I Didn’t Mean to Kill the Heroine

Episode 2

At that moment, one of the maids assisting the director stepped in front of me, and the fabric of her dress brushed against my knee.

“Ah.”

A sharp sting shot through my leg where I had fallen yesterday. I instinctively winced, and the maid, noticing my reaction, hesitated before asking with a concerned expression.

“Miss, is something wrong?”

“… No. Just recalled something I had forgotten.”

I forced a neutral expression, suppressing my discomfort. The absurdity of the situation was almost laughable.

‘Even this minor wound stings unbearably, and yet I’m destined to die a miserable death after being tortured?’

The only solace I had was that I hadn’t been arrested yet. It was already daybreak, which meant Peridot likely hadn’t regained consciousness. The moment she did, though, everything would come crashing down.

‘… Should I go to Peridot right now and beg for forgiveness?’

If I threw myself at her feet, confessed I had been temporarily out of my mind, and promised to spend the rest of my life repenting in a monastery, maybe—just maybe—she would spare me.

She was, after all, a kind and saintly heroine.

But even if Peridot forgave me, would the male protagonists do the same?

In the original story, Amelita attempted to flee but was caught by the male leads. Of course, they were all men who would never turn their backs on Peridot.

Running away without facing trial had only one outcome—torture and a gruesome end.

‘… If that’s my fate, then maybe it’s better to meet my end at the execution ground.’

At least the guillotine would grant me a swift, clean death.

Swoosh—Swish!

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of cold steel severing my neck. No, the guillotine wasn’t a better option at all.

‘Isn’t there some kind of magic to erase Peridot’s memory?’

A ridiculous idea. But this was a fantasy world, wasn’t it? Who knew what was possible?

However, even if such a spell existed, I had no way of using it. My abilities hadn’t awakened yet. Unlike other protagonists who possessed foreknowledge of the original story and used it to their advantage, I was completely at a loss.

‘What can I do now? Peridot is bound to identify me as the culprit once she wakes up. I need to escape before that happens…’

But where? I had no memories of Amelita’s life, no knowledge of where to go.

Even after a full day in this body, my only instinct was to accept being served. But fleeing blindly in ignorance would only lead to disaster.

‘Damn it…’

Frustration clawed at me. Was I really just supposed to sit and wait for death?

Knock, knock, knock.

I froze as rapid knocking echoed through the powder room.

“Miss, it’s an extra edition!”

A newspaper?

If it was news, it might hold useful information.

“Come in.”

Panting, an orange-haired maid rushed in, shoving a newspaper into my hands.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, but this is urgent.”

A bad feeling crept over me as I unfolded the paper. Was my crime already exposed?

My breath hitched as I skimmed the headline.

“Miss, what’s wrong?”

The maids craned their necks to get a look at the paper. Gasps filled the room.

“Oracle… gasp!”

“Oh my god, is this real?”

“This can’t be happening…”

I clenched the newspaper tightly.

The bold letters blurred in my vision.

“Damn it, not here either…”

I muttered in frustration, staring at the faded ceiling mural of yet another abandoned temple.

Another dead end. It had already been a week since I started searching for the temple where Peridot had been taken.

The day the news of her disappearance broke, I had my servants gather every newspaper from the past six months. After reading them all night, I uncovered a shocking truth.

The day I stabbed Peridot was only three days after she received the oracle.

‘Amelita shouldn’t have done it yet, right?’

Even for a villainess, attempting to kill the heroine immediately after receiving an oracle was too soon. That event should have taken place years later in the story.

This was still the very beginning of the novel—before Peridot even met the male leads.

But before I could analyze Amelita’s actions, a more pressing issue loomed.

When I left that night, I hadn’t seen a single soul. Not a witness, not a rescuer.

If the male protagonists hadn’t arrived in time…

A chilling thought gripped me.

‘… No. That’s impossible. Peridot is the protagonist. She wouldn’t die at the hands of a mere villainess like Amelita.’

I shook my head, rejecting the fear creeping into my heart.

wasn’t just a romance novel. The fate of this world hinged on Peridot’s survival.

‘It makes no sense for the protagonist to die before saving the world.’

I swore I could see her ghostly afterimage in the empty temple. I needed to see her with my own eyes.

… Even if it was ironic for me—the one who stabbed her—to be concerned, what if she actually needed help?

I had to find her.

But after searching more than ten temples in the past week, I was no closer to finding her.

As the days passed, my unease deepened. Had I already missed the crucial window to act?

“What the hell…” I coughed as dust rose from the temple floors. Cobwebs clung to the walls, a testament to its abandonment.

Another useless location. There was one more temple about ten kilometers away, but I was running out of time.

Thump. Thump.

I froze. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the darkened corridor.

This temple was deep in the forest—long abandoned and forgotten.

Who else could possibly be here?

‘Knights? Were they stationed outside?’

I had brought Amelita’s knights with me, knowing my limited knowledge made traveling alone dangerous. But none of them had reacted to the approaching intruder…

‘… Don’t tell me they were all taken out?’

Tension coiled in my stomach. The footsteps drew closer, each step amplifying my anxiety.

‘If this is a villain’s hideout…’

I glanced around desperately for a place to hide.

Nowhere. The chapel was open, bathed in sunlight from the high windows.

Too late. Whoever it was had already spotted me.

“Amelita?”

A deep voice scraped against my ears.

… Someone who knew me.

Relief warred with apprehension as I clenched my fists.

I still had no memories of Amelita’s life. I couldn’t even recognize her acquaintances.

The footsteps halted at the chapel entrance.

Then, bathed in golden light, the man emerged.

Golden hair as radiant as the sun. Eyes gleaming with the same brilliant hue. A presence so commanding it felt as though he ruled the very ground he walked on.

‘Ah…’

I bit my inner cheek to suppress a gasp.