I was very healthy.

Except for when I was young, I had never been seriously ill, and my physical strength was excellent.

To the extent that the imperial physician praised, “Princess Luibel is naturally blessed with a healthy constitution.”

But I’m terminally ill?

Moreover, my remaining lifespan was barely even 2 weeks.

The number of just over 13 days, decreasing moment by moment, felt so unreal that I couldn’t even feel fear.

I stared at the text, unable to believe this fact.

Then new letters popped up in succession, as if to provide additional explanation.

[Awakening] Condition – Death of a lover

The hero Hezen awakens to become a sacred light swordsman through the death of his lover.

Maintain lover status with for 30 days to fulfill the awakening condition, then achieve awakening through her death!

However, be careful! If the lover relationship with is terminated, you must restart the awakening scenario from the beginning. (Time remaining until awakening: 13 days 11 hours 46 minutes)

‘Awakening…?’

It was a strangely familiar word.

‘Come to think of it…’

As I glared at the word, I suddenly remembered the [Awakening] system in this game.

Since I had never actually played this terrible game, I didn’t know exactly how the [Awakening] system worked.

I only knew what I had heard secondhand.

That players need to awaken to clear the tutorial scenario, and that the awakening conditions differ for each hero character they choose.

And that after awakening, the main scenario along with the original story begins in earnest.

That was all I knew.

‘If Hezen’s awakening condition is the death of his lover… it means I have to die for him to awaken, right?’

There’s no way I, who was healthy and rarely got sick, suddenly became terminally ill.

Moreover, the time remaining until his awakening matched exactly with my remaining lifespan.

‘Hezen confessed to me, I accepted his confession, and that’s why I became terminally ill!’

The back of my head throbbed as I realized this fact.

That sweet confession was a declaration to kill me and achieve awakening.

The moment I realized this, my anger towards Hezen surged beyond rage to murderous intent.

However, there was no time to tremble with anger.

Witnessing my remaining lifespan decreasing moment by moment even now, I felt anxious and urgent.

First, I had to terminate the lover status.

‘But how do I terminate it?’

Even though our relationship had reached a breaking point after I witnessed his infidelity, we were still lovers.

‘There must be another way. This is a game world, so there should be specific conditions…’

Although it’s said to be a game with high degrees of freedom, they wouldn’t let a big event like awakening progress mindlessly.

The same goes for the [Lover Relationship] setting.

There must be certain conditions set to maintain the [Lover Relationship], and…

“Hmm…”

Now somewhat familiar with the sensation, I looked at the word ‘lover’, and once again, as if clicking with a mouse, a detailed explanation unfolded.

[You and are in a lover relationship bound by engagement. This relationship will never be terminated as long as the engagement between the two of you continues.]

“As long as the engagement continues…?”

That means, conversely, I would have to break off the engagement to terminate that relationship.

However, since it was an engagement certified by imperial decree, it couldn’t be easily broken off.

It would take at least a month or two.

It might take even longer since Mother is fond of Hezen.

But considering the remaining lifespan blinking above my head, I couldn’t just wait around for the engagement to be broken off.

I needed a strong reason for the imperial family to immediately send a letter of annulment.

‘Simply witnessing his infidelity isn’t enough.’

Unless it’s adultery resulting in an illegitimate child, the engagement won’t be easily annulled.

‘There is one way to completely nullify a royal engagement as if it never existed…’

As I was pondering how to break this cursed lover relationship, there was a knock and Seira entered the room again.

“Your Highness, a visitor has arrived.”

“A visitor?”

“Lord Hezen is waiting in the reception room right now.”

My face automatically scrunched up at the name I least wanted to hear at this moment.

With a ‘pling’ sound effect, a semi-transparent system window floated up not far away.

[Side Quest: Prevent the Engagement Annulment!]

, who witnessed your infidelity, is seriously considering breaking off the engagement with you. Raise ‘s affection to restore your relationship and prevent the engagement annulment!

▶Reward for Success: Title

▶Penalty for Failure: Engagement Annulment, Honor -100, Charm -100, Compensation 300,000,000G

That thing, which looked similar to what I saw that day, was probably the quest window appearing for Hezen.

It seemed to be set to become more vivid the closer he got to me, the player, and fainter the further away.

‘Huh? Title?’

I was dumbfounded seeing the absurd reward for success.

Hezen had outstanding skills but was born a commoner.

However, if he marries into the imperial family, he gains the right of succession to the throne from that moment. Even if his partner is a princess in name only.

Since they can’t give succession rights to a commoner, I knew they were doing the groundwork to transform him into a perfect nobleman by conferring a title on him before marrying me, but…

‘So he pursued me and got engaged because of that?’

Seeing the two words ‘Title’ clearly written under [Reward for Success], my anger boiled over.

Moreover, the compensation for breaking the engagement is as much as 300 million gold?

