I was raised in the simulator, and I’m really not a bad woman in Ark!

"But thank you for the sense of security you brought me. We will meet again if we are destined to do so, Disguise Mask."

Take off the disguise mask from your face.

Because he did not get any useful information from testing Theresa, and was influenced by his inner arrogance and grand dukedom, Ikaros rarely lost his calmness and intelligence.

He took off the camouflage mask and put it back into the system space.

And the power that originally silently corrected everything in reality also disappeared.

In Theresa's mind, the blurred boundary between Ikaros and Grand Duke of Manchester was eliminated, and the familiar name returned to her heart again.

Icarus Yahwe

Ekalos Richard Serena Manchester.

I whispered two almost completely similar names in my heart.

Theresa found that the face of the silver-haired Sakota girl had also become completely clear in her mind...

And it overlapped with the Grand Duke in gorgeous clothes.

Regardless of each other.

Chapter 171 Theresa: Can I understand that you are showing off to me?

What kind of feelings do I have towards the Grand Duke named Ikaros?

...Is it love?

It doesn't seem so. Although Theresa knew that her other self must be deeply in love with the Archduke, as a recipient of memories, Theresa, who had not yet resonated with the memories and emotions of the last few hundred years since the Archduke's death, did not feel that she would really love the Archduke as obsessively as her other self.

Theresa did not deny that she had developed a desire and longing for the Grand Duke, but she still felt that there was a distance between her and love.

At least, that's what Theresa always thought until she actually met Ikaros in reality.

She admitted her desire and longing for the Grand Duke.

But she did not think that she was deeply in love with the Grand Duke whom she had never met.

Until this moment, the fog that hindered Theresa’s association and thinking disappeared, allowing her to recall the appearance, tone and name of the silver-haired girl.

Theresa felt the restlessness in her heart and the possessiveness gradually surging out.

Only then did she realize that she seemed to have fallen hopelessly in love with the Grand Duke under the subtle influence of that memory...

……

No... it was not just as simple as falling in love with the Grand Duke. I even wanted to possess everything about him, to bind everything about him tightly like a chain. I wanted the Grand Duke to only have Theresa in his eyes. I wanted everything about him, whether it was his body or his soul, to belong to me wholeheartedly...

——If you want to escape, lock yourself in the basement.

Trying to say no is like keeping a pet in a cage.

If he resists stubbornly, I will soak the Archduke in formalin and make him into a permanent doll to accompany me.

It's that simple.

Because I like...so I love...because I love deeply...so I possess...

Such love should have been absolutely wrong in Theresa's eyes.

But this time, after she recalled the scent and warmth of Ekalos that she had smelled before.

Theresa thought this was a good idea.

It was at this time that such twisted and crazy thoughts gradually emerged in Theresa's heart, but she didn't think it was wrong.

The gentle demon king realized that the love he got from the dream was no longer pure "love".

That is madness, that is obsession, that is regret, that is remorse.

That... was a queen, a demon king who had spent hundreds of years measuring the earth but was unable to bring back the one he loved, due to his morbidity and distortion.

If Theresa's mind was not still trying hard to restrain the dark and twisted emotions growing in her heart, she would probably have been carried away by that obsession and done something terrible.

This is true even though... this Miss Ikaros might not be the same person as the Grand Duke of my family.

That emotion doesn't care about so many things.

They desire only the Grand Duke and care for nothing else.

In fact, if Ikaros was not the Grand Duke, but just someone who looked like the Grand Duke, things would only get worse.

After all, for Theresa, the Grand Duke has long become the only existence in her heart and an irreparable regret.

She would not accept an existence that was not the Grand Duke but was the same as the Grand Duke.

Theresa was certain that if Ikaros was not really related to the Archduke, she would be unable to control her emotions and would definitely kill him cruelly and ruthlessly in the end. In order to save him, she could only satisfy her abnormal and twisted love for the Archduke.

Well... no matter how you look at it, this is an extremely bad future.

But at this moment, although Theresa could still remain restrained and rational, she really found it difficult to control her emotions.

After all, the weight of the persistence that had accumulated for hundreds of years suddenly exploded. Even though Theresa did not resonate with the memories and emotions of that period, and at this moment she tried her best to close her empathy ability, she could still only barely maintain her consciousness.

