The garden suddenly felt ten times more dangerous.
Not because of assassins.
Not because of politics.
But because Leonhart Blake was smiling at me like he'd uncovered state secrets over a cup of tea.
"…Excuse me?" I asked cautiously.
Leonhart tilted his head slightly toward my untouched teacup.
"You've avoided drinking it since sitting down."
Ah.
Right.
Detective behavior.
Terrifying.
"That doesn't mean I dislike mint tea."
"It does when you've been staring at it like poison for the last seven minutes."
RUDE.
Accurate, but rude.
Adeline looked between us curiously.
"You dislike mint?"
"I dislike betrayal," I answered automatically. "Mint tastes like toothpaste pretending to be a plant."
Silence.
Then unexpectedly—
Adeline laughed.
Actually laughed.
Not the soft polite kind either.
A genuine laugh bright enough to stun the entire table.
Even Cedric looked surprised.
And Leonhart—
looked amused.
Great.
Now all the important characters were emotionally reacting to me.
Exactly what I didn't want.
Adeline quickly covered her mouth.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"No, you're right," Leonhart said calmly. "Mint tea is terrible."
I stared at him suspiciously.
Was the future empire-destroying villain agreeing with me about tea right now?
This timeline was getting weird.
Cedric sighed quietly beside us.
"The conversation has somehow become stranger since Lady Alexandra arrived."
EXCUSE ME?!
Adeline looked embarrassed again.
"I think it's fun…"
And there it was again.
That warm atmosphere.
The terrifying female-lead energy that made everyone around her softer somehow.
Even me.
Which was dangerous.
Because every time I forgot this was a novel—
I became careless.
A servant suddenly approached the garden terrace.
"Young Lady Adeline, Baron Augustus requests your presence briefly."
Adeline blinked before standing politely.
"I'll return shortly."
And just like that—
she left me alone with Cedric and Leonhart.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
The peaceful atmosphere vanished immediately.
Cedric calmly sipped his tea.
Leonhart leaned lazily against his chair.
And I sat between them questioning every life choice.
This felt less like tea and more like psychological warfare.
Cedric spoke first.
"You and Lady Adeline seem close already."
Dangerous question.
Very dangerous question.
"We've only spoken a few times," I answered carefully.
"And yet she trusts you."
The prince's golden eyes studied me closely again.
That suspicious detective look had returned.
Meanwhile, Leonhart watched the conversation with obvious interest.
I wanted to evaporate.
"She's kind," I said simply.
Cedric remained silent for a moment before asking quietly—
"And what do you want from her?"
Oh.
Oh that question had layers.
I suddenly understood his behavior.
Cedric was protective of Adeline already.
In the original novel, he constantly worried nobles would manipulate or hurt her.
And considering Alexandra's past behavior—
he had every reason to distrust me.
"I don't want anything from her," I answered honestly.
Cedric's gaze sharpened slightly.
"That's difficult to believe."
Fair.
Honestly very fair.
Leonhart suddenly spoke lazily from beside us.
"I believe her."
Both Cedric and I looked toward him immediately.
Excuse me?
Since when?!
Cedric's expression cooled further.
"You seem oddly interested in Lady Alexandra lately."
Ah.
Male lead hostility.
Classic.
Leonhart smiled faintly.
"She's entertaining."
RUDE?!
Again?!
Before Cedric could respond, I interrupted quickly.
"Can we please not discuss me like I'm an unusual pet?"
Silence followed.
Then—
Leonhart laughed quietly.
Cedric looked startled again.
Hold on.
Did this man never laugh in public either?!
What was happening today?
Leonhart rested his chin against one hand lazily.
"You truly have changed."
I almost flipped the tea table.
"If one more person says that to me today, I'm leaving the empire."
Cedric blinked slowly.
Leonhart looked amused again.
And horrifyingly—
both men suddenly looked less tense.
What kind of bizarre social skill was this?
I didn't even know what I was doing myself.
Thankfully, Adeline returned before things became stranger.
Though unfortunately—
she immediately noticed the atmosphere.
"…Did something happen?"
"No," Cedric answered calmly.
"Yes," I answered at the same time.
We looked at each other.
Cedric looked mildly annoyed.
I looked emotionally exhausted.
Adeline seemed increasingly confused.
Leonhart looked entertained enough to become dangerous.
Then suddenly, Adeline smiled slightly.
"…You're all getting along better than I expected."
THEY WERE NOT.
Cedric and Leonhart immediately looked at each other coldly.
Ah yes.
Future enemies detected.
Adeline somehow failed to notice completely.
Dense protagonist powers.
Truly incredible.
The tea meeting thankfully ended not long afterward.
Before leaving, Adeline walked me toward my carriage personally.
The afternoon sunlight reflected softly through the garden while servants prepared nearby.
For a moment, things felt strangely peaceful.
Then Adeline spoke quietly.
"…I'm happy."
I blinked.
"About what?"
"That you came today."
Her red eyes met mine gently.
"I was worried you only helped me because of the accident."
Ah.
So she noticed my awkwardness too.
Honestly, fair enough.
I hesitated before answering carefully.
"I'm not very good with people."
Adeline looked surprised.
"You?"
"Yes."
"…But you speak confidently."
That almost made me laugh.
If only she knew.
"I just say things before my brain can stop me."
"That explains a lot."
I gasped dramatically.
"Lady Adeline!"
She immediately looked horrified.
"I-I didn't mean—"
Then I saw it.
The panic in her expression.
And suddenly—
I laughed.
A real laugh.
One I hadn't realized I needed.
Adeline froze for a second before laughing too.
The sound felt warm.
Easy.
Comfortable.
And for the first time since reincarnating—
Ahn Sun forgot she was speaking to the heroine of a novel.
Because right now—
Adeline simply felt like a friend.
Unfortunately—
someone else was watching.
From a second-floor window overlooking the garden, Crown Prince Cedric stood silently.
And beside him—
Leonhart Blake smiled faintly.
"Interesting," Leonhart murmured again.
Cedric's gaze remained fixed on Alexandra below.
"…She's changing the story."
For the first time—
the male leads realized something was wrong with the villainess.