In a dark room with blackout curtains.

Hezen had not left his bedroom since last night, not even taking a single step out.

Without changing his clothes, he spent the night wide awake on the bed, biting his nails in his wrinkled shirt.

Fortunately, the system window that had disappeared briefly was restored not long after.

However, during that short time of less than an hour when the system window was gone, Hezen was terrified.

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

All the systems in the game revolved around him, and he feared nothing.

But not last night.

Hezen kept thinking about how he had fled without a word to Anselot, who had been threatening him. And even Luibel’s gaze, which must have looked at him pathetically.

But at that moment, he couldn’t help but run away from the chilling aura emanating from Anselot.

With the system window gone, he was just an ordinary person who couldn’t do anything at all.

Just like himself in reality.

“This damned lousy game!”

Hezen shouted angrily into the air.

He wanted to get out of this game quickly.

But even as he repeatedly pressed the [Exit Game] button with bloodshot eyes,

[SYSTEM] Game exit is not possible during scenario progression. Please complete the scenario.

Only this damned message kept appearing!

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!”

The [Exit Game] button that had turned gray still showed no signs of activating.

Hezen was so angry that he tried to kick the system window like Anselot had done yesterday.

“Aargh!”

But he had to roll around ungracefully, clutching his foot in pain.

Despite kicking it so hard that it hurt, the system window shone above his head without even the slightest damage, sparkling brightly.

“Damn it! Even that system window…!”

Everything was just awful and infuriating. He felt like he was going crazy wanting to get out of this game so badly.

Hezen was out of his mind with irritation, anger, and fear he had never felt before.

And then there was that quest!

Hezen glared at the quest window floating in the air with bloodshot eyes.

[Main Quest: Death of a Lover]

Achieve awakening through the death of your beloved ! However, your lover’s death must occur in a place with many people. So that everyone can witness the birth of a new hero!

▷Clear Condition: Death of lover, crowd of 100 or more people

▶Reward for Success: Awakening

▶Penalty for Failure: Bad Ending

Penalty for failure, bad ending.

He didn’t know what a bad ending was, but it was certainly nothing good.

For example, something like an impotence ending…

“But even if I see the bad ending, it’s uncertain if I can get out of here…”

Perhaps he might just experience the bad ending and live as an impotent forever in this game.

After all, the system window said that the game could only be terminated after ‘completing the scenario’.

Hezen looked at the sub-quest window floating gently below.

[Sub-Quest: Prevent the Engagement Cancellation! (2)]

Emperor is doubting your reproductive ability. Before the emperor’s doctor arrives to check your reproductive capability, raise ‘s affection to 500 or higher to make her withdraw her statement.

▶Reward for Success: ‘s defense, Honor +500

▶Penalty for Failure: Emperor’s wrath, Engagement cancellation

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

But raising Luibel’s affection seemed impossible. Because of that guy who was sticking to Luibel.

That crazy prince from Luenhart!

It seemed like that guy was using some strange tricks. The message about a bug occurring, and the system window suddenly disappearing…

It was then.

“Sir Hezen. A guest has arrived.”

With a knock, a servant of the mansion announced a visitor from outside the door.

“A guest…?”

Hezen asked back with a frown.

“Prince Orent from the Imperial Palace…!”

“…”

Hezen’s face immediately soured.

He and the Second Prince Orent were not on particularly good terms.

Though a rivalry had formed when Hezen, who was of commoner origin, competed with him in the martial arts tournament, honestly, how could an extra like Orent, whose only advantage was his birth, compete equally with the protagonist like himself?

Because of this, Hezen subtly looked down on Orent, and Orent often showed contempt for Hezen’s background.

“For now, show him to the reception room.”

Although it was an unwelcome visit, he couldn’t refuse to meet a prince, so he quickly tidied up his clothes and went out.

Due to the unexpected visit, his appearance to greet the guest wasn’t particularly neat.

As he left the room and headed to the reception room, he found that this prince had brought so many people that the mansion was filled with his entourage.

Passing through Orent’s knights lined up in the corridor, he arrived at the reception room to find even Orent’s aide standing at attention in front.

‘One might think he was the emperor himself.’

Hezen sneered inwardly, feeling unnecessarily annoyed.

“Greetings, Lord Hezen.”

Orent’s aide, Sedrick, politely greeted Hezen. Hezen just arrogantly nodded his head slightly and walked past him into the room.

