The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 172: Grief

Chapter 172: Grief

She wanted to stop the male leads from going down a dark path... But did she have any success? Cassian still faces abuses from his mother, Benedict’s mother died... And Dimitri... He went to the mage tower. Nothing has changed.

But wasn’t she the one who wanted him to go there at one point? Yes, but she also realised that it was necessity, survival that drove him there. She couldn’t say for sure he wanted to be a mage. But he clearly said he wanted to be a knight... And now he was gone.

At least Dimitri was not suffering anymore, she thought to herself. For everything she did, she could only change the fate of one person... She was happy but that was not enough! She started her journey by only thinking about survival.

But with everything that has transpired, she knew that there was more to it. She was brought here for a reason. As goofy as the author was, she knew somehow... That she was here to help everyone. But here she was, barely scraping by.

She wanted to cry. Why was she so incapable? Since her arrival, she felt like things had only gotten worse.

Far to the north, the atmosphere in the Northern Duchy was heavy with grief. Though the Duke got over it quickly, the people of the manor did not. Every day they honoured the Duchess’s memory.

Even if she was not here, they would make sure everything was up to her standard.

Benedict stood in his mother’s chambers, the weight of her loss pressing down on him like an iron shroud. He had spent hours here, surrounded by her belongings, trying to feel her presence one last time.

He had barely slept since her passing, his mind replaying her final moments over and over. What was the last conversation between them like?

"I’m glad you made such good friends, dear. Especially Adeline... She was the one who saved me, was she not?" She ruffled his hair as she sent him off.

He was in such a rush to leave and meet Adeline... He did not know this would be there last conversation.

It did not help that he was not with her during the time of her passing. He broke down often but now, it felt like his tears had dried up.

Benedict’s fists clenched as he thought of Anna. His ’stepmother’ had been uncharacteristically attentive in his mother’s final days, hovering around her like a vulture circling a dying animal.

He had no proof, but his instincts screamed that Anna had played a role in his mother’s death.

"Anna," he hissed under his breath, his voice thick with anger. "What did you do?"

Back in the capital, Adeline paced her room, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear and frustration. The butterfly spell would take time to reach the Northern Duchy, and the uncertainty was driving her mad. She needed to act, but she couldn’t risk drawing too much attention to herself.

She turned to the Goddess, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. "You said you didn’t know how this happened," Adeline said, her tone accusatory. "But you must have some idea."

The Goddess sighed. "I’ve been trying to piece it together, but it does not make sense. You changed the story, Linny. You saved her. This should not have happened."

Adeline’s eyes narrowed. "Unless... Someone is working to force the story back on track."

The Goddess was speechless... She did not think of it but it certainly was a possibility was it not? Someone working against them. Undoing all the changes and ruining their efforts!

She sensed an anomaly... But she could not figure out who it was! Just who was conspiring against them?

Adeline’s stomach churned at the thought. If someone was actively working against her, they posed a far greater threat than she had anticipated. And if they could undo her changes to the story, then no one she cared about was safe—not Benedict, not Dimitri, not even herself.

She clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. "I will not let them win," she said fiercely. "I have come too far to let this story control me."

Adeline was sure that the person behind this change was Annora... It had to be her! Who else would benefit from the story going as usual? She wanted a happy ending only for herself.

The light butterfly soared through the skies, its translucent wings catching the glimmers of sunlight as it approached the Northern Duchy. Adeline’s heart raced with anticipation.

She clung to the faint possibility that the Goddess had been mistaken, that Benedict’s mother was still alive. Yet, the closer the butterfly drew to the duchy, the heavier the air seemed to grow, as though the estate itself mourned.

As the butterfly entered the duchy’s borders, it passed over villagers going about their daily tasks. They worked diligently, their movements deliberate and focused, as if oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded.

Seeing how they were fine... Adeline’s hopes grew... Maybe the Duchess was fine too. Goddesses can make mistakes!

she directed the butterfly toward the estate. The grand mansion loomed ahead, its tall windows reflecting the light of the setting sun. But as the butterfly glided closer, the truth became harder to deny.

The courtyard bore the unmistakable signs of a recently concluded funeral. Wilted flowers lay scattered on the ground, their petals bruised and browning.

Black ribbons still hung from the lampposts, their ends fluttering weakly in the breeze. A sombre stillness lingered over the estate, suffocating in its weight.

Adeline’s breath hitched, her pulse quickening. "No," she whispered, her hands trembling. She refused to believe it. She had saved the Duchess and defied the story to give her a second chance at life. How could this have happened?

Her butterfly ventured further, and the estate came into sharper focus. All the servants were dressed in black, their uniforms accented with subtle symbols of mourning.

They moved quietly, their heads bowed as if an unseen force pressed down on them. The sight was a punch to Adeline’s gut. She could not ignore the evidence any longer. Her efforts had failed.

Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. A surge of anger coursed through her veins, mingling with her sorrow. "How?" she thought bitterly. "How did this happen?"

Determined to uncover the truth, she directed the butterfly toward the Duchess’s chambers. The familiar room came into view, but before she could enter a figure caught her attention.

"You dare throw my stuff out again! I am the Duchess! This room is mine!" Anna screamed from the top of her lungs at Benedict.

Benedict looked tired, there was barely life in his eyes, he did not have time for this nonsense, "I will remind you one last time, Anna." he refused to show her any respect, he called her by her name. "If you enter this room again, you will never be able to leave alive."

He slammed the door shut on her protesting face.

Anna turned to the servants who witnessed the scene, barking orders at the servants with an air of authority that made Adeline’s blood boil.