I tried my best to view the current situation as objectively and coolly as possible.

At first, since the ending was one-dimensionally being killed by Ascan, I even considered being nice to him to avoid that death route.

But I had already done too many unforgivable things to Ascan, and I judged it foolish to trust the ever-changing human heart under such circumstances.

My life was mine to protect—I couldn’t hand the knife’s handle to someone else.

After several sleepless nights of agonizing contemplation, I finally made my decision.

‘Let’s stop the war.’

It was an apology I owed to the Emperor of Kalua Empire, whose lifelong ambition was expanding territory, but for the sake of my own peaceful life, I had to protect the Arwen Empire.

If war could be prevented, many things would change.

First, the Brellof family wouldn’t be exterminated, so they would continue to shelter me, and Ascan, as a general of the enemy nation, would never be placed in a situation where he had to kill me.

Tanashia, who despite committing countless atrocities had only been socially ostracized while remaining physically unharmed, lost her life purely because she became a citizen of a defeated nation.

‘Right. There was this method. I thought of it, and honestly, it’s brilliant.’

Moreover, unlike in the novel, if I protected Ascan from being dragged back into the laboratory, the Kalua Empire might even fail their human weapon experiments.

Even if they succeeded by some miracle, it would take incomparably longer—since Ascan played a crucial role in successfully completing those experiments.

If, in the meantime, countermeasures against human weapons could be prepared, war might never break out at all.

If everything went according to my plan, not only I, but Ascan too, would avoid becoming a monster consumed by emotionless instincts to destroy everything.

This was truly a win-win situation—getting both the pheasant and its eggs.

Finally, my direction forward was set. Just as I greeted the morning after an entire night of contemplation, another gate appeared before me—as if it had been waiting.

It was news that Orland, who had been away from the mansion due to his busy schedule, was returning.

Orland Kanel Brellof.

He was the head of the Marquis Brellof family—and currently, my father.

With his sharp intellect and icy temperament, he possessed exceptional business acumen and was virtually the architect of the Brellof family’s current prosperity.

Externally and internally, he was reputed as someone so cold that even if you stabbed him, not a drop of blood would come out—but he had one single weakness.

I knew very well what it was.

‘Strange.’

As far as I knew, Orland never arranged family meals unless it was a special occasion. Yet today, for some reason, he sent someone to summon the entire family for dinner together.

‘According to the novel, around this time, he was so busy with business that the family barely saw each other’s faces…’

I wanted to discern Orland’s intentions, but right now, I had no feasible way to do so.

Time passed, and the clock in my room pointed precisely to 7 PM—the agreed time for dinner.

Knock, knock. Along with the sound of rapping on the door came the maid’s voice.

“Young lady, it’s time to head to the dining room.”

This punctuality was entirely characteristic of Orland, our family head.

“Understood. I’ll be right out.”

I rose from my seat as I replied.

Though the sudden dinner invitation felt slightly odd, I had no intention of skipping a family meal. To carry out my plan to prevent war, solidifying my position as a member of the Brellof family was crucial.

‘…They won’t notice, right?’

I had briefly encountered Noxia before, but this was my first time meeting my father, Orland.

Although I knew everything about the Brellof family from the novel, facing the family formally still made me inexplicably nervous.

When I opened the door to the dining room—which resembled an entire high-end restaurant relocated indoors—I saw that Orland and Noxia were already seated.

I thought I had arrived right on time, but apparently, I was the last to arrive.

“You arrived first.”

I greeted them as calmly as possible and approached Orland’s right side. Naturally, a triangular seating arrangement was formed: Orland at the head, me to his right, and Noxia to his left.

I had roughly imagined Orland’s appearance from the novel, but seeing him in person made me marvel anew.

Though he was over forty, his sculpted features and sensual physique made him appear unmistakably like a stunningly handsome man in his thirties.

Most nobles married for political alliances and had children early; even considering I was only fifteen, he was an absurdly handsome father.

I was staring, mesmerized, at Orland’s shimmering silver hair—

When he turned his head, sensing my gaze.

And the moment our eyes met—

“…Ugh!”

A sudden headache struck, and fragments of Tanashia’s memories flashed through my mind.

I saw myself as a much smaller child, toddling over and climbing into Orland’s arms.

『Daddy—.』

Then Orland effortlessly lifted me up toward the sky.

The happiness and fulfillment I felt then were as vivid as if I had personally experienced them.

This wasn’t merely something I’d read and felt through the novel. These were Tanashia’s actual memories—and I was experiencing them vividly.

