I Decided to Kidnap the Male Lead

Around that time, another rumor was secretly flowing under the water among the empire’s nobility.

It wasn’t a rumor about the crown prince and his lover, Lady Bolsheik who was said to soon become the crown princess.

From mouth to mouth, people moved information about Raisa Neir’s death much more secretly and carefully.

“Lady Neir?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God, that’s awful.”

“Indeed. What the hell is going on?”

“Don’t pay attention. It’s the Marquisate of Neir.”

“Of course I know that, but the young lady of the Marquisate of Neir died…”

People held their breath because it was about the Marquisate of Neir, but indeed, a horse without feet could travel a thousand miles.

Even the rumors that were circulating in secret could not be stopped, and of course, those rumors reached the ears of the crown prince, Richard.

“…so Marchioness Neir’s daughter was disposed of by the marchioness.”

At Cooper’s report, which was calm and unassuming, Richard looked at him intently before muttering.

“Was it originally meant to be like that?”

“Yes?”

Cooper questioned the incomprehensible words, but Richard shook his hand with a bored expression.

“I will go to His Majesty. You may leave.”

After dismissing Cooper, Richard set his gaze on one spot of the documents piled up like a mountain range.

A small notebook stained with blood.

Now that time had returned to before Ophelia was drawn into the bloody infinite regression, the notebook that made the regression possible was held by him, not by Raisa.

He did not know from what this notebook was created or the reason why it went to Raisa Neir, but now it was with him.

Naturally, in the condition of infinite regression, he had no idea why she died.

But…

“I don’t even need to know.”

As long as the damn thing was in his hands, no one else would be able to use it anymore.

The damn infinite regression was over.

And…

Richard’s gaze slowly followed the trajectory of the redhead.

Ophelia.

‘You are by my side.’

It was enough.

.

“Raisa Neir is dead.”

Richard brought up the report of the death of the only heir and lineage of the Marquisate of Neir as if talking about today’s weather.

And the emperor’s reaction was also very short and indifferent.

“Tell them to list the next Marquis of Neir. More than that…”

The emperor stared blankly at Richard standing in front of him.

His eyes became completely different from when he mentioned Neir just before.

“Engagement… no, when are you going to bring her into the Imperial Palace?”

He didn’t refer to anyone, but he didn’t have to.

Because there is only one person who can enter the imperial palace right now.

“She’ll come in when she wants.”

In response to Richard’s calm but firm answer, the emperor looked at him intently again.

Before long, a very satisfied smile spread across the tired-looking emperor’s lips.

“That’s nice.”

The emperor tapped Richard on the shoulder and nodded.

Since a guy like a wood and stone had eyes like that, even if he hadn’t seen the child who would become his rain, he already liked her.

“Yes. She can come whenever she wants. If there is something she likes, give it generously. I’ll send you the key to her palace today.”

Around the time when the emperor was bragging about his unconditional love for Ophelia, whom he had not yet met properly.

At the aide’s office located in the center of the crown prince’s palace…

Iris and Cooper, the only two aides to the prince, were struggling to suppress their twitching lips.

“Step on that some more.”

“Ah, that’s right. We have to step on it properly.”

These words were written on the papers torn in half that they were stepping on.

—108 qualifications for the crown princess.

“Qualifications?”

“What is it, something to eat?”

For the two of them, the qualifications of the crown princess or whatnot… the fact that Richard had a secret lover made them so happy that they couldn’t help doing so.

That! For His Highness the Crown Prince to show interest in someone!

Wasn’t his interest in people dryer than a barren desert?

He was interested in someone for the first time! What a miracle! Please, be by the side of His Highness the Crown Prince for the rest of your lives!

“Rain Highness!”

“His Highness!”

Iris and Cooper shouted at the same time as if they had promised.

A monumental event in which the anxieties and worries that had always weighed down their heads completely disappeared like this! A miracle happened!

“When will the engagement ceremony be held?”

“It would be an honor if I can handle the preparations.”

Ophelia, the rice cake, hadn’t even thought of it, but the two of them started drinking kimchi soup until they were choking, and flinched at the sudden knock.

(TL/N: I think this has appeared before, but I’ll briefly explain again. ‘Don’t drink the kimchi soup first’ (or in this case, before the rice cake) is a korean idiom that’s similar to ‘don’t count the chickens before they hatch’.)

