Episode 72. Obsession (3)

Beth held Daniel’s arm with a composed expression, as if she didn’t feel his pain at all. She turned to the lady and gave her a graceful smile.

“He is still not fully recovered. Please understand, madam.”

Could she really smile like that while her fiancé was suffering so much?

Though confused, the lady found Beth’s smile as intoxicating as a drug, muddling her mind. Caught between rational judgment and emotional confusion, she bowed her head and stepped back.

“Indeed, Sir Daniel has been through much. I hope the sorrow leaves his heart soon.”

Interpreting the bizarre situation as Daniel still grieving for his father, the lady departed.

Once she was gone, Beth led Daniel to a secluded area.
Daniel mumbled absentmindedly.

“Sienna Liata…”

She was thoroughly sick of it. Why did he keep uttering the villainess’s name so pathetically?

‘You’re supposed to love me!’

Daniel was undoubtedly a defective character among the game’s options. But since she couldn’t switch routes now, she had no choice but to fix him. Beth grabbed Daniel’s face with both hands and forced him to meet her gaze.

“Look at me, Daniel.”

His eyes were as dry as a desert. Beth whispered sweetly into his ear.

“I am your destiny. The one you love is me.”

It was like a magical spell, the law of the world she knew.

“So forget about that villainess you need to defeat.”

“I need to defeat her?”

Daniel seemed unable to grasp this simple rule. He mumbled stupidly.

“I need to defeat her…”

“You have to, so you can be happy.”

Before Daniel could regain his senses, Beth added another sentence. It wasn’t a lie.

‘Your happiness is my happiness.’

If Beth wasn’t happy, Daniel couldn’t be happy. And Beth’s happiness…

Beth’s eyes widened as she recalled the game’s story.

‘That’s right. That’s why. The story isn’t progressing because the villainess hasn’t died yet.’

To achieve a true happy ending, someone had to endure trials. And in this game, the trial was the villainess Sienna, who was jealous of the beautiful couple.

‘I need to kill the villainess.’

The story wouldn’t end until Sienna was dead. Daniel’s constant muttering of Sienna’s name was a sign that he instinctively knew he had to eliminate her.

‘He knows he has to get rid of her. But she’s completely deviated from the route.’

Kill the villainess. But how?

Now that Sienna had broken off her engagement with Daniel and moved to Duke Stewart’s estate, there was no chance of encountering her.

The answer came while they were waiting in line to lay flowers on the emperor’s corpse, overhearing others’ murmurs.

If the previous lady was hostile towards Sienna, the ones whispering behind Beth now were her supporters.

“Why hasn’t Princess Sienna appeared? I’m so worried.”

“Even the other royal family members are in such a dire situation. I wonder if our princess is safe…”

Hearing them talk about Sienna as if she were a dear friend made Beth twist her lips.

‘See, this is different from what I saw in the game.’

Sienna should have been a villainess condemned by the entire nation. So that when Daniel, as the male protagonist, killed her, everyone would cheer.

‘Sienna Liata is trying to escape her role as the villainess. That’s why my story keeps getting tangled. Without a villain, there can be no end to the story. I need to get rid of Sienna Liata somehow.’

Having decided on her future course of action, there was no need to waste time here. Beth took Daniel’s arm and turned to leave without even laying flowers.

“He is not feeling well, so we will head back.”

“…Please go ahead.”

The young lady, surprised by Beth’s sudden farewell, blinked and returned the greeting.

‘Why is she talking to me when I didn’t even ask?’

Was it necessary to announce to a stranger that she was leaving with Daniel?

As the unfamiliar face and Daniel’s haggard appearance lingered in her mind, other nobles picked up on Beth’s words.

“Did she just say ‘he’?”

“Blooming love in the midst of such a sorrowful event. It seems young people these days don’t love their country as much as previous generations.”

Most of the voices were criticizing Daniel, who left without even laying flowers, supported by his lover.