“Are you unwell?”

Barely regaining my senses at Orland’s voice, I shook my head vigorously.

There was no way I could explain the current situation to anyone.

“No, no. I just felt a sudden headache, but I’m fine now.”

I saw Orland’s piercingly blue eyes, studying me as if concerned.

Strangely, his gaze didn’t feel unfamiliar. After recalling Tanashia’s memories, I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward Orland.

Though I hadn’t anticipated such a bizarre occurrence and felt flustered, escaping this situation—where Orland was staring intently at me—was urgent.

‘He might notice something’s off.’

I racked my brain for a topic to divert the conversation.

Unexpectedly, Orland spoke first.

“Tanashia.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve prepared a gift for you.”

“A… gift?”

Why a gift, out of nowhere?

Caught completely off guard, my eyes widened in surprise.

Without a word, Orland gestured lightly to the steward standing behind him. Taking it as a signal, the steward brought forth a jewelry box he had been concealing.

Inside the box, opened before me, lay a necklace and earring set crafted from red diamonds.

They glittered dazzlingly—obviously expensive gems at a glance.

“This is…?”

“I felt uneasy about having gifted only Noxia with a warhorse last time, so I prepared a separate gift for you. I hope you like it.”

My jaw dropped.

Now that I thought about it, Orland had gifted only Noxia with a warhorse, which had made Tanashia so resentful that she’d gone horseback riding and ended up in an accident.

Though technically, after the accident, it wasn’t Tanashia who regained consciousness—but me.

Suppressing my bewildered emotions, I looked at Orland as calmly as possible and said,

“This is an unexpected gift. Thank you, Father.”

Noxia, watching from the side, smiled brightly as if offering congratulations.

“It’s so beautiful. It’ll suit you perfectly, sister.”

Truly, she was the protagonist of . Her praise was pure, without even a trace of envy or jealousy.

“From now on, I intend to give fair gifts to everyone without leaving anyone out. I also plan to arrange family gatherings like today’s more frequently.”

“Wow—I’m so happy to hear we’ll have gatherings like this often, Father.”

What? Had he undergone some change of heart?

I couldn’t understand why Orland suddenly wanted to hold such gatherings frequently. Moreover, Noxia seemed immensely pleased by it.

Suddenly, I realized Noxia, seated across from me, was staring at me with sparkling, almost uncomfortably bright eyes.

A sense of déjà vu struck me. I recalled that she’d looked at me with the same expression the last time I’d been drenched in water.

But I couldn’t dwell deeper on it.

“Come to think of it, the royal ball held in honor of His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday is coming up soon. Wearing this then would be perfect.”

Hearing Noxia’s words, I realized Orland had likely gifted me the diamond set with the upcoming ball in mind.

Perhaps he hoped I would become the center of attention at that ball.

‘Wait—Crown Prince’s birthday?’

Rohel Di Frenz Arwen.

He was the Crown Prince of the Arwen Empire and the true male protagonist of .

One event suddenly slammed into my mind.

It was Rohel and Noxia’s first meeting.

They first met at the royal ball held for Rohel’s birthday.

From that moment, Rohel and Noxia developed mutual affection, eventually falling in love when they reached adulthood.

Though the main plot was still far off, the foundational framework was steadily unfolding.

Calculating the timeline, their first meeting would undoubtedly occur at the royal ball soon to be held.

‘What if Noxia and Crown Prince Rohel smoothly and effortlessly continued their relationship?’

featured countless male leads due to its “reverse harem” keyword.

But the only man Noxia truly held in her heart was Rohel—no one else.

In the novel, I played the role of someone who, out of jealousy, desperately tried to tear them apart—but not anymore.

I had no intention of giving attention to men who didn’t like me, let alone stealing my sister’s lover from among so many men.

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed beneficial to quickly bring the two together.

If Crown Prince Rohel and Noxia married, the Brellof family would naturally forge a strong bond with the royal family—possibly aiding in preventing war.

‘Ohoho, not bad at all.’

If the protagonist Noxia’s love could be fulfilled, and I could take one step closer to preventing war with the Kalua Empire, there was no reason to hesitate.

I set down the fork and knife in my hands and looked seriously at Noxia.

“How about I lend you this diamond set?”

“Huh?”

Startled by my sudden words, Noxia widened her eyes and stared at me.

It wasn’t just Noxia. Orland, who had been eating, also looked inwardly surprised by my unexpected remark.

