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[Entering the 39th round!]

For a while, I couldn’t accept reality and suffered, attempting suicide twice. It was a form of escapism. In the end, it was utterly pointless. It only served to remind me that I had to continue living here.

That realization plunged me deeper into despair.

[Entering the 47th round!]

Tristan’s personality, like a sudden seizure, tormented me. Under its influence, I spewed out unintended wickedness and arrogant remarks, gradually becoming a neurotic, arrogant, and broken personality.

It was exactly what Stella’s CEO, Park Joon-hyuk, intended. Since he held my younger sister hostage, I had no choice but to act as he desired.

I gave up resisting the despairing reality and resigned myself to it.

However, what shook my heart was the death of the young maid from the Count’s household, Wendy.

I, who always found Wendy’s constant mistakes annoying, had ordered her to clean the warehouse alone.

Innocent Wendy must have tried her best to fulfill that absurd command. But ‘misfortune’ was unavoidable. She was crushed under the piled-up goods in the warehouse and lost her life.

My reckless command led Wendy to her death.

The moment I saw Wendy’s tiny body pulled out from the pile, my flickering self began to shine brightly again in the darkness.

I felt guilt.

Overwhelmed by the guilt of killing a young girl, forgetting even the influence of my personality. Even if it was a game, to me, she was no different from a living person.

An emotion Tristan would never have felt soon turned into tears.

“I’m sorry… Wendy… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…”

That night, I cried in a place where no one could see me. The tears were proof that ‘I’ had not completely disappeared.

[Entering the 50th round!]

After experiencing Wendy’s death, I resolved to resist my personality. It was also an effort not to forget ‘myself.’

If I forget even the fact that I am me, then there’s nothing left but death.

‘Fine. Let’s just pretend to be Tristan.’

I did have an advantage.

That I shared the original story with Sora.

This world, entirely created by Sora’s imagination, is more familiar to me than to the CEO or company officials.

They only read the portion Sora submitted to the contest, so they know little about what happens afterward. That’s why I, with no experience in the gaming industry, could suddenly join the company—thanks to my position as Sora’s brother and being the one who best understands the original story’s world.

In other words, no matter the outcome, as long as I act like the ‘villain,’ even CEO Park won’t make a big deal out of it.

Moreover, through repeated testing alone at the company, I learned something.

Broadly speaking, the events in this world don’t deviate from the original story’s framework. But in detail, many parts flow differently from the original.

The reason is probably that the novel, which can be considered the original of this world, is still incomplete.

Minor settings or stories Sora didn’t create one by one changed with just one of my actions.

For example, in the first round, the butler at Ruelberta Mansion had three children, but in the next round, it became two.

In other words, strictly speaking, this world is still being created. Like a game being updated in real-time. And the updated contents become a Dummy World, remaining in Sora’s mind once the round ends.

This world will also turn into a Dummy World the moment I die. CEO Park wouldn’t care, though. All he wants is for the ‘real’ Tristan to be in the game when the online service starts.

For his sake, I must act like the ‘real’ one. The real one only Sora and I know.

“Ugh…!?”

At that moment, ‘wrath,’ ‘pride,’ ‘jealousy,’ and ‘greed’ reacted within my chest.

Thump…!

They tried to pollute my heart with dirty and ugly emotions.

“Who do you think you are…!”

I grabbed a pen nearby and stabbed my thigh. The sensation of the sharp pen tip piercing my flesh was horrifyingly painful.

Thump!

Damn it.

They showed no signs of stopping, so I stabbed my thigh again with the pen. Right in the same spot.

I almost writhed in pain but didn’t stop my hand. If I did, I felt like my heart would be dominated.

“Stay still…! Damn it!”

With bloodshot eyes, I kept stabbing my thigh with the pen.

“Stay put!! You bastards!”

To anyone watching, I must have looked like a madman, but at that moment, I had no choice but to go mad.

If I didn’t, I would no longer be myself.

“Because of you, Wendy! Wendy died! What do those worthless emotions think they are! Making me! Making me a murderer?!”

How many times did I mutilate my thigh?

The emotions rising in my chest gradually weakened and then subsided.

“Ha… Ha…”

When the personalities completely settled, my face was drenched in cold sweat, and my thigh and hand were completely stained with blood.

“Ha… Ahaha… Hahaha…!”

Despite the situation, I laughed.

The pain of my thigh being torn to shreds was overshadowed by the exhilaration of suppressing them for the first time.

“Yeah…! Try acting up again…! Huh? Keep acting up as much as you want!”

Despite my shouts, they remained silent.

Only then did I throw the pen on the floor.

“Ha… Damn… You’re just messing around…”

But something felt hazy. What is it…?

Thud-

“…Count. What are you doing calling people here? You’ve been muttering strange things since earlier…”

Suddenly, the door opened, and in came the silver-haired princess, Bella. Now that I think about it, since the round just started, her visit was scheduled…

Bella, seeing the blood on my thigh and the floor, rushed over in shock.

“Count?! What’s wrong?! Snap out of it!”

Ah, did I lose too much blood?

My vision started to blur like fog.

But even in that state, what came to my mind wasn’t my well-being.

“Be quiet…”

“Huh?”

“Just pretend you didn’t see me… Bella.”

“What are you talking about? I need to call someone right now…”

“No need… You hate me, don’t you? If you pretend you didn’t see me and leave me like this, I’ll die. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

I smiled bitterly and looked at her.

She always hated Tristan. Thinking she probably wanted Tristan dead more than anyone, I tried to dissuade her.

“So just go quietly. Bella… I won’t hold it against you.”

“…You’re right. Count, you’re right.”

Bella slowly got up. Then she said to me.

“But dying like this isn’t the way.”

“…What?”

“This is no different from running away. You’re running away from the sins you and your family committed.”

“……”

Not knowing the circumstances, she must think I attempted suicide. Or maybe it did turn into a suicide attempt…

Bella added.

“…And I’m not heartless enough to ignore someone dying.”

“Huh…”

Seeing that, I gave a bitter smile.

“Really, Bella, that’s so like you. Just like in the novel.”

“Huh? Novel?”

With those words, my vision gradually darkened.

“Wait?! Count! Open your eyes! Hey! Is anyone there?! Quickly! Someone! Someone help!”

Hearing Bella’s frantic cries, I eventually closed my eyes.

[Entering the 51st round!]

Yes. Let’s admit it. I got too excited.

But this death had some results. I learned that fighting with the resolve to die can suppress my personality. Even if temporarily, it felt exhilarating to see my self become a bit clearer.

Ah, of course, the problem is I got too excited and died…

Thud-!

Unlike before, the door opened urgently.

“Count?! Are you okay? You lost so much blood…?”

Bella, who entered, looked at me in shock. Then she soon realized her thoughts were mistaken.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing… It’s nothing. Just a bad memory…”

Bella pressed her temples and spoke.

Seeing that, I roughly understood the situation. The influence of the Dummy World remains. Unscrapped Dummy Worlds, though faintly, affect this world.

Bella faintly remembers what happened in the previous round.

Normally, the Dummy World would have been scrapped in time, but with 51 already piled up, it’s natural for influences to start appearing.

I spoke nonchalantly.

“Worrying about someone like me…”

“What…?”

At my words, Bella frowned. Her gaze, unlike before, was filled with deep disgust towards me.

“Still unpleasant, Count. I told you before, didn’t I? Until you change that mindset and attitude, don’t even talk to me.”

Her cold voice stabbed like a dagger.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I only came today because you