“……Hades.”
A choked whimper mingled with a plea burst from my lips.
“Hades, Hades…….”
How foolish I had been all this while.
Even though I liked Hades and wanted to be by his side, I had no idea who he really was.
On this land that numbed my reason and fanned my instincts, Hades had promised to grant my wish.
Even though he knew exactly what that wish was.
“……Angelica.”
Hades softly gripped my hand, looking into my eyes.
“You can rest easy. I am not one to take promises lightly.”
“I already know that much.”
The absurdity of it almost made me laugh. Even in this situation, Hades was worried I might not trust him.
“Good.”
Hades flashed a broad grin.
“At least you’re not blindly doubting me like before.”
“……That was a very long time ago.”
“Only a few months ago.”
Hades gently reminded me. I pursed my lips. Yes, only a few months. A lot had changed in those few months.
“And to fulfill your wish, first of all……”
Hades’ gaze lingered on Leto.
“We’ll have to take down the Demon King.”
“……”
I fell silent. Hades was not wrong in deciding that we should first kill the Demon King. At least the world wouldn’t end that way.
But could we really kill the Demon King just by ourselves, especially when Leto had no intention of helping us?
My conclusion was ‘no.’
‘Besides, Leto might even interfere.’
Especially because Leto was absolutely convinced that defeating the Demon King would make us regress again.
“……We go back and gather more people.”
I tightly gripped Hades’ arm. I was afraid that if I loosened my grip, he would spring away like a stretched spring.
“You know I’m utterly useless. We need to gather more people.”
“……Are you really planning to defeat the Demon King?”
Leto, who had been merely listening to our conversation until now, finally chimed in.
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“By now, there must be signs all over the continent. We’ll form an expedition with able people and subjugate the Demon King.”
Leto’s expression darkened.
“You say such things even after hearing my warning. I’ll have to bear the consequences of that absurd attempt……”
“Leto.”
I hesitated. Should I really lay all my cards on the table? But Leto had suffered too much already, paying the price for countless players, including me, who thoughtlessly looped the game.
“This is the last time. I promise. If we defeat the Demon King and still regress, then you’re free to take revenge on me.”
Hades murmured softly beside me.
“You’ll have to take me down to exact that revenge.”
I elbowed him lightly. I wished he’d keep his mouth shut at times like this, but it seemed he couldn’t help but blurt out what he thought.
“……You’re not lying.”
Leto seemed somewhat puzzled.
“How do you know that? How can you be so sure? Could it be that you……”
“Yes.”
I took a step forward.
“The reason you’ve been going back…… is because of me.”
It wasn’t just about me, of course.
Altair, me, and even the numerous players who thoughtlessly played the game over and over— all of us were the cause of the regressions.
But rather than explaining all that, it was easier to take all the blame.
What mattered to Leto now wasn’t who was at fault, but the assurance that there would be no more regressions.
Leto blinked rapidly.
“Yes, yes…… I see. So that’s what it was.”
He moved closer to me. Hades tensed up, but I was not alarmed. Leto trusted me now. With him by our side, we three could easily take down the Demon King.
Even if he was a little less powerful now, Leto, after several regressions, was still incredibly strong. Together with Hades, they could easily sweep the Demon King away.
“Don’t follow me.”
After warning Hades, I started walking towards Leto. To convince Leto, I might even have to reveal that this world is a game. The fewer people knew that grim fact, the better.
No, let me correct myself.
The truth was, I wanted to protect Hades from the truth. I didn’t want to see him hurt.
And in the next moment, I paid a tremendous price for that naivety.
Splash.
Red blood splattered in front of my eyes. It was only after the pain rushed in that I realized what had happened. Leto had stabbed me. Without any warning or hesitation.
“Angelica!”
Hades grabbed me with a voice that was almost like a beast’s howl. No, he protected me by pulling me out of Leto’s grasp. But it was already too late.
Leto had accurately targeted my vital point, worthy of his nickname “Sword Master.”
“Why…?”
I muttered.
“Why, why…?”
“I’ve thought about it, and it seems right to take revenge now.”
Leto calmly replied.
Hades looked like he wanted to freeze Leto to death on the spot, but he couldn’t do anything because he was staunching my wound.
“Farewell, cause of the nightmare.”
Leto smiled.
From that smile, I saw the history of someone who was not inherently cruel like Altair but had gradually fallen due to the rough tides of fate.
I see.
I thought, looking at Hades with my blurring vision.
The original Hades and the current Leto were the same.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
