I Decided to Kidnap the Male Lead

A very formal knock cut through Iris’ thoughts.

No one gave permission, but the door burst open.

A bright smile spread across Ophelia’s face as she widened her eyes.

At this time, there was only one person who would enter the aide’s office without hesitation.

But unlike Ophelia, the face of Iris standing in front of her as if protecting her was colder than an ice field.

She already knew what kind of disrespect Catherine Sheffield, that loud hive of society, would do to Her Highness, and she was already fuming.

And Cooper, who stood further in front of the ladies, naturally blocked the way in front of Catherine.

“Lady Sheffield. Didn’t I tell you that it would be difficult if you come recklessly like this without a prior appointment?”

To Cooper, who openly said she was an uninvited guest, Catherine replied.

“Did you know?”

“What?”

Catherine’s eyes glimmered as she stared at Cooper, and Ophelia’s eyes twinkled as she looked at Catherine.

Catherine was also Cathy.

And…

Ophelia looked at the back of Iris who was shielding her and couldn’t control the corners of her mouth that kept going up. She grinned.

‘How are you two so alike?’

The two of them, who became best friends, were like a snake and mongoose at this time of year.

While Ophelia was swimming in the past, Catherine came right in front of Iris.

“Hiding her… there’s nothing to say.”

“You’re rude as always.”

“I’m already less impolite, so save those words.”

The moment lightning struck between them, Ophelia stepped forward.

“Lady Bolsheik!”

Uncharacteristically flustered, Iris tried to block Ophelia again, but Catherine was quicker.

“Bolsheik?”

Catherine openly scanned Ophelia up and down and tried to shoot ferocious words.

But her mouth could not but open as Ophelia rushed at her with open arms, smiling brighter than the sun.

“Catherine! Lady Catherine Sheffield!”

Ophelia embraced her like a childhood friend who had parted with her 10 years ago. Catherine was at a loss, and could only blink and silently open and close her mouth.

This situation was completely unexpected.

No, she didn’t even expect the rumored Bolsheik to be in the aide’s office.

Bolsheik dashed and hugged her? So friendly like they had been friends for a long time? It was to the extent that she had that illusion.

And the eyes of Catherine and Iris met by chance.

They were two individuals who hated the other.

However, Iris could fully understand Catherine’s embarrassment towards Opilina, so she felt a sense of sympathy and nodded vigorously, and Catherine also sensed Iris’ feeling.

She… she didn’t want to admit it, but that brief nod seemed to ease the situation just a little bit, so it was better than before.

“Hey… Um… Lady Bolsheik?”

Catherine, who was stuttering uncharacteristically, felt with her whole body that she was flustered.

But Ophelia laughed and hugged her with all her might.

So, as she held Catherine, she whispered as she did to Iris and Cooper.

“I wanted to meet you.”

Ophelia’s whispers reveal only sincerity, and somehow, even earnestness could be felt.

Eventually, Catherine returned the hug without saying anything.

.

It was an exceptionally sunny day.

Only the two of them were seated in the quiet office of the crown prince’s palace, bathed in the drowsy sunlight.

Ophelia was rolling around the sofa in a half-lying position and asked as if she had suddenly remembered.

“Where is Sir Gryu?”

“He went to track down the movement of the Marquisate of Neir’s money, saying it was suspicious.”

“What?”

Ophelia, who had been lying loosely, raised her body.

“Raisa Neir is dead.”

It was unknown how it came to be, but since they regressed, they couldn’t find Raisa Neir.

On the day of the founding day celebration, that was, the night when Richard and Ophelia confirmed that each other’s memories remained.

Raisa Neir must have already been disposed of by Marchioness Neir.

“There is only one person who can handle her.”

“Marchioness Neir… That’s right.”

“Yes.”

“Then, after all, that incomprehensibly deep, dark hatred she has towards the marchioness…”

“It seems that it was directed towards the person who killed her.”

However, the past, which was still unknown to both of them, and now no one could find out, had disappeared.

In the distant past, before even Richard got involved in the infinite regression, Raisa was eliminated after the founding day.

However, it would be meaningless to ask when someone who was not already in the world died, and why then and now were different.

