BHDV 01

Prologue

Prium’s Rhapsody.

It wasn’t anything particularly special—just an ordinary romance-fantasy novel.

The female protagonist of that story, which mixed a love that transcended status with a spirit-themed setting, was Shastia, a woman who had lived under abuse from her husband before suddenly becoming a widow.

Living in extreme poverty while raising her young daughter, she struggled day by day. Then one day, she discovered an injured knight collapsed in the forest and brought him home to care for him.

That knight was the male lead of the novel, Roberic Arne Hailian.

Roberic came to love the beautiful and kind-hearted woman who had saved his life, as if it were fate.

However, Roberic was the First Knight of the Imperial Family, a great spirit master revered by all.

And he was also the Crown Prince’s closest aide.

Even if only in name, he already had a fiancée—so objectively speaking, the two of them were never meant to be.

But as in most novels, obstacles could not stop love.

After countless hardships, Roberic and Shastia ultimately overcame their differences in status and achieved their love.

Roberic’s original fiancée, an innocent woman, was accused of jealousy and wrongdoing toward Shastia—who had now become the Grand Duchess of Hailian—and was stripped of her family title before being exiled to a remote countryside.

Shastia rose from a mere commoner widow to become the Grand Duchess of Hailian, and her daughter from her previous marriage became the young Grand Duchess.

And so, Roberic lived happily ever after with his wife and stepdaughter.

“…Then why did I reincarnate after everything was already over?”

Muttering to myself, I plucked a wildflower growing by the roadside.

That’s right.

By the time I was born and awakened to my memories of a past life, the imperial newspaper had already published an article titled “A Harmonious Moment of the Grand Ducal Family of Hailian.”

Well, even if I had been born earlier, what could someone like me—a mere countryside commoner—have possibly done to intervene in the original story?

My mother in this life passed away right after giving birth to me. So I was raised by my maternal grandfather.

It wasn’t anything special, just a modest rural life—but I genuinely loved it.

My grandfather wasn’t rich, nor a noble or royal figure like the grandfathers in novels.

But he loved me more than anyone else in the world.

‘Edis, I’m sorry. I wish I could buy you better clothes, toys, and plenty of delicious treats.’

‘No, Grandpa. I love living like this with you the most!’

‘…I feel the same, my dear child.’

To be honest, I was perfectly content—but if anything, my grandfather tended to worry a bit too much.

Wasn’t this more than enough for a normal middle-class life?

“I finished it!”

I smiled proudly as I looked at the roughly made flower crown.

I should give it to Grandpa as a gift.

Thinking that, I arrived near the house.

That was when I saw it.

A beautiful white horse I had never seen before stood beside the willow tree in front of our home.

“Wow…”

I unconsciously let out a gasp as I examined the horse.

Whose horse could it be?

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed to belong to a noble.

I looked around. There was only the horse—no one else in sight.

Since I saw nothing, I was about to step inside the fence—

“Ah.”

A strange voice suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

I turned my head.

And my eyes widened so much they felt like they might pop out.

At the moment I looked at him, a gentle spring breeze stirred, and his radiant silver hair fluttered lightly in the air.

His red eyes, framed by pure white lashes, trembled faintly as he gazed at me endlessly.

A young man of delicate beauty—like a flower holding morning dew—stood there, looking at me.

Wow…

My mouth fell open.

What is this—he looks exactly like a male lead from a romance fantasy.

Why is someone like that in the middle of the countryside…?

But wait, doesn’t he look exactly like… him?

Roberic.

My gaze dropped downward, and my expression immediately stiffened.

On his chest hung the emblem that had been repeatedly described in the novel Prium’s Rhapsody—two white horses with a camellia flower between them.

What.

My mouth opened.

You… are you the male lead?

No, why are you suddenly showing up here…?

“…You.”

At that moment, he spoke, his long lashes trembling.

“You are Mariette’s daughter.”

Thud.

At the name that reached my ears, I dropped the flower crown I was holding.

…Mariette?

Why is the name of the villainess—who met a miserable end after the story was already over—coming up now?

…And what? Daughter?

Mariette’s daughter?

Me?

…I couldn’t understand what nonsense he was spouting.

As my eyes shook in confusion, the male lead spoke again, his lips dry.

“And… my daughter as well…”

What?

My mouth fell open.

His sorrowful eyes, brimming with tears, looked at me.

