Leonhart Blake.
The hidden final boss of the novel.
The man who later destroyed half the empire with a smile on his face.
And currently—
he was standing beside me eating cake.
Why was he here already?!
In the original story, Leonhart didn't appear until much later during the academy arc.
Readers loved him because he was dangerously charismatic, ridiculously intelligent, and emotionally unstable in a very attractive fictional-man kind of way.
Unfortunately for me, those types were always the most terrifying.
I stared at him cautiously.
Leonhart tilted his head slightly.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Because you become a war criminal in three years.
"Because you startled me," I lied smoothly.
His blue eyes curved with amusement.
"My apologies, Lady Alexandra."
So polite.
So harmless-looking.
Meanwhile, this man eventually manipulated nobles, destroyed kingdoms, and nearly killed the male lead.
Fictional men truly needed therapy.
Leonhart picked up another dessert lazily.
"You're famous tonight."
I almost choked on air.
"I am?"
"Mhm."
He nodded toward the ballroom.
"Everyone expected you to attack Baron Augustus' daughter."
Wow.
My reputation was garbage.
"And yet," Leonhart continued, "you defended her instead."
"I complimented her dress. That's hardly heroic."
"For you, it apparently is."
Rude.
Accurate, but rude.
I grabbed another tart aggressively to avoid answering.
Leonhart watched me quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"You've changed."
THERE IT WAS AGAIN.
At this point, I wanted to print shirts saying YES I CHANGED PLEASE STOP ASKING.
"I simply matured," I answered carefully.
"Overnight?"
This man was way too observant.
No wonder he became terrifying later.
I forced an awkward laugh.
"People surprise you sometimes."
Leonhart hummed softly but didn't reply.
For some reason, his gaze made me nervous.
Like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Thankfully, another group of nobles approached him, briefly interrupting the conversation.
I immediately used the chance to retreat.
Strategic withdrawal.
Very important survival skill.
Unfortunately—
"Lady Alexandra!"
Too late.
Lilia and Emily cornered me near one of the balconies.
Both looked deeply distressed.
"Explain yourself," Emily demanded immediately.
I blinked innocently.
"About?"
"About everything!" Lilia whisper-yelled. "First you compliment Adeline Augustus, then you ignore the Crown Prince, and now you're speaking casually with Leonhart Blake?!"
Wait.
That last part was concerning?
Actually…
Now that I thought about it…
Leonhart Blake was notorious among nobles.
Because despite being the heir of a prestigious marquis family, he had a terrible reputation.
Cold personality.
Cruel behavior.
Rumors of violence.
Most nobles avoided him entirely.
Meanwhile, I accidentally held a casual dessert conversation with the future destroyer of nations.
Oops.
Emily crossed her arms.
"You hate Leonhart."
Do I?
Actually, original Alexandra probably did.
Everyone in this novel hated each other.
"I don't hate him," I answered carefully.
Lilia looked horrified again.
"Alexandra… are you possessed?"
I nearly inhaled my own saliva.
Girl, don't say things like that so accurately.
Before I could answer, the orchestra suddenly changed melodies.
A softer song began filling the ballroom.
The nobles murmured excitedly.
Ah.
The partner dance section.
In noble events, this usually meant one thing.
People were about to ask each other to dance.
I immediately moved toward the nearest wall.
Not me.
Absolutely not me.
I didn't know historical ballroom dancing.
The only dance experience I had involved embarrassing TikTok attempts at 2 AM.
Lilia suddenly gasped dramatically.
"The Crown Prince is coming this way!"
My survival instincts activated instantly.
Abort mission.
Abort mission.
But before I could escape—
"Lady Alexandra."
Too late.
Crown Prince Cedric stopped directly in front of me.
Why me?!
Hadn't he already found the female lead?!
The ballroom quieted slightly as nearby nobles watched curiously.
I suddenly felt like a deer trapped in headlights.
Cedric looked down at me calmly.
"Would you grant me this dance?"
System error.
My brain completely shut down.
Lilia looked seconds away from exploding from excitement.
Emily looked equally shocked.
And across the ballroom—
I noticed Adeline freeze.
NO.
THIS WAS BAD.
Very bad.
In the original story, Alexandra begged the prince for dances constantly.
If I accepted now, misunderstandings would begin immediately.
The female lead might think I still liked him.
And if plot misunderstandings started—
execution route unlocked.
"I apologize, Your Highness," I said quickly, "but I don't dance."
The entire ballroom fell silent.
One noble literally dropped a glass.
Cedric blinked once.
"…You don't dance."
"I'm recovering from a leg injury."
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!
Lilia stared at my perfectly healthy legs.
Emily looked spiritually exhausted.
Cedric's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"You seemed healthy earlier."
Think, Ahn Sun. THINK.
"Emotional injury."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the orchestra seemed quieter somehow.
I wanted to disappear into another dimension.
Cedric stared at me for several long seconds.
Then unexpectedly—
a quiet laugh escaped him.
Wait.
The Crown Prince laughed?
The cold male lead laughed?!
Nearby nobles looked equally shocked.
Cedric shook his head slightly, amusement lingering in his expression.
"You truly are different tonight."
Please stop saying that before I confess accidental reincarnation.
Thankfully, he didn't push further.
Instead, the prince bowed politely.
"Then I shall not force you."
Relief flooded my body instantly.
He moved away moments later, immediately attracting another crowd of nobles.
I nearly collapsed against the wall.
That was close.
Too close.
"Lady Alexandra."
I flinched again.
Why did everyone in this world sneak up on me?!
This time, however—
it was Adeline.
She stood a short distance away, holding her skirt nervously.
Up close, she looked even softer under the ballroom lights.
Like the human version of a romance novel cover.
"Yes?" I answered cautiously.
Adeline hesitated before speaking quietly.
"…Thank you."
I blinked.
"For what?"
"For earlier."
Her fingers tightened slightly around her dress.
"Most nobles have avoided speaking to me tonight."
My chest felt weirdly heavy hearing that.
Because I remembered exactly how lonely Adeline's early story was.
The nobles mocked her background.
The ladies isolated her.
And the original Alexandra made everything worse.
But standing here now—
Adeline just looked like a nervous seventeen-year-old girl trying her best.
Honestly…
she was hard to hate.
"You don't need to thank me," I said softly.
Adeline looked surprised by my tone.
Then slowly—
she smiled.
A small smile.
Warm and genuine enough to stun me for a second.
Ah.
Now I understood why the male lead fell first.
That smile was dangerously powerful.
"Still," Adeline said quietly, "I'm grateful."
For the first time since reincarnating—
Ahn Sun felt something strange.
Maybe…
just maybe…
changing the story was actually possible.