“…Hmm? This feels like a very familiar setup. It sounds like something straight out of a romance novel!”
“I thought you’d like it.”
Max let out a small chuckle as he met my sparkling eyes.
Why does my heart feel like it’s racing?
As I widened my eyes in interest at the cliché, romance-novel-like development, Max continued explaining.
“It was in the newspaper—apparently, when Blake LeBlanc found out that the young lady he had a crush on had fallen for another man, he left for the battlefield alone so as not to interfere with them.”
Well, I don’t really know why a witch newsletter would bother reporting human affairs, but—
I ignored Max’s rambling.
“S-so what happened next?”
“Who knows? I don’t. I’m not interested. The newspaper didn’t say either.”
“…Max.”
At my low voice, Max flinched.
“Do you know what annoys people the most?”
“What?”
“Stopping halfway through a story! So what happened?! This is driving me crazy!”
I pounded my chest in frustration before slumping back into my chair with a sigh.
My soft hair—a strange blend of red and pink—floated gently in the air before dragging across the floor.
“Your hair is sweeping the floor like a broom. I didn’t clean this room today.”
“Blake LeBlanc… why does that name sound so familiar?”
“You probably just got interested because you heard he sounds like the protagonist of some dramatic romance story.”
“No. I really think I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
It had been a long time, but I was certain I’d come across that name somewhere.
It felt like something I’d read in one of the countless romance novels I devoured in my past life.
“Hmmm…”
As I clutched my head, trying to recall the memory—
Boom!
At the sound of fireworks bursting across the dark night sky, Max ran to the window.
“Oh. Looks like that little witch who lives nearby came to visit. She set off a doorbell firework.”
“…Ah, who was it again?!”
“The little witch, Annie. You don’t know Annie? She’s one of the few witches living in the West.”
“Ugh…”
“As the representative witch of the West, you’re disqualified, Lady Vivian. How can you not know a witch living in your own territory when you’re one of the four witches representing the cardinal directions?!”
Ignoring Max as he began nagging, I stood up, covered one ear with my hand, grabbed the newspaper with the other, and teleported into the garden.
I could hear Max shouting, asking where I was running off to this time, but I ignored him.
“Honestly, he’s getting old too.”
It had already been 250 years since I picked up and raised that dragon hatchling abandoned by its mother because its wings were torn.
I didn’t expect him to grow into such a nag.
“Open sesame.”
With a meaningless spell and a snap of my fingers, the garden fountain split in two.
A staircase appeared beneath it, and I slowly walked down.
Since I still hadn’t figured out which original story I’d transmigrated into, I made it a habit to read any newspaper that mentioned the human world.
Flopping onto the sofa in my secret space, I opened the newspaper again.
Blake LeBlanc.
Just as Max said, he really was an outstanding young man.
“I knew you’d be here.”
The basement door creaked open, and Max entered, holding the hand of a small child.
A girl with orange hair and freckles—Annie—took off her pointed witch hat and bowed politely.
“Hello! Lady Vivian! I’m Annie! You said you’d show me your basement last time, so I came!”
“Hello, Annie. Feel free to look around.”
“W-wow… this is the basement of the great witch of the West, Lady Vivian!”
Gold and jewels sparkled so brightly they almost hurt the eyes.
Around them were all kinds of ominous magical tools.
Of course, everything was completely disorganized.
“There are so many amazing things here!”
At her cute reaction, I chuckled and shrugged.
“These are treasures I’ve collected over 300 years. Be careful. Honestly, I picked some of them up randomly, so even I don’t know what they might do.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Saluting energetically, Annie soon became absorbed in the clutter.
Meanwhile, I buried my face in the newspaper again, practically leaning into it as I studied Blake’s face.
Clear, luminous silver hair like stars in the night sky.
Violet eyes.
A face so perfect it was impossible to forget.
He really is handsome.
Even after looking again, his looks were absurdly flawless.
Enough to make even the beautiful dragon race take a step back.