“Since Raisa Neir is dead, it must be Marchioness Neir’s work regarding the movement of her funds.”

Widening her eyes and raising her shoulders like a rabbit with the ears perked up, Ophelia dropped again at the insignificant answer.

Richard, who had been staring at her blankly, approached her side at once.

Even if no one else knew, he could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her.

“Why are you making that face?”

“I didn’t make any faces.”

“Ophelia.”

Richard reached his hand out towards her.

He lifted her up, quite casually, and sat her on his right leg.

Facing him, Ophelia let out a thin sigh and tilted her head.

“Hearing that she’s not coming back makes me feel weird.”

They all went back again and again for a very long time.

What used to be was now…

“If it’s regression, you can still do it now.”

“What?”

When Ophelia’s eyes widened in surprise, Richard laughed and pulled out a small notebook.

“This.”

“It’s the notebook Raisa Neir had.”

Ophelia hesitated as she reached for the notebook, but soon she took hold of it.

What made the regressions possible.

Infinitely too.

Ophelia glanced around for no reason and shook her head.

Without any hesitation or contemplation, she put it down and took Richard’s hand.

As she touched each and every part of his hand, tickling his palms, she said,

“I don’t need this.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“What?”

“This notebook.”

“Oh, like who made it, why they did it, how did this notebook end up in the hands of Raisa Neir. Something like that?”

“Yes.”

Ophelia immediately shook her head.

“I’m not curious at all.”

There was only one thing she knew about this notebook.

The price of infinite regression was Richard’s death.

Ophelia could vaguely guess.

Richard was the main character of this world, a world that had been ‘fiction’ as far as she knew before possessing.

So his death would have been necessary to twist or reverse the whole world.

But her thoughts were just speculation.

Wasn’t there one fact that she knew for sure, was not speculation?

In order to regress infinitely, Richard must die.

That fact alone made her lose her curiosity about the damn notebook.

“Even if someone right next to me talks about the history of this notebook and the dazzling things I can do with it…”

Ophelia tapped Richard’s knuckles like playing the piano.

“I will never listen to it.”

At that, Richard smiled and lowered his lips, lightly kissing her forehead.

“Yes. If you say so.”

Richard very simply, very lightly, grabbed the notebook and squashed it.

Who made it, why, how, and for what purpose… the notebook was now gone to everyone and never touched by anyone, forever.

It will never appear in this world again.

Ophelia pressed her forehead against Richard’s.

“I’d consider myself lucky.”

The words came out of nowhere, but Richard accepted them without difficulty.

Only he could do that.

“It must be fortunate that there were moments of unbelievable bliss and unforgettable moments.”

While wandering in the loop of the damn infinite regression, there weren’t just the most disgusting memories.

When she looked back, the happy times that made her tear up were studded like brilliant stars that dazzled the eyes at the second when they were nothing.

“That’s right. No one remembers.”

“Don’t you and I remember?”

“Yes. Only the two of us know.”

“That’s enough.”

At that, Ophelia shook her head.

“It’s not enough.”

Touching his eyes, she smiled brighter than when the roses that had been budding for a long time were finally in full bloom.

“I will make so many moments like that that I won’t even remember those in the future. This time, I want everyone to remember them.”

Richard grinned, his eyes curving sweetly as he pulled Ophelia’s waist.

“If you want.”

Soon, their breaths overlapped.

Right now at this moment.

He was by her side.

And she was by his side.

That would be enough.

A cozy afternoon that would never return, with warm sunlight and a cool breeze, was passing.

▼メ I Decided to Kidnap the Male Leads, END of Main Story ﾒ▽

Wasn’t it epic? The team will come back with the side stories after a one week break, in the meantime, do review in NU and check out our other projects! I mean, only if you want to, of course See you~

…It’s not time for closing notes, but the team always has something to say… what’s new?

Ame: Even in the peaceful world, James is out in the wild somewhere ‘_’

More sweet times between our leads, new memories between Ophelia and the girlies (and Cooper, if he isn’t sabotaged by Richard), side stories, let’s go!

Dea: One of those side stories better be with Ophelia, Iris and Catherine, having a nice girls day out haha

…and of Cooper and James getting a holiday!