But the pair of eyes looking at Ikaros' back gradually took on a different color, and were gradually filled with some indescribable emotions.

If no one interfered with Theresa at this moment, and allowed her to continue to be lost in the whirlpool of emotions.

I'm afraid that what is going to happen next is destined to be difficult to resolve.

but……

"Ms. Theresa, what's wrong with you?"

Fortunately, at this moment, a clear and doubtful voice sounded from beside Theresa, which briefly brought Theresa, who was staring at Ikaros' back with a hint of red light and possessiveness in her eyes, out of her inner thoughts.

The etiquette that had subconsciously developed in her body due to the education given by the Grand Duke did not allow Theresa to be rude to the guests.

Thanks to this, she was able to come back to her senses, and her amber eyes, tinged with a slight powder, lost their pink and dangerous red light, and the possessiveness and manic twisted emotions were also hidden under the calm appearance.

Theresa looked at Arturo beside her with a gentle smile, and responded softly:

"I'm fine, Miss Arturo."

"It's just that I'm a little curious about what kind of person Miss Ekaros is."

Be calm, restrained, and rational...

Theresa, don't be hasty, you don't want to hurt an innocent child, she is not necessarily the Grand Duke, don't regard anyone as a substitute for the Grand Duke, you love the Grand Duke, not anyone else.

Taking the opportunity to soothe her inner emotions, Theresa attempted to reconcile with her twisted and mixed emotions.

It turned out that she did.

After all, the more twisted and persistent an emotion is, the purer it is in essence.

Perhaps love will gradually fade or even disappear with the passage of time, but after a hundred years of confusion and struggle, this love finally turns into a morbid obsession.

Then this "love" is destined to have its pure yet terrifying nature.

It will push Theresa, the paranoid and crazy promoter, to look for the Grand Duke of Manchester, but it will never allow any "falsehood" or "substitution".

Theresa used this to control her emotions at the moment.

I plan to first learn about this 'Ikaros' from Ikaros's friends, and then determine whether the other party is related to the Archduke... or in other words, whether the other party is the Archduke's counterpart in this world.

"Ekalos?" Arturo looked at Theresa who gave him an affirmative smile. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the silver-haired girl busy at the sink in the kitchen. He couldn't help but smile and said softly with a hint of boasting, "She is undoubtedly the most perfect person in the world in my eyes."

Arturo doesn't mind sharing the beauty of Icarus with others, because she is confident that as Icarus' childhood sweetheart, she will always be the person closest to Icarus.

No one could match the bond they had developed from living together for so many years in Rutland.

Therefore, Arturo can and is willing to show off his Icarus to others like a child showing off his precious treasure.

Anyway, Icarus would never leave him no matter what, and Arturo, who had a slightly cheerful nature, naturally wanted to see others jealous of him.

"Why do you say that?" Arturo's words obviously aroused Theresa's curiosity. She could see that the Sakota girl in front of her really thought that Ekalos was perfect from the bottom of her heart.

Although Theresa also thought that 'Grand Duke Ikaros' was perfect, this girl named Ikaros also had a good influence on her.

However, perfection once is too absolute, so Theresa was very curious why Arturo had such a firm idea.

When Arturo saw that Theresa's curiosity was aroused and there was a look of inquiry in her eyes, he felt much better.

In the absence of external emotional threats, Arturo's basically flattering way of thinking is 'You push Icarus, you appreciate Icarus, you like Icarus, then you have class and you are someone who can be my friend (in pushing Icarus)! '.

Therefore, Arturo would naturally not be stingy in sharing the beautiful memories and daily life between him and Ekalos with the Demon Lady in front of him.

"Because Ikaros is very gentle. When I was crying alone, he would come to my side across suffering and disaster, stroke my forehead, hold me in his arms and comfort me silently, and then help me solve the things that made me cry."

"Being around her always makes me feel at ease. She is really reliable and considerate. When I locked myself in the room and cried because of my mother's situation, she even climbed along the wall into my room, grabbed my hand and took me to see the stars, and then made a promise to me that we would never leave each other and never forget each other."

