Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

—It's Jiangcheng.

……

"Alice, you don't need to speak well of me anymore."

Please tell me the truth about the past.

"Eh……"

At first glance, Alicia couldn't understand what was happening, her forehead still gently touching the mirror-like surface that seemed to be flowing with a stream.

Until the voice from Jiangcheng grew louder and louder, even clear enough to penetrate into one's ears.

“My dearest Ellie, my love.”

"You don't need to hide anything from me anymore."

The girl, still seated below the altar, slightly raised her head, her reflection showing clear confusion, unsure of what her lover meant.

He could only stare blankly at Jiang Cheng, his dreamy pink pupils reflecting a serious demeanor he had almost never shown before.

—As if taking a knight's oath, he gently placed his palm on his chest, then pressed heavily on his pectoral muscles, even his usually smooth brows furrowed.

"I actually..."

"He's an extremely horrible and perverted person."

……

What was Jiang Cheng saying again?

It seems like he's saying he's a complete pervert.

So that's how it is. So he was just saying he was a big...

--abnormal?

--abnormal!

"Wh...what?!"

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Despite being forced to endure countless trials, Alicia acted like a third party at her 21st birthday party. The hint of blue in her pink eyes was the girl's unprocessed emotions.

His thoughts had almost completely lost the ability to process the words he heard, leaving only an instinctive denial of everything that was negative about the boy.

"How could you have such an idea?"

"You are the paradise I have always longed for!"

"How could someone like you be a pervert? If we have to find a bad guy, an evil person, then it can only be me."

—I'm the real villain!

I'm the one who hurt you and then shamelessly claimed I'd save you!!

I am the villain who trampled on the princess, trampled on the prince, trampled on the most beautiful love, and trampled on the belief of mutual devotion!

"There's no need to say anything more. I know I hold a high place in your heart, but you don't need to flatter me like this without any limits, do you?"

"In my memory, this full-length kowtow did not even stir my emotions, it was like a stagnant pool of water, just like an everyday thing."

"Your proficiency in this behavior is almost as if you've been practicing it every day."

What terrible things happened in our past?

Jiang Cheng could see it, easily saw it: those deep blue pupils hadn't gone blind after becoming a Herrscher; they would only see it more clearly.

—This is clearly not the first time Alicia has done this.

—This level of proficiency is definitely not simple.

……

what?

So that's the reason?

The trick from Vilvie, the way this girl used to win over Jiangcheng, the secret technique to express her apology... seems a little too effective.

Using her special technique—the full-on ○-shita—she managed to elicit such an expression from the boy.

As expected of Vilvi.

……

93. Alicia has already put on the mask.

"Okay, okay, stop overthinking. Whether it's the you of today or the you of the past, you can't be described as a bad person, okay?"

"It's all in the past, so there's no need to dwell on it. Let these meaningless things disappear into some forgotten corner, just like Wilvie."

"If all else fails... just think of me as a pervert who enjoys doing this."

Alicia didn't reveal any valuable information until the very last moment; her delicate lips were only adept at playing dumb.

—Slender, soft fingers gently pressed against her delicate breasts, the tips of her nails, naturally covered with dreamy pink nail polish, were almost touching her deep, snow-white breasts, deliberately emphasizing the softness of the pressure.

……

Ultimately, you managed to muddle through the matter.

If you insist on finding the root cause of past events, you'll inevitably find loopholes in your statements, which won't do.

[Even just one of these techniques can demonstrate such immense power, achieving something that all your past efforts and dedication combined have never accomplished, or even touched upon.]

[However, the bigger reason for all this is that for a loser like you, doing nothing is a better option than taking action.]

If you had simply stayed by the side of the five-year-old without doing anything, you could have been living a happy life in paradise long ago.

[To avoid subjecting oneself to such painful psychological torment, and to prevent the young man from experiencing repeated heartbreaking separations and indifference.]

Regardless, you can never compare to that genius girl, or rather, even using the word "genius" would be an insult to her.

[Vilvie's talent is truly all-encompassing, not limited to any one aspect or any specific discipline.]

[This ability isn't limited to learning itself; it can even be used to develop romantic relationships. If she wanted, she could win over anyone.]

Even something as seemingly meaningless as a full-blown prostration, merely a common act to express guilt and vent emotions.

[These techniques essentially have multiple effects, and if used properly, they can maximize affection points in a very short time during specific strategy phases.]

[Besides expressing his emotions and releasing the feelings he could no longer suppress, Quan○shi's act of kneeling was, more importantly, to firmly etch his image into Jiang Cheng's sight, even if it was done in a way that was utterly shameful, utterly devoid of decency, and even involved the wanton trampling of his dignity.]

Even if it were a complete stranger, if a beautiful young woman performed the act of full-body prostration, it would leave an indelible mark on their heart, lasting for years, decades, or even a lifetime.

You treat complete strangers, people you've never met and may never meet in the future, this way.

Not to mention lovers who already leave an extremely deep impression on one's memory; they can truly leave a profound and lasting mark on one's life.

[Vilvie's methods for conquering Jiangcheng were all incredibly effective; even her occasional missteps, hampered by her personality, were quickly rectified.]

[For those who never choose the right option, never do the right thing, only bring disaster, only destroy what was originally beautiful, and whose every action leads to the worst possible outcome.]

The best choice, the best method, would be to recreate the wonderful daily life between Vilvie and Jiang Cheng by following existing guides.

This also better reflects the lingering, profound shadow left by Wilvi that remains in the boy's soul.

As someone who has witnessed almost the entirety of Wilvie and Jiang Cheng's wonderful lives, you certainly won't make a mistake, at least when it comes to performing while wearing a mask.

Although the unfolding of all this may be tragic.

All three of them are tragic figures.

[Vilvie could only watch as everything she had was replaced, her love was grafted onto someone else, and her memories were shamelessly stolen.]

Jiang Cheng could only forget the person she loved most in her ignorance, and even conveyed the love of the person she loved most to a shameless and trashy good-for-nothing.

As for you...

As for you, who seem to be on the verge of final success.

As for you, who seemingly finally reclaimed everything you were born with after decades, and monopolized the love of a young boy.

Is this really a good ending?

[Does this ending really meet your expectations?]

Can you truly accept all of this from the bottom of your heart?

[Even though you're my lover, you can only act as a substitute, imitating their behavior, their beauty, and all their inner thoughts.]

At this moment, having nominally possessed the boy exclusively, you can only play the role of someone else's shadow, unable to bear even the slightest trace of being Alicia, and unable to let Jiang Cheng discover any difference between you and Velvi.

This love doesn't belong to you. You are essentially a substitute for someone else, and by donning the mask of that person, you can only exist as someone else. All the tenderness that comes with youth will not be given to you, but will instead be reserved for the one you replaced, the one you ruthlessly stole from.

【yes. 】

You experienced all of this.

It was you holding the boy's hand.

Whether it's the mysterious aura like the starry sky, the clear warmth felt beneath the skin, or the heartfelt whispers, only you, standing here, can truly feel it.

So what?

The boy's smile wasn't for you; in his eyes, all he ever saw was the replaced, the replaced Velvi behind you.

Even her habits and hobbies were prepared specifically for Vilvie; they were unique interests and ways of behaving that belonged only to that young girl.

This love, based on memory, this love that is essentially an instinctive love for others, will forever remain only my feelings for Velvi.

It's not you.

It's definitely not you.

This is tragic; it's almost like the central female character in one of the chapters of a game you saw before the disaster struck.

She carried a heavy burden, forced to play the role of others, the goddess of water, for five hundred years, with almost no room to breathe.