—Tok tok.

As if they had planned this beforehand, Cooper and Iris quickly returned to their respective seats, and as if the previous conversation had never happened, grabbed their pen with expressions befitting their status as ‘the crown prince’s aides’.

—Tok tok tok.

At the slightly irritable knock, Iris said,

“Come in.”

Through the silently opened door, a person entered, not the documents they were expecting.

An unfamiliar voice rang in the ears of Iris and Cooper, who had yet to see who had come as everywhere was covered by mountains of papers.

“Are you behind?”

Was that voice slightly trembling, or was it their imagination? Iris and Cooper tilted their heads and raised themselves almost at the same time.

And they had a truly unexpected guest.

Hair redder than a rose in full bloom and blue eyes resembling the open sky. She was unmistakably recognizable even from afar.

“Lady Bol… sheik?”

“Lady Bolsheik?”

Upon discovering Ophelia, the two were very flustered, but that was only for a moment.

They swiftly bowed in an extremely polite manner. It was unknown who made the first move.

“This is Iris Fillite.”

“This is Cooper Halsey.”

It was an extremely polite ‘first’ greeting.

“I’m Ophelia Bolsheik.”

Bending her knees slightly towards them, Ophelia swallowed her wry smile.

‘You won’t remember.’

She expected it, yes she did, but her mouth was still bitter.

As soon as the first greeting was over, Iris said,

“What did Lady Bolsheik come for… ah…”

“Of course, Lady Bolsheik is welcome at anytime and for anything.”

Cooper added with a friendly face, and Iris, who was silent at his words, nodded softly, suppressing the word ‘Oops!’ He clapped with a smile on his face.

“I apologize for this kind of rudeness.”

Without hesitation, Iris pushed aside the document stamped with the word ‘confidential’.

Naturally, the papers were ruined and scattered across the floor, and Ophelia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

Unlike Ophelia, who piled the papers on her desk and handled them as she came across, Iris always took care of the papers one by one from the top.

But how could she mess up like that?

“Please sit here.”

Iris gestured at the sofa.

Then Cooper moved quickly, removed the things from the sofa, and laid out a shawl that he found… somewhere.

“Sorry. It’s a mess here.”

“Prepare tea… What kind of tea do you enjoy?”

“All you have to do is tell me what kind of tea you like!”

There was silence as Cooper shut his mouth.

Ophelia looked alternately at Iris and Cooper.

The first meeting before regressing to the complete beginning was not like this.

From an ambiguous ‘hello’ to this was really weird.

A faint smile spread on Ophelia’s lips. Everything was so long ago that she had to search through her faded memories.

The greeting was different, and even though their positions were different…

Not bad.

Only she remembered them, but Iris was still Riri, and Cooper was just Cooper.

Now, there was no need to worry about the accumulated time disappearing like a sandcastle washed away by the waves.

Besides, unlike before, looking into the eyes of the two overflowing with goodwill… she wanted to hug them at the same time.

And Ophelia did so without hesitation.

The very next moment.

Iris and Cooper unexpectedly end up hugging Ophelia, who rushed at them inexplicably.

Joy and goodwill overflowed, but Iris’ expressionless face, which was not much different from her usual, was shattered.

Cooper’s situation was no different.

It had been a long time since his friendly smile turned into an indescribable one.

Ophelia’s sincerity rang through their ears.

“I wanted to meet you.”

Iris and Cooper were all the more embarrassed because it was clearly not a pretense or a courtesy.

How much time had passed in the silence where Ophelia was very happy while the other two were madly awkward?

Cooper was freed from Ophelia’s grasp.

He was bewildered, completely not comprehending what had just happened. And, he had no idea…

That this moment would lead him to hold his butt together in the aide’s office for a while, or for a very long time.

As for Iris, who was still held by Ophelia.

Somehow, Iris had wrapped her arms around the clinging Ophelia in a haphazard embrace. She was genuinely flustered and confused.

“Ah… Iris. Iris Fillite.”

Why was the voice calling her name in her ear…

—Tok tok tok.

Ame: Y’ALL CAN MAKE NEW MEMORIES, IT’S NOT THE END!!!!!!!! *insert screams, tears and snot* Next episode will be the last of the main story!

Dea: We need Ophelia to meet Catherine as well T^T