Episode 2. Prologue (2)
…Yeah, to be honest, I was underestimating this game. After suddenly falling asleep and waking up, I found myself inside the game’s situation. And this game wasn’t as simple as I thought.
‘Come in,’ I was about to answer, but a choice appeared in front of me.
▶ How dare you wake me up. I guess I’ll have to cut out your tongue.
▶ It’s up to you to choose. Will your wrist be cut, or your tongue?
What is this nonsense! ‘Wake me up? I’ve been awake from earlier!’
But to spout something like that to a maid was beyond ridiculous. It was utterly absurd.
‘Can’t I just give a normal morning greeting?’
I was about to give a different response when I opened my mouth. However, my voice didn’t come out, as if my throat was blocked.
“…?!”
Attempting to make a sound from my blocked throat several times, I grabbed my hair with both hands and pulled.
‘What is this! So I can only choose from those options?’
Whichever I choose, I’ll seem insane!
I stared blankly at the choices with a grim expression. Then, once again, a knocking sound came from outside.
“Your Highness, you need to wake up.”
‘You have no sense! If there’s no response, it must mean they’re sleeping!’
I wanted to shout like that. But no sound came out of my throat.
And in the midst of my hesitation, the choices changed.
‘Oh, do they disappear after some time?’
…That’s fake.
The choices had been upgraded even further. Right into the unfavorable direction.
▶ Look, go cut off this wench’s neck and bring it to me!
▶ It’s been a while since I personally showed this body how the whip tastes.
Aaaah!
‘Why are the choices like this now?’
Now I only had two options left. Kill someone else or let myself be killed.
‘Bringing a neck… Does that mean I have to look at that neck?’
And whipping too. It feels like the genre is suddenly shifting from romance fantasy to horror psycho.
‘Let’s choose quickly! A worse option might come up than before!’
I strained my eyes and stared at the choices.
“…Ugh.”
But no matter how seriously I tried to make up my mind, it was useless. What am I choosing between these two?
‘I don’t even know what a whip looks like. Can I even swing it? Won’t I just embarrass myself and fall over if I try to swing it recklessly?’
‘Oh no! An evil princess falling over while trying to swing a whip! That’s not villainess-like!’
And they said that when you destroy the character’s essence, your existence disappears.
‘Aaaah! Disappearing because I can’t swing a whip? What is this, some kind of 3D escape game?’
Unaware that I was grappling with such a extreme dilemma, from outside, I was called again.
“Your Highness…”
‘No!’
If things continue like this, even more dreadful choices might appear!
I hastily chose an option. Obviously, I couldn’t choose to bring a neck, so I picked the second choice.
And the result.
On a refreshing morning, I whipped the back of a maid I had never seen before five times.
‘Ah, my body is moving on its own. Against my will.’
Whether I screamed internally or externally, the whip flew like a snake and tore into the woman’s back.
*Clang! Clang!*
She screamed and slumped over, fainted. Watching her back, with the leather torn and tattered as she was dragged away, I bit my lip until blood came out.
This was truly not a simple game.
* * *
From the early morning display of cruelty by Princess Sienna, the palace was filled with stories about Princess Sienna.
The maids chattered about her whenever two or more gathered.
“Princess Sienna whipped a maid until she died again.”
“What if they asks me to serve Princess Sienna? What should I do?”
“Never lift your head during inspection time. The moment you meet the gaze of the head maid, it’s over.”
For the maids, their lives were at stake, so it was natural for things to become serious.
And this whispering reached the ears of a young knight who had been waiting to see the emperor.
It was Sienna’s fiancé, Daniel Bohan.
‘That woman again.’
Daniel clenched his fist.
‘Sienna Liata.’
A striking beauty with red hair like blood and pale green eyes like poison.
However, even a single word exchanged with her was enough to stress me out. She was a toxic fiancée who gave stress just by existing.
‘She agreed to the engagement to keep me captive and torment me. It’s clear that she orchestrated all of this.’
Sienna’s personality wasn’t great, but her fatal charm attracted quite a few followers. Among them were fools who wished she would rule like a queen.
Even though I could easily gather enough of those fools and reign while enduring them, why did I choose to dislike her?
‘Emperor was impulsive and forced an engagement ceremony. After that, she acted as if she didn’t care, postponing the wedding discussions.’
