Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Changing The Target
"He did that only because, from his perspective, my life was in danger and he was afraid I would die. He was willing to make himself into the villain in my eyes if it meant keeping me alive."
Her voice was filled with righteousness.
"That is not betrayal. That is love. Real love. He never left me, even when I hated him. He was the only one who stayed."
The system was quiet again. Then it finally spoke.
[Changing the target will not be possible. The rules of this world do not allow it. Your role is tied to the male lead. Theodore is not the male lead. He is the villain.]
Eleanor’s brows furrowed, but before she could argue, the system added calmly,
"However, there is something you can do. You cannot replace the male lead with Theodore, but you can string Theodore along. You can play with him, use him, and make him stay by your side while still being with the male lead. That is not forbidden."
The words felt like ice water pouring over Eleanor’s head.
She froze, unable to speak for a moment.
String him along? Use him? Those words made her heart ache.
Theodore’s face appeared again in her mind, the way he looked at her as if she were the only person left in the world, as if his entire life depended on her.
Could she really treat him like that?
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Finally, she lowered her gaze and whispered,
"If that is the case, then I will do so."
Her voice betrayed no emotions, but inside, she promised herself something else.
She would not simply string Theodore along. She would protect him. She would stay by his side.
’So what if I don’t give him a title? In the novel, Theodore never begged to have one either. He only wanted me and not any title.’
"Even if Mateo chases me until the cemetery," she whispered, her eyes glinting.
"I will never say yes to him. He can beg, he can kneel, he can cry, but I will not. He is nothing to me now."
Her fingers curled into fists as she added,
"Instead, I will make sure Theodore stays by my side. The storyline does not force me to accept the male lead. The so-called wife-chasing arc is only there to make the female lead test him and make things difficult. But for him, it will not only be difficult. It will be impossible. He will never succeed, because I will make sure of it."
She was no longer the girl who followed the script.
From now on, she would write her own ending.
"Where is Theodore now?"
The system responded instantly.
[Theodore is at a shooting location.]
Eleanor’s eyes sparkled. She had been waiting for this moment.
"I want to go to the shooting location now," she said.
The system paused for a moment before replying.
[It is better if you wait. If you go now, there will be a clash with the storyline. It would be unwise to enter at this time.]
Eleanor frowned, her mind racing.
"What kind of clash?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with curiosity.
This was the first she heard of something like clas
Then she remembered. The timing was important.
This was the exact moment when Theodore was being humiliated on the set of one of his films.
If Eleanor went now, he would not feel the shame or the sadness that made him become dark. He would not be depressed.
Without that moment of vulnerability, she could not appear as the angel who could redeem him.
She could not be the person he would turn to.
Understanding this, Eleanor held back her curiosity.
"If that is the case, then I will wait," she said to the system.
"Tell me the right time."
The system nodded, though Eleanor knew it was not capable of real nodding. It paused for a moment, then asked,
[Have you truly given up on the main lead?]
Eleanor remained silent.
Meanwhile, across the city in a public library, Mary was quietly organizing books.
The quiet rustle of pages and the soft sound of chairs moving filled the air.
She had just finished arranging a section when she heard a voice.
"Is anyone here?" the voice asked, soft and polite.
Mary turned around and saw a girl standing in the aisle.
She had long black hair and a delicate face that looked like it had been carved carefully.
’What a beautiful girl.’
Mary smiled politely. "Do you need any help?" she asked.
The girl returned the smile, her dark eyes shining.
"I want to check out some books. I am looking for some medical books if you have them. The names are..."
Mary nodded and led the girl to the correct section.
As they walked, she could not help but notice the girl’s beauty.
Curiosity nudged at Mary, and she asked,
"By the way, what is your name?"
The girl smiled, a gentle and unassuming smile.
"My name is Adeline," she said.
Mary’s eyes widened slightly.
"That is a very beautiful name, just like your appearance," she said sincerely.
For some reason, she felt as if she had heard the name somewhere before.
Adeline chuckled softly, a sound like a tiny bell ringing in the quiet library.
"Thank you. And you look beautiful, Miss Mary," she said while staring at Mary’s name badge.
Mary smiled at the compliment and said,
"If you need any books, just call me. I will help you."
Adeline nodded and immediately began browsing the shelves, scanning the spines with quiet focus.
Mary returned to her work, organizing books.
Suddenly, the peaceful quiet of the library was broken.
A group of people entered noisily, laughing and chatting loudly as if the library did not exist.
Mary immediately recognized them. They came every Thursday, using the library as a free space to talk and joke without regard for others.
They ignored her warnings and continued to disturb the peace.
Mary sighed quietly, her fingers tightening around the edge of a book.
She decided to ignore them at first. She continued sorting books, pretending they were invisible.
One of them even passed a remark aimed at Mary.
She took a deep breath, holding back irritation, and kept working.
Adeline, who had been quietly browsing, could hear the commotion. She glanced over at Mary, who was trying her best to stay calm.
Adeline considered intervening but decided it was better to watch and learn first. She stayed silent, observing Mary’s reactions.
After a few moments, the group’s noise increased, growing even more chaotic. Mary’s patience wore thin.
She straightened her back and walked over to the group. Her voice was calm but was laced with warning.
"Please stop creating a disturbance. This is a library, and everyone deserves peace."
The group laughed lightly, dismissing her words.
One of the girls with bright blue hair said,
"Why? Are you going to complain? This is a public place. We can do whatever we want."
Others joined in, teasing Mary and making fun of her age, as if her calm voice were childish.
Mary’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is a public library, yes. But you cannot disrupt others. If you continue, I will have to ask you to leave," she said, her tone still calm, but now impatience could be heard too.
The group laughed again.
"Go ahead. Complain if you want. We are waiting," one of them said, mocking her words.
Before Mary could respond further, Adeline stepped forward.
She walked up to the group with confidence, holding a book in her hand.
She slammed it onto the table with a firm thud.
The sound made the group fall silent for a moment, their eyes turning toward her.
Adeline looked at them steadily.
"If you cannot maintain basic decency in a public library, then you have no reason to be here," she said.
"You have no right to treat anyone, including Mary, with disrespect. You cannot talk or laugh and disturb others as if the library belongs to you."
The girl with blue hair smirked.
"And what are you going to do? Beat us?" she sneered. "There is no one to stop us."
Adeline’s expression did not change. She simply nodded and took out her phone.
She began recording a video, speaking clearly
"This is a public library. You are disturbing others, disrespecting the rules, and ignoring the rights of those who come here to read and study. Your behavior is unacceptable, and now it is being recorded."
The group’s confident expressions faded quickly.
Their faces turned pale, and they pointed at Adeline, yelling for her to stop filming.
But Adeline did not flinch.
Slowly, the group’s laughter died. They could not handle the attention or the embarrassment.
One by one, they gathered their things and left the library.
Mary watched the scene unfold, her eyes wide with gratitude. She turned to Adeline.
"I did not expect you could handle them like that," she said softly, her voice filled with admiration.
Adeline shook her head, her expression calm and modest.
"It is nothing. If this happens again, just use your own method. Sometimes people need to be reminded that actions have consequences," she said gently.