Episode 91. The Final Event (4)

Let’s go back in time a little, to the week before the banquet, at the Bohan estate.

Beth, who had been anxiously worrying that she might not receive an invitation to the banquet, finally got her hands on one. Percy Stewart was a man who kept his promises.

Of course, when she had asked for the invitation as the price for her wish, Percy Stewart’s reaction wasn’t particularly pleasant.

— It would be wise to consider your request carefully.

His response was unsettling, but Beth couldn’t afford to give up. The villainess’s downfall was an essential element in the game.

‘I’m going to the banquet. This is finally the last event.’

The villainess Sienna would disappear amidst everyone’s condemnation. With all obstacles gone, the two main characters would vow eternal love, have a beautiful wedding, and the game would end.

For Beth, blinded by the promise of a happy ending, this seemed like her only lifeline. Despite the fact that the original storyline had already been disrupted with Daniel and Sienna’s engagement being broken off, she appeared oblivious to it.

Still clutching the invitation in excitement, Beth’s expression suddenly stiffened.

‘I need a dress for the palace banquet.’

Even after getting together with Daniel, Beth hadn’t been able to indulge in the luxuries she had in the game. This was because Daniel had been continually unwell. Beth pouted her lips.

‘Daniel should have been the one to gift me something.’

In the original game, there were numerous instances where the male lead would take Beth out and shower her with clothes and jewelry. Especially Count Bohan, who was so generous that he once bought out an entire boutique for her.

‘I should have chosen the Count Bohan route instead.’

The clothes and jewelry Beth wore now were all gifts from Count Bohan. Beth, feeling a bit regretful, shook her head. No matter how handsome and capable he was, dating a man old enough to be her father was not her style.

‘But I can’t go to the banquet like this.’

Beth decided to push Daniel into action. She made her way to his room.

Daniel had been staying in his room, saying that his headaches had returned recently, and had been avoiding everyone.

‘Being alone in this dark place is enough to make anyone sick.’

Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Beth approached Daniel and sat on the edge of the bed. She grabbed his hand tightly and said,

“Daniel, we’re going to attend the banquet, aren’t we?”

“…Yes, we are.”

“Then we need to get new outfits, don’t you think?”

“Yes, we do.”

Beth frowned deeply as she watched Daniel, who responded to her requests with nothing more than a nod, like a parrot.

‘He seems to be getting stranger, almost dull. Could it be because he killed Count Bohan?’

She couldn’t think of any other significant event that had deviated from the original story. As she thought back to Count Bohan, Beth shuddered and shook her head.

‘It’ll get better with time. In a way, this worn-down look of his makes him seem even more dangerously attractive.’

Daniel was exactly Beth’s type: a restrained face, dark hair, and a stern expression. Staring at his face made her heart soften again. She reached out and gently caressed Daniel’s face.

“Daniel.”

“Yes?”

“Hug me.”

“Beth.”

Beth took the initiative, wrapping one arm around Daniel’s shoulder and slowly unbuttoning her dress. She smiled softly and leaned in to kiss Daniel’s cheek, then moved to embrace his neck and press her lips to his.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Daniel gagged and pushed her away. Left alone on the bed, Beth stared at him in shock.

Daniel, who had turned his back to her and continued to gag, eventually turned around with a pale face, offering her an awkward smile.

“Sorry, I’m not feeling well.”

“…”

Beth’s expression soured as she looked at Daniel. She was visibly upset by his rejection and, in a burst of anger, pushed him onto the bed.

“Oof.”

Daniel fell back onto the bed, defenseless, and Beth quickly climbed on top of him.

“What—”

Daniel’s face filled with anxiety as he found himself suddenly pinned down by Beth. In a low, menacing voice, Beth called his name, causing Daniel to look up at her with wide eyes. She grabbed him by the collar and growled,

“Do you think you can just ignore me because I’ve been too nice to you? You’re the male lead. You’re supposed to do whatever I say. If I say hug me, you hug me. If I say leave, you leave. If I want something, you buy it before I even ask.”

“What are you—”

“That’s your purpose,” she snapped.

How dare he reject her and even gag in disgust? Just as Beth raised her hand to slap him, a system notification appeared.

※ You have made consecutive statements unbefitting a female protagonist.
※ A penalty will be imposed.
※ Time will be rewound by one week.

Unlike Sienna’s penalties, which involved reliving past memories, Beth’s penalties involved time rewinding. The problem was that she never knew exactly when she would be sent back to.

Sighing, Beth ran her fingers through her hair.

‘Damn it, I let my anger get the best of me.’

Just moments ago, she had been on top of Daniel, but now she found herself standing in the garden. She glanced down at the corner of her vision, where the game’s D-day counter was displayed, marking the days left until the end of the game.

‘At least it’s just a week back. If I’d been sent back to when Count Bohan was still alive, I might have lost it.’

No sooner had she sighed than Daniel approached her. It was the same day he had just returned from meeting Duke Stewart.

“Beth, I’ve brought the invitation to the banquet.”

“Daniel.”

Though she had been on the verge of slapping him earlier, Beth now smiled sweetly and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m so happy. You’ve done well.”

“It’s nothing.”

Daniel hugged her back and smiled as he gave her the answer she wanted to hear. Beth gazed at his handsome face for a moment before asking,

“My happiness is your happiness, right?”

“Your happiness is my happiness…”

Daniel’s eyes glazed over momentarily, as if he were under a spell. Beth nestled her head against his broad chest and whispered,

“But I’m so worried that Princess Sienna might torment me. You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

Daniel responded in a slow, deliberate tone. Though it felt different from their earlier conversation, Beth didn’t notice. Or rather, she didn’t feel the need to notice.

She linked her arm with Daniel’s and smiled as she said,

“I’d like to wear a red lace dress to the banquet. Don’t you think it will look great against my pale skin?”

“You’ll look great in anything.”

“Then let’s go buy it now.”

“Alright.”

Beth tugged Daniel’s arm, eager to buy not just the dress but also the matching jewelry.

She already knew exactly which dress she wanted—one that had appeared in the game.

‘Sienna Liata will wear a red dress to the banquet. When she sees me in the same dress, she’ll fly into a hysterical rage…’

And then her downfall would be sealed.

‘My eternal happiness is just around the corner. It’s really almost over.’

Beth smiled to herself, tightening her grip on Daniel’s arm.

She remembered the day she had been playing the game on the subway when an accident occurred. At the time, she had been terrified, thinking she was going to die, but when she opened her eyes, she had become Beth.

It had been a dream come true for her. Reality had been nothing short of hell.

‘It was unbearable. No matter how hard I tried, I was always behind everyone else. Always being compared.’

Compared to that, this world was a paradise.

‘Of course, there are still some people who get under my skin.’

The image of Sienna flashed in Beth’s mind. Sienna reminded Beth of her real-world self—someone who noticed what others had more than what she had herself, someone who wanted to entangle others in her situation rather than win them over genuinely.

They called it self-loathing. That’s why Beth hated the character Sienna Liata so much.

‘I’ll destroy her and seize my eternal happiness.’

And now, it seemed that her wish was almost fulfilled.

That day, before returning home, she and Daniel visited the boutique and bought the red dress.

Beth hummed a tune, feeling delighted that everything seemed to be going her way.

Daniel, on the other hand, retreated to his room, claiming he was tired. Beth paid it no mind. She was simply glad that she had gone out and bought the dress and the mountain of jewelry that came with it after the time rewind. The week flew by in a blissful haze as she admired her purchases.

And finally, the fateful day arrived.