"It's not like we were trying to sneak in, I was just curious about what's inside this room," Nicholas quickly refuted.
"We? You mean you came with someone else?"
"You didn't realize? Yeah, I came in with Keith," Nicholas admitted.
"Keith…" Sera tilted her head in thought. "A knight?"
Nicholas felt startled. How could this woman immediately guess that Keith was a knight?
"I didn't expect Lady Leyla's knight to be bold enough to enter the duke's sister's chamber."
"Lady Leyla's knight?" Nicholas almost laughed. "You really don't know everything, do you? He's the duchess Hemser's official knight, not Lady Leyla's. You should stop pretending you know it all."
Sera's jaw tightened, surprise flashing in her eyes, a reaction that prickled Nicholas's skin with unease.
Before he could speak, the door creaked open, admitting Xerta and Leyla. Immediately, the tension melted from Sera's face, replaced by a bright, practiced smile.
'Two-faced bitch.'
Nicholas knew he couldn't judge, considering he had secrets of his own. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Keith, frozen in the doorway, staring at Sera with obvious disbelief.
'What's with him?'
Nicholas walked toward Keith. The man's face had turned pale, and once again he clutched his head in pain—just like the night before.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Nicholas whispered.
Keith muttered weakly, "Yeah… i'm fine."
"Don't collapse on me again, alright?" Nicholas replied softly.
Keith didn't answer. Perhaps the atmosphere in the room was too suffocating for him, because he quietly slipped away. Nicholas caught the way Sera's eyes lingered on Keith's back as he left—hazy, searching. Nicholas followed after him.
"Good thing we didn't get caught sneaking into her room last night…" Keith murmured under his breath.
But Nicholas knew better. That woman already knew.
"She's strange. Very strange," Nicholas muttered.
"What do you mean? She seemed normal enough to me."
'Not normal at all. Not just her reaction—but yours too, Keith.'
A bead of cold sweat slid down Keith's neck ever since Sera awoke. Nicholas decided to test him.
"I'm certain she was awake the moment we entered last night."
He said it just to read Keith's expression. But Keith was always maddeningly unreadable.
"...Really?" Keith whispered.
"And when she woke this morning, the first thing she asked was what date it was. Then she questioned me about recent events, almost urgently. Honestly, something about her doesn't add up." Nicholas pressed again.
"…"
Keith's silence grated on him. 'Don't tell me… he's interested in her?'
"Keith! Are you even listening?" Nicholas snapped.
But Keith seemed lost in thought, then suddenly clapped Nicholas on the shoulder.
"I'm heading out for a bit."
"What? Out of nowhere—?"
"We'll talk later."
Before Nicholas could stop him, Keith had already darted away. 'Damn it, he's quick.'
Nicholas clenched his jaw. His irritation deepened, along with his determination to unmask that woman.
-------
I ran back toward Sera's chamber. Hiding myself around the corner, I waited until Xerta and Leyla left. My instincts were clawing at me—I needed to confirm them. What I'd do after that, I'd figure out later.
Once they were gone, I slipped inside and shut the door firmly behind me.
"Oh, hello there. You were the one standing at the door earlier, weren't you?" Sera said calmly.
"My name's Keith. Keith Solstice."
She went quiet for a long beat.
"…Nice to meet you, Keith," she said with a smile.
She seemed normal. Too normal. Perfectly aligned with how Sera was written in 'The Way to Save Her'. But no matter how flawless her facade, I was convinced something was off. And Nicholas—he wouldn't lie to me.
'Alright, let's test this.'
"BTS!" I suddenly shouted.
Sera blinked, startled, then smiled again.
'What, she doesn't know?'
"Black Pink!"
Still smiling, she tilted her head.
"Kim Jong-u—"
"What exactly are you trying to do here?" She cut me off sharply, eyes dripping with disdain.
"I knew it! You too—you've reincarnated into TWTSH, haven't you?" I said, almost gleeful.
"Reincarnated? No, I transmigrated. Somehow, I ended up inside this novel… as the male lead's little sister, no less."
I froze. A fellow outsider. My pulse quickened. Perhaps we could still salvage the plot if she was like me.
'Holy hell. I'm not alone.'
"And to top it off," she scoffed, "I got hit with this absurd curse right after arriving."
"You mean you transmigrated before the eternal sleep curse?" I asked cautiously.
Her expression darkened. She rose from the bed and jabbed a finger against my chest.
"And then you come along, ruining everything! Since when were you supposed to be the villainess' knight?"
"So… sorry," I muttered.
She exhaled sharply, glaring. "I get it though. You reincarnated as a character doomed to die early. The second lead, no less, destined to haunt the narrative. Honestly, if I were you, I'd have run."
'She's not wrong. Totally unfair…'
"I got my memories back on my twentieth birthday," I admitted quietly. "August seventh. Last year."
"Almost a year ago then," she mused. "Coincidence—I arrived here the month before, on the same date."
I listened intently.
"Then, a month later, the curse struck. I still feel dizzy sometimes, but… I woke earlier than I should have."
"You have my sympathy."
She sighed. "And you? Wasn't realizing this is your second life painful?"
