prologue. the supporting character’s misery

“Do you know how unfair the world is?”

Although my tongue had already made a complete turn, I continued to speak in anger.

“It’s all been decided from the start.”

“What do you mean?”

A man with a clear, pleasant voice. Moreover, he had features that could draw admiration even with hazy vision due to intoxication.

I couldn’t help but think that it was a waste to face someone like him while I was currently completely drunk. But then again, it was this man who sat in front of me; I didn’t invite him, and he was drinking alone.

“You are the protagonist! I am an extra.”

“….”

“Some walk the flower path laid out by the heavens, while others are forever classified as second-rate even after getting reborn.”

I should be grateful that I’m not a ninth-lister. With a wry smile, I erupted into another burst of profanity.

Today is my last day as a common citizen of the Holy Kingdom. I’m not usually one to indulge in alcohol, but today I wanted to break free for once.

Because tomorrow, the moment I enter the temple, the damned original story will begin.

“And who decides that?”

“I don’t know. It must be some god-like piece of shit.”

If I said this in front of my mom, I would have received a slap and maybe even a scolding. Even now, I could feel some people glancing briefly at the table where I sat, due to my overly blasphemous remarks.

“Haha.”

But the handsome man sitting in front of me showed a delightful reaction. It’s not easy for someone from the Holy Kingdom to show such a response. Is he perhaps a heretic?

Come to think of it, he seems to have a strange intonation.

“I don’t think so.”

He laughed for quite some time, then he stopped and whispered.

“Perhaps the problem is not having too many things set in stone.”

“…You wouldn’t know.”

I mockingly sneered and took another gulp of alcohol before speaking.

“It’s already decided. And it fucking sucks.”

I am the very witness.

I, who became the female lead’s insignificant rival supporting character, ‘Duna Valorem.’

“The protagonist will sweep away everything. Money, honor, dashing men.”

None of these things were granted to a mere villainous supporting character. It was my destined fate anyway.

“That’s a sad story.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Being reborn was not the answer, and it couldn’t really be anything but a really hopeless thing.

He, who had been watching me sigh, suddenly rested his elbow on the table and leaned closer. His lips, which were forming a gentle curve, opened, and his subtly curious question tickled my ears as much as his voice did.

“You don’t have to go home, right? It’s late.”

As I turned my eyes and looked outside, the sun had already set. I may not know about other things, but I would definitely get a good slap or two from my mother.

I already packed my bags for tomorrow’s trip and stopped by this cafe on a whim, thinking of taking a final look at the city center. It started with a simple cup of coffee and a sandwich, but later I ended up ordering wine and then distilled water infused with herbs.

And now it had come to this point. I had been so absorbed in drinking alone, without caring about the music or socializing, that I hadn’t even noticed the sun setting.

“…I should go now.”

“Do you really have to go? I want to spend more time with you.”

Tsk. I expected this to happen.

For someone who rarely showed interest, it seemed like he had some ulterior motives. I retorted with an annoyed expression.

“I’m not that easy.”

“I’m ready to go the easy way, but that’s a pity.”

I chuckled, rubbing my chin, and my shoelaces, which were loosely tied, came off and fell to the ground. Even when I stretched my foot out in various directions, I couldn’t find it; it must have bounced farther away than I thought.

Feeling annoyed, I stuck out my tongue and bent over.

“Huh?”

I had forgotten that the stool I was sitting on was quite high. In an instant, my body lost its balance and wobbled heavily.

“Be careful.”

Just before I almost fell, someone supported me.

“Can you stand up?”

“……”

The refreshing scent of lavender blended into a clear musk, enveloping my nose. Unintentionally, I buried my face in his chest and, in a moment of distraction, murmured words that my mind hadn’t filtered.

“Mmm, you smell nice. What perfume are you wearing?”

“……”

The man paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. He grabbed my shoulders with both hands and slowly lifted me up, saying,

“Don’t tempt me so nonchalantly.”

“When did I ever tempt you…”

With a forceful effort on my blurry eyes, which had been trying to close for a long time, I tried to scrutinize the other person’s face.

I’ve been thinking since earlier that there’s something about him that seems incredibly handsome, is it just me?

In this hazy state, it was hard to tell whether the alcohol was enhancing his appearance or degrading it.

“You don’t have to look so hard, I look good enough anyway.”

“I don’t believe it unless I clearly see it myself.”

Then he lifted the hand that had been holding onto my shoulders and grabbed the edge of the table. The other person leaned forward as if trying to meet me at eye level; the scent that had confused me a little while ago came back again.

“Now, can you see me better?”

“……”

With the surroundings blurred due to my intoxication, only the man’s facial features seemed clear, as if they had emerged from the fog. His most striking feature were his purple eyes. Looking at the shimmering blend of blue and red, it felt as though I would be drawn into that place unknowingly.

As I fixated on those eyes, mesmerized, my gaze suddenly descended below them. The smooth line of his lips placed beneath the high bridge of his nose. I unconsciously raised my hand and traced the outline with my thumb, revealing a sincerity that I could never express when I was sober.

“I want to kiss.”

“……”

The area I was caressing with my finger rose slightly. With a hint of red and a seductive smile, the other person’s face gradually approached.

His intention was clear without asking. Whether it was due to the effect of alcohol or the aftermath of his superior features, I closed my eyes without hesitation.

Soon, warm lips made their way to me. Gently and soothingly, alternating between my upper and lower lips, he lifted the back of my head. And then he started moving a bit rougher.

