I'm possessing the Second Male Lead of a Romance Novel

The palace was quieter than usual, a sharp contrast to the chaos that had erupted earlier. Prince Aedric had been whisked away to undergo lengthier etiquette lessons—a direct response to his earlier outburst and the incident with Lady Selene. 

Though Elias felt relieved to have some distance from the irritable prince, his relief was short-lived when Head Maid Sasha handed him his new task.

"You'll be keeping Lady Selene company while His Highness is in his lessons," Sasha said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Elias blinked. "Me? But wouldn't she prefer—"

"You," Sasha interrupted firmly. "The lady needs to be entertained, and with her fiancé unavailable, you're the most suitable option."

Elias wanted to protest, but the system chimed in before he could.

[Mission Update: Stay close to the main leads for successful mission progress.]

"Of course," he muttered under his breath, glaring at the system interface in his mind. "Not like I have a choice."

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Did you say something, Master Elias?"

He quickly straightened. "No, Head Maid Sasha. I'll see to it right away."

Elias found Lady Selene in the royal garden, seated on a stone bench beneath a sprawling cherry blossom tree. She was the picture of calm, her delicate hands folded neatly in her lap as she stared at the flowers.

For a moment, Elias hesitated. How was he supposed to entertain a child who already seemed perfectly content sitting in silence? With a resigned sigh, he approached her and offered a polite bow.

"Lady Selene," he said, his voice steady but uncertain. "I'll be keeping you company today on behalf of His Highness."

Lady Selene glanced up at him, her blue eyes as tranquil as a still pond. She nodded once but said nothing.

Elias stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. Should he offer to play a game? Start a conversation? The silence stretched on, growing more oppressive by the second.

"Is there anything you'd like to do, my lady?" he finally asked.

She shook her head, her gaze returning to the flowers.

Elias sighed internally. This was going to be a long day.

Two hours passed in near-total silence. Elias sat stiffly on the edge of the bench, his mind racing as he tried to think of something—anything—to say. But every idea he had felt either too childish or too formal.

Just as he was beginning to think the entire day would pass like this, Lady Selene finally spoke.

"Prince Aedric is insufferable."

The suddenness of her words startled Elias so much that he nearly fell off the bench. He turned to her, wide-eyed. "I—I beg your pardon?"

Lady Selene frowned, her serene demeanor replaced by the unmistakable pout of a disgruntled child. "He's rude, loud, and thinks the world revolves around him. Honestly, I don't understand why everyone makes such a fuss over him."

Elias blinked, struggling to reconcile this blunt statement with the composed, angelic girl he had met earlier. "I… I see."

She turned to him, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. "Do you think I'm wrong?"

Elias hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Well… His Highness can be a bit difficult at times, but he's still young. I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

Lady Selene scoffed. "Young or not, that doesn't excuse his behavior. Throwing things? Yelling at people? It's disgraceful."

Elias nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond. He couldn't exactly disagree with her—Aedric's behavior had been atrocious earlier—but he also didn't want to seem disloyal to the prince.

Lady Selene sighed, leaning back against the bench. "My tutors always tell me to be patient and ladylike, but honestly, I'd rather tell people exactly what I think."

Elias couldn't help but smile faintly at that. "It's refreshing, my lady," he admitted. "You're more honest than most people I've met."

She tilted her head, studying him. "You're strange, Elias. Most attendants would rush to defend their prince, but you don't. Why is that?"

He stiffened slightly. "I… I just try to be fair, my lady."

Her lips quirked into a small smirk. "Fair, huh? I like that. Maybe you're not as boring as I thought."

Elias didn't know whether to feel relieved or insulted.

As the afternoon wore on, Lady Selene's candid personality became more apparent. She wasn't the soft-spoken, delicate girl she appeared to be at first glance. Beneath her composed exterior was a sharp-witted, opinionated child who wasn't afraid to speak her mind—at least when she felt comfortable.

Though her bluntness caught Elias off guard, it also made the time pass more quickly. By the time the sun began to set, he found himself almost enjoying her company.

As they returned to the palace, Elias couldn't help but wonder how this fiery little girl would grow into the poised and elegant woman he remembered from the story. 