Orent, sitting at the table, waved his hand upon seeing Hezen.

“Hey there, Lord Hezen.”

“I greet Your Highness the Prince.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Orent offered Hezen a seat as if he were the host.

“You must have had a hard time because of those unsavory rumors. That’s why I personally came to console you.”

The ‘unsavory rumors’ Orent spoke of were none other than the rumors that Hezen was impotent.

“You really don’t look well. Haven’t you been sleeping properly?”

Orent spoke while glancing at Hezen’s bloodshot eyes.

‘Damn it.’

Despite his seemingly consoling words, Orent’s eyes seemed to subtly mock him, and Hezen clenched his fist under the table.

It was clear that he had come to gloat over what happened yesterday.

“Her Majesty will soon send the imperial doctor. Probably right after the birthday celebration ends. Don’t worry too much. If it’s not true, it will be revealed soon enough.”

“…”

Hezen couldn’t respond to this consolation and just drank from his teacup with an even worse expression.

Orent glanced at Hezen’s face and asked bluntly without consideration.

“Are things not good between you and Luibel these days?”

“…”

“I can’t believe she would go so far as to try to break off the engagement with you. She used to like you so much…”

Hezen inwardly sneered.

It’s not even funny. Since when had he ever shown such interest in his half-sister?

Hadn’t he always looked down on Luibel? Saying it was embarrassing to call someone of unknown paternal lineage a fellow member of the imperial family.

“Yesterday, I saw Luibel with the prince from Luenhart.”

“…”

However, at this moment, Hezen was overwhelmed by thoughts other than his antipathy towards Orent.

‘That’s right. Luibel liked me.’

His hand gripping the teacup tightened.

‘How much effort have I put in all this time! Luibel is my fiancée! The one who will help my awakening! My fiancée! The sacrifice for my awakening!’

His awakening was on the verge of completion. If only he could gain his title and Luibel would die for him, he could complete his awakening and enjoy a perfect harem life!

‘Yes, Luibel will surely help my awakening…’

Hezen, who had been trembling with anger for a while, suddenly looked up.

‘Huh…?’

The letters on the system window still floating in the air caught his eye.

▷Clear Condition: Death of lover, crowd of 100 or more people

‘Come to think of it…’

There were only two conditions to clear the quest.

The death of the lover and a crowd of 100 or more people.

It didn’t specify how she should die.

As long as she died in front of a crowd of 100 or more people, that was enough.

‘Other conditions don’t matter. As long as Luibel dies where people can see somehow…’

Suddenly, a realization struck Hezen’s head like lightning.

‘I could just kill Luibel myself, couldn’t I?’

Hezen’s eyes flashed brightly as he reached this conclusion.

Everything had to be finished before the emperor’s birthday celebration ended.

Once the celebration was over, the emperor’s doctor would try to check his reproductive ability, and then it would be difficult to avoid breaking off the engagement.

Who cares about the sub-quest? He just needed to kill Luibel before that and achieve awakening.

‘But there’s no official event with more than 100 people gathered until the main birthday banquet… No, more importantly, how can I naturally kill Luibel in front of so many people?’

By now, half-listening to Orent’s voice boasting about his stories of subjugating demons, Hezen began to ponder how he could kill Luibel.

[This is the timeline separator]

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

The imperial palace was filled with a festive atmosphere due to guests coming from all over to celebrate the emperor’s birthday.

Today was the day of the hunting competition personally hosted by the emperor at the imperial hunting grounds, but I chose not to participate.

Anyway, I didn’t need to make a good impression on mother like elder sister Gloria or elder brother Orent, and I didn’t want to step into a crowded and dangerous place for no reason.

It was a great fault as a member of the imperial family not to participate in imperial events, but the boat ride held at the imperial lakeside provided me with a good excuse.

It was usually not open to the public, but upon hearing the news that it would be open for a week to celebrate the emperor’s birthday, elder sister Elizabeth, excited, hosted a boat ride for young noble ladies, and I was able to skip the hunting competition under the pretext of helping elder sister Elizabeth.

Among the noble young ladies gathered in small groups at the outdoor tables set up by the lakeside after enjoying the boat ride, I was alone, lost in thought.

Two days ago, the warning Anselot had given me just wouldn’t leave my mind.

‘That guy will probably try to prevent the engagement cancellation somehow since he’s likely to receive a bad ending penalty if the engagement is broken off. Or he might try to kill you directly to complete his awakening before the engagement is canceled.’