He stepped closer and whispered,

“Only now do I meet you. To think I never knew I had a child… My dear, I am your father—!”

Thwack!

At that moment, a stone suddenly flew in and struck the back of his head mid-sentence.

Thud—

The male lead collapsed, face-first into the dirt.

Huh?

“You bastard! Where do you think you’re laying your hands?!”

G-Grandpa?!

The one who had smashed the male lead’s head with a stone—it was my grandfather!

“You ungrateful beast! Do you have any idea how much my daughter suffered because of you before she died, and yet you dare show your face here?!”

Grandfather shouted, his face flushed red.

“…Huh?”

I stared blankly between the unconscious male lead and my grandfather, who was now holding an even bigger stone.

It was the moment I learned a truth about my birth that I had never imagined even in my dreams.

Chapter 01

1. The Villainess’s Daughter

The villainess of Prium’s Rhapsody.

Mariette Aydin Bastevan, the daughter of the Duke of Bastevan.

She was the only cherished child of the Duke.

Lavender curls, sharp golden eyes, an intelligent appearance.

Mariette was a stunning beauty admired by all who saw her.

Except, of course, for Shastia, whose beauty was unreal thanks to protagonist bias.

The male lead, Roberic, was born as the only son of the Grand Duke of Hailian.

The former emperor, driven by jealousy, falsely accused Roberic’s father of treason.

As a result, Roberic lost his parents and his title, becoming the son of a criminal.

Fearing the mad emperor, no one dared to take in the orphan—until the Duke of Bastevan, a close friend of the former Grand Duke, stepped in.

Yes. The villainess’s father.

Thus, Mariette and Roberic grew up together.

They shared a bond closer than friends, yet not quite siblings.

To be precise, Mariette saw Roberic as a man.

Roberic, however, saw her only as a dear friend and the daughter of his benefactor.

The Duke of Bastevan, having noticed his daughter’s feelings early on, devoted himself to supporting Roberic.

It was thanks to him that Roberic rose from a disgraced orphan to the empire’s most revered knight.

But—

‘I’m sorry, Mariette…’

It seemed love mattered more than gratitude to Roberic.

‘I love her. She cannot live without me, and neither can I without her… I’m sorry. Truly. Let’s break off the engagement.’

Roberic betrayed both his benefactor and his friend, choosing Shastia.

Enraged, Mariette sought revenge.

She spread rumors about Shastia, ostracized her socially, endangered her life multiple times, and even threatened Roberic’s position.

But in the end, she lost.

Roberic kept his power and honor—and married Shastia.

Mariette and her father were cast out of the “happy ending.”

A bitter conclusion.

Honestly, I liked Mariette more than Shastia.

Even if she used her intelligence for evil.

But that didn’t mean I wanted to be reborn as her daughter!

“How did she even have a child with Roberic?!”

I couldn’t comprehend it.

“Stop!”

A man’s voice rang out.

A knight stepped between my grandfather and the unconscious Roberic.

He had pale green hair tied in a braid.

That meant—

Perion Mihail Haldebarte.

The sub-male lead.

But—

“This is the Grand Duke of Hailian. You, who have lost your title, dare not touch him.”

His tone was cold.

“And even if that child is presumed to be his daughter, you have nothing to gain from this.”

Grandfather clenched his teeth.

“Gain? You think I raised my granddaughter for that?!”

Perion sneered.

“Like mother, like daughter.”

My grandfather trembled with rage.

“…How dare you.”

Perion looked down at me with disgust.

“She resembles the Grand Duke—but who knows what she’s really like.”

I frowned.

“I hope she is never acknowledged as a Grand Duchess. There is already a camellia in Hailian.”

That meant Shastia’s daughter.

Grandfather grabbed my hand.

“I will never send her to you.”

He dragged me inside.

The door slammed shut.

Then he knelt before me, his voice gentle.

“Edis.”

“…What’s going on?”

He sighed.

“…I’m sorry for hiding it. Your mother asked me to.”

“…That man… is he really my father?”

“…Yes.”

My mind spun.

So I was the hidden daughter of the male lead and the villainess?

“…What a ridiculous setup.”

But I had no intention of going with him.

“I’ll listen to you, Grandpa.”

“Good girl.”

He hugged me.

Nothing would change.

But—

Creak.

“Edis!”

…Why is the male lead standing at my door at noon?

I stared in horror.

Then immediately slammed the door shut.