Episode 70. Obsession (1)

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw Daniel was this.

‘He still looks terrible, like someone who’s ill.’

I hadn’t played the game thoroughly enough to understand the current situation. In the 15 minutes I played, and even in the teaser videos, there was no indication of Daniel looking this gaunt.

‘Could it be that I’ve accidentally triggered a bad ending?’

If this is a bad ending, what’s Sienna Liata’s fate?

‘If my quest hasn’t changed, does it mean I’m destined to die regardless of the route?’

No way!

Seeing Daniel conjured images of the bad ending, making my heart pound. I straightened my posture.

Daniel, who stood in front of Beth, shielding her behind him, showed no sign of backing down.

‘Even in his gaunt state, he’s reliably protecting Beth. As expected of a male lead.’

‘Wait, what did he just say? That Beth is his fiancée?’

They did seem very close at Count Bohan’s funeral. But to talk about engagement in just a few days?

‘So, because Sienna went to Percy, they felt no need to hide their love anymore and rushed into an engagement?’

The pity I had felt twisted into resentment. I swept my hair back.
Right now, I am the worst villainess in this country.

‘Would a wicked woman simply let her ex-fiancé go?’

Absolutely not.

I walked closer to the kneeling Daniel and the fallen Beth, my heels clicking sharply against the floor, and asked Daniel in a mocking tone.

“Fiancée? It hasn’t been long since the late Count Bohan’s funeral. You found time for an engagement amidst that?”

Daniel, with a stiff expression, responded.

“That’s why the engagement ceremony has been postponed.”

So, they aren’t officially engaged yet. I’ve heard of a bride-to-be, but what about a fiancée-to-be?

“Congratulations, I guess.”

I glared coldly at Beth, who was peeking over Daniel’s shoulder at me.

“But congratulations and punishment are different matters.”

When I made it clear that I intended to punish her, Daniel spoke in a respectful tone.

“She comes from a humble family and is not yet accustomed to court etiquette. Please understand, Princess.”

Admitting that Beth had made a mistake, Beth, who had been anxiously listening, called out loudly and stood up.

“Daniel!”

“Can’t you stay still?”

As the accused suddenly rose before royalty, a knight pressed her shoulder down with the hilt of his sword to make her sit.

In that moment, Daniel pushed Beth aside and took the blow himself. Unfortunately, the hilt struck his thin-skinned head, causing blood to drip instantly.

“…!!”

The knight, who had inadvertently caused a bleeding incident, widened his eyes in shock, and Daniel turned pale.

But what worried me most was that this was the venue for the upcoming coronation. I quickly untied the scarf around my neck. It was a dark red, almost black, chosen to maintain a sober appearance.

“Here.”

A handkerchief would quickly reveal the blood, indicating that there had been a bleeding incident.

On a day like the coronation, having a bleeding incident at the event would be a disastrous headline.

“If my brother Julius sees this, he’ll be furious. Quickly, retreat.”

Fortunately, Daniel wasn’t dense. He accepted the scarf, pressing it against his head, and bowed.

“Understood, Princess.”

He then grabbed Beth’s wrist and pulled her toward a secluded area. Beth, despite being dragged away, kept looking back at me.
I spoke to her in a cold voice.

“I’ll be lenient today since it’s a joyous occasion. Don’t step on the royal platform recklessly.”

Gritting.

Even as they moved away, I could almost hear her grinding her teeth.

‘I’ve finally managed to give the protagonist a taste of her own medicine.’

Feeling genuinely happy, I chuckled.

“What a rude pair. They suit each other well.”

Now that I’ve had my fill, stay out of my life for good.

* * *

Beth bit her lips hard. So roughly that her tender flesh tore, and red blood oozed out.

‘Damn it! What is this?’

Just as Sienna suspected, Beth had deliberately collided with her. But her motives were more complicated.

After the disappearance of Count Bohan, the atmosphere in the Bohan household had grown even more somber. The servants gathered in small groups, whispering.

“Have you noticed how strange Master Daniel has become?”

Daniel Bohan, who used his health as an excuse not to go to the knighthood, had become notorious for not leaving his room.

Now, he avoided everyone except for one person.

Beth.

Those who initially questioned Count Bohan’s death gradually fell silent, and eventually, Beth was the only one left by Daniel’s side.

Some servants scolded others for gossiping.

“Shush! You must address him as Master now.”

“But isn’t it strange? He sticks only to that woman… I doubt he will ever return to the knighthood.”

Even without Count Bohan’s death, the current relationship between Daniel and Beth seemed peculiar to others. If Daniel, who had weakened and drawn closer to Beth, relied solely on her, wouldn’t that raise suspicions?

But in the end, they were mere bystanders. Conspiracy theories and whispers disappeared in the face of their daily tasks.

“For people like us, it doesn’t matter. We just have to do our job well.”

“That’s true.”

And none of their whispers reached Beth’s ears. She walked lightly through the halls of the Bohan estate, seemingly oblivious to the suspicious glances cast her way.

‘I feel good.’

She had been feeling increasingly elated recently. It had been over half the allotted time since she was trapped in this damned game, unable to say what she wanted. Finally, the outline of her gameplay was becoming clear.

‘Daniel is in my hands, Count Bohan is dead, and soon I will be the Countess Bohan.’

Her goal from the beginning had been Daniel Bohan. Despite a momentary detour into the Count Bohan route, she had managed to steer things back on track.

Everything was perfect, except for one thing.

The recent dissatisfaction surfaced in her mind, causing Beth to halt in the hallway, her expression turning cold.

‘Why is Daniel still sick? His face is so haggard it feels like a scam.’

What bothered her was Daniel’s appearance.

She had chosen Daniel as the male lead because he was the most handsome among the men in the game. Older men who pretended to be mature or young boys who didn’t even know how to kiss properly were not to her taste.

But as soon as she had secured him, Daniel had become weak and hadn’t regained his peak beauty. Beth bit her nails in frustration.

‘Should I urge him to return to the knighthood?’

His face wouldn’t deteriorate if he wasn’t cooped up in his room all the time.

As she clicked her tongue and pondered, Beth shook her head.

‘No, if he goes out, who knows what might happen.’

Daniel loved Beth. She was delighted to have him on the right track, but his emotional control wasn’t complete. He occasionally made strange remarks when he met Sienna, evidence of his incomplete control.

‘Him still feeling sick must mean he hasn’t made up his mind properly.’

She wasn’t going to risk losing him by trying to restore his beauty prematurely.

‘Alright. Let’s coax Daniel for now. The more he sees me, the deeper he’ll fall in love.’

With her thoughts organized, Beth lightly slapped her cheeks with her palms. She took a deep breath and entered Daniel’s room.

Contrary to her earlier worries, a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Daniel.”

“Beth.”

Daniel, who had been sitting on the bed absentmindedly, looked at Beth with desperate eyes, as if she were an oasis in a desert. In that moment, Beth felt a thrill.

‘Ah, I love this. The feeling of him only looking at me.’

His sickness wasn’t entirely bad. It meant he relied solely on her. Beth sat beside Daniel and held his hand, smiling brightly.

“Are you feeling better today? How’s your mood?”

“I still feel dizzy. My head hurts.”

Daniel’s expression darkened again.

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something important, but I can’t remember what it is.”

“Oh, poor thing.”

Though she spoke sympathetically, Beth’s face crumpled in irritation.

‘Ugh, how long is he going to whine like this?’

She played otome games to romance handsome male leads, not to be stuck in a mansion taking care of a sick man.

Though many words lingered on her tongue, Beth uttered none of them. Such things were not something a kind-hearted heroine would say.