It was as if everything revolved around tying a noose around Daniel’s neck.
‘She’s truly repulsive.’
That was the moment Daniel’s fingernails dug into the palm of his hand. A cold, rigid voice called out to Daniel.
“What are you doing there?”
Just hearing it was enough to make his nerves tense; it was a cold voice that seemed emotionless.
With an awkward smile, Daniel turned to the man who had called him.
“I apologize, Your Grace.”
Standing there was a man with an indifferent demeanor.
Through his golden, curly hair, his blood-red crimson eyes stared at Daniel with a cold and emotionless gaze.
‘Red eyes.’
Once again, the crimson color spread discomfort through Daniel’s heart. Shaking his head, he let out a breath to dispel the spreading emotions.
‘What are you thinking with the Duke Steward in front of you?’
All of this was because of Sienna Liata. Daniel was once again grinding his teeth and using the absence of this woman as an excuse.
“Follow me quickly.”
The man with golden hair turned swiftly. Lips tightly pressed together, Daniel followed behind him. He was known as the next Count Bohan, but in his presence, Daniel was nothing more than a child. As a knight, as a noble.
He was one of the five Counts of the empire, as well as the commander of the imperial knights, Percy Stewart.
* * *
It had only been three hours since I opened my eyes in the game. The only thing I did as soon as I woke up was to whip the maid five times. But even that left me exhausted, and I collapsed onto the bed like a jellyfish.
‘The villains in these game worlds are extraordinary individuals.’
Even from the start, I thought that the villainesses in otome games were impressive. They needed to lead those who would stand by their side during any crisis and meticulously devise schemes to torment the protagonist.
‘But I didn’t know I needed mental and physical strength! I didn’t know that whipping a person would consume so much mental stamina.’
My shoulders were stiff, and my wrists were sore. I shivered as I felt like I could still see blood in front of me. However, I couldn’t stay like this forever.
‘Only 100 days left until my neck is on the line. To change the ending, I need to start moving diligently as soon as possible.’
Thinking about the ending where I get killed by the fickle fiancé, I got up despite feeling tired. To change the ending, it was important to prevent the entrance of the protagonist’s Count Bohan and block any chance of meeting Daniel.
As I contemplated various ways to block it, I suddenly got up from my seat.
‘Request a meeting with Count Bohan. That way, he won’t even be able to come to hire the governess.’
It would be better for the protagonist to live as a commoner than to enter a gloomy place like Count Bohan’s residence.
‘If I tell Count Bohan that I want to discuss the engagement, he’ll agree to meet. The important thing is to prevent him from going out.’
And if I took one step further, it would be great if my engagement with Daniel could be broken.
‘It seems like Villainess Sister had an interest in Daniel Bohan. But my life is more valuable.’
I didn’t know what Daniel Bohan looked like, but even if he was the princess’s fiancé, the fact that there was no affection between the protagonist and him was clear.
So, I set my two goals:
First, prevent the protagonist’s entrance into Count Bohan’s estate.
Second, break off the engagement with Daniel.
‘Let’s shake off the whip shock and cheer up.’
It was when I thought this and stepped out of the bed to arrange a meeting with Count Bohan.
※ The villainess gets nail art and massage once a week as a country-wide trend.
A strange status window appeared, and my body wouldn’t move.
‘What, what? What is this? Nail art and massage?’
A country-wide trend? What kind of nonsense is that?
My neck looks like it’s about to be cut off, and you’re talking about nails and skin?
‘What’s this? Move, my body, quickly!’
As I struggled to move my stiffened body, the maids knocked on the door.
“Your Highness, it’s time for your massage.”
No! I need to leave now to save my life!
‘I don’t have time for a massage. I’m going to Count Bohan’s today.’
I wanted to say that, but my tongue was so frozen that it wouldn’t move.
“Then I’ll come in.”
Seeing the maids enter in a rush, I was in despair.
“This, this is insane!”
When I managed to utter a curse, the maids widened their eyes and looked at me.
The status window appeared again.
※ The villainess doesn’t use cheap profanity.
“…”
If you’re going to mess with me like this, at least shut my mouth to stop me from swearing.
What kind of game is this, with all these back and forth changes?
‘With this little freedom, how am I supposed to escape the original story?’
In the end, I wasted half a precious day for a massage and nail art.
