Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

"What's going on...?" The nobleman who wasn't being threatened stood frozen in place, feeling as if he had fallen into a trap, his pupils trembling.

"That witch is called Lord Rhodes..."

"Damn it, shut up, don't make a sound, or the witch will kill all the kidnapped nobles. If so many people die, the East will be in trouble!"

There were hushed whispers among the crowd, but Cecilia ignored them and simply said calmly:

"What if I don't?"

“Then your head will fall to the ground,” Rhodes replied.

“Really?” Cecilia smiled brightly.

To shock someone like him, who had ascended to the peak four times, in an instant, one would have to be an overwhelming Saint. This means he really had such a terrifying trump card up his sleeve…

She was deeply moved, but at the same time, she relaxed and became playful.

She pursed her lips, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she smiled:

"I never expected you to utter such worthless threats in such a fit of anger."

But darling, aren't you curious why I can use my skills to switch Ivina?

You should know exactly what conditions are required to activate my skill, right?

Rhodes remained silent.

Cecilia's [Transfer] skill is not a random swap of positions, but a very simple [Summoning] spell.

In other words, the prerequisite for a transfer is that there must be a binding [technique] with this person for it to be possible.

"Are you saying you're just teasing me?"

"Because you secretly bound this transfer spell to Ivina long ago, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't take her away?"

"No, no, no, that is true, but it's not just that."

Darling, haven't you thought about this question deeply?

Why did I ask you to save Ivina, and why should I thank you for saving Ivina?

Did I just want to tell you that all your efforts have been in vain? That kind of mockery is hardly pleasant.

"So what? What exactly are you trying to say?" Rhodes' eyes remained calm and composed.

Cecilia raised her head, her smile widening.

"What I really want to say is... you're so silly."

"Didn't you already know that the moment you first saw Ivina? Her scarlet eyes are so similar to mine."

"I really didn't expect you to want to change the story's turning point from the previous life, nor did I expect you, my dear, to take such a foolish step."

"Is it possible that coming to the Duke's mansion was a mistake from the very beginning?"

"you……"

Before Rhodes could finish speaking, Cecilia interrupted him again, saying softly:

"The reason I sent you to save her, the reason I made you waste your time on saving her, was to play with you, after all..."

The person you saved was never an innocent "container" from the beginning.

she……"

Cecilia stealthily slipped her dagger under her head and placed it on the bow at the back of Ivina's head.

At this moment, Ivina's pupils contracted, and her delicate body began to tremble.

Do not……!

She shouldn't have hesitated, nor should she have waited until the very last moment to tell Rhodes the truth!

At that moment, Ivina understood what Cecilia meant by everything she said.

It's nothing more than—

click-

The moment the bandage was cut, the seal wrapped around Ivina's right eye disappeared.

The fallen bandages revealed the truth about the girl's right eye at that moment.

Yes.

That golden, jewel-like pupil shimmered so beautifully at that moment.

On the stage, in an instant, two girls with different eyes stood there, and at that moment, their auras became increasingly similar.

However, Cecilia's left side is red and her right side is gold, while Ivina's right side is gold and her left side is red...

At this moment, Ivina lay before Cecilia like a finely crafted replica doll—

At that moment, everyone froze.

Not to mention the nobles, even Merrick, who was originally indifferent, narrowed his eyes.

Not to mention Rhodes...

His breathing became erratic for a moment, and his purple eyes froze.

When this vague truth was laid bare before him, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed, and his breathing became slow and heavy.

At that moment, the singing and dancing girl laughed out loud:

"Actually, I've been playing you all along. Ivina is my true form, I am Ivina."

"The emotions you feel are all fake. Ivina's confession to you was only because of my control, and her obedience to you was only because of my choice."

"Yes, it was all just a trick I played on you."

"Feeling emotional? Angry? Sad? The object you saved never existed. You were just being played by me, by me and my true self."

"She never liked you, and you never saved her, because she never needed to in the first place."

"So, how was the surprise? Did you find it interesting?"

"The vessel you're trying to save is actually me or something, isn't that funny? Heh..."

Like a deadly blade, Cecilia's words shrouded everything in darkness.

She denied the truth of Ivina's yearning for the future, and also denied Ivina's genuine love, weaving the story into a lie and presenting it to Rhodes.

Ivina gritted her teeth, her anger growing ever stronger...

No, that's not how it is!

That's not what Cecilia said at all!

Why did you lie? Why did you do this...!

Ivina's hatred for Cecilia intensified.

However, despite her desperate struggles, tears welled up in her eyes, but in the end, she could do nothing.

She knew she couldn't say anything, she could only look at Rhodes, look at Rhodes—

thump.

The moment their eyes met, all the resentment, regret, hatred, and expectation that Ivina had hidden in her eyes vanished, leaving only emptiness.

Because at this moment, Rhodes's gaze was extremely cold, so cold that her heart felt as if it had stopped beating.

Ivina has lost all her strength.

Her lips trembled, and she suddenly realized...

What am I struggling with?

Although Cecilia was lying, the fact remains that she is Cecilia's original self.

She was the most hated person from the very beginning.

She was not only a bloodthirsty monster, but she also nurtured the demon Cecilia.

Her future was burdened with the sins of countless lives, and there was never any possibility of it turning into something good.

Correct……

What am I expecting? What future am I thinking about...?

It was wrong from the very beginning, a huge mistake.

One dream after another collapsed and shattered in that instant.

[A dream of living together with the one you love in an ordinary town.]

[The dream of becoming someone who is loved.]

[The dream of learning to cook, buying things I like, and living the life of an ordinary young girl.]

[My dream is to hold my loved one's hand in one hand and my child's hand in the other, and be together happily forever.]

These sentimental and worthless dreams vanished in an instant.

Ok.

Cecilia simply stated these facts clearly, that she was not a normal person at all...

The resentment, the pain, the struggle—all were lost.

Now she is a tired and empty puppet, with no future.

Because she is a sinner.

No matter what, they are sinners with no future.

thump.

With that final sound, my soul felt empty.

At this moment, Cecilia felt an emptiness constantly spreading through her heart, and she felt increasingly uncomfortable.

But she still forced herself to keep a straight face and threw the dagger away, where it rolled to Rhodes' feet—

Cecilia smiled:

"Are you angry? Are you furious? Do you want to take your revenge?"