The Fate of the Perennial Sub Male Lead is in My Hands

Marienne delivered a huge stack of papers to the desks of the first and second aides, then returned to her office to review Vileon’s romance business plan.

“There’s one thing a book possessor can never do.”

Marienne stamped her foot.

“It’s the resolution to play and eat. If they possessed a noble family or the richest woman in the empire, they’d be free to play and eat, but halfway through, they’re all workaholics, as if they’d made a promise.”

Marienne lifted her teacup with a graceful little finger. She took a sip of her lemon-infused black tea and murmured meaningfully.

“I won’t.”

I’m not saying I’m going to live off the taxpayers’ dime, I’m just saying I’m not going to go into business for myself or get involved in politics like every other book transmigrator.

I’m done with money and power, I just want my favourite happy ending.

‘Should I make it my catchphrase?’

Part of me wanted to write a big banner and hang it on the wall of my office.

Other people are already working hard and doing a good job. There’s a lot of talent at the top. To be honest, I think everyone is a brain except for Marienne Didi.

The important thing is that they specialise in national affairs. Even Vileon, the head of the Ministry of Finance, is all about his job.

‘No!’

Although I like characters who are devoted but end up being disappointed, I hope that Vileon will finally become happy.

If I leave him alone, he’ll work until his pretty brunet hair goes grey and then he’ll close his eyes.

‘Odette will become an emperor someday. Even when the person he loves is a princess, he works hard and sacrifices himself like that… What if he becomes an emperor?’

The well-being of the empire depends on Odette. Then Vileon will self-imprison himself at the Ministry of Finance. He’ll work day and night.

That wicked black-haired man will take the Emperor’s palace and make Odette sleep in a straw bed!

Our young Chancellor will skip meals to mend the diplomatic wrongs done by the northerner.

Then his title changes from Duke to Archduke as he becomes a member of the Imperial court!

He won’t even be able to go to Count Byers’ family reunion, he’ll be preparing for an imperial event.

Damn it.

‘Argh! The final evolutionary form, the Northern Archduke! Being a Northern Duke is bad enough, but being an Archduke, I can’t even imagine!’

Marienne shuddered. Do you think I’m gonna wait and see?

He’s a brute who doesn’t know how to do anything but roll over, and even in my dreams I see him sticking his tongue out to kiss me!

Last night’s nightmare hadn’t been caused by someone else, but by Marienne Didi, who had forgotten early on that it was her own dream.

It had been five days since her shocking courtship of the northerner. Considering his filthy temper, it was long overdue for a response.

“Why is he quiet?”

Marienne flipped through her notes. Embarrass him with unwanted information? I did it with the mocha bread with raisins.

Shouting out their secrets? I screamed at the top of my lungs that he was a virgin who hadn’t even had a first kiss.

I’ve also shot arrows in his back, sneaked up on him in the dark, and confessed my love for him.

She’s done all the crazy things you’d expect a mad rabbit to do. So why hasn’t she heard from Cain Blackwood?

“You’ve never had a girl like this in your life… Why aren’t you falling for her?”

Marienne pouted her lips in displeasure.

“Cheeky.”

Maybe I should up the impact strength. Cain Blackwood, I love you, Cain Blackwood, you’re mine, Cain Blackwood, I’m responsible for you. Maybe I should stick a bunch of these notes on the Duke’s bedroom door.

“This is so disgusting. But cheer up and come up with something a little more heartfelt.”

She remembered their first meeting, dusted with powdered sugar. Marienne had come this far with the idea and then gagged.

Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

Someone knocked on the door of the third aide’s small office. Marienne shifted in her seat, stiffly.

Knock knock.

“It’s open, come in.”

Knock knock.

“You can come in!”

I shouted, in case anyone outside hadn’t heard me. Waiting for the door to open, Marienne cocked her head at the sudden silence.

“What is it?”

She wondered if someone had mistaken the room.

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!

The person at the door hadn’t moved. They were still there. The mysterious visitor was banging on the door with such ferocity that Marienne jumped out of her seat.

The pounding was so frenzied, it seemed as if the wooden door would shatter at any moment.

Then the sound cut off again.

Marienne stared wide-eyed at the door to her office. She wondered what the commotion was about in broad daylight. Her shoulders dropped, and she made a face.

“What kind of a moron would want to…!”

She was angry that the opponent’s threat had worked. Marienne grabbed a hammer from her desk drawer and, without looking back, slammed the door wide open.

“Who… evil!”

Something spilt over my head. Marienne reflexively closed her eyes. Her big, hard piece of metal hitMariennein her head. The impact momentarily rang in her body.

The next moment, the sound of the iron clattering to the floor assaulted her ears.

Before she could open her eyes, s fishy smell assaulted her nostrils.

