I became a Male Lead in a Romance Fantasy Novel

After finishing lunch and spending a few hours moving back into the carriage, beyond the transparent glass, the scenery of Eldoris finally began to appear.

Eldoris, filled with houses made of white bricks and sky-blue roofs, resembled a village from a fairy tale. The spot where the carriage stopped, the building closest to the beach with the best view of the sea, was grand and extravagant to the point of being absurd, even as a villa.

Passing through the center of Eldoris, it was completely different from the quaintness seen before. In fact, all the mansions built along the coast were like that. It was only natural since they were all villas of the nobility or the wealthy.

Lucía's eyes widened in admiration.

The magnificent seaside mansions lined up with blue roofs and white brick walls, the white sandy beaches, and the sprawling azure sea beyond.

Everything was so breathtakingly beautiful.

"It's beautiful."

As if enchanted, she murmured to herself.

To her, who loved beauty, it must have felt like paradise.

"Do you like it?"

Owen asked, watching her in admiration. To which she nodded in response, "Yes, very much."

At her answer, Owen naturally smiled.

That was enough.

Although there might not be any fond memories of Eldoris and its mansions for Owen, but as long as Lucía liked it, it was okay not to worry about such trivial things.

After all, he can't even remember properly....

'Wait...'

As Owen continued his thoughts, he hesitated for a moment.

'It's natural that I can't remember.'

There was something bothering him.

He had taken for granted, thinking of the original Owen's memories as his own.

It wasn't and couldn't be his memories.

'I am wearing Owen's shell, but I am not the real Owen.'

Yes.

The original Owen and the current Owen are different people.

Surely, it must be like that.

Something bothered him.

Since the first time Owen's past came to his mind in the forest of the hunting competition, the part that had puzzled him grew once again.

'It was the same during lunch. It wasn't me who had a childhood trauma, it was 'Owen', so why did I react like that?'

When Lucia brought up the topic of the villa at the restaurant, he had reacted overly sensitively. Even if this place was not a precious place to the original Owen, it was completely irrelevant to the current Owen.

"Owen."

A gentle warmth touched his hand, waking him up from his trance.

That very person with red hair fluttering in front of his black-eyed focus.

Leading me with a radiant smile.

"Let's go in."

"Yes."

Facing Lucia's eyes, Owen simply nodded his head.

His complex thoughts faded away, leaving only her to be seen.

Owen followed the gentle guiding touch.

Yes.

Lucia was in front of him now.

That was enough.

Everything else can be postponed.

Owen moved his steps, pondering all this within himself.

"Please come in, Your Grace and Lady Edelt."

As they entered the villa, the staff welcomed the two. The staff members included the butler in charge of managing the villa, maids and servants responsible for cleaning and miscellaneous tasks, cooks and assistants, totaling around thirty people.

"Let me guide you to the bedrooms first."

Since the unpacking was the responsibility of the staff who accompanied them, the two could rest. Thus, the villa's butler immediately led them to the bedrooms.

"Your Grace's bedroom is on the 4th floor, and Lady's on the 3rd."

The relationship between the two was not that of a married couple, engaged, or even lovers. It meant they wouldn't be sharing the same room.

Moreover, the Empire was still quite conservative. Unless they were a married couple, sharing the same room was not a thing. In noble circles, even if of different genders, sharing the same floor was uncommon, so this bedroom assignment was somewhat expected.

The 1st floor was the living area with a dining room, kitchen, banquet hall, and reception room, while the 2nd floor was where the staff resided. It felt natural for Lucia to be on the 3rd floor and Owen on the 4th.

Since the 3rd floor was closer, Lucia's bedroom was the first to arrive.

"This is Lady Edelt's bedroom."

Lucia's bedroom had a window overlooking the sea. The large window framed the sea like a picture, offering a picturesque view.

"Because this mansion is the closest to the beach, Lady Edelt can see the azure sea right from here. "

The butler spoke up as he felt proud. Owen glanced at the butler for a moment, then turned his gaze around the room.

'Must have been tough.'

The location was great, but preparing the room reflecting Lucia's taste in just a few days was quite impressive. The room, which would have been adorned in blue, had been replaced with red-toned curtains and bedding preferred by Lucia.

From vases, flowers, to small trinkets, each item reflected her taste.

'I didn't know they would pull it off this perfectly.'

Owen admired his staff's abilities once again. Though he had instructed Logan days ago to prepare according to Lucia's taste, even sending letters about her preferences, but to produce such a result in just a few days was indeed remarkable.

"Lucia, since it must have been tiring to come here, please take a rest until dinner."

Admiring the staff's abilities, Owen quickly set aside his thoughts and turned his gaze towards Lucia.

It had taken quite a while to get here, so going straight to the beach seemed impractical. Riding tomorrow would be better for both the schedule and physically. Today, taking a short rest and a walk by the beach seemed appropriate.

"Owen."

