The first time I realized that something was terribly unfair...
was during a spring picnic where Seraphina was receiving everyone's attention.
"Huh?"
I blinked.
A gentle spring breeze drifted through the air.
Lush green trees and brightly blooming flowers filled the landscape.
Colorful tea foods and fragrant tea were arranged atop tables covered with pretty tablecloths.
And within that picture-perfect scenery...
I was watching my fiancé and my closest friend flirt shamelessly with each other.
“Oh, Serah.”
My fiancé, Gregory Gusto, personally tucked several soft cushions behind Seraphina’s back.
...Those cushions looked suspiciously like they had been taken from other guests.
Judging by the displeased looks directed our way, I was probably right.
“Haven't you gotten tired from sitting so long?”
Regardless of everyone else's reactions, Gregory fussed over Seraphina with a voice sweet enough to melt honey.
Seraphina widened her eyes and looked up at him.
Then—
“Ahaha, thank you!”
Her bright laughter rang beneath the blue sky.
“You're really so kind, Gregor!”
“...”
As I stared blankly at them, a powerful sense of discomfort suddenly washed over me.
Sure, the three of us had been childhood friends.
But casually calling your friend's fiancé by a nickname in front of everyone?
And a man lovingly arranging cushions for a female friend while his fiancée sat right there?
Wasn't that a little too much?
Meanwhile, Gregory gazed at Seraphina with dreamy eyes.
“Serah likes refreshing sweets, right? Want to try this?”
He personally placed a slice of lemon cake in front of her.
For the record, I was perfectly capable of eating lemon cake too.
But Gregory only had eyes for Seraphina.
As far as he was concerned, I was completely invisible.
“Hey, Gregor.”
Seraphina fluttered her eyelashes prettily.
“Sitting here like this reminds me of the old days.”
“It does. We used to go on outings like this when we were children, didn't we?”
Excuse me.
I was there too, you know?
Could you stop acting like the two of you are alone in your own little world?
“Remember when Lari fell into the pond?”
“Right. And while saving Larit, you ended up scarring your beautiful knee...”
Gregory quickly agreed before shooting me a reproachful glance.
“Larit, you're only alive today because of Serah. You should be grateful. Understand?”
“Y-Yes.”
Instinctively, I lowered my gaze and shrank back.
It was as if my body was reacting on its own.
At the same time, a question continued to circle my mind.
I've always acted so submissively around Seraphina and Gregory... but is this really normal?
The story was simple.
When we were children, the three of us had been playing near a pond.
I had fallen into the water.
Seraphina had extended a long stick and pulled me out, but in the process she slipped and injured her knee.
The wound left a small scar.
Though now, unless someone looked very closely, they probably wouldn't even notice it.
Still, because of that incident, I had always tried my best to treat Seraphina well.
Both she and Gregory constantly reminded me:
"You owe your life to Seraphina."
But here's the thing.
The reason I fell into the pond in the first place...
was Seraphina's fault!
At the time, she had insisted on picking flowers that bloomed near the edge of the pond.
Gregory had been too scared to go near it and pushed me to do it instead.
So I had been gathering flowers for her when I slipped into the water.
...And in that situation, if she hadn't tried to save me, wouldn't that have made her a complete human trash heap?
At that moment—
Crack.
It felt as though something deep inside me shattered.
Why have I spent all this time feeling nothing but gratitude toward Seraphina?
I frowned.
Until now, I had simply thought of her as my savior and felt thankful.
But now a powerful sense of wrongness overwhelmed me.
Why had I never once resented this absurd situation?
It was almost as if someone had forcibly imposed limits on my thoughts.
And then—
Seraphina, who had been laughing and chatting with Gregory, glanced toward me.
With drooping eyes, she said,
“Lari, I think my shoelace came undone. Can you tie it for me?”
“...”
There wasn't even a token apology.
Honestly, she was already sitting down.
Couldn't she just bend over and check herself?
And yet I obediently stood up and crouched in front of her.
As though I had been programmed to do so.
At that moment, mocking laughter sounded behind me.
“Goodness, Lady Ansi really has no pride at all, does she?”
The voice was strained with suppressed laughter.
“She is the heir to House Ansi, yet she's sitting on the ground just to tie Lady Lopez's shoelaces.”
Yeah.
I agreed.
I didn't know why I was acting like this either.
“As the future head of her house, she has absolutely no dignity.”
“Anyone would think she's Lady Lopez's maid.”
The whispers criticizing my behavior quickly shifted to my appearance.
“And that dress is so outdated. What era is it even from?”
“And what about her hair? Why does she let it hang like that? Can she even see what's in front of her?”
“Well, no wonder Young Master Gusto only dotes on Lady Lopez.”
“She can't even keep hold of her own fiancé. What a pathetic sight.”
The ridicule was painfully familiar.
And suddenly, words Seraphina often said flashed through my mind.
"Your features are plain, so darker-colored dresses suit you much better."
"Wouldn't it be better to wear your hair down? You're shy anyway. If your hair covers your face, you won't have to deal with other people's gazes."
"Jewelry? Hmm... isn't that a little too much for you? It would definitely suit me better!"
One noblewoman laughed brightly.
“Lady Ansi standing beside her only makes Lady Lopez's beauty shine even more, don't you think?”
At that moment—
All the discomfort I'd felt until now fused into a single overwhelming realization.
Why am I crouching here?
Why do I think I need Seraphina's approval?
Because she saved my life?
No.
A revelation struck me like lightning.
Because... this world is the setting of a novel I read in my previous life!
As the title clearly suggested, the heroine of this world was Seraphina.
The story went roughly like this:
Seraphina was a low-ranking noblewoman whose family didn't even possess territory.
With the help of her childhood friends, Larit and Gregory, she debuted in high society.
Then, thanks to her extraordinary beauty and lovable personality, she received affection from everyone and rose steadily through the ranks.
Although there was some interference from the wicked villainess, the daughter of House Claudius.
Seraphina never gave up.
In the end, she captured the hearts of both male leads and achieved her happy ending.
By the way—
Gregory wasn't one of those male leads.
Seraphina's standards were far too high for that.
Why would she ever be interested in the second son of a count's family who wouldn't even inherit the title?
And me?
Who was I?
Seraphina's childhood friend, Larit.
The girl whose life Seraphina had supposedly saved when they were young.
The girl who treasured Seraphina more than her own life and secretly envied her increasingly dazzling beauty.
As a result, Larit willingly did anything for her beloved friend.
She took the villainess's insults in Seraphina's place.
She got slapped.
She got drenched with water.
And even after all that...
She would smile foolishly and say:
"Serah, as long as you're happy, I'm happy."
A frustratingly spineless character created solely for Seraphina's happiness.
That Larit...
was me.