silently stared at Casien’s hand. There was a bouquet of flowers in Casien’s hand.

It seems he somehow noticed that I was angry yesterday, considering he’s doing something he’s never done before.

“Ah, these are roses. You like them, don’t you? Aren’t they pretty?”

‘I thought he just bought anything that caught his eye because it was pretty…’

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh of disbelief.

We’ve never even had a conversation about flowers, yet he says he bought them because I like them?

I wonder if he got confused with some woman who said she likes yellow roses?

I pushed away the bouquet, and Casien looked flustered.

“What about your appointment?”

“…What appointment?”

“You said you couldn’t meet because you had an urgent appointment.”

“Of course, my appointment with you is more important, so I cancelled the other one and came.”

Even though the appointment with me was first to begin with. His tone suggesting he cancelled an important appointment because of me is not just detestable, but laughably absurd.

I spoke with a slightly sarcastic tone.

“Won’t she be disappointed? You haven’t known each other for long.”

“What…”

“I’m talking about Lady Verodica.”

Casien’s mouth snapped shut when I mentioned the name of the woman he’s been seeing lately.

Until now, no matter what sounds I heard or what I witnessed, I never showed any sign to Casien.

Back then… it was a time when I was more afraid of the original story going wrong, of breaking up with Casien, than of dying.

But not anymore.

“You were supposed to go to the theater, right? You should hurry and go.”

“Roel, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I frowned at his brazenly nonchalant attitude, but Casien maintained his composure.

“There’s nothing between Lady Verodica and me. Yes, we’ve talked a few times… but that’s all. It’s really a misunderstanding that there’s something between that woman and me.”

Soon, Casien gently grasped my hand.

I stared blankly at Casien’s hand.

There was no engagement ring visible on either my hand or Casien’s.

It was because I had taken off my engagement ring yesterday, and Casien had never worn the ring since the engagement ceremony.

“Roel. We’ve been engaged for four years now. How could I see someone else when I have you… right?”

“…Casien.”

“Yes, Roel.”

“I don’t care who you meet anymore.”

“…”

“So please leave now.”

There was a time when I desperately wished for Casien to comfort me like this.

But actually experiencing it now, instead of feeling better, I felt dirty. And…

‘It’s pathetic.’

I thought it was better when I had covered it up and pretended not to know. I pushed Casien’s hand away quite firmly.

“I want to rest… Casien, please leave now. I’m asking you.”

Then I headed straight for the bed, which I usually never had a chance to lie on.

The soft touch of the blanket felt like Casien’s hand that had just touched the back of my hand, making my heart flutter for a moment, but I tried to fall asleep by forcefully closing my eyes.

However, it was difficult to even keep my eyes closed, let alone fall asleep, as Casien sat at the edge of the bed, fiddling with my hair.

“Roel. Look at me.”

“…”

“Why are you suddenly like this? What’s wrong? You have to tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize.”

“…”

“Roel, are you really going to keep this up?”

“…”

“Come on, get up. We need to talk to resolve anything. When someone’s talking, you should at least make eye contact, okay?”

I was trying my best to ignore him.

But my body automatically shot up at Casien’s last words.

What? We need to talk? He’s asking me to make eye contact when someone’s talking? Who was it that wouldn’t even make eye contact during our usual conversations?

I glared at Casien without a word.

“…Roel, I don’t know exactly why you’re angry-”

“Does it even matter to you that I’m angry?”

At my words, Casien closed his eyes tightly and then opened them.

It was an unconscious action Casien did when something bothersome happened.

‘I know even your smallest habits, and yet…’

The fact that you only know why I’m angry when I have to tell you, I really…

“Why do you keep speaking so sharply? You don’t want to fight with me. So let’s just-”

“Why should I speak nicely!”

Casien flinched, seemingly surprised.

Normally, I would have been more surprised at that reaction and shut my mouth, watching his expression carefully, but today I just couldn’t stop speaking.

“Don’t you remember? I told you I wanted to break off the engagement! That means we’re over. So why are you acting like this? Why are you doing this to me when we’ve broken up!”

“…Roel.”

“I only have one thing to say to you. Our relationship is over now.”

“…”

“So please leave my room now, Casien.”

* * *

Judging by the fact that Feria wasn’t looking for me, it seemed that Casien hadn’t told anyone about my request to break off the engagement.

‘Well, of course. Why would he give up the shield of engagement that allows him to date this woman and that woman?’

Ironically, it was largely thanks to the engagement that Casien could live such a dissolute life.

Our long-standing engagement had given the Ersian Viscount couple the belief that their flirtatious son would eventually return to his place.

That belief was so firm that the Viscount couple had never taken any measures until now.

Moreover, the Viscountess had even said, “It’s not such a bad thing if he enjoys everything he can before marriage, because then he’ll treat you better during married life.”

‘He’ll probably continue to live like this, unable to come to his senses, until he meets the female lead.’

It’s no longer my concern since things are over with Casien.

Or so I thought. Until Casien appeared again at the Ibelre Count’s residence the very next day.