As he was planning their journey inwardly, Lucia's voice suddenly caught his attention. 

Approaching him briskly, she whispered in Owen's ear, "I'll come to Owen's room in a little while."

At Lucia's whisper, Owen flinched and turned to her.

Her red eyes, meeting his, were softly curved. Accompanied by a pretty smile, her enchanting voice flowed.

"I want to stay with you for our whole journey."

The white hand that held his rose up to his arm.

"Is that okay, Owen?"

Even as her hand clung to his arm, Owen's gaze couldn't stray from her eyes.

Quietly and directly, their gazes met.

At the firm end of her unwavering, deep gaze, Owen's response was limited.

"Of course."

As Owen gave an affirmative answer, the butler promptly spoke up, "I will arrange for tea in the living room."

"Alright."

"I will also show you to Your Grace's chambers."

After a brief rest, teatime was naturally scheduled. Perhaps the rest would last until the servants finished preparing tea and snacks in the living room.

The butler then headed straight for the fourth floor.

Following Lucia's brief farewell, Owen left a short greeting and followed the butler.

"This is it, Your grace."

Owen's assigned room was starkly different from Lucia's.

While Lucia's room had a vast sea view through large windows, his room was bare. Outside the average-sized window, buildings of Eldoris were visible instead of the sea. The furnishings were overly neat, lacking any decorations that would befit a noble's chamber.

"And the library is right across this room."

Being close to the library, one could guess why this room was prepared. Owen was a workaholic, so the staffs didn't really believe that he would truly rest at the villa.

Naturally. Wherever Owen goes, work follows. Unless it's for business reasons, the original Owen wouldn't have gone to another region.

Walking around the room, Owen pondered, then turned towards the window. Gazing out at the sunny landscape beyond the window, it all felt so unreal again.

This place, with its unreal beauty spread out before him, felt like a world from a novel.

"I'll go out for a bit."

"Yes, Your Grace. If you need anything, please call for me."

"Alright."

Watching the outside view quietly, Owen dismissed the butler.

The butler, having completed his tasks, bowed politely, opened the door, and left the room without a sound.

Glancing at the closed door, Owen turned back to look outside.

Although Owen always carried work wherever he went due to being a workaholic, it was also because he had so much to do. Between the tasks of a Duke and the businesses under the Duke's name, there was hardly any time to rest. Fortunately, with his sharp mind and the privileges of being a male lead in a romance novel, he managed his tasks swiftly.

'No matter what those piles of work must be done.'

Owen sighed.

Though he and she were different people, the tasks at hand were the same. While there was some time to make room for meeting Lucia, the rest of the time had to be spent on work.

That was the only way to manage it all.

Thanks to that, sometimes he felt like he wanted to 'organize' some of those many businesses.

'Hm?'

Lost in his thoughts, Owen paused again.

'It wouldn't hurt to organize, now that I think about it.'

Different from the original 'Owen', it wasn't like him to be fixated on work.

Amidst his considerable wealth on the continent, there was no reason to carry so much on his plate. He wasn't short on money, nor was he greedy for business.

'Why have I never thought about doing that before?'

He had kept up with all those businesses. Surely, there was an option to streamline the businesses, yet he hadn't even considered that fact.

'...What on earth.'

Suddenly, his head began to throb.

The excitement he had felt upon entering the villa had vanished without a trace, like bubbles popping.

Accepting the reality of being inside a novel and the anticipation of meeting Lucia as Owen felt like a distant memory from long ago.

Now all that remained was anxiety, restlessness, and the unspeakable emotions he harbored for Lucia.

There were many things to do, and the future he knew had changed.

Discovering facts he shouldn't have known with unfamiliar memories and emotions tormented him.

"...Lucia."

With a throbbing head, Owen whispered her name while leaning against the window. The name that slipped out from his mouth quickly dispersed into thin air.

Yet, a vivid memory of her red hair fluttering in the wind came to his mind.

Her smiling ruby-colored eyes were there too.

Owen calmly closed and opened his eyes.

Clear memories, not of him but of her, of the time spent with Lucia, quickly resurfaced and disappeared.

'Don't dwell on it. It's a problem with no answer anyway.'

While it was worth pondering, there was no reason for it to be his concern now.

Wiping those useless philosophical thoughts from his dizzy mind, all that remained was her.

'Because I wanted to give her what she desires'

What he desired was Lucia's happiness.

To give her a happy and secure future.

Readily bestowing upon her everything she desired.

Even if it meant for his self to be replaced by 'Owen'.

Now that I was him.

He could willingly, gladly do so.

Regardless of what he might be, he was someone who could gladly do anything for her.

Since before coming to this world, Lucia had breathed life into his existence, and after coming here, she became the purpose of his life.

Yes, that's right.

Everything else was merely incidental.

Even if the original path deviated, such matters were insignificantly unimportant.

'Whatever changes may come, it would be fine.'

Owen came to that conclusion.