The engagement breakup compensation in the Azester Empire was twice the dowry.

Calculated in reverse, that bastard received a dowry of 150 million gold from Mother!

For an engagement, not even a marriage!

‘That thieving bastard!’

I gritted my teeth as I stared at the increasingly vivid system window.

“Your Highness, aren’t you going…?”

As I sat in place glaring at the air, Seira asked in an anxious voice.

“No, I’m not going.”

I said in a cold voice and stood up abruptly.

Am I crazy enough to meet that bastard?

The one who deceived me, betrayed me, and made me terminally ill?

Moreover, he came looking for me to raise my affection and prevent the engagement annulment, right?

‘You think it’ll go as you wish?’

Feeling that I might get annoyed if he came looking for me in my bedroom while I stayed here, I decided to go out for a walk.

“I want to be alone, so don’t tell anyone where I am!”

“Y-Your Highness…!”

Seira called out to me in a desperate voice, not knowing what to do, but I ignored her plea and walked out alone.

In truth, I didn’t want to be with anyone, not just Hezen.

Every time I saw the floating letters above people’s heads, I felt depressed as the reality that I was really a character in that cursed game came to mind.

I wasn’t this depressed even when I realized I was a transmigrator with the sudden memories of my past life at age six.

It would be a lie to say I had no lingering attachment to my life before the transmigration.

Living as a burden at my aunt’s house, eating the rice of resentment, I studied desperately to somehow escape that wretched household.

My last memory was rejoicing at the acceptance message from the university I wanted, only to fail to notice the approaching drunk driver’s vehicle.

The first emotion I felt was resentment.

But I knew that nothing could be done by just sitting around feeling resentful.

So I bravely resolved to somehow live this new life well, since I had transmigrated into a new world anyway.

was a work where not only the main protagonist Hezen, but all the characters that appeared shone brightly.

During my difficult school days, this work was the one ray of light in the darkness that I read over and over again to comfort myself.

I thought I would surely be able to live a good new life, having transmigrated into such a world.

But to think that the place I transmigrated to was a world created for just one person!

That I and countless others were actually just characters to be consumed for that someone!

On top of that, that I’m destined to die to awaken that damned bastard!

‘This is really too much.’

Pouring out my resentment towards this world, I deliberately walked with heavy steps.

Who cares about a princess’s dignity when there’s no one watching anyway.

With each heavy step I took, the pendant necklace around my neck swayed back and forth.

Rustle―

I heard someone’s presence from behind.

“I told you not to follow me!”

Thinking it was Seira or other maids, I shouted in a slightly sensitive voice.

“You?”

However, the low, rough voice that came back was that of a man.

When I turned my head, there was the man I had bumped into while passing through the imperial palace corridor not long ago.

The man with an unforgettable, intense face with snow-white silver hair and red eyes, the owner of the pendant currently around my neck.

‘Huh…?’

For a moment, my eyes widened as I noticed something.

‘It’s not there?’

There was nothing visible above the man’s head.

That is, those cursed letters that should be above the heads of all characters in the game.

“I see it is you.”

A laugh resembling the sound of wind escaped through the man’s teeth. Then immediately.

“Necklace thief.”

In an instant, his lowered voice flew at me, laden with chilling killing intent.

“How brazen.”

Startled by the man’s menacing eyes glaring at me, I unconsciously clutched the pendant and took a step back.

“You dare to lay hands on what’s mine?”

The man glared at the necklace around my neck with cold eyes.

A spherical white energy began to coalesce around him.

“W-wait. There’s a misunderstanding… Kyaaak!”

Bang!

With a loud noise, my feeble excuse was cut off.

This madman had immediately hurled a white sphere at me.

If I hadn’t noticed the signs and barely dodged it just before, I would have taken that attack head-on.

Looking behind me, I saw a large tree shattered beyond recognition.

My eyes widened at the sight.

‘Damn! Did he just blast a tree?’

“Hooh.”

Turning my head at the sound of admiration, I saw the man smiling slightly at me as if amused.

“A nimble little cat thief. Is that the skill you used to steal my necklace?”

“I didn’t steal it, I picked it up… Kuaak!”

Kwaaang!

Another sphere came flying.

The hem of my dress that I couldn’t dodge in time went up in black smoke with a hiss and disappeared without a trace.

‘Hiiik!’

A chill ran down my spine as I thought about what would have happened if it had grazed my flesh instead of the fabric.

“Wait, calm down, please calm down…!”

If I couldn’t calm the man down, I would disappear without a trace like that tree and the hem of my dress.

“I-I am the princess of Azester! This is regicide…!”

“If I kill you here and bury your body, no one will know.”

The man added, curling up the corners of his mouth.

“And conveniently, you’re alone.”

His narrowed red eyes flashed with murderous intent.