Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

She frantically tried to reassure herself, and then actually took off the straps of her dress;

Meanwhile, the thin nightgown, having lost the support of the straps, naturally slipped down to the ground.

“Darling…” Cecilia turned her gaze back to Rhodes, “completely mesmerized…”

She wanted to tease him a little more, but she couldn't find the words.

Because she discovered—

Rhodes wasn't even looking at her.

Or rather, he has already gone to bed by himself, looking completely satisfied, and covered himself with the blanket.

"?"

What? What's this all about?

Normally, the most crucial step is to watch when the other person takes off their clothes, right? Why don't you watch?

Have I gained weight? Am I out of shape and don't look good anymore? Or is there something else wrong?

Cecilia lowered her head, so she couldn't see Lilith's toes directly.

Even when she looked around, she could only feel that she had gained a little weight around her waist!

If the crown had previously aroused her lust, now it was her genuine sense of defeat that had suddenly fueled her resentment.

She didn't win a single game tonight, or rather, she never took control of the situation.

A few tears of grievance welled up in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed them stubbornly, biting her lip and burrowing into the covers.

"Rhodes!"

Cecilia instantly grabbed Rhodes' waist and pressed herself tightly against him. "What are you doing!"

He shouted it again, with a strong and resounding voice.

Rhode was somewhat dazed when he saw Cecilia in this state.

This is just like Cecilia back when she hadn't yet fallen into the demonic seed and was still that little maid.

Sometimes he speaks very harshly, especially after I've been teased and broken down, I end up being petty and giving up.

And still—

She resembles an ordinary girl who has been wronged, and it's impossible to find the absolute confidence that belongs to Cecilia, the "Demon Seed."

Maybe that's how it is.

In front of the people closest to you, no matter how you put on a show, once you feel a little wronged, you'll always act like you did when you were a child.

Of course, when Rhode looks at Cecilia now, in addition to seeing Cecilia's state during her maid days, he also vaguely sees a shadow of [Ivina].

As expected... they really are the same person, starting from the same point.

but--

"Haha, you've broken down." Rhodes' voice appeared out of nowhere.

...

...

After Rhodes uttered those words, the scene instantly fell into a deathly silence.

...

"Rod!"

Cecilia jumped up in a fit of rage, straddled him, and began desperately tearing at his clothes, trying to strip him naked.

Feeling his clothes about to be ripped open, Rod immediately spoke:

"Wait, wait, I was just kidding, I was just kidding."

"You think you can just let it go with a joke? That's too easy."

"sorry."

"..."

Cecilia's anger vanished in an instant, and she sat on Rhodes, the blanket covering her back.

My body lost all its strength, just as the last bit of breath in my heart had vanished.

The moment the grievances welled up in my heart, the tears that were already brimming in my eyes involuntarily fell.

Tears fell from the girl's eyes, but she deliberately suppressed them, making herself appear as if she had no sadness.

Cried.

Yes, I cried.

Rod's playful mood vanished instantly, and he stared calmly at the girl.

"Are you upset?" he asked softly.

“No.” Cecilia bit her lip.

"In the end, you haven't changed at all."

What do you mean?

"I just want to understand whether I should try to save a girl who has become a demon."

"Is this funny? You made me cry because I felt wronged, and that proves something?"

"Hmm, I can see that. You haven't changed at all. Obviously, you're still the same, just a little bit more wicked."

"So what if I've changed? Isn't it right that I've changed? I used to be so weak, and that was the wrong me."

Cecilia bit her lip, gripping Rhodes' clothes even tighter with resentment. "Even if I changed, it was for you... it should be for you, but you always refuse to believe me just because I'm the villain."

"It was like this in the last life, and it will be the same in this life."

Once Cecilia got genuinely upset, she started acting quite unreasonably.

After calming down, she realized that there were many reasons why Rhodes wouldn't easily believe her—after all, she had done a lot to hinder Rhodes and his group's actions.

But she was unwilling to accept it. She was unwilling to accept that she had become like this because she really wanted to live with Rhodes for the rest of her life and kill those who bullied them. Yet Rhodes still questioned her now.

Why must we be certain that she is no different from her past self before we can make up our minds to protect her?

Doesn't this mean that she is in the wrong form right now?

Everything turned out this way because of him...

The grievances in her heart turned into a strong soreness, making her head feel dizzy and she really wanted to riot.

but--

Ultimately, she could never possibly harm Rhodes.

Chapter 156: Is the order of marriage related to the empress?

"I am not denying who you are now, nor am I speculating whether you are no longer the same as before, or whether you are truly doing this for me."

“You’re lying. Otherwise, you wouldn’t need to know whether I’ve changed or not.” Cecilia shook her head, her jet-black, silky hair swaying in the air.

Rhode reached out and cupped Cecilia's cheeks in his hands simultaneously—

"You don't even understand what's the point of me trying to figure this out."

"You are sick."

"If I don't provoke you with words when you're sick, you'll never be able to take off that ugly mask."

"But the problem is, of course I know what you're thinking. You're sensitive and easily frustrated or agitated by my attitude towards you, so after becoming a demon seed, you had to wear this false face that always looks like you're in control."

"Because you're afraid that if you become a demon, I'll hate you, and you're also afraid that after doing so many things, I'll completely despise you."

"It's funny, you clearly didn't want it to be like this, and there was absolutely no need for it to be like this."

"The same applies to my own affairs, and also to the affairs of the Linlank Empire."

"You clearly didn't want to be hated by Felicity and the others, but you were still willing to overturn everything in a fit of hatred."

"You do things too often, too recklessly, too recklessly, and you really, really... are wrong."

Cecilia immediately interrupted:

"I wasn't being willful, and I didn't do anything wrong..."

Rhodes sighed.

Is it right or wrong?

You'll understand after a little thought.

[To protect him and Lilith's revenge forever, it is necessary to sacrifice the lives of an entire empire's ordinary people, plunging his friends into the agony of losing all their families.]

There's nothing to whitewash or forgive, because her behavior was fundamentally wrong; she just stubbornly persisted in her own way.

Revenge against Lilith? She clearly had many ways to get revenge on Lilith, so why did she choose this method that burned so many ordinary, innocent people?

Want to be with him forever? But because of this selfish thought, you completely disregard his feelings and the future of those around him?

That's right, her initial goal was to protect him, and that's still her goal now.

But what is the reality?

Right now, she's just being pushed along by those evil forces, clinging to the thought that "I'm doing this for Rhodes," and moving forward in a chaotic mess.

None of it is correct; she simply divides everything into black and white, and everything revolves around her own perspective.

That's why Rhodes wanted to determine if her inner self still existed, or if she had completely transformed into a crazed, directionless monster.

Fortunately, when he provoked her and made her twist off that ugly mask, what he saw was still that stupid maid.

That's enough.

Rhodes eventually understood—he had one more thing to twist back into his original form.

Before things escalated into a major disaster in this playthrough, he quickly suppressed Cecilia and used his demon god status to absorb the resentment within her, restoring her to normal. This was one of the things he needed to do.

“…” Cecilia’s head drooped, and her grip on Rhodes’ collar gradually loosened. “So?”