Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

……

...

"Don't be so arrogant, you mere shadow..." Ivina retorted unwillingly.

The shadowy figure said calmly:

"A mere entity that longs to be loved by others, yet is afraid of hurting them, and in the end, forces itself to pretend that it is fine."

"You're actually afraid that he won't save you the way he saved me, right?"

Are you afraid that even if he does rescue you, you might kill him?

You hate your beast-like body, and you hate this world, that's all.

"You...!" Ivina said violently, "Why are you saying so much? Don't you want your plan to go smoothly?"

"think."

"Then don't worry about it. I'll just die obediently, and from then on, you won't be able to sense anything anymore. That's enough."

“I’m relieved that you have such determination.” The figure’s eyes were calm, but he finally sighed. “However… his thoughts are the key factor in all of this.”

"Don't let yourself fall for me when I come back next time. Falling into the feeling of love, falling into the process of pursuing him, and already finding your own value in life."

If that happens, I'll lose a trump card.

After all, if you don't want to die, I absolutely won't kill you.

She paused slightly, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness and gentleness:

"Because in the end, I also want to save myself."

"That's impossible. Get out of here right now. I'd rather die than fall for him..."

"As I've said before, the emotions that result from those hormones cannot be changed."

Your strong reaction today is simply because you've naturally developed feelings for him after being in contact with him, isn't it?

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I won't listen, I won't listen... I could never like him, I don't need anyone to rely on...!" Ivina covered her ears and shook her head frantically.

“I never said you needed someone to rely on.”

"you!"

Ivina was speechless.

"Alright..." The shadowy figure was about to stop teasing him.

But in that instant, something strange suddenly happened.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Three voices rang out in succession.

Everything seemed frozen in time.

[World Art Deployment—]

In an instant, the entire space in their vision lost its color, turning only gray.

And all sound fell silent; not a single sound could be heard, not even the slightest whisper of the wind or the sound of raindrops falling.

Even the curtains, which were swaying, froze in place, no longer fluttering.

Seeing this, the dark figure paused slightly, his eyes narrowing like crescent moons.

After a little thought, she understood what was going on.

"Oh yes, there's another upsetting thing that happened today."

Her eyes glanced at Ivina.

"Since you are so sure that you do not need to be saved, then you are now presented with a choice."

Let me see... you little girl who always fantasizes about knights rescuing princesses, are you just saying one thing and meaning another?

If you want him to come and save you, then you should just keep waiting.

"But if you really want me to save you, then just say my name again."

Ivina's frail, slender fingers gripped the blanket tightly. Her lips were bitten until they bled, and the taste of blood filled her mouth. "Get out."

Okay... I hope you can keep your word.

In an instant, the dark shadow dispersed into countless particles like ink, disappearing into the air—

At this moment, only Ivina remained in the space.

"..." She remained calm, yet she was as vigilant as a wildcat towards the outside world.

She was well aware of the current situation, after all, she too had been reborn back to this point in time, just over a week after her death.

The barrier that just appeared was not an enemy's spell, but a sealing and protection mechanism specially created by her father for the safety of the Duke's mansion.

Once the presence of a [Fallen Demon Seed] is sensed in the Duke's mansion, the mansion will automatically deploy a barrier, separating each room into a different space for powerful protection.

In other words, each room is a unique enchanted space.

Moreover, unless one is a powerhouse of the fourth rank or above, it cannot be forcibly broken.

Can……

If a spy, through daily observation and accumulation, can discover patterns and gain access to the room—

dong dong dong-

There was a knock on Ivina's door.

"Miss Ivina, the barrier has been activated. Are you alright?"

At that moment, Daphne's voice came from outside the door, but Ivina did not relax at all; her expression simply turned cold.

coming.

That heretical "Justice" witch who attempted to prevent the "Symbiote" from falling into the "Dream of Anchitanlano" by dismembering herself.

Chapter 33 Her Smell in the Garbage Heap

Her slender fingertips dug deeply into her fleshy palm, leaving crescent-shaped white marks.

Her crimson eyes were filled with resentment, but she just childishly and stubbornly swallowed her breath, suppressing all her turbulent emotions back into her heart.

Yes, she's just a childish brat.

In her previous life, when facing the approach of enemies, she naturally awoke from the Sea of ​​Souls.

At that time, under the intimidation of the enemy, she was indeed naive and ridiculous, still hoping that a story of salvation would come to her.

But, we waited and waited...

Even with the enemy's knife to her neck, she still couldn't wait for her own "knight."

Knowing full well that she would never deserve to be elevated, knowing full well that giving all her emotions to others would be meaningless.

Even so, they continued to wait numbly, day after day.

Is there any way...?

After all, her "shadow" had truly experienced the ecstasy of being redeemed, and the aftershocks of that joy had once resonated deep within her heart...

Yes, being pulled up from hell, how grateful one is, how much one... [loves] that existence.

Because she had glimpsed the light of hope, she could not stop hoping.

It's something to look forward to, but it will never truly come to her.

She... will always just be that stray cat in reality, beaten, abandoned, and silently rotting in the garbage dump.

Unlike the Shadow, who at least doesn't harm others, she craves blood like a monster the moment anyone gets close…

Therefore, [Shadow] does not want her lover to get hurt, and she is also afraid that she will hurt [Shadow]'s lover.

In the end, she didn't even have the courage to go and find that light herself, and could only place all her hopes on an absurd idea—

What if he happens to pass by? ...Then no one can blame anyone else, right?

Because he saw it, he'll definitely come to save me, right?

So... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...

Unfortunately, this slim possibility never came true until the moment of her death.

thump.

“Miss Ivina, if you don’t open the door, I’ll have to come in myself.”

Click, click—

The door lock groaned under the strain, as if it were being forcibly pried open.

Suddenly, a terrifying aura flooded the room like a tidal wave.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, in the garden.

Rhodes was slightly taken aback.

He had just finished dinner with Lilith and Felicity, and was being led around the Duke's mansion by the red-haired maid, Juno Varodin.

Although he was brought out, he actually came here because Felicity inexplicably suggested that he take a night stroll in the garden, and he couldn't refuse her request.

But not long after they entered the garden, a gray barrier appeared from the sky, enveloping everything.

He frowned slightly.

As a master of spell analysis, he could tell in an instant that this was a specially made protective barrier.

In other words, the Duke's mansion is now under enemy control?

Before Rhodes could even ask, Juno immediately cried out anxiously, "My lords, please come with me back inside, back to your respective rooms..."

"Due to the recent surge in the number of demons, the Duke's mansion has implemented this protective mechanism. As long as you enter the room, you'll be safe...!"

She panicked and frantically tried to move, just like a frightened bird.