The pain was unbearable. I had avoided the truth for months, but illness finally forced me to confront it. It was then that I found clarity, and with it, my feelings for Leyla.
"I tried to accept it. Slowly," I replied. "So… what should I call you?"
"Before transmigrating, I was Jung Cha-ri. Thirty years old. Unemployed." She said it almost proudly.
'Wait—Cha-ri? That's similar to my name.'
"Our names are the same, Noona."
Her lips curled in distaste. "Don't call me Noona with that face. You look like a womanizer."
"Uh… right."
'What's so wrong with my face?'
"I didn't think my name was common. Jung Cha-ri doesn't sound generic," she continued.
"Same here. I was in my third year of high school when I died… I think. Honestly, I don't remember how."
"You were that young? Were you preparing for the CSAT?"
"Exactly, Noona!"
"Ahem. Just call me Sera. I'm in her body now."
"Alright, Sera!"
She gave me a faint, guilty smile. "Poor you. Let's hope you don't die young again. By the way, in your first life, you are a female? Doesn't it feel strange being male now?"
"Not really. I feel more at home as Keith. Maybe because my past-life memories are fuzzy… but the novel's details are crystal clear. It feels like it meant everything to me, back then."
"…I see." Sera lowered her gaze, thoughtful. Something in my words had struck her.
"That's enough for now. Leave," she said firmly.
I hesitated, worried I'd upset her. Still, I nodded and slipped out.
---
I walked down the corridor, the echo of my boots faint against the polished floor, until a painting stopped me in my tracks. A family portrait—Xerta's family. My gaze lingered on the details, tracing the strokes of oil on canvas, until I noticed a presence beside me.
"Curious, are you?"
'Xerta…?'
"No. It's just… in this painting, you look so happy."
"The same thing Leyla said when she first arrived at the castle." His voice softened, almost nostalgic.
'Seriously? I said the same thing as Leyla?'
"Keith," he called my name, "I was truly happy then. And today, I'm just as happy. My sister Sera… she finally woke up after so long."
I stayed silent, my throat tightening.
"Strange, but today I feel like I can do anything. Since marrying Leyla, my life's been nothing but an emotional roller coaster. I've lost people dear to me… but I've also found something precious again."
'What the hell is wrong with this guy? Look at his face—eyes glistening, like he's about to cry. Why is he saying all this to me?'
"Thank you, Keith. Somehow, I feel this is all thanks to you."
'No, it's not, damn it! Stop talking already.'
"I even got a report from Josh—apparently you and Nicholas sneaked into my sister's room that night. And after that… she woke up. As if your presence healed her."
'Shut up! That was pure coincidence!'
"You've been a blessing in my life, saving both me and Leyla back then at the church. You are my savior."
'Corny. So damn corny. Is being the male lead some kind of license to be this cheesy?'
"There's no need to thank me," I finally said, forcing calm into my tone. "I just did what anyone would do. A fellow human being in danger—I couldn't stand by."
Xerta smiled, warm and genuine. "All the same, I thank you. I believe you're a blessing sent by the god Helius. You're a good man, Keith. And… I must apologize for striking you the other day."
"You don't need to apologize, my lord duke. I hold no grudges."
"If you ever change your mind, come to me. I'd take you as my knight. Come back to Leyla's side."
'Damn bastard, are you trying to recruit me?'
"No, Your Grace. My loyalty belongs to my lady. But I respect your offer." I bowed with a polite smile.
"Your refusal wounds me." He sighed dramatically. "Well then, I'll be on my way…"
"My lord duke—" I called just as he turned.
"Yes?"
"When will you allow me to present my purpose for coming here? You should at least review my proposal, the scrolls, the parchments I've brought."
He tilted his head, thoughtful. "Not today. I'm busy—I must visit several villages. Another time." He waved casually and walked away.
'Damn it. Is he stalling on purpose?'
Suddenly, I remembered lines from 'The Way to Save Her'. That scene right after Leyla's powers awakened. After she healed Sera.
=======
"I feel so happy today, Leyla… You saved me. You uncovered the necromancer's plot and stopped it."
Xerta clasped her hand gently. "You're a blessing from Helius himself."
Leyla's eyes shone, caught in the depth of his gaze. She couldn't look away.
"You even cured my sister's curse. I searched everywhere for a way, but it was you… since marrying you, my life's been full of highs and lows, like a roller coaster."
"My lord… Xerta…" Leyla's voice trembled.
"You're my savior. Always do. I hope you stay by my side forever."
"You exaggerate," Leyla pulled her hand free, flustered. "It wasn't me alone—it was thanks to you, the guards, and my knight, Keith."
"You're too modest, Leyla." His genuine, radiant smile, a flash of white against the muted tones of the room, melted her resolve.
The bitter man, whose touch had once been as distant as the stars, now offered warmth. She remembered the chill of the contract marriage. She had thought she'd never love him. But the current of her feelings had pulled her under; the surface was a distant memory.
======
'Shit.'
'Shit, shit, shit.'
"Did I just erase a key moment in the protagonist's romance arc?" I muttered under my breath.
'It's ruined. Completely ruined.'