“Miss. Have a good trip.”
“…….”
Mary stared intently at Summer as she bid her farewell. Summer, seated in the carriage, looked at Mary with a troubled expression and silently averted her gaze.
She knew everything. If things went as Summer expected, she would not be returning to this mansion.
The carriage, gliding along the smooth road, came to a stop. As Summer stepped down, she gasped at the magnificent scene before her.
The palace was even larger and more grand than the main hall.
From the fountain as big as a house to the orchestra showcasing a splendid performance, the colorful and extravagant flowers and beautiful landscaping were more beautiful than anything Summer had ever seen in her life.
“Wow….”
A gasp escaped her lips involuntarily.
Everyone seemed to be dressed in clothes adorned with jewels, holding expensive crystal glasses, laughing heartily.
Summer stood quietly, unable to join in. Suddenly, she missed Julian.
“I wonder when our protagonist will arrive.”
As she glanced at the arriving carriages, Summer, unable to resist her hunger, approached the buffet.
It was a stroke of luck to have entered a novel written by a Korean author.
Indeed, Koreans are known for their love of food, and the flavors were fantastic.
Now that her stomach was full, she began to feel more relaxed.
Summer found herself swaying to the rhythm of the music, taking in her surroundings.
She ate, drank, listened to music, and waited for the protagonist. And for the ‘real’ Summer too.
“Duke Langerster is entering!”
‘What? I didn’t have anything like that.’
It seemed the treatment was different for the protagonist. The entrance of the male lead, Ian Langerster, stirred the crowd.
Summer stretched her neck to get a better look. Before long, Ian Langerster appeared.
“Oh my.”
The author must have put a lot of effort into this. His pitch-black hair and wolf-like gray eyes.
Ian Langerster was the epitome of a cold, handsome man. If one were to describe him, he was the perfect winter.
“Isn’t Duke Langerster just magnificent? Who could possibly be his partner?”
“Indeed.”
While the nobles chattered, Summer observed Duke Langerster as if he were a celebrity, feeling flustered by how much more handsome he was than she had imagined while reading the novel.
“Lady Dudley is coming too!”
“Oh my, how vulgar. Did she leave her manners at home?”
Julian Dudley. The bright and cheerful protagonist of the Dudley Count family. The protagonist was indeed charming and beautiful.
So naturally, Ian Langerster and Julian Dudley would fall in love without a hitch.
The original story begins on the day of the banquet, with Ian Langerster taking an interest in Julian Dudley, who is being pointed at by everyone. Just like now.
“It’s truly picturesque.”
Summer mumbled as she stuffed a crepe into her mouth.
Summer Linge watched and cheered for their love as if she were watching a movie.
In a romance novel, it was impossible for a supporting character to become the protagonist or for an extra to suddenly take the lead role.
Their love was solid and perfect.
And, it was strange.
Normally, Julian Dudley would have sought out Summer as soon as he entered, but now it seemed he was drinking champagne alone, as if he had no acquaintances here.
“Julian!”
Just as Summer felt something was off and was about to approach Julian.
“……What?”
A jolt of electricity coursed through her, and her body stiffened.
Startled, Summer endured the pain and reached out a little further. Then, she felt an invisible, transparent barrier through her fingertips.
Summer could not approach Julian Dudley. Because she was an extra.
A sense of misery and inexplicable shame washed over her simultaneously. It was arrogant.
Having never been a protagonist in her life, she must have thought she had become something by being with Julian.
“Ha, hahaha….”
A chuckle escaped her lips. To be discriminated against to this extent. Not even allowed to approach.
Now the event would begin. Completely excluded, Summer would be.
Just like in the original, a foolish noble lady bumped into Julian, causing a thin champagne glass to shatter loudly on the floor.
“Oh my, Lady Dudley. I made a mistake. Are you alright?”
“…….”
Julian, whose clothes were now a mess, closed his eyes tightly. It seemed he was suppressing his anger. But Summer knew the next line.
“Doing it on purpose isn’t a mistake.”
“Doing it on purpose isn’t a mistake.”
Summer and Julian’s voices echoed simultaneously.
After that scene, the male lead would take an interest in Julian. They would coincidentally meet Julian, who was resting on the terrace that day, and the interest would deepen.
Summer glanced around the banquet hall. And her eyes met someone’s exactly.
“......?”
Startled, Summer hesitated. Under the influence of the original story, Julian didn’t even recognize Summer. Not to mention Duke Ian Langerster.
But why was that person? The man approaching, looking directly at Summer, was Duke Russell Bertrand.
“Linge ã…‡……”
As he opened his mouth towards Summer, a piercing voice echoed through the banquet hall.
“Wh-what are you saying! Are you implying that I intentionally hit the lady? That’s quite harsh!”
The face of the nobleman opposite Julian turned bright red at Julian’s sneer.
“What the lady did was wrong, not a mistake. So please apologize again.”
“Lady Dudley! How dare you!”
“How dare?”
Julian stepped boldly towards the opposing nobleman. Without hesitation, he took a piece of cake from the table and smeared it on the noblewoman’s face.
