By the next morning—
the entire capital had lost its mind.
I knew this because the moment I woke up, three maids were already whispering excitedly outside my bedroom door.
"…They said Lady Alexandra pushed Baron Augustus' daughter out of danger…"
"The Crown Prince personally stayed beside her afterward…"
"And Duke Raine carried her through the palace…"
I buried my face into my pillow.
Kill me.
Actually no.
Bad choice of words.
I wanted to live.
Preferably quietly.
Unfortunately, quiet no longer existed.
The second the maids noticed I was awake, they rushed inside dramatically.
"My lady! How is your ankle?"
"It still hurts," I muttered truthfully.
The palace physician had wrapped it carefully last night, but even moving slightly felt painful.
Apparently heroic acts came with consequences.
One maid looked emotional.
"You were so brave yesterday."
No I wasn't.
I panicked near a horse.
That was not bravery.
"That's enough gossip," another maid scolded softly while helping me sit upright.
But even she looked suspiciously proud.
…Why did everyone suddenly treat me like I'd undergone character development?
Oh.
Right.
Because I literally had.
The head maid entered moments later carrying several envelopes.
"My lady, invitations have arrived."
I blinked.
"…Invitations?"
"Yes."
She placed the stack neatly beside my bed.
"There are tea party invitations, luncheon invitations, and one request from the royal palace."
I stared at the mountain of letters in horror.
No.
No no no.
Social interaction attack.
The head maid looked confused by my expression.
"Lady Alexandra?"
"Why are there so many?"
The maids exchanged glances.
"…Because everyone is talking about you."
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
In one night, I had apparently transformed from villainess to trending topic.
I picked up one invitation cautiously.
Lady Beatrice of House Winter requests your presence for afternoon tea—
Nope.
Another.
The young ladies of House Valentine invite you—
Absolutely not.
Lilia and Emily were probably still emotionally recovering from my personality change.
Then finally—
a letter sealed with the imperial crest.
My soul attempted escape immediately.
No.
Please no.
The head maid smiled nervously.
"It arrived from the Crown Prince this morning."
WHY?!
I opened the letter cautiously like it might explode.
Inside was a short elegant note.
I wish to inquire about your condition after yesterday's incident.
— Cedric Adelhardt
That was it.
Simple.
Polite.
Completely terrifying.
Because in romance novels, male leads did not casually send letters to random noble girls.
Especially not girls originally written as villainesses.
This felt dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"My lady?" the maid asked curiously.
I folded the letter instantly.
"Nothing important."
The maids looked unconvinced.
Before anyone could question me further, another knock echoed through the room.
The butler entered calmly.
"Young Lady, Duke Raine requests your presence in his office."
Ah yes.
The final boss.
Wonderful start to my morning.
Duke Raine's office somehow felt colder than the rest of the mansion.
Probably because its owner terrified humanity naturally.
I sat carefully across from him while protecting my injured ankle.
The Duke looked up from his documents briefly.
"How is the injury?"
"…Manageable."
"Mm."
Silence followed.
Heavy silence.
The kind that made me question every life choice.
Then unexpectedly—
"You acted recklessly yesterday."
I blinked.
Ah.
Scolding time.
Fair enough.
"I know."
"You could have been seriously injured."
"I know."
The Duke's sharp gaze settled on me.
"Then why did you do it?"
Because she's the female lead and if she died the plot would collapse?
"…I couldn't just stand there."
The Duke remained silent.
I hesitated before continuing quietly.
"Someone could've gotten hurt."
Technically true.
Very true.
The Duke leaned back slightly in his chair.
For a moment, his expression looked strangely complicated.
Then finally—
"You did well."
I froze.
Again?!
This man kept emotionally blindsiding me.
"…Father?"
"House Raine does not ignore danger before them."
His voice remained calm as always, but softer somehow.
"Yesterday, you behaved honorably."
A weird tightness formed in my chest again.
Because despite his cold personality…
I realized something.
The Duke praised actions.
Not words.
Maybe original Alexandra spent so long chasing affection from the wrong people that she never noticed the affection already beside her.
"…Thank you," I answered quietly.
The Duke nodded once before returning to his paperwork.
Conversation over.
Classic emotionally unavailable father behavior.
I slowly stood to leave—
"Alexandra."
I paused immediately.
The Duke rarely used her first name.
When I turned back, his expression remained unreadable.
"Do not injure yourself recklessly for others again."
For some reason—
that sounded less like an order…
and more like concern.
The capital was terrifying.
Not because of monsters.
Not because of politics.
But because noble gossip spread faster than internet rumors.
By afternoon, rumors had evolved dramatically.
Apparently:
• I secretly admired Adeline all along
• I rejected the Crown Prince publicly
• Leonhart Blake was interested in me
• Duke Raine threatened people for insulting me
• I nearly died heroically
Most of these were false.
One was unfortunately true.
I sat in the garden with emotional exhaustion while the maids hovered nearby.
At least outside was peaceful.
Birds chirped softly.
Flowers bloomed everywhere.
And for once—
nobody was talking about the banquet.
"…Lady Alexandra?"
I looked up.
A servant approached carefully carrying another letter.
Please no.
No more social interaction.
"This arrived from Baron Augustus' residence."
I froze.
Adeline?
The servant handed me the envelope politely before stepping away.
My fingers hesitated slightly before opening it.
Inside was neat elegant handwriting.
Dear Lady Alexandra,
Thank you again for saving me yesterday.
Father insists we properly repay your kindness someday.
I also wished to ask about your injury. I hope your ankle is recovering well.
…And selfishly, I hope we may meet again.
— Adeline Augustus
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then slowly—
I lowered the letter.
Why did my chest feel weird again?
This was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because somehow—
the heroine was becoming my friend.