This wasn’t a random comment. In the original work, I schemed to make Noxia attend the ball in a shabby dress.

Later, Noxia regretted meeting Crown Prince Rohel for the first time in such a state.

Since I had no intention of tormenting her like in the original, that incident wouldn’t happen—but if I was going to help, I might as well make her look her absolute best.

Quickly recovering, Noxia urgently waved both hands and said,

“No! I said it would suit you well—not that I wanted it for myself!”

“You’re misunderstanding. I just think you’d look better wearing it at the royal ball coming up soon, rather than me.”

I could even feel the maids waiting nearby staring at me with incredulous eyes.

I found myself reconsidering how people perceived me—but since Tanashia was the villainess in the novel, I decided to accept it.

“I appreciate the thought, but how could I possibly…”

“You don’t need to refuse. I’m sure it’ll suit you wonderfully too.”

I had no particular desire to be the center of attention at the ball. There was no one there whose approval I sought.

Looking ahead, it was far more advantageous to ensure Noxia looked stunning and successfully navigated her first meeting with Crown Prince Rohel.

“Have you chosen the dress you’ll wear to the royal ball? If you’re okay with it, I’ll pick one that matches the red diamonds.”

“Sister…”

Noxia looked at me with touched eyes.

Though this choice was for my own benefit, from Noxia’s perspective, it seemed she interpreted it differently.

Orland, who had quietly listened to our conversation, chuckled softly and said,

“You two seem to get along far better than I thought.”

The atmosphere was flowing differently than I’d anticipated, but there was no turning back now.

Orland gestured to the steward behind him and quietly commanded,

“Prepare another identical diamond set to the one gifted to Tanashia.”

“Yes, Master.”

Huh? Was it unfolding like this?

“There’s no need to defer to each other. I’ll gift the same to Noxia as well.”

From Orland’s perspective, my willingness to give away the diamond set I’d just received must have seemed admirable.

I felt flustered, as if I’d unintentionally pretended to be virtuous.

As I awkwardly scratched my cheek, Orland looked at me and said,

“I understand you’re considerate of your sister, but don’t overdo deferring. You should also learn to claim what’s yours.”

“Ah, it’s not like that…”

I wanted to explain myself, but no clever excuse came to mind.

As I trailed off, Noxia across from me spoke up.

“Will you really help me pick my dress too?”

It was obvious to anyone that she was eagerly anticipating it.

Normally, one might resent a sister who hated them—but Noxia seemed thrilled at the idea of shopping together with me.

Though it was unfolding slightly differently than I’d planned, I had no intention of refusing. I had my own reasons for wanting Noxia and Crown Prince Rohel to meet even more successfully than in the novel.

Yes—if it meant preventing war in the future, what wouldn’t I do?

“Of course, if that’s what you want.”

“Waaah—I’m so excited! It’ll be wonderful having you help me pick my dress!”

Noxia was practically jumping with joy.

Orland watched her with warm satisfaction. Then, by chance, our eyes met, and he naturally asked, as if inquiring after my well-being,

“Tanashia, I’ve heard from your tutor.”

I involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

Though his tone was light, his words carried weight.

‘Right. The tutor said she’d reveal that I’m a genius.’

I’d completely forgotten about it while preoccupied with survival planning.

Tanashia’s genius, unknown to anyone until now, had been revealed—even content unremarked upon in novel.

I couldn’t predict how Orland, learning this belatedly, would react.

Only then did I realize—the dinner gathering today might have been arranged because of me.

“So, how did this happen…”

Should I preemptively apologize for hiding it all this time?

No. Wouldn’t it be better to pretend to cry if Orland scolds me first, to soften his heart?

Just as my thoughts grew tangled—

“It’s fine. You must have had your reasons.”

I hadn’t expected Orland to let it go so coolly, and inwardly, I felt flustered.

Seeing my bewildered expression, Orland’s smile deepened. He looked so handsome it was hard to believe he was a father of a fifteen-year-old daughter.

“I don’t think it’s good to let your talent go to waste, but I also won’t disregard your opinion. From now on, seriously consider your future. I’ll do my best to align with your wishes.”

There were many fields of study.

Even if I no longer intended to hide my genius, I needed to carefully consider which of the countless fields to delve into.

“Ah, yes. Once I find an answer regarding that, I’ll be sure to tell you first.”

Orland nodded in satisfaction, apparently pleased with my response.

The chef, who had been waiting discreetly behind us to avoid interrupting the conversation, cautiously approached and asked Orland,

“Shall I serve the main course?”

