The Terminally-Ill Rejects the Approach (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13

Inside the dark room, the blackout curtains drawn shut.

Hezen had locked himself in his bedroom since last night and hadn’t stepped outside once.

Still wearing the same clothes, he’d spent the entire night wide awake on his bed, now sitting in a crumpled shirt, only gnawing furiously at his fingernails.

Thankfully, the system window, which had vanished temporarily, reappeared shortly afterward.

Yet, during that brief period—less than an hour—when the system window was gone, Hezen had been utterly terrified.

Ever since starting this game, he had always been the protagonist of this world.

Every system in the game revolved around him, and nothing had ever frightened him.

But last night had been different.

He kept replaying in his mind how he’d fled without a word in response to Anselot’s threats—and how Princess Louise Belle must have looked at him with contempt for his pathetic self.

Still, at that moment, the chilling aura emanating from Anselot had left him no choice but to run.

Without the system window, he was just an ordinary, painfully ordinary person with no special abilities whatsoever.

Just like his real-world self.

“Damn this cursed garbage game!”

Hezen roared into the empty air.

He desperately wanted to escape this game.

But no matter how frantically he clicked the [Exit Game] button, his eyes bloodshot red,

[SYSTEM] Exiting the game is not permitted during active scenario progression. Please complete the scenario first.

Only that infuriating message appeared!

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!”

The [Exit Game] button remained stubbornly grayed out, showing no sign of reactivating.

In his rage, Hezen kicked the system window—just as Anselot had done yesterday.

“Aaagh!”

But the sharp pain in his foot sent him clutching his toes and rolling around awkwardly on the floor.

Even after kicking it so hard, the system window shone brightly above his head, utterly unharmed and gleaming without a scratch.

“Damn it! Even that system window…!”

Everything infuriated him. He felt like he’d go mad if he couldn’t get out of this game soon.

Overwhelmed by unprecedented irritation, fury, and fear, Hezen had lost his grip on sanity.

And then there was that quest!

With veins bulging in his eyes, he glared at the floating quest window hovering in midair.

[Main Quest: The Death of Your Lover]

Achieve awakening through the death of your beloved ! However, her death must occur in a public place—so that everyone may witness the birth of a new hero!

▷Clear Condition: Lover’s death witnessed by a crowd of 100+

▶Reward upon success: Awakening

▶Penalty upon failure: Bad Ending

Penalty upon failure… Bad Ending.

He didn’t know exactly what “Bad Ending” meant, but it surely wasn’t anything good.

Something like a castration ending, perhaps…

“But even if I endure the Bad Ending, there’s no guarantee I’d be able to leave this place…”

For all he knew, he might suffer the Bad Ending and remain trapped forever in this game as a eunuch.

After all, the system clearly stated he had to “complete the scenario” to exit the game.

Hezen’s eyes drifted to the secondary quest window drifting below it.

[Secondary Quest: Prevent the Broken Engagement! (2)]

Empress now doubts your reproductive capability. Before the imperial physician arrives to verify your fertility, raise ’s affection to 500 or higher so she retracts her statement.

▶Reward upon success: ’s defense, +500 Honor

▶Penalty upon failure: Empress’s wrath, Broken Engagement

‘If the engagement is broken, the main quest will also fail.’

But raising Louise Belle’s affection seemed hopeless—thanks to that man standing by her side.

That lunatic prince from Luhenhart!

That guy seemed to be pulling some strange trick. The bug error messages, the sudden disappearance of the system window—it all pointed to him…

Just then—

“Lord Hezen. You have a visitor.”

A servant from the mansion announced the arrival of a guest from outside the door, accompanied by a knock.

“A visitor…?”

Hezen frowned and repeated the words.

“His Royal Highness Prince Orent of the Imperial Palace is here…!”

“…”

Hezen’s face immediately twisted into a sour grimace.

He and the Second Prince Orent were hardly on good terms.

Although their rivalry had begun when Hezen—a commoner—faced Orent in the martial tournament, honestly, what did Orent have beyond his noble birth? How could such a mere extra possibly compare to him, the true protagonist?

Thus, Hezen had always looked down on Orent, and Orent often showed disdain for Hezen’s lowborn status.

“Show him to the reception room for now.”

Though unwelcome, he couldn’t refuse to receive a prince. He hastily straightened his clothes and stepped out.

Since the visit was unannounced, his appearance wasn’t particularly presentable.

As he left his room and headed toward the reception hall, he noticed the mansion was already packed with the prince’s entourage.

Passing rows of Orent’s knights lining the corridor, he finally reached the reception room—where even Orent’s aide stood stiffly at attention beside him.

