Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone

It all started with a job posting for a web novel editor amidst a brutal job market. And of all things, it was for the BL (Boys’ Love) department.

“…Have you ever read a BL novel before?”

When the interviewer hesitantly asked this, I nodded confidently. Staying up all night reading one just to prepare technically counted as “having read” one, so it wasn’t a lie.

I had already failed to find a job twice, making me a three-time job-seeker. Other than this publishing house, I hadn’t even made it past the document screening stage at any other company. Desperation had set in. If crash-course learning about BL novels would help me land this job, I was ready to do it. And it wasn’t just because of desperation.

“Well, um… If you’re hired for this position, you’ll have to read a lot of BL novels. Are you sure you’re okay with that? No discomfort about same-sex relationships…?”

“Not at all.”

I nodded firmly once again. Of course, I had no issue with same-sex relationships. After all, I was gay myself. Honestly, from the moment I first picked up a BL novel—a genre I’d never encountered before—I was hooked. To be honest, it was more engaging than any other novel I’d read before.

“That’s a relief. We’ll let you know the results in a few days.”

“Thank you!”

I greeted them cheerfully and left, but anxiety lingered. No matter how much I emphasized that I had no discomfort with BL novels, it was ultimately up to the interviewer. Would they really hire a male employee for this position? All I could do now was hope for the best.

A few days later, I got a call from the publisher. Fortunately, I was accepted.

Having finally ended my grueling job hunt, I was thrilled. For someone who loved novels, this was a dream job. I quickly immersed myself in the work of editing BL novels. I became so engrossed that when authors complained to me, I was often too busy pressuring them to meet deadlines to care.

Among them, the one who resented me the most was H, an author deep into writing a dark, angsty novel.

H slammed her coffee cup onto the table and glared at me. I glanced away awkwardly.

“PD-nim, aren’t you being way too cruel? You’re making Etienne way too pitiful!”

“But he’s the villainous second male lead.”

“Still, does he really have to die so miserably?”

“If he’s going to be a villain, he might as well go out with a bang. Throw in some MSG for maximum drama.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You know this is twisted, right?”

“I just want your work to succeed…”

“Don’t give me that! I know you’re obsessed with dark, angsty stories!”

“How did you—?”

“It’s obvious!”

H shouted, and I sheepishly sipped my coffee. For some reason, it tasted bitter today.

Here’s the situation.

H was one of the first authors I worked with. We got along well due to our similar tastes, and she often came to me for advice on her storylines.

Her current BL project was an omegaverse angst novel featuring a regretful, obsessive male lead and a runaway pregnant omega. A villainous second male lead, Etienne, also played a significant role.

As a dark, angsty novel, it was only natural for the omega to suffer. H didn’t disagree with this. She was clearly having fun watching her protagonist endure hardships while the male lead built up regret points.

The problem arose when H started to take a particular liking to the villainous second male lead, Etienne.

We disagreed over what to do with him. In the original outline, Etienne was supposed to meet a gruesome end at the hands of the male lead. I insisted that his misdeeds warranted a harsh punishment, while H wanted to quietly let him live.

“…You’re not thinking of pairing the protagonist with Etienne, are you?”

“…Is that not allowed?”

“Absolutely not! The main male lead can’t lose to the second male lead!”

“Then can’t Etienne just live a peaceful life? He could forget about the protagonist, leave the capital, start a business, earn lots of money, and marry a beautiful omega…”

“Absolutely not!”

As the editor, I couldn’t dictate the story entirely—it was ultimately the author’s decision. But H and I were close enough to debate freely, and, well… I was a little too passionate about dark, angsty novels.

To me, the whole point of reading this genre was to revel in the misery. If the villainous second male lead got to live a happy, carefree life, what would be the point?

After much debate, H reluctantly agreed to stick with the original plan. But she wasn’t happy about it and tearfully cursed me.

“If you ever get reincarnated into this story, I hope you become Etienne! What will you do then?”

I laughed it off as I sipped my coffee.

“Guess I’ll figure it out when the time comes.”

I really shouldn’t have said that.

The next day, after a successful meeting, I indulged in some rare laziness on my day off. Waking up late, I realized something strange.

I wasn’t in my room.

I was in H’s angsty BL novel.

As Etienne.

“Guess this is karma for living poorly…”

One month into my new life, I muttered as I groggily got out of bed. My nanny, Elsie, was pulling back the curtains and gave me a puzzled look.

“Young master? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. I just feel like I’m paying for my sins.”

“Sins? Since when do you talk like that, young master?”

“I know more than you think.”

Of course, I did—I was a 28-year-old editor from 21st-century Korea. But to Elsie, I was just a 12-year-old boy. My words must have sounded ridiculous to her.

“Yes, yes. You know everything, young master. So, you must also know that you need to hurry up and get ready, right?”

“…Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Grumbling, I got dressed as Elsie helped me, knowing full well that the life of a noble heir in a medieval fantasy world was far busier than that of a 28-year-old editor.

And so began my fight against my tragic fate as the villainous second male lead destined to die.

“Today is the day the Count returns. Did you forget?”

“…Ah.”

I had forgotten.

I was instantly struck with disbelief. How could I forget something so important?

The novel The Sword of the Prince revolves around the protagonist, the imperial prince Callisto. Consequently, the life of a supporting character like Etienne is only briefly mentioned.

‘For someone who claimed Etienne as their favorite, H sure skimped on the details. It wouldn’t have killed her to elaborate a bit more, would it?’

I clicked my tongue, thinking of H, the author who’d insisted on sparing Etienne’s life. Even as I regretted pushing for his miserable death in the story, I couldn’t deny the original left far too much about Etienne’s character to the imagination.

That said, there were some moments involving Etienne that were detailed—specifically, those involving his interactions with the protagonist, Callisto. One of the most significant was the day Callisto first arrived at the Winyeates estate with the Count.

And that day was today.