I’m a Second Male Lead in a Romance Fantasy, but I Don’t Like the Female Lead

I don’t remember clearly what happened after that. Hestia seemed to want me to say something, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. 8 o’clock, behind the auditorium. Though not particularly fluent, what flowed from Lily’s lips was definitely English. A language from Earth, not from this world.

I had no time to focus on anything else. I couldn’t absorb a single word from class. I kept turning Lily’s words over in my mind. A time and place. She clearly meant for me to come there.

Could she, like me, have fallen from Earth into this world? If that were truly the case, how was she so certain about my identity? Could I trust her now? Was there any guarantee I wouldn’t be in danger if I went?

All sorts of thoughts chased one another. I knew nothing about her. Even my belief that she was the original female protagonist of this world was just my own assumption. Because her abilities exceeded her status. Because she received the Crown Prince’s love. Because my body reacted to her. It was merely my conjecture based on these three facts.

The only thing I truly knew about Lily was that while her appearance was attractive, she was a woman with sinister intentions. If by some remote chance she had bad intentions and was luring me out, I would be helpless.

Frankly speaking, even the fact that this was a romance fantasy world wasn’t certain. It wouldn’t be strange if this world was simply a trashy male-oriented fantasy world, and Lily was a succubus empowered by the Demon King, enchanting the Crown Prince and me with magic.

I sat alone on my dormitory bed, biting my nails. Even as I deliberated, time continued to flow. It was already 7:30. If I planned to go to the back of the auditorium, I should get up now to have enough time.

I sat on the bed for a while, shaking my legs and biting my nails. Crack. Blood seeps from beneath my thumbnail. The sudden pain clears my mind. I jumped up from my seat and hastily put on my clothes.

If something were to happen when I went, I would regret taking action. If I didn’t go to check, I would regret this moment for the rest of my life. If I was going to regret it either way, it would be better to regret it after trying. I ran toward the auditorium.

The time was 7:50. If I ran hard enough, I wouldn’t be late.

“You came?”

Lily asked in a dry tone, different from her usual manner, as if she had thrown away all the masks she’d been wearing. Though she tried to sound casual, judging by how she was shaking her legs and twirling her hair, she seemed nervous too.

I took a moment to catch my breath. The season was still more appropriately called winter than spring. Yet I had run so hard that I was dripping with sweat, which seemed to surprise Lily slightly as she spoke.

“You didn’t need to run that hard. It’s not like I would have disappeared the moment the clock struck 8. I was planning to wait about 10 minutes.”

With one hand on my knee, I gestured with the other for her to wait a moment. After about 10 seconds of deep breathing, I started to feel better.

“Whew… Now I can breathe. So, why did you call me here, Lady Adamas?”

“If you understood what I said and came all this way, you must have already guessed, right? Instead of stiff titles like ‘Lady Adamas,’ just call me Seol-ah.”

“Seol-ah?”

“Yes. Han Seol-ah. That’s my real name. I was originally twenty-five years old.”

Lily, or rather Seol-ah, extended her hand. Finishing her self-introduction and immediately offering a handshake showed she was the type of person who didn’t maintain much distance when dealing with others.

“Won’t you accept my handshake?”

“Ah, yes.”

I took her hand and shook it up and down. Come to think of it, this was my first handshake since coming to this world.

“So, what about you? It’s unfair if only I introduce myself.”

“I am, I am…”

“Mikhail? What’s wrong?”

Huh?

Who am I? I’m Mikhail von Sirius. Why is she asking that? I am Mikhail.

No, not that. Who was I on Earth?

I felt my heart sink. It hasn’t even been two months since I came to this world. Yet when I heard that question, I immediately thought of myself as Mikhail. Despite normally separating myself from the previous Mikhail, when faced with the question of who I was, I thought of Mikhail first.

This is clearly strange. Just looking at the woman in front of me, her ego as Han Seol-ah is stronger than as Lily von Adamas. Introducing herself as Han Seol-ah rather than Lily, she looks refreshed, as if she’s removed a stifling mask. Her identity is clear. She is Han Seol-ah wearing Lily’s disguise.

But what about me? The current body of Mikhail von Sirius feels far more natural than who I was on Earth. It feels like I’ve become Mikhail himself rather than wearing his disguise. Thinking about it, it’s strange. Why didn’t I long for Earth after falling into this world? Even if this body is privileged, would I simply abandon all my connections from my original world? No lingering feelings for family or friends? My head is spinning.

“Mikhail? Mikhail? Are you okay?”

Seol-ah grabbed my shoulders and shook me gently. My senses returned. Who am I, she asked?

“Ah, yes, I’m fine. My name is Bada. Kang Bada. Sounds like a girl’s name, right? I’m twenty-three years old.”

What was I just worrying about? Some important issue… no, if it were that important, I wouldn’t have forgotten. Let’s not worry about it. I dismissed all the thoughts I’d been having.

Seol-ah looked me up and down, seemingly suspicious. Does she think it’s a pseudonym? Her eyes moved busily before fixing on mine. I didn’t bother to avoid them, as I had nothing to hide. She spoke.

