For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 3
Estira Glioced. That is the name of the body I have transmigrated into.
In the novel, Estira’s role is as follows:
A tragic character, the illegitimate child of a margrave, despised and mistreated by her family members who also abused the male lead, and, without understanding why, was ultimately executed.
‘…That’s me.’
Unbelievable.
Squish, squish.
I clenched and unclenched the small palms of my five-year-old self.
Let’s avoid a tragic ending at all costs.
But how?
‘Escape.’
If I run away before the male lead is sold into this house as a slave, I won’t be falsely accused and executed for abusing him!
Having transmigrated into the body of five-year-old Estira, I meticulously planned my escape, believing it was the best option at the time.
‘…At least, I was sure of it.’
“From today on, give that lowly bastard nothing but water and starve her for three days!”
“How dare a bastard like that wear the same color dress as me? Strip her now!”
“A maid’s daughter thinking she’s a lady? Don’t fool yourself.”
Escape? More like facing death tomorrow.
The people in this house starved me or locked me up at the slightest provocation. And if I obediently did everything they told me to do and earned myself some free time? Every servant steadfastly kept a watchful eye on me.
As much as I was a maid’s illegitimate child, why must they treat me like I had committed some heinous crime? What did I do wrong?
At this rate, escaping before the male lead was brought here was absolutely impossible.
It seems I need to change my plan.
Five years later, on my tenth birthday.
I devised a new plan.
‘Introducing, Plan B.’
Instead of escaping, I decided to stay in this house and protect the male lead from abuse!
That way, the male lead won’t annihilate everyone in this household in revenge. My head would stay firmly on my shoulders.
I tapped the paper with [Plan B] written on it, my face full of contemplation.
“The problem is this plan has too many risks…”
Because, as the despised illegitimate child, I have no power to protect the male lead from abuse.
My life is already a struggle just to feed myself. How could I possibly have the capacity to protect others?
Could I possibly muster the strength to protect a slave from my father—who even barbarians beyond our borders fear—my older brother, who is equally formidable, and my older sister, who boasts a devilish temperament?
“Hmm. It’s not easy.”
Risk two, involving myself in the male lead’s life by meeting him and intervening is perilous.
He’s a volatile character, fitting for the tragic male lead of this dark romance.
If I protect such a man from abuse? It means his obsession might turn towards me instead of the female lead.
‘…That’s definitely setting a flag for obsession.’
“I knew it, I should devise another plan.”
No matter how much I think about it, the male lead’s obsession in this novel is as unwelcome as an execution ending.
As I chewed on the end of my pen, deep in thought, I finally marked a big circle around Plan B.
“Let’s go for it.”
There’s no better plan coming to mind, and besides, Plan B has its own reason worth taking all these risks.
That reason is the ‘reward’ posted for the male lead.
“I can’t give up free money.”
The male lead was actually the lost only son of a duke in this country, and the duke had posted an enormous reward to find his son.
And the owner of that reward was originally the female lead, the only person who realized that the male lead was the duke’s son.
“But now, two people know about him.”
The original female lead and me.
As I tore the paper where the plan was written into pieces, my eyes were filled with a determined light.
‘It should be me, not the female lead, who receives that enormous reward money.’
Only then could I escape from this miserable house.
For five years.
I struggled every day, rolling around like a dog, preparing for the unpredictable appearance of the male lead. It was to gain the strength to protect him from abuse.
Sharing the workload of the maids, I barely managed to live off the past and decided to work in the office of the marquis, the real power of this house, in order to make a good impression on my biological father.
Ah, of course, I was kicked out at first.
“Where does a bastard think they can meddle in the family’s affairs?”
“Get those filthy hands away!”
“You lowly creature, not knowing your place.”
—and such tremendous hardships were also accompanied.
Yet, a sympathetic aide in the office, seeing me persevering in cleaning the corners, gave me chores to do, and that opportunity led me to become a messenger. Thanks to discreetly showing off my cleverness over several months, I barely managed to get a job(?) as an aide in my father’s office, finally receiving treatment like a human being.
Well, I’m still a pathetic bastard, but compared to five years ago, my status and treatment have improved quite a bit.
‘Of course, escaping might have been better, considering how tough, dirty, and tearful those times were…’
