The Darkened Second Male Lead Seeks to Rewrite the Original Storyline (Completed)

“The one feeding information to Byron Evon… what if it’s Grand Duke Corende Widia?”

Ria’s eyes widened.

‘Corende Widia… the man who killed Zen in the original story.’

Hanneman was suggesting a connection between Byron and Corende, one strong enough to revive a crumbling noble house like the Evons.

‘Byron… isn’t just a secondary male lead?’

Biting her lower lip, Ria sank into contemplation. But unlike her shocked reaction, Zen remained expressionless, blinking slowly before speaking in a languid tone.

“You’re known as the finest knight in the Bycen Empire, aren’t you? With some impressive nickname, I hear.”

Hanneman ducked his head, his face a mix of embarrassment and pride.

“I seem to have acquired a title that far exceeds my merits….”

“And yet, someone like you dares to speak of treason before the Crown Prince of the Empire?”

“T-treason? Of course not! What do you—”

Hanneman’s head shot up, his expression startled, before quickly bowing again. Ria turned her bewildered gaze toward Zen.

Treason? Could he mean…?

It didn’t take long for Ria to grasp Zen’s implication.

Corende was Zen’s uncle and, as such, a potential heir to the throne in the event of Zen’s death. By assisting Byron, Corende had helped him achieve war hero status. Shortly afterward, Byron enrolled in the royal academy under questionable pretenses.

‘What Hanneman’s saying is….’

Corende was likely using Byron to keep tabs on Zen. And the reason? Most likely, it was to—

“You’re implying my uncle is aiming for the throne,” Zen interrupted, his voice as cold as ice. “Am I wrong?”

The atmosphere grew heavy. Suggesting Corende coveted the throne was tantamount to undermining Zen’s authority as Crown Prince, a claim that only highlighted Zen’s precarious position.

“I only meant… Byron owes his life to Grand Duke Corende. For that reason, he’d do anything for him. And yet, despite being knighted, Byron is here at the academy. And not just at any time—while Your Highness is present.”

Perhaps in an attempt to clarify his intentions, Hanneman spoke quickly, only to be cut off again by Zen.

“You have a remarkable talent for beating around the bush,” Zen said curtly.

Ria stepped back, swallowing nervously. The situation was far more dire than she’d imagined, and Zen’s overwhelming presence filled the air with tension. Hanneman hesitated for a long moment before speaking again.

“I believe Grand Duke Corende placed Byron Evon here to observe Your Highness closely.”

Despite Zen’s earlier warnings, Hanneman showed no intention of retracting his statement.

“Your courage is admirable,” Zen said dryly. “Whether it’s the result of time spent on the battlefield or simply a trait of your family’s bloodline, I’m not sure….”

Zen’s gaze flicked briefly to Ria, who avoided his eyes. He shrugged lightly and continued.

“However, your premise is flawed.”

“Flawed? How so?”

“Corende Widia… my uncle…”

Zen rose from his seat, walked toward Hanneman, and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“He’s a fool.”

What?

Ria frowned at the unexpected word. A fool? That didn’t align at all with the cunning, dangerous figure she’d read about in the original story. Judging by Hanneman’s startled expression, he thought the same.

Straightening up, Zen added, “He has no interest in the throne.”

His face even carried a faint smile, one that suggested he truly harbored no suspicions about Corende.

‘Why?’

Ria squinted, trying to gauge Zen’s thoughts. He didn’t seem to doubt Hanneman’s words, nor was he angry about the suggestion of treason. Instead, he appeared to genuinely believe Corende wasn’t worth suspecting.

‘What could have happened? Corende has both the motive and the lineage to kill Zen and claim the throne.’

“But…” Zen cut off Hanneman’s next words with a raised hand.

“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that,” he said, brushing past Hanneman with deliberate nonchalance.

Hanneman clenched his jaw but remained silent, understanding that Zen was offering him a way out. By not escalating the matter, Zen was sparing him from serious repercussions for suggesting treason.

Ria watched Zen’s retreating figure disappear from view, her mind racing.

‘Why? Why is Zen so certain Corende won’t kill him?’

As she tried to recall details from the original story, she was interrupted by something far more pressing: Hanneman’s fiery temper.

“You—what exactly have you been up to behind my back?”

“Wh-what?”

“Engaged? Married?”

Hanneman loomed over her, his tone biting. Ria rolled her eyes, looking away to avoid his intense glare.

“Ria Keblick!”

It felt as though an erupting volcano loomed behind him. Ria forced a stiff smile. At the moment, this was the bigger issue.

“So… marrying His Highness….”