“You’re still staring at that human man? He may be impressive, but there are rumors his personality is worse than a black dragon’s.”
“Worse than a black dragon? How is that even possible for a human? Those guys are notoriously awful!”
“Exactly. I heard it’s because of a curse that keeps him from sleeping properly. Still, how bad must his personality be?”
“Max. Where did you even learn a word like ‘awful attitude’?”
“From you, Lady Vivian.”
“…Sorry.”
A human worse than a black dragon.
As I clicked my tongue, a thought suddenly struck me.
‘Wait.’
The strongest when it came to having a ruined personality.
A man whose every word dripped with venom.
The heir of the most powerful family in the empire—feared by all.
Yet a romantic who cared for nothing but his first love.
And…
‘A man who lived his entire life in hell because of a curse that prevented him from sleeping!’
The newspaper slipped from my hands.
My trembling pupils slowly widened as I shouted—
“My Lovely Savior! That was the title!”
A story where the kind and gentle heroine, Lea, becomes childhood friends with Ian—a discarded prince—and saves him.
And Blake, their childhood friend and the heroine’s second male lead!
“That’s right—Blake LeBlanc was the villain in that novel!”
If I remembered correctly—
Caught between love and friendship, Blake wandered aimlessly before making a terrible choice.
‘Was it because he wanted the heroine?’
The exact reason didn’t matter.
In the end, unable to abandon the friendship he cherished as much as love—
He saved the two of them and died.
That was how the novel ended.
It was such a tragic ending that readers flooded the comments in outrage.
“The poor second lead who suffered because of a curse… why did I only remember this now?”
“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about— Annie, don’t touch that!”
Max turned with a frown, only to see the shelves collapsing as items spilled everywhere.
“What did you even touch?!”
The already messy basement became complete chaos.
“Ah-choo! Cough, cough!”
“Oh my goodness, Annie! Put that down! That’s a potion that turns you into a frog!”
“I finally remembered the original story! I’m so overwhelmed I could cry…!”
“That’s not emotion—that’s dust! Achoo! Annie, stop!”
“Wow! What’s this old papyrus?”
Annie bounced excitedly, holding a worn piece of papyrus.
“Uh… I’m not sure either. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. It must be something I shoved away a long time ago…”
“Then let’s open it!”
Even at that critical moment, I was still overwhelmed with emotion.
After 300 years, that lingering uncertainty was finally gone.
Then suddenly—
‘Wait… were there witches in that novel?’
It was surprising the world was bigger than I thought, but that wasn’t important right now.
‘If only there were a portal so I could go see the story unfold!’
Since I couldn’t go to the human world, I figured I’d ask Laura to include more human news in the paper.
Just as I thought that—
“Whoa!”
A blinding white light suddenly flashed beside me.
I saw Annie drop the trembling papyrus in slow motion.
“…Huh?”
A purple magic circle shot out from it—straight toward me.
A magic circle?
Everything happened too fast.
My vision was consumed by a brilliant flash.
“Ah! Lady Vivian!”
“W-what do we do?!”
Max’s green eyes were filled with shock.
As he reached out desperately toward me—
Everything went black.
And when I opened my eyes…
“Hahaha, I hear Blake LeBlanc is attending tonight’s banquet.”
“That Blake LeBlanc? Why?”
“Why else? It’s Lady Lea Everett’s birthday banquet. His unrequited love is famous, after all.”
“Still… it’s unsettling. The LeBlanc family gives me chills.”
“Shh! Are you trying to get killed? If he hears you, you might disappear without a trace.”
…What?
A banquet? Blake LeBlanc?
A graceful waltz echoed in steady rhythm.
Through the large glass doors, I could see people in glittering dresses and tuxedos.
“W-wait…”
My frozen brain slowly began to process the situation.
Dong… dong…
As the bells rang to welcome the New Year—
January 1st—
I shouted in shock.
This place… don’t tell me—
“The human world?!”