The Darkened Second Male Lead Seeks to Rewrite the Original Storyline

“Somehow, I thought I’d make Siklaen happy…”

Ria stared blankly at Zen, who was kneeling on one knee before her.

“In this life, I’ve decided to choose you.”

Zen’s absurd declaration left her stunned.

Everything was a mess. She hadn’t managed to slap him. She hadn’t even met Darren. At this rate, getting expelled was out of the question.

Ria was on the verge of exploding with frustration. She had spent the past week putting on an unconvincing act as a villainess, all for this moment. She had deliberately picked fights with Siklaen at school and forced herself to act cold toward the servants. It had been mentally exhausting.

And yet, this man had ruined everything.

Zen Widia—the sole heir to the throne of the Baisen Empire and a central character in Heart-Pounding Royal Academy. Considering how he acted in the novel, this situation made absolutely no sense.

“Zen Widia ignoring Siklaen, who had fallen? And on top of that, kissing the back of my hand and declaring he chooses me? This is absurd!”

Ria shook her head vigorously, as if trying to clear her thoughts, then yanked her hand away from his grasp. This couldn’t be happening.

“If Zen chooses me… Siklaen will die.”

Zen Widia. In the novel, he was the tragic second male lead who saved Siklaen at the cost of his own life.

The main plot of the novel Heart-Pounding Royal Academy went like this:

Siklaen, Darren, Ria, and Zen—the four childhood friends enroll in the Royal Academy together.

Despite her unique past, Siklaen is cheerful and endearing, quickly winning the hearts of both Darren and Zen. Meanwhile, Ria, blessed with stunning beauty, harbors unrequited feelings for Darren.

Frustrated by Darren’s indifference, Ria lashes out at Siklaen, bullying her. Eventually, Ria’s misdeeds are exposed, and she meets a lonely end.

Of course, Siklaen and Darren find love and live happily ever after.

In other words, Siklaen is the heroine, Darren is the male lead, Zen is the second male lead, and Ria is the villainess. It was a classic story with predictable roles.

Ria stood up and stared at Zen, who now acted as if nothing had happened.

Zen was especially popular in the story because of his unwavering devotion to Siklaen. He embodied pure, selfless love.

“After all, he even gave his life for her.”

Ria felt a headache brewing. Not only had she failed to fulfill her role as the villainess, but now there seemed to be a romantic subplot involving her and the second male lead. There was no telling where the story might go from here.

Most importantly, if Zen truly didn’t love Siklaen, Siklaen might die. Without his sacrifice, her life couldn’t be saved.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Choosing me? What does that even mean?”

Ria demanded sharply. Zen shrugged nonchalantly and replied,

“Because that’s what I’ve decided. Do you have a problem with it?”

“Of course, I—!”

Ria tried to fire back but stopped short. She found herself unable to finish her sentence whenever she looked at Zen’s face.

It had only been a week since she transmigrated into this world, and she was still getting used to her own reflection. Seeing one of the novel’s male characters up close for the first time was overwhelming.

His pale skin, flowing silver hair, and clear blue eyes gave him an ethereal, almost ascetic air. His tall stature, lean muscles, broad shoulders, and large hands gave him the aura of a ruthless predator.

In short, Zen Widia was breathtakingly handsome. She could stare at him endlessly without growing tired.

Perhaps it was because he was a fictional character, but he seemed even more striking than the celebrities she had admired in her past life.

And truthfully, when she’d read the original novel, Zen had been her favorite character after Siklaen. She’d admired how he always helped Siklaen and ultimately sacrificed his life for her.

There had been no one like him in her life. Perhaps she had envied his unwavering devotion.

“He’s so much better than Darren, who’s all talk and no substance.”

But Ria quickly shook her head. None of that mattered now.

The Zen before her seemed different from the one in the original story. He didn’t seem kind or particularly fond of Siklaen.

Swallowing hard, Ria tried to steady herself and asked,

“What you’re saying makes no sense. Weren’t you in love with Siklaen just recently?”

Zen smirked, his tone almost playful. “Recently? Recently, huh…”

His voice sounded more like he was talking to himself than responding to her.

That self-deprecating tone sent a chill down Ria’s spine. Something was very wrong. This was not the Zen Widia from the original novel.

The sole heir to the Baisen Empire, born a crown prince and the center of attention from a young age. A man blessed with striking looks, exceptional skills in swordsmanship, spearmanship, martial arts, and outstanding academic achievements—everyone expected him to become a great king. He had always basked in the attention and exuded confidence.

But now, something was clearly off. Ria tilted her head, puzzled.