One thing was certain: Lady Selene was far more complex than she appeared. And as much as he dreaded the idea of being caught between her and Prince Aedric, he couldn't deny that it would be an interesting journey.

______

The grand halls of the royal palace were bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun as Elias escorted Lady Selene back inside. Though the afternoon had started awkwardly, it had ended on a surprisingly pleasant note, with Lady Selene opening up about her true thoughts. Elias was starting to feel like he might survive this peculiar task after all.

But that hope was shattered the moment they rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Prince Aedric.

The young crown prince stood with his arms crossed, his face twisted in a pout. His sharp green eyes darted between Elias and Lady Selene before settling on Elias. "Elias," he said, his tone accusatory, "what are you doing with her?"

Elias froze, unsure how to answer. Before he could muster a reply, Lady Selene stepped forward, her expression calm but her tone firm. "Your servant was keeping me company because you were busy, Your Highness. Isn't that what he's supposed to do?"

Prince Aedric's face darkened, and his lips pressed into a thin line. "He's not your servant," he snapped. "He's mine! You can't just take him like that!"

Elias opened his mouth to protest, but Lady Selene cut him off with a raised brow. "Take him? He came willingly, and I didn't hear you complaining when you were throwing trays at him earlier."

The jab landed like a well-aimed arrow, and Aedric's face flushed red with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "That's none of your business!"

"Prince Aedric," a stern voice interrupted. Sir Franklin, the crown prince's tutor, stepped forward from the shadows of the hall, his presence commanding and yet afraid. "Lady Selene is an honored guest. Please be polite to her, or I will be forced to inform his majesty about what happened here."

"But—" Aedric began, his voice rising in protest, but then he calmed down.

Aedric's tiny fists clenched, and his glare shifted to Elias, who stood silently, desperately wishing he could vanish into thin air. The prince's anger boiled over, and in a fit of childish rage, he grabbed Elias's wrist. "Fine! If he's so important to her, I'll take him back myself!" Without another word, Aedric yanked Elias forward, dragging him down the hall.

"Your Highness, stop this nonsense immediately!" Sir Franklin called after them, his voice echoing in the corridor. He made a move to intervene, but Aedric's determination—and surprising strength for a child—carried him forward. Sir Franklin halted, his gaze icy as he directed it at Elias. Though the tutor said nothing, his glare spoke volumes: This is your fault.

Elias stumbled after the prince, wincing as Aedric's grip tightened around his wrist. "Your Highness," he ventured cautiously, "perhaps we should—"

"Be quiet!" Aedric snapped, his voice trembling with frustration. "You're supposed to be my attendant, not hers! Why were you even with her in the first place?"

Elias bit back his response. What could he possibly say? That it wasn't his choice? That he'd been ordered to entertain Lady Selene by Sasha and the system alike? That wouldn't help his case. Instead, he stayed silent, letting the prince vent his anger.

They stopped in the far wing of the palace, away from prying eyes. Aedric released Elias's wrist and whirled on him, his green eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Why did you do it?" he demanded. "Why did you leave me for her?"

Elias blinked, startled. "I… I didn't leave you, Your Highness. I was just following orders."

Aedric sniffed, his lower lip trembling. "But you're mine!" he shouted. "You're supposed to stay with me, not her! Do you like her better or something?"

The raw vulnerability in the prince's voice took Elias by surprise. For all his tantrums and outbursts, Aedric was still just a child—a lonely, spoiled child who didn't know how to handle his emotions. Elias sighed and crouched down to Aedric's level, trying to meet his gaze. "Your Highness, I don't like anyone better than you. I was just doing what I was told."

Aedric's pout deepened, but the tears in his eyes began to fade. "Then… promise me you won't go with her again."

Elias hesitated. He couldn't make a promise like that—he had no control over what Sasha or the system might demand of him in the future. But he also couldn't risk upsetting the prince further. "I promise to always try to be there for you, Your Highness," he said carefully.

It wasn't exactly what Aedric wanted to hear, but it seemed to satisfy him for now. The prince sniffed again and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Good," he muttered. "Because you're mine, Elias. Don't forget that."

Elias nodded, forcing a small smile. "I won't, Your Highness."