"Besides being very handsome in these matters, Ekaros is also very good at cooking and housework. She can even design her own clothes and play music with me. She also arranges my daily schedule in an orderly manner. She is very virtuous and lovely!"

"In addition, after spending several years together, I feel that Ikaros, who has been accompanying me as I grew up, encouraging me to move forward, and caring for me as I grew up, is perfect. I wonder if you are satisfied with these reasons, Miss Theresa?"

She talked endlessly about the many beautiful memories of the past, as well as the omnipotence and motherly tenderness that Ikaros showed in daily life.

Arturo, who had not yet noticed, had his eyes fixed on Ekalos with a happy smile on his face, and the tenderness and love in his pair of black eyes were almost overflowing.

Also normal.

Who wouldn't feel happy and loved to have such a childhood sweetheart who accompanies, cares for, supports, makes promises, and gets along with you from childhood to adulthood?

Not to mention that Ikaros's charm is the type that appeals to both men and women.

How many people can resist such a lovely, virtuous, beautiful, and maternal silver-haired beauty?

Anyway, Arturo is definitely not capable of this, he would have already turned into Ekalos fermented bean curd.

As Theresa listened to Arturo's detailed narration, her mind gradually emptied and the image of the Archduke became clearer and clearer.

Although the Archduke was much more arrogant and cold than Icarus described by Arturo.

But Theresa also understands that the environment has a huge impact on a person.

After conquering Victoria and thoroughly understanding the Grand Duke's past, Theresa already knew the reasons for the Grand Duke's awkward personality, and also understood why the Grand Duke finally chose to die in her arms to end the game, rather than being willing to endure and compromise and make other choices.

After all, it was his childhood experiences and Victoria's cruel environment that influenced the Archduke.

It made her unwilling to trust anyone since she was a child, making her seem cold and indifferent, and then she became so arrogant after getting everything back.

In fact, after those years of contact and review in dreams, Theresa relived countless warmth and daily trivial details and was absolutely sure that the Archduke's cold and awkward mask hid the essence of tenderness and loneliness.

He really looks like the Ikaros mentioned by the black-haired girl in front of me...

The same gentleness, the same thoughtfulness, the same silent attention to you all the time, accompanying you, and silently watching over you and taking care of you in his own way, and then solving the troubles you encounter, and finally continuing to spend a warm and peaceful daily life with you as if nothing had happened.

……

Well, I'm a little jealous, for having such an outstanding childhood sweetheart since childhood.

It really seems like Zacota is blessed by fate, Miss Arturo.

A trace of jealousy arose in my heart.

Theresa looked at Arturo, whose face was full of happiness, and the smile on her face faded silently. She supported her face with one hand and looked at the other person's gaze at the silver figure in the kitchen.

Even though this girl named Icarus might not be her archduke, Theresa still felt a little envious of Arturo's good luck, and at the same time, a hint of jealousy arose under the interference of her twisted emotions.

I vaguely remember what I was doing when I was Arturo’s age.

If I hadn't met the Grand Duke, I would probably be searching for wild vegetables and dens of cave beasts in the wasteland outside the small town on the border of Kazdel with my elder brother.

At that time, I was not even a tailor, and my brother's body was not strong enough to support him to pick up the sword to protect her.

Alas... thinking back to those helpless past.

But the Sakota in front of him at that time got someone who could be as reliable as the Grand Duke.

Although Theresa didn't think there was anything wrong with her brother, there was indeed no harm without comparison.

People are always prone to comparison and rivalry.

Maybe you may not think it’s a big deal at first, but when the memories come to your mind, and the fear and jealousy spread from the depths of your heart for the first time, then this competitive heart will no longer be at peace.

I…seem to want to snatch the child away from Arturo…I guess the child will be very sad if I do that. I really want to see her expression when she does that.

Theresa stared at Arturo's happy profile with a bit of distraction, and for some reason her amber eyes had lost their luster.

The twisted and dark emotions in Theresa's heart secretly corroded the clear heart of this originally gentle and kind princess while she was thinking, making her, who should not have such emotions, even have the idea of ​​stealing Arturo's love regardless of Icarus's true identity.

However, if it were someone else, they might really do this under the influence of their inner emotions.