His appearance hadn’t changed, but his demeanor was entirely different. His tone and behavior were subtly unsettling.

“Are those bright, confident eyes? No… they look more like piercing, intense eyes.”

Ria examined him closely, trying to pinpoint the source of the unease he gave her. As if sensing her gaze, Zen suddenly leaned in, his face close to hers.

“Do I seem strange to you?”

Ria flinched and instinctively leaned back.

Yes, this was what felt strange. He didn’t seem like an eighteen-year-old boy. He felt more like a seasoned man in his thirties—someone who had seen and endured far more than his age should allow.

Though Ria was also eighteen in this world, she had been twenty-three in her original life. To her, Zen should have felt like a child, five years her junior. Yet, he didn’t feel like that at all.

“You… are you really Zen?”

At Ria’s sharp tone, Zen widened his eyes before bursting into laughter.

“How amusing. Is this the result of my actions? Or could it be…”

This time, Zen looked her over, his gaze lingering as though he were analyzing her.

“Have you changed too?”

Ria avoided his gaze. No matter how much effort she put into playing the role of a villainess, there was no way she could perfectly replicate the original Ria.

“Do I seem unlike the usual Ria?”

Zen shrugged and leaned back slightly.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Change suits you either way.”

“Change? What do you mean by that?”

Ria’s question went unanswered. Zen simply gave her a chilling smile and added,

“Choosing you seems like the right decision after all.”

Looking at that smile, Ria quickly realized one thing:

Zen’s choice to abandon Siklaen and choose her wasn’t a passing whim or a cruel joke. Her instincts screamed that if things continued this way, the story would spiral completely out of control.

Ria frowned. The original plotline was already falling apart, and she had no intention of letting it collapse further.

After much deliberation, Ria decided to leave the Royal Academy. It was the only way to follow the original story.

In the original version, Darren exposed her misdeeds, and she was expelled from the academy, bringing disgrace to her family. But since that plan had failed, she had no other choice.

“If the goal is to disappear, it doesn’t matter whether it’s expulsion or voluntary withdrawal.”

The setting of Heart-Pounding Royal Academy revolved entirely around the academy itself. Events outside of the school were barely explored in the story. In the original plot, Ria vanished from the narrative entirely after her expulsion, never to be mentioned again.

That meant leaving the Royal Academy could effectively allow her to exit the story while maintaining her role as the villainess.

If she could manage that, Siklaen would inevitably reach her happy ending.

And that was why Ria now stood in the office of her father, Duke Kavelik.

Ignoring the protests of the servants, she had thrown the door open without knocking. The Duke, seated at his desk and engrossed in paperwork, looked up in surprise.

“Ria? What’s the matter?”

True to his reputation for doting on his youngest daughter, Duke Kavelik didn’t reprimand Ria for barging in unannounced. Instead, he stood up abruptly, his expression filled with concern.

Ria still found his affection awkward. It wasn’t just because the Duke wasn’t her real parent. She had never had parents in her previous life and had no idea how a typical parent-child relationship was supposed to work.

But regardless of the awkwardness, this was something she had to do. Doing her best to appear composed, Ria marched up to the Duke.

She didn’t know how the original Ria interacted with him. The novel’s focus was on the Royal Academy, and Siklaen was the protagonist. The Duke had only appeared briefly in passing.

However, from her interactions with him since arriving in this world, she knew one thing: the Duke adored his daughter deeply.

“Father!”

Ria slammed her hand down on the Duke’s desk. It was an act so disrespectful that any observer would have gasped, but as she expected, the Duke merely widened his eyes in surprise.

“Ria? What’s going on?”

“I want to leave the Royal Academy!”

“What?”

The Duke shot up from his chair, looking as though he might storm out of the room.

“He’s definitely going to ask why and try to stop me. How am I supposed to convince him?”

But before she could prepare her excuses, the Duke said something completely unexpected.

“What are you saying? Is someone bullying you?”

“What?”

“Tell me. Who is it? Which noble family do they belong to?”

Ria blinked, her mouth slightly agape. Considering her usual behavior, wasn’t it more likely she’d be the bully rather than the victim?

“This is absurd,” she thought as the Duke’s misunderstanding deepened.

“Who dares to lay a hand on a member of House Kavelik…”

The Duke, misreading Ria’s stunned silence, circled the desk with a determined look. His commanding presence made it seem as though he was ready to draw his sword and charge out the door.

“Don’t worry about a thing, my child. Whoever they are, I will—”

“Wait, wait, stop!”

Ria hastily raised her hands to calm him down.