‘Anyone would think he’d become emperor already.’

Hezen scoffed inwardly, feeling inexplicably irritated.

“Good day, Lord Hezen.”

Sedric, Orent’s aide, offered a polite bow. Hezen merely gave a haughty nod and brushed past him into the room.

Orent, seated at the table, waved upon spotting Hezen.

“Hey there, Lord Hezen.”

“I pay my respects to Your Highness.”

“Do sit.”

Orent gestured to a seat as if he owned the place.

“You must’ve had a rough time with those nasty rumors. That’s why I came personally—to comfort you.”

The “nasty rumors” Orent referred to were none other than the one claiming Hezen was impotent.

“You really do look unwell. Haven’t slept properly, I take it?”

Orent glanced at Hezen’s bloodshot eyes as he spoke.

‘Damn it.’

Despite his seemingly sympathetic tone, Orent’s eyes glinted with subtle mockery, making Hezen clench his fists tightly under the table.

He’d clearly come to rub salt in his wounds, gloating over yesterday’s events.

“His Majesty will send the palace physician soon—likely right after the birthday banquet. Don’t worry too much. If it’s untrue, the truth will come out quickly enough.”

“…”

Unable to respond to this so-called comfort, Hezen only gulped down his tea, his expression growing even darker.

Orent glanced at Hezen’s face and bluntly asked, utterly lacking tact.

“Are things not going well between you and Louise Belle lately?”

“…”

“It’s hard to believe she’d go so far as to seek annulment from you. She always adored you so…”

Inwardly, Hezen sneered.

What an absurd notion. Since when had this half-brother ever cared so much about her?

Hadn’t he always looked down on Louise Belle? Hadn’t he once said it was shameful to call someone of unknown paternity his fellow royal?

“Yesterday, I saw Louise Belle with the Prince of Luhenhart.”

“…”

But at this moment, Hezen was overcome not by resentment toward Orent, but by a different thought.

‘Right. Louise Belle loved me.’

His grip tightened fiercely around the teacup.

‘After all the effort I’ve put in! Louise Belle is my fiancée! She’s meant to aid my awakening! My fiancée! The sacrifice for my awakening!’

His awakening was nearly complete. If only he could secure his title and have Louise Belle die for him, he’d achieve full awakening and enjoy a perfect harem life!

‘Yes, Louise Belle will surely help me awaken…’

Suddenly, Hezen, trembling with rage, lifted his head.

‘Huh…?’

His eyes caught the words still floating in the system window.

▷Clear Condition: Lover’s death, witnessed by a crowd of 100+

‘Now that I think about it…’

There were only two conditions to complete the quest.

His lover’s death and a crowd of over 100 people.

Nowhere did it specify how she had to die.

As long as she died in front of more than 100 witnesses—that was all that mattered.

‘Nothing else matters. As long as Louise Belle dies publicly, somehow…’

A lightning bolt of realization struck Hezen’s mind.

‘I could just kill Louise Belle myself.’

His eyes flashed with sudden clarity.

Everything had to be settled before the Emperor’s birthday banquet ended.

Once the banquet concluded, the imperial physician would arrive to verify his fertility—and preventing annulment would become impossible.

Who cared about that secondary quest? He’d just kill Louise Belle before then and achieve his awakening.

‘But there’s no official event gathering over 100 people before the main banquet… Wait—how can I possibly kill her naturally in front of so many?’

While Orent prattled on, boasting about monster hunts as if reliving his glory days, Hezen tuned him out, lost in thought over how to kill Louise Belle.

[This is the timeline separator]

Two days had passed since his fierce battle with the system cleaners.

The Imperial Palace bustled with festive energy as guests from all regions arrived to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday.

Though a royal hunting competition—personally hosted by the Emperor—was being held today at the palace hunting grounds, I chose not to attend.

After all, unlike Princess Gloria or Prince Orent, I had no need to curry favor with Mother—and I certainly didn’t feel like venturing into a crowded, dangerous place.

Skipping an official imperial event as a royal was a serious offense, but the lakeside boating party provided me a convenient excuse.

Normally closed to the public, the lakeside had been opened for a week in honor of the Emperor’s birthday. Overjoyed, Elizabeth had organized a boating excursion for young noble ladies, allowing me to skip the hunting competition under the pretense of assisting her.

Amid the groups of noble girls gathered around outdoor tables by the lakeshore after their boating, I sat alone, lost in thought.

The warning Anselot had given me two days ago simply wouldn’t leave my mind.

‘He’s likely facing a Bad Ending penalty if the engagement is broken, so he’ll do anything to prevent it—or he might kill you himself before the annulment to complete his awakening.’