Since there was no backrest, my body was pushed back by the force. In response, the man naturally pressed my body against his. As our lower bodies touched, a blazing desire ignited like a fire, tickling my insides.

“Hmmh.”

The pace at which our lips met quickened, and a hotter and smoother flesh pressed against mine. As someone who has led a life far removed from passion, I could only open up wholeheartedly to this unfamiliar approach.

A plump tongue intruded, fearlessly seizing what was on the inside. Like a predator not letting go of its prey, he greedily sucked me in with enough force to make me weak. As I lifted my arm that had been pressed against my firm body and wrapped it around his neck, the man momentarily removed his lips and whispered against my cheek.

“If we continue here, it’ll be hard to stop.”

“Were we going to stop?”

Except for the ground floor of the building, everything else in this inn was rooms. In a sense, it was truly convenient. Especially for the young ones who were burning with desire.

When the man smiled, his warm breath reached the back of my neck.

“It seems like you might regret it.”

“You don’t have a lover or a wife, do you?”

He smiled again.

“Is that enough?”

After a moment’s hesitation, I answered.

“For now.”

It seemed as though he hugged me tightly, indicating that further conversation was unnecessary. Through my dizzy vision, I saw him present something to the staff that looked like an identification card.

Our kisses continued even after climbing the stairs, making it difficult to think of anything else. The fleeting consciousness that was still lingering from the effects of alcohol suddenly vanished, and before I knew it, I had arrived on the bed in the room.

“Wow, this is crazy.”

I murmured in a low voice, admiring my own audacity. I thought this kind of thing only happened in Hollywood movies. I never expected to pull off such a daring act in such a conservative Holy Kingdom.

“Why. Do you already regret it?”

The man, who was taking off my outerwear, chuckled and brushed over the messy strands of hair that were hanging over my shoulder. I grabbed his shirt almost aggressively, shaking my head left and right.

“No, I feel good.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Don’t move. I’m going to take off your clothes.”

Even though I couldn’t clearly see where the buttons were fastened, my determination was firm. With my eyes wide open, I moved my hands hesitantly, and he didn’t stop me. Every time I fumbled, a soft laughter lingered in my ear.

“…Why isn’t this working.”

But the good feeling didn’t last long, and soon I tumbled down the cliff. Failing several times just to take off a shirt, a deep sense of defeat filled my chest.

What’s wrong? Why doesn’t it work? Why?

Today is the last day where I get to be the main character of my life. And I can’t even do this?

“You’re ignoring me just because I’m a supporting character, aren’t you?”

The main characters in the story have hot nights, so why can’t I? Is it really because I’m just a supporting character? I haven’t even met the main characters yet?

Am I a supporting character who can’t even have a one-night stand with a handsome man?

Suddenly, I was filled with sadness, and tears welled up in my eyes.

“Shit, this is too much…”

“….”

I sniffled as tears uncontrollably streamed down my face. The man who had been silently watching this suddenly grabbed both of my hands, lowering them slowly as he asked.

“Why are you crying?”

“…Because it’s not working.”

“Are you crying because you can’t undress me?”

He chuckled softly, taken aback. Not appreciating the fact that he was laughing while I was already in a miserable and serious state, I glared at him.

“You could have done it yourself instead of watching.”

“You said you wanted to do it.”

“…But I couldn’t.”

I began to vent my frustration by pounding the bed, and he laughed and gently cupped my cheeks.

A gentle hand moved down to my shoulder, and he gently laid me back down on the bed. I expected him to kiss me right away, but he unexpectedly pulled away, as though he was repulsed. I belatedly regained my composure and urgently grabbed hold of him.

“What is it… Where are you going?”

“We’ve had too much to drink. We’ll do it later.”

“When?”

“Whenever. Tomorrow is fine too.”

For me, who already had plans to leave tomorrow, I could only laugh bitterly and force a smile.

“But I won’t be here tomorrow.”

Wow, this really doesn’t work because it’s a supporting character, huh?

When my first attempt at deviation was thwarted, I was furious to the core. What a shame, my life.

I wonder if the insignificant supporting character, Duna Valorem, will ever get involved with a man of such fine looks.

“Where are you going?”

“The Grand Temple.”

Upon hearing that, the man looked at me in surprise.

“You’re a priest?”

“Starting tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see.”

But then, he suddenly said something I couldn’t understand.

“That’s good. See you tomorrow, then.”

“…….”

What is he talking about? I’m leaving tomorrow.

Could this man also be a priest?

Confused, I stared at him, and the man, who had covered me with a blanket up to my neck, smiled warmly. Then, like one would do to a child, he gently patted me and whispered softly.

“Get some rest, we’ll meet again.”

“No, but I mean, how will we meet…?”

But at the very next moment, a bright light exploded.

Blinded by the light, I closed my eyes tightly and slowly lifted my eyelids. I looked around, but I couldn’t find the man’s figure anywhere. Puzzled, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and once again looked towards the door.

“The door is closed.”

But there was no sign of the man, just the empty scenery of the room.

“Could he be a mage? Or did I hallucinate because I was drunk?”

Well, it was a face that made no sense

If not that, then it seemed like my memory was cut off somehow. Whichever it was, the situation was bad. After closing my eyes for a moment and regaining my senses, I quickly thought of returning home and pulled the blanket over my head.

Come to think of it, how much is this place going to cost? It shouldn’t cost so much.

“…I should have been a rich supporting character, at least. What a shitty god.”

I wonder if the god I called a piece of shit knew.

That I, an insignificant supporting character, would become so terribly entangled with the villain of the original story.