“Yes. Let’s continue our conversation while eating.”

At Orland’s permission, more dishes promptly appeared on the table as if they’d been waiting.

Not long ago, Orland realized one uncomfortable fact.

The reaction of his retainers upon hearing of Tanashia’s accident was unexpected.

─It’s terrible that Miss Tanashia is injured. But thank heavens it wasn’t Miss Noxia.

It felt like being struck on the head with a blunt object.

Orland couldn’t understand why his retainers thought that way.

─What do you mean by that?

─Ah, forgive me. Since Miss Noxia, who will become the next family head, must be prioritized for safety, I inadvertently misspoke.

Orland had never once mentioned Noxia as his successor.

Yet seeing his retainers unquestioningly believe Noxia was the next family head made him realize something was amiss.

‘Could it be… because of me?’

He hadn’t intended it, but he had always prioritized Noxia.

There was no particular reason. Simply, Noxia, the younger twin, felt more childlike to him than Tanashia, the elder.

Since Tanashia had never shown any sign of resentment, he vaguely assumed she understood his busy schedule.

It was natural. In , Tanashia always smiled in front of Orland, no matter what she thought inwardly.

Her desire to be loved more than her younger sister, Noxia, was so strong that Tanashia was a daughter who had never once made a request of Orland.

‘I must be more careful from now on.’

In the novel, Orland similarly realized from his retainers’ words that he hadn’t fairly divided his love between his two daughters.

If the original plot proceeded, it would conclude with Orland rushing over to comfort Tanashia when she sent someone to urge him to visit her sickbed.

But one additional event occurred here.

Namely, the tutor Matela came and revealed Tanashia’s hidden talent.

─In my opinion, Miss Tanashia is a once-in-three-hundred-years genius. It’s too wasteful to leave her as she is. She needs proper education from now on…

─Why didn’t you reveal this until today? You couldn’t have only just noticed.

At Orland’s sharp rebuke, Matela bowed her head apologetically.

─Forgive me. I had only vague suspicions. Miss Tanashia was deliberately concealing her genius, so I couldn’t accurately assess it. I couldn’t report uncertain information to you, sir… and above all, Miss Tanashia did not wish it.

─Why didn’t Tanashia want it?

─It seems she wished to possess nature-affinity abilities like Miss Noxia—perhaps magic or spirit summoning. If her extraordinary intellect were revealed, she feared she’d be steered away from that path.

Orland was speechless.

If Matela’s words were true, it was an absurdly foolish reason.

Everyone is born with different talents—why stubbornly try to follow Noxia’s path?

Initially, he’d been furious.

He’d resolved to sternly scold Tanashia so she’d never entertain such foolish thoughts again.

But as time passed, his retainers’ cold reactions and the fact that Tanashia had lied overlapped in his mind, weighing heavily on his heart.

‘That Tanashia kept this secret… Perhaps she feels distant because I haven’t seen her face for so long?’

Unlike in the original, where Orland simply realized he’d neglected Tanashia, here he was struck by the revelation that his always obedient daughter had been silently harboring worries behind his back.

Moreover…

One day, two days, three days.

Unlike in the novel, as time passed, Tanashia sent no message urging him to visit her sickbed.

The Tanashia who usually volunteered updates without being asked had abruptly cut off contact—naturally making him worry even more.

What began as a minor trigger accumulated and reminded Orland of Charles’s final words.

Unconsciously, Orland found himself staring at Charles’s photograph placed on his desk in the study. Just seeing Charles’s bright smile in the forest warmed his heart.

‘I’m sorry, Charles. I promised to raise Tanashia and Noxia without envy, but it seems I’ve been a lacking father.’

Orland’s weakness.

It was none other than his deceased wife, Charles.

Orland fell into thought for a moment. Then, as if making a decision, he murmured softly to the empty air,

“Zen.”

As if on cue, a man suddenly materialized out of nowhere into the previously empty space.

If Matela, the tutor, had seen the man appear without a trace, she might have fainted from shock.

“I’ll have to postpone tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Yes.”

“We should have a cozy family dinner together—it’s been a while. Inform the mansion and let Tanashia and Noxia know.”

“Understood, sir.”

The man called Zen vanished as silently as he had appeared, immediately after replying.

Orland, accustomed to such occurrences, paid it no mind. He merely gazed at Charles’s photograph, wearing a more serious expression than ever before.

Tanashia didn’t know it, but like a tiny misaligned gear, the original plot of was gradually changing.