“Ah!”
“Even if I’m not popular, I’m someone with power. I’ll remember that you dared to say ‘how dare’ to the Dudley Count family, Lady Melton.”
“You filthy brat! You have no sense of decorum! You’re more lowly than a commoner!”
“Oh dear. I’ll remember that too, from the perspective of the Dudley Count family.”
Ignoring the woman’s shrieks, Julian smiled lightly and gracefully left the scene. Summer, who had been watching with her mouth agape, finally let out a breath filled with laughter.
“Wow, truly the protagonist. So cool….”
Even though she already knew the scene, she held her breath in anticipation. Hoping Julian wouldn’t get hurt. It was an unnecessary worry, but still.
As Summer followed the traces of Julian who had left, she muttered in disappointment.
“I can’t even make eye contact. A novel really is just a novel.”
This was the end of Summer Linge’s role. Grabbing a glass of red wine, Summer fiddled with the rough necklace around her neck.
“Miss Fay.”
The original story progressed smoothly.
Julian Dudley would likely return in a striking dress, having cut away the parts ruined by wine.
And he would naturally adapt to the banquet, dragging his tired body to the terrace.
On that terrace, Julian would meet Ian.
“Black hair.”
What broke Summer’s reverie was a somewhat teasing voice. Startled, Summer turned her head to see Fay, wearing a deep purple hood.
“F-Fay…!”
“Shh. Act naturally. People can’t see me.”
“Okay.”
Summer nodded and lowered her voice. Fay scanned the surroundings and stood close to Summer.
“I found Summer’s soul.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Just as you said, it appeared when the banquet started and is currently tied up so it can’t go anywhere.”
“So I just have to do well now.”
Summer, feeling nervous, fidgeted with her hands.
Just then, the clock tower chimed, signaling the arrival of night, and the grand finale of the splendid banquet began.
The orchestra played magnificent music, handsome men and beautiful women held each other’s hands and spun around in dance, and the crystal chandelier sparkled.
Summer quietly absorbed the scene. Just then, Julian, dressed in a striking midi dress, confidently entered.
The original was perfect and solid.
“Fay, thank you for your help.”
“…….”
Fay remained silent. Summer thought perhaps Fay was just being affectionate and smiled as she gently hugged her.
“Thank you for being by my side.”
“Th-the black hair.”
“What?”
“Never mind, it’s fine. Goodbye.”
After bidding farewell to Fay, Summer quickly descended the stairs, holding her dress as if she were Cinderella running down the steps.
If Cinderella had fled for fear of her transformation wearing off, Summer was running out to shed her transformation.
The cool breeze brushed against her cheeks. The sensation of the grass tickling her shod feet and the music fading into the distance brought her a sense of liberation.
Summer headed towards the tower, a place no one would seek.
Why was she in such a hurry? Fay gazed at Summer’s retreating figure, lost in thought. Then she felt a gaze and turned her head.
A human with blue hair was watching the spot where Summer had exited.
“Summer Linge?”
Fay’s eyes widened at the human who called her name accurately.
Strange. There shouldn’t be anyone here who could recognize Summer.
Nobles flocked around the human.
“Duke Bertrand. What brings you here?”
“Oh, was the lady who just left the daughter of the Linge family, Summer Linge?”
That human was Duke Bertrand. Fay’s eyes narrowed. But upon closer inspection, he appeared to be an ordinary human.
“Summer Linge? I’ve never heard that name before. Are you perhaps confusing her with my daughter?”
One nobleman grinned slyly and quickly presented his daughter.
“……Something.”
Russell completely ignored him and looked back at the spot where Summer had exited.
“Strange.”
His low mutter was drowned out by the lavish noise of the banquet hall.
* * *
“I found it. The tower.”
Summer, arriving, smiled brightly and looked up. No matter how much she raised her head, the top was so high it was out of sight.
She threw off her shoes and climbed the stairs without hesitation. She tossed aside the heavy headpiece as well. Her golden hair scattered in the air.
The higher she climbed, the clearer the air became.
Instead of the overpowering scent of perfume that had numbed her senses, the fresh scent of the wind gently enveloped her body.
Summer sat down halfway and struggled for a while with the laces, finally throwing off the heavy corset and dress.
Underneath, she wore a light dress that she loved.
With her steps now unencumbered, Summer reached the top and gasped for breath.
“I’ve finally arrived.”
Returning to the real world was truly difficult.
Summer opened the window on the top floor of the tower and looked down. It had been afternoon when she stepped down from the carriage, but now it was already midnight.
Stars and the moon blanketed the night sky, shining faintly.
There were so many stars that it seemed they might spill over from the weight.
‘Well, it’s hard to see such a view in Korea.’
Everything looked like dots.
It felt like watching a piece of art where dots came together to create a picture. The lights decorating the palace and the extravagant flowers were all just one dot.
“It is beautiful.”
Her heart, which had been racing with fear, now thumped even more fiercely.
With an excited feeling, Summer stood on the window sill. And she stepped one foot into the air.