It had been two months since Ellen last saw Damian. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or concerned. The longer he stayed out of her sight, the harder it was to guess what was happening behind the scenes of the novel she had isekai'd into.
One fine afternoon, Ellen was strolling through the central district with Edrick. The two had grown closer over the weeks, and though Edrick remained strict, he seemed to have softened a little with her.
As they turned the corner near the garden square, Ellen spotted a familiar woman standing under the wisteria tree. Her breath caught in her throat.
Luciana.
Edrick's lover in this world—and the original female protagonist of the novel.
Luciana stood laughing lightly, talking to none other than Damian, who leaned casually against the tree trunk. The scene struck Ellen like a misplaced puzzle piece. What's going on? In the novel, Damian was supposed to be the one obsessed with Luciana. But right now, Luciana was the one making the move.
She watched as Luciana stepped closer, brushing her fingers gently along Damian's arm. Her once-elegant demeanor had shifted into something more flirtatious, something deliberate.
"Damian," Luciana said, her voice honey-sweet. "You really should smile more. You're too handsome to always look so grim."
Damian raised an eyebrow, his eyes as flat as glass. "Don't get too close," he muttered. "I'm not interested."
Luciana didn't back away. Instead, she giggled and leaned in further.
Ellen's eyes darted to her brother. No, no, no—Edrick...
And just like that, the tension shattered.
Edrick stepped forward. "Luciana?" His voice was sharp—sharper than Ellen had ever heard. "What are you doing?"
Luciana froze. Her laughter cut short. Damian stepped aside without a word.
"Edrick!" she said, her voice switching back to innocent surprise. "I was just—"
"Flirting with another man?" Edrick snapped.
Luciana's lips parted, but no excuse came out.
Ellen stood frozen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Damian was supposed to chase Luciana, not the other way around. Did I already change the plot? Or is this a crack in the original story...?
Luciana turned to Ellen for help. "Ellen, say something—tell him I was just being polite!"
But Ellen stepped back, her mind reeling. "I... I think you two should talk alone."
Edrick turned and walked away without waiting. Luciana bit her lip and chased after him.
Ellen turned to Damian, her voice shaky. "Why... didn't you say anything?"
Damian stared at her coldly. "Why should I?"
"You could've stopped her sooner. You could've told Edrick the truth."
"I don't care what your brother thinks," he said plainly. "Besides, I'm not responsible for someone else's woman."
Ellen flinched. "You—"
Damian looked at her for the first time in two months, his eyes distant and sharp.
"And you," he said, voice cutting like ice, "don't come near me again. I hate people who pretend to care."
Then he turned and left.
Ellen stood alone under the wisteria, her heart pounding—not from heartbreak, but from fear.
Damian's starting to drift away from the story's path...
Ellen, still reeling from Damian's cold words, felt a storm brewing. Something's off... way off.
Curiosity tugged at her stronger than caution. She decided to secretly follow Edrick and Luciana, keeping her steps light and her breath steady as she moved behind the garden walls, just close enough to hear them speak.
Luciana clung to Edrick, her body trembling.
Luciana: sobbing "Edrick... it was Damian, I swear! He used some sort of dark magic... he bewitched me!"
Ellen's eyes widened behind the hedge. What??
Ellen (in a whisper): "What is she saying?"
Edrick: "Luciana... how could Damian do that? He's been my best friend since childhood…"
Luciana: "No! Your 'friend' tried to confess in front of everyone! I rejected him, and then... he used magic on me! He changed me... I couldn't control myself…"
Ellen clenched her fists.
Ellen (internally): This witch!!! She's clearly lying! That's not the Luciana from the novel! She was elegant, pure... never like this!
Edrick: "I understand… I'll look into it. Deeply. I trust you, Luciana."
Ellen nearly fell over from shock.
Ellen (muttering): "Ain't no wayyyyy... Edrick's supposed to trust Damian, not her!! This is all wrong!"
Everything was shifting—Luciana, Damian, Edrick's loyalties. Ellen's stomach twisted. Is this because of me?
To be continued..