“Isn’t that Daniel Bohan, the count’s son? I heard his father passed away not long ago…”

Even if he and Sienna didn’t get along, was it appropriate for him to cling to another woman so soon?

One lady muttered sarcastically.

“They make a fine couple.”

Though intended as irony, Beth took it as a genuine compliment. She clenched her fists.

‘Yes. Everything will be perfect once Sienna is gone.’

A skewed conclusion indeed.

* * *

After attending the Emperor’s funeral, rumors spread throughout the country that Daniel had a new fiancée, just as Beth had anticipated. The butler, displeased, visited Daniel’s bedroom the day before the coronation to offer his counsel.

“There’s a newspaper article suggesting that the two of you are on the brink of marriage.”

The butler wanted to speak to Daniel alone, but Beth wouldn’t leave his side, so he had no choice.

‘Hopefully, his judgment is still intact,’ thought the butler, biting his lip. But it wasn’t Daniel who answered; it was Beth, who was feeding Daniel soup.

“What’s the problem with that, butler?”

“Miss Beth.”

Beth replied sweetly, resting her head on Daniel’s shoulder.

“Daniel and I are passionately in love. Marriage is the ultimate destination. I don’t see what’s wrong with an article coming out early.”

The butler stiffened and retorted.

“Even if marriage is planned, it’s unpleasant for it to proceed without the approval and will of the Bohan household. There hasn’t been any discussion about this within the family.”

Beth frowned, then asked Daniel in a still gentle voice,

“Do you feel the same, Daniel?”

Sitting on the bed, Daniel looked more vacant than ever. He weakly murmured,

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

“See?”

Beth linked her arm with Daniel’s, feeling triumphant. The butler called out to Daniel with a distressed expression.

“Master…”

But with no other option, he closed his eyes tightly and left.
Beth, trembling with a small thrill of having repelled the butler, soon looked at Daniel with dissatisfaction.

‘Ah, what a boring protagonist.’

He should have sternly scolded the butler and made it clear that such talk wouldn’t be tolerated. Saying it didn’t matter lacked passion and charisma.

Beth bit her lip and made a vow.

‘I need to return Daniel to his original self as soon as possible.’

To do that, she had to confront Princess Sienna and condemn her as a villainess. But meeting Sienna was impossible.

‘Why didn’t Princess Sienna show up at my father’s funeral?’

It would be troublesome to go looking for her.

Beth clicked her tongue when she noticed the newspaper the butler had left in the bedroom two days ago.

More specifically, she noticed these three words:

[Coronation Ceremony]

It was the announcement of the new emperor’s coronation. Sienna would have to appear there, or she’d be considered a traitor.

That would be her chance.

“Take me to the coronation, Daniel. I am your fiancée.”

Once she decided, Beth acted quickly. She kissed Daniel’s cheek, and he nodded to whatever she said. She smiled confidently.

‘If Sienna is there, I’ll pick a fight. If she’s not, people will still look at me curiously as Daniel Bohan’s fiancée.’

She could enjoy being out and about, share love, and seek revenge on Sienna.

‘Everything is perfect.’

It was a clever plan, even to herself.

* * *

So Beth entered the cathedral for the coronation with Daniel. She attempted the classic move of bumping into the villainess to make her fall.

‘This will make the villainess trip me on purpose and everyone will blame her.’

Sienna would be humiliated without being able to properly defend herself.

Beth smiled confidently.

But she failed miserably. Though she tried to frame Sienna as the villainess, she was the one who nearly got punished.

‘How could she try to imprison me for that?’

Beth glared at Daniel’s broad back as he walked ahead of her.

‘Why did you defend me like that? You could have done it more elegantly!’

Daniel had humiliated her, claiming she didn’t know the proper etiquette.

‘No! I did it because I knew I’d be forgiven!’

The plan was for Sienna to oppress Beth, prompting Daniel to gallantly rescue her.

– For the crime of making my eternal love, Beth, shed tears, you must pay with your life!

That’s what he was supposed to say.