“Alright. Since I’m older, I’ll drop the formalities, okay?”

She relaxed her expression as if nothing had happened and addressed me casually. As I felt when we shook hands, she had a personality that lacked appropriate distance when dealing with people.

“Um, Ms. Han Seol-ah?”

“Just call me Seol-ah Noona.”

“Are you Korean, Ms. Seol-ah?”

With a name like Han Seol-ah, she was almost certainly Korean. I recalled her folksy English pronunciation. It had that nostalgic feeling, like when a random student is called upon in English class to read a passage.

“I said to call me Noona. And yes, I’m Korean. So you’re Korean too, as I thought?”

“Yes, I’m Korean too. And this way of speaking is still more comfortable for me. But what do you mean ‘as you thought’? Did you expect me to be Korean?”

“Based on your reaction, you came here without knowing anything.”

She grinned. It was a smile that confirmed her superior position in this situation.

“You seem to know something, Ms. Seol-ah.”

“I don’t know exactly either. Why we came here, how we came, whether we can return. I don’t know anything about such fundamental issues.”

“Then?”

“Have you ever heard of a novel titled ‘How to Tame a Man with No Manners’?”

“Is it a romance fantasy novel?”

“That’s right. Have you read it?”

“No. I just guessed from the title.”

My guess was correct. This was a world inside a romance fantasy novel written by someone. What I had vaguely suspected was now confirmed by someone else’s testimony. Since I had anticipated this, it wasn’t particularly shocking. Rather, I was relieved it wasn’t the trashy fantasy world I had imagined earlier. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with a resurrected demon king or unexpectedly appearing gates.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“Honestly, I was expecting it.”

She seemed a bit surprised by my words, her eyes widening.

“How?”

“Well, there were many signs. First, the presence of mana confirms it’s a fantasy world. Then there are the maids who keep excessive distance from men, the swordsmanship and magic that exist but lack systematic structure, the settings related to combat and war that are full of holes… do you need more?”

I didn’t mention my body’s reactions to Lily and Wilhelm. Saying my heart races though I don’t like them would be embarrassing.

“Oh, I see… Aren’t male-oriented fantasies like that too?”

“Even if I could accept setting inconsistencies, experiencing it firsthand made the maids and swordsmanship quite awkward.”

“Maids? You didn’t…”

Seeing that she seemed to misunderstand, I quickly corrected her.

“I didn’t do anything! But even so, a maid who just knocks on the door in the morning instead of giving a proper wake-up call is strange to anyone, isn’t it?”

“Hmph. I’ll believe you for now.”

“More importantly, please tell me how you realized I was from another world. And about that original novel.”

I hurriedly changed the subject. The urgent matter was not the trivial issue of whether I had bothered the maid.

She cleared her throat a few times and began to explain about the novel with the creepy name ‘How to Tame a Man with No Manners.’

“Ahem. First, I expected you to be Korean because the original work is a Korean novel. I naturally thought you’d be Korean, but I communicated in English just in case, so even someone from the opposite side of Earth could understand.”

“Fortunately, I’m a well-educated talent who completed higher education.”

She ignored my joke and continued her explanation.

“How did I know you were from another world… you were the only one acting differently from the original story. You didn’t break off your engagement, you attended the eve party, you meddled in others’ affairs. Need more?”

“Uh… was I that different? More importantly, do I originally break up with Hestia?”

“Yes. Originally, you break up one month before you enter the Academy.”

I recalled the day I first met Hestia shortly after entering Mikhail’s body. So that was the day. I shuddered and rubbed my arms.

“Let’s leave the breakup story at that. As you might already guess, the protagonist of ‘How to Tame’ is me, Lily von Adamas. Ah, ‘How to Tame’ is an abbreviation of the title I mentioned earlier. The main male lead is Crown Prince Wilhelm, and the secondary male lead is you, Mikhail. Unlike other romance fantasy protagonists, Lily has a very nasty… I mean, cunning personality. She plays both Wilhelm and you, maintaining a dominant relationship…”

“Sorry to interrupt, but isn’t that just stringing men along?”

“Hah… yes. She keeps leading Wilhelm and you on, sucking everything out—body, heart, and money.”

“That’s a bit trashy. Are all romance fantasies like this?”

“No, they’re not!”

Seol-ah snapped at my question.

“Such a, so-called, misogynistic protagonist is truly rare. Lily is quite exceptional.”

Her voice trembled, apparently uncomfortable with acknowledging herself as misogynistic.

“If the protagonist’s personality is so terrible, why did you read that novel?”

“You get tired of seeing the same things all the time.”

“I understand.”

It was a reason I could fully empathize with. Sometimes you crave something different.

“Anyway! Lily diligently leads both men on, somehow manages to rewrite the law, sleeps with both, marries both, and lives happily ever after. That’s the original ending.”

“Wow.”

“What’s with that cold reaction? I’m a bit embarrassed.”

I must have looked at her with an expression that said, “You read that kind of novel?” She averted her gaze. I understand. Even I would be embarrassed if a woman I just met found out I read a novel about a man who leads on two women, cheats on both, and ends up marrying both. I decided not to torment her further and changed the topic.