“Ugh…”

“Aide Didi, what the… hold still, I’ll wipe it off.”

The voice was unexpected. It was Vileon, and he wiped the corner of Marienne’s eye with a careful touch. She could smell the faint scent of mint soap from the scrap of cloth that was presumably a handkerchief.

“Ugh, thank you. Ugh, ah!”

“Don’t say it, I’m not done wiping.”

This man’s touch was meticulous. Marienne resisted the urge to open her eyes and waited for Vileon to finish.

If it weren’t so wet and slimy and gross, she’d savour this moment.

“All right.”

“Thank you.”

She finally opened her eyes. Marienne’s eyes widened in horror as she identified the thing that had fallen on her head.

“This, this…”

I could see a random mixture of blood, intestines, and chunks of guts.

No wonder it smelled so horrible.Marienneasked Vileon if he had seen the face of the man who had just knocked on her door.

“No, I didn’t. I was startled by the sudden banging and came running.”

“That guy got fast feet.”

“He’s a guy… Why do you think it was a guy?”

Vileon stared down at the spilt pig appendages on the floor.

“It could have been a woman.”

“Because it came from the kitchen? Yeah, well, that’s possible.”

Marienne was more bothered by my mess than that. Vileon had cleaned her up, but it was still in her hair and her whole body smelled unpleasant.

‘I don’t know if it’s a girl or a guy, but that person must have set an amazing trap over the classroom door when they were young.’

How the hell did they get the bucket on top of the door?

She realised that they were very careful about screwing people over.

“Lord Byers, I think I’ll go wash up and get changed.”

“Ah.”

Vileon looked apologetic as if he hadn’t been thinking straight.

“Why don’t you go to your room? I’ll get someone to help you. You can take your time getting cleaned up.”

“Someone? No, I can do it myself, I’m not a noble lady.”

“I think it’s for security purposes, not service.”

It was a nasty prank. Still, did she really need a bodyguard?

Marienne was about to protest again, but then she just nodded. Improving her terrible condition was a priority.

◇ ◆ ◇

WhenMariennereturned, clean and fresh, the scene of the crime had been cleaned up. Marienne knocked on the Chancellor’s door to thank Vileon.

“Lord Byers, this is Didi.”

“Come in.”

Vileon was not alone, as a group of unfamiliar men and women exited the Chancellor’s office when Marienne entered.

“Those people who just left are my investigators. I call them in when I have something urgent to deal with.”

“Ah, yes. I just wanted to thank you for rushing over earlier.”

Marienne added quickly.

“And for giving me a bodyguard. He seemed to know the shortcut to the imperial palace. Thanks to him, I was able to get to my quarters without running into too many people.”

Marienne bowed her head in thanks.

“I thank you for many things.”

“I did the obvious thing.”

“Still.”

It’s would be a natural thing for Vileon to do, but it’s another for someone on the receiving end of the help. It’s almost heroic of him to come running at the first sign of trouble.

Marienne smiled at her boss, who was still handsome despite his stern expression.

“Well, I’ll get back to work then.”

“Wait, I didn’t ask you properly earlier, but are you hurt anywhere? You got hit in the head by a falling bucket, didn’t you? Are you dizzy or anything?”

“Not at all.”

Marienne ran a hand through her hair.

“It hurt when it hit me, but I’m fine now.”

Besides, I’m not sure about the hair. I wasn’t sure if the warmth at the crown of my head was from being hit with a bucket or from taking a warm shower.

“I don’t think so… It looks a little swollen.”

At this, Vileon stood up from his seat. Marienne stood still, unable to say anything as he examined her head.

He’s definitely tall enough to look down from the top of her head. In other words, Marienne’s eyes are now on his chest.

‘Vileon worries about me like it’s his job. Am I allowed to have impure thoughts?’

To have a conscience or not to have a conscience. Marienne silently chastised herself.

“Is it here? If I tap like this…”

“Ugh.”

“I’m sorry, did it hurt a lot?”

“Li, just a little.”

Vileon straightened up. In response, the coveted chest moved a little further away from Marienne’s eyes.

There it is. Marienne Didi is still out of her mind.

“I think you’ve got a bump. I think you’ll have to call it a day and get it checked out. Give my name and go to the Imperial doctor.”

“Imperial doctor?”

Marienne repeated, her eyes narrowing.

“As far as bodyguards go, yes, but the imperial physician… Am I in the right position to get to see him? No. It would be an abuse of power if they asked for Lord Byers’ name…”

You don’t have to break the rules for an insignificant being like me. Marienne threw up her hands eagerly.

But Vileon’s will was stubborn.

“I’ve already given instructions to the investigators. I’m not going to let this one slip through my fingers. I’m going to find the culprit.”