I did not get a secret lover," I said flatly, staring at my father and brother as their eager faces fell into matching expressions of disappointment.
It had been less than a day since I'd announced my intention to annul the engagement with Duke Dravencort, and I was still dealing with the consequences. They kept circling back to the same question like vultures around a corpse — Are you sick? Did someone steal your heart? Are you sure you're not concussed?
"I just don't want to be engaged to someone who doesn't care about me," I continued, shrugging as casually as possible. "It's simple."
Father sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. My brother muttered something about me finally "snapping." I ignored them both, sipping my tea as if I hadn't just upended every social expectation placed on Seleria Elyndra Lioran.
But I had more important things to focus on. Tomorrow was the day Lily Aveline Moraine — the female lead — would appear in the capital's main marketplace for the very first time. If I wanted to change my fate, that was where I needed to be.
"Father," I said sweetly once breakfast ended, "I'd like to go to the market today. I need a few new dresses for the upcoming season."
He frowned immediately. "The market? Seleria, you can summon the best tailors in the empire here. Why go out?"
"Because," I replied, tilting my head and smiling innocently, "I want to choose for myself this time. And I'll take a knight with me. I promise I'll be careful."
His eyes softened a little. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Very well. But you'll take Sir Kael — and you'll be home before sunset."
"Of course, Father," I said, curtsying slightly before turning away, my heart skipping with anticipation.
The next morning, I was up before sunrise, more excited than I'd ever admit. I dressed in a soft, cream-colored gown trimmed with gold — elegant but not too flashy — and pinned my silver hair into a loose braid. Just enough noble grace to stand out without looking intimidating.
The carriage rolled out from House Lioran's grand gates, carrying me and Sir Kael toward the bustling heart of the capital. As we arrived, the market stretched before us in a vibrant sea of color and noise — merchants shouting, children laughing, the scent of roasted nuts and fresh bread wafting through the crisp autumn air.
The moment I stepped down, whispers followed me like shadows.
"Is that Lady Seleria?"
"She's here? In the market?"
"Didn't she… get rejected by the Duke?"
I lifted my chin and ignored them. If the old Seleria would have thrown a tantrum or lashed out, this new one had no interest in wasting breath. Words from nobodies didn't matter.
But not everyone escaped my attention.
A group of noble daughters — the same ones who used to mock and belittle Seleria at every banquet — crossed my path. They smiled, their eyes dripping with fake sweetness.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, "if it isn't Lady Lioran. Shopping alone today? Or are you here to cry in front of the dressmakers again?"
I stopped and turned my head slightly, letting my voice turn cold as winter steel. "Careful," I said softly. "The last person who mocked me regretted opening her mouth. You don't want to be the next."
Their smiles faltered, and I walked past without another glance. I wasn't going to waste energy on people beneath my notice — but I wasn't going to let them forget their place, either.
And then… I saw her.
She stood by a fruit stall, her long, fiery red hair catching the morning sunlight like threads of flame, and her green eyes — bright and vivid as spring grass — softened as she knelt to help a small child reach an apple from the display.
Lily Aveline Moraine.
Just as I remembered from the novel — kind, warm, effortlessly radiant. And this time, I would be the first to reach out.
I walked toward her, softening my expression, and stopped just beside the stall. "Excuse me," I said with a friendly smile. "Could you tell me which of these apples are the sweetest? I'm rather hopeless when it comes to choosing."
She blinked in surprise, then returned my smile, her voice as warm as I imagined. "Oh, um, yes! These ones here — they're from the northern orchards. They're wonderful."
"Thank you," I said, selecting one. "I appreciate your help. You have a good eye."
Her cheeks turned a little pink. "I'm glad I could help."
We spoke for a few minutes, a polite, simple conversation — nothing dramatic, nothing forced. Just a warm, genuine exchange. And for the first time since waking up as Seleria, I felt something that wasn't fear or panic.
Hope.
As I stepped back into the carriage with Kael at my side, I glanced once more toward Lily, still smiling as she handed another apple to the child.
This was the beginning. The first page of a rewritten story.
And I — Kim Min Chul, now Seleria Elyndra Lioran — wasn't going to die this time