“So, what do we do now?”

“I don’t know either. I’ve been following the original story. But things got complicated when Cordelia’s Academy admission wasn’t canceled.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the original story, Cordelia slaps me soundly and has her admission canceled for violence against a fellow student. That’s why I deliberately provoked her.”

She answered my question straightforwardly.

“That’s the story?”

“I told you earlier. Lily is cunning… no, Lily is a thorough bitch. She doesn’t like to leave threats around. I’m not that bad a person, really.”

In my opinion, she’s already a dangerous person for implementing such malicious acts in the name of following the original story.

“Why go to such lengths?”

“I thought they might send me back to my original world if I see the ending.”

“I refuse.”

I rejected before she could say anything more. I can’t understand her walking the path of a villain while clinging to an uncertain possibility. In the first place, I have no intention of abandoning Hestia and choosing Seol-ah. Besides, even if by some miracle I did choose her, I have no intention of sharing her with another man.

“Don’t you want to return to your original world?”

“It’s not even certain. Who said you can return to your original world if you see the ending?”

She backed off at my resolute answer.

“I understand for now. Let’s discuss this later.”

“My answer will be the same no matter when you ask.”

“I said I understand. Anyway, back to the original story. Right now, I’m supposed to be balancing between Wilhelm and Mikhail, gaining both of their affections. Then around the time cherry blossoms bloom, Wilhelm crosses the line.”

“I have no intention of…”

“Will you let me finish? What I want is for you to at least pretend to be on my side in front of Wilhelm. That way, Wilhelm will become obsessed with me.”

“Isn’t that a bad thing?”

“It can’t be helped. That bastard is going to cause a major incident with me, and when he does, I just need you to help me. That will give me the upper hand in my relationship with Wilhelm.”

What a sinister thought. Deliberately making someone obsessed and using that to gain the upper hand in a relationship. I shuddered slightly.

“You want me to help with that?”

“Yes. In return, I’ll keep giving you information.”

It’s not a bad offer. Stopping Wilhelm from causing a major incident also means putting him in my debt. Plus, I quite like the idea of knowing in advance what incidents will occur. But is it right to help her advance the original story? I can’t be sure. Preventing Cordelia’s expulsion was different from the original flow, but I don’t regret it.

I decided to hear more for now.

“What exactly is the incident Wilhelm causes?”

“Kidnapping, confinement, attempted rape.”

“Is he insane?”

It was a bigger issue than I expected.

“It’s a problem you can easily resolve. The original Mikhail solved it alone.”

She continued in a calm voice that didn’t sound like someone who would be kidnapped, confined, and nearly raped.

“But if I don’t show interest in Ms. Seol-ah, it won’t happen in the first place, right?”

“I don’t think so. As I said, Wilhelm is the type to cause trouble if I don’t keep him under tight control. He’s a character with severe obsession issues to begin with. If that’s the case, it’s better for me to control him within a manageable range.”

“Why is someone like that the main male lead?”

“Have you heard of ‘obsession light novels’?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a thing. Different genre, but similar to how men like yandere characters.”

Even if yandere characters are popular, a heroine who kidnaps, confines, and tries to assault the protagonist is a bit…

“Anyway, will you help?”

“You said he’ll cause other incidents if we don’t contain this one.”

“That’s right.”

“Then I have to, don’t I?”

“I knew you would.”

She grinned. What made her so sure?

Honestly, it would be a lie to say I’m not uncomfortable. She’s a woman who led on the Crown Prince and provoked a ducal lady in the name of following the original story. But I don’t want to see a fellow countryman from another world suffer if I can prevent it.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“Just play along with me in front of Wilhelm. When his eyes start to look strange, I’ll let you know in advance.”

“Isn’t that too vague?”

I don’t understand why she’s making such casual plans when my failure could be disastrous.

“I can’t help it because there aren’t detailed date descriptions. Just keep in mind it’s roughly between late March and early April. Alright, that’s it for now! It’s getting late, and I need to get back and shower to make it in time for roll call.”

Looking at the clock, I saw that more than an hour had passed. As she said, if we didn’t head back soon, we would be late for roll call.

“You’re right. Time has already passed so quickly.”

“Was this time informative for you?”

Seol-ah asked playfully.

“Of course. Honestly, I was really debating whether to come here. I was also very nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?”

“Because I know nothing about you, Ms. Seol-ah. If you had called me with bad intentions, I would have been completely helpless. I was still debating right up until I came.”

I didn’t need to explain my fantasies about succubi and whatnot.

Seol-ah looked surprised at my words.

“If I had known you’d worry that much, I would have given more hints. Actually, if you hadn’t come today, I was planning to call you again tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the day after. Until you came.”

Her words drain my energy. Then why did I bite my nails until they bled and worry so much?

“Bada has a cute side.”

“That’s a creepy thing to say.”

She smiled gently and waved her hand.

“I really need to go now. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

I waved back at her. Despite everything, it had truly been an informative time.

That night, I dreamed of being chased by Hestia, who was trying to kidnap and confine me.

Actually… is that good?