The Duke of Keblick sat at the table, clutching his head in despair.

‘You should stop pulling at your hair at your age,’ Ria thought with a sigh. The Duke still had a full head of hair for his age, but at this rate, he wouldn’t have much left.

Hanneman, having dragged Ria back to the Keblick estate despite her protests about class, had summoned the Duke from his work to hold an emergency meeting.

The topic, of course, was Ria’s impending marriage.

‘Is this really that big of a deal?’

Ria didn’t think marriage was a trivial matter, but the atmosphere in the Keblick estate was far more somber than she had anticipated. Maybe it was because she had never truly experienced familial love before—this level of concern felt utterly foreign to her.

The Duke of Keblick finally removed his hands from his head and spoke.

“So… Ria, do you… love His Highness?”

“What?”

Ria’s eyes widened in surprise, and before she could respond, Hanneman slammed the table with a loud thud.

“If not, then why on earth are you agreeing to marry him?!”

‘To survive….’

Ria swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say aloud.

“I’m not sure if I love him… but I think I like him,” she lied, nodding firmly as if convincing herself.

‘Zen is handsome, tall, rich—he’s the Crown Prince. Oh, and did I mention he’s handsome? Very handsome.’

“But you’re still so young. Why rush into this? How could you agree to such an important matter without consulting us?” the Duke pressed.

“I’ve heard that most noblewomen marry within two years of becoming adults—by the age of twenty. If I have to do it eventually, I’d rather get it over with sooner,” Ria replied, cobbling together reasoning from her knowledge of the original story.

The Duke nearly fainted.

“And if, by chance, you were to break off this engagement—do you think anyone would marry you after being rejected by royalty?”

“If that happens, I’ll just stay unmarried.”

“Ria!”

The shouts of the two men on either side of her were almost unbearable. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ria felt the pressure mounting.

After a deep breath, the Duke calmed himself and spoke in a gentler tone.

“Ria, as your father, I don’t mind what you choose to do—whether it’s marrying His Highness or some common man of no standing.”

For a moment, it sounded like he was calling Zen a “common man of no standing.”

“But if this isn’t what you want, or if you’re doing it solely for our family, you don’t have to go through with it.”

“What?”

Ria’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to say something like that.

Just as she was about to refute his words, the click of heels echoed in the room. All three turned their heads toward the sound. The Duchess of Keblick was descending the grand staircase.

“Mother!”
“My dear!”

Both men stood abruptly, rushing to escort her.

‘What brings her here?’

Ria stood awkwardly, watching the Duchess approach. Her mother, with her brown hair neatly tied back, looked fragile. The Duchess was known for her frailty, spending most of her time bedridden or taking brief walks with the help of attendants. Since Ria’s reincarnation, their encounters had been few and far between.

‘…This is uncomfortable.’

It wasn’t just the awkwardness of meeting her. Looking at the Duchess reminded Ria of her mother from her original world, who had succumbed to illness. She didn’t remember her mother’s face or voice well, but the sight of frail wrists and weak eyelids was burned into her memory. Those images dragged up painful recollections of the abuse and humiliation she endured after her mother’s death.

Escorted to the table, the Duchess sat beside Ria with a kind smile.

“So, you’re marrying the Crown Prince.”

“Yes…” Ria replied, avoiding her gaze. The Duchess stared at the teacup on the table, though her focus seemed far away.

“I was about your age when I met your father,” she said softly.

The Duke’s face flushed red.

“Even back then, your father was as charming as he is now. I fell for his charm and agreed to an engagement almost immediately. It all happened so fast. I was too young.”

Ria, slightly more at ease, asked playfully, “Do you regret it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Darling!”

The Duke’s face turned ashen.

“To be honest,” the Duchess continued, unfazed, “I think you don’t need to rush into marriage at all.”

“Darling!”

The Duke tried to intervene, but the Duchess silenced him with a simple gesture.

“Just do what you want to do. If that’s marriage, then so be it. But if not, you can take your time. I believe there’s something you truly want to pursue—something that makes your heart race.”

She reached out and gently stroked Ria’s hair. Ria looked away, her nose stinging with emotion.

Until now, her life had always been about survival—earning enough money to escape her abusive household in her original world and avoiding death in this one. Even her deepest wish here wasn’t for herself, but for Siklaen’s happiness.

‘What do I want…? What makes my heart race…?’

Ria closed her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again.

“…I’ll think about it. Thank you… Mother.”

The word felt foreign on her lips, yet it brought an odd sense of joy. The Duchess pulled her into a warm embrace. The tenderness of her touch was unfamiliar, and Ria found it overwhelming.