Home/I ended up having a surprise marriage with the male lead/ch 2

Chapter 2

Radiant golden hair and lake-blue eyes. A slender, fair figure and features so delicately shaped they seemed almost sculpted.

A face I've never seen before...

Emilia blinked as her eyes met the woman's. Then she ventured a guess.

Is she a guest of Mrs. Romains?

Judging by her fine clothes, that seemed likely. Since Cedric had passed the exam, Mrs. Romains had taken to inviting guests over for tea now and then.

Emilia looked up at Cedric, her eyes asking for an explanation.

"Who is she?"

"W-well, you see..."

Cedric stammered in response to her question, even stepping forward slightly to block the woman from her view.

But then—

"Ced, may I introduce myself?"

The woman stepped back to his side and gently placed her hand on Cedric's arm.

Emilia's gaze naturally fell to that pale hand.

Ced?

Even she didn't call him by such a nickname.

Her brow furrowed with an inexplicable unease, and the woman continued.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Reina Ilake."

"Oh, I'm Emilia—"

Emilia started to introduce herself but stopped mid-sentence.

Because the name was not unfamiliar.

Her eyes went wide in an instant.

Reina Ilake?

That was unmistakably the name of this novel's heroine.

The heroine who, born an illegitimate child of an earl's house, entered into a contract engagement with the male lead to escape her family.

No way...

Emilia scanned the woman's appearance once more. It matched exactly the description in the novel.

Why on earth is she here?

And at her fiancé's house, of all places.

Like herself, Cedric was a character who didn't appear even in the margins of the story.

Moreover, Reina should have been staying at the manor until she met the male lead, Kayden...

As if sensing her confusion, Reina offered an explanation.

"Cedric and I were childhood playmates. Then we happened to run into each other in the capital. Isn't that right, Ced?"

"Y-yeah... We ran into each other on my way back to the inn. Haha."

"What luck it was, to see you again in that dreary city."

Reina smiled shyly, as if reminiscing about that happy day.

They were childhood friends?

She had never known.

Emilia quickly recalled the original story.

Come to think of it...

Before Reina's identity as the earl's illegitimate daughter was revealed, there was mention of her having lived in the countryside.

So they must have met back then.

But even so, her questions weren't fully resolved.

Even if she was happy to see an old friend, would she follow him all the way out here?

Just then, Mrs. Romains approached the entrance with a puzzled expression.

"Why aren't you coming in... Emilia? What brings you here at this hour?"

At that, Reina smiled brightly and urged her.

"Instead of standing around out here, why don't you come inside?"

Her tone was as if she were the lady of the house.

Emilia briefly looked from Cedric to Mrs. Romains.

Judging by their expressions, neither found Reina's behavior at all unusual.

Am I the only one who feels strange here?

A peculiar feeling washed over her.

But whether or not Reina understood her state of mind, she pressed on.

"Please? Do come in."

"...Alright."

Emilia nodded slowly.

Whatever this was, she couldn't just turn back without confronting the situation.

---

Dinner was quite jovial.

Mrs. Romains asked Reina about her life thus far.

Cedric shared memories of their very early childhood together.

Clink. Clink.

Yet Emilia alone remained silent.

Even seated at the same table, she felt as if she were on a remote island, cut off from everyone else.

But more than that sense of isolation, it was Cedric who troubled her.

His attitude—as if he had eyes only for Reina, his childhood friend before him.

Fine. He must be happy to see a friend he hasn't met in so long.

Still, she had come all the way out of worry, and now she was being treated like a ghost.

"Ce—"

She started to call Cedric, who was visibly elated, then closed her mouth.

She decided it wasn't the right thing to say in front of an outsider.

Instead, she set her utensils down with a distinct clack.

Only then did the gazes at the table turn toward her.

"I'm not feeling well, so I'll excuse myself first. I'll be in the guest room for a bit."

"What?"

Scrape.

Emilia rose from her seat before Cedric could even reply, deliberately not waiting for his answer.

Truthfully, she wanted to go straight home.

But she held back because she needed to talk to Cedric.

About why he hadn't sent word all this time.

And about what on earth had kept him so late.

---

Once inside the guest room, Emilia grimaced with frustration.

Maybe I really did eat too much.

She had only used it as an excuse to leave, but it seemed the food really was sitting heavy on her stomach.

She was thumping her chest with her fist when—

Knock, knock.

A soft voice came with the sound.

"May I have a word?"

"Come in."

At her permission, the door opened cautiously and Reina stepped inside.

"What is it?"

"Well..."

But Reina hesitated, not speaking.

"Let's sit down and talk."

"Thank you."

At Emilia's gesture, Reina took the seat across from her.

Yet for some reason, she remained silent for a long while.

Emilia waited patiently.

What could she possibly have to say that takes so much hesitation?

Perhaps she was bothered by what had happened at the dinner table.

As she was mulling over possible reasons—

"The truth is, I came here to ask a favor."

"A favor?"

The unexpected word made Emilia tilt her head in puzzlement.

Not Cedric, but me—a complete stranger?

"What kind of favor?"

Reina, who had kept her head lowered until then, lifted her beautiful blue eyes to meet Emilia's.

Her gaze was almost resolute.

"Please break up with Cedric."

"...Pardon?"

The words from Reina's mouth were so absurd that Emilia found herself questioning them instinctively.

"Are you—are you telling me to break up with Cedric?"

Reina nodded.

"I know this is sudden. But if you truly care about Cedric, Emilia, you should be the one to let him go."

She grasped Emilia's hand resting on the table tightly.

"Cedric has nowhere to go but up from here. But with you by his side, it will be difficult."

Emilia was momentarily lost for words.

Is she saying I'll hold Cedric back?

Objectively speaking, Reina's words weren't entirely wrong.

To climb higher, it certainly helped to build connections with powerful nobles.

And the easiest way to do that is to marry into an aristocratic family.

On the other hand, Emilia, with no connections at all, couldn't offer Cedric that kind of help.

But still...

This was far beyond the line.

For an old friend's fiancée, these words were excessive and downright rude.

"Whether I'll hinder Cedric's future or not is something only time will tell."

Emilia said firmly.

"B-but—"

"And more than anything, I have no reason to hear such things from a third party like you."

At that, Reina bit her lip hard.

But only for a moment—then she spoke up urgently.

"I could help! I could help Cedric. I could introduce him to young lords of noble houses I know, and also—"

"Stop it, Reina. Are you saying you want to take my place as Cedric's fiancée?"

"..."

Reina bowed her head deeply and fell silent.

That silence was clearly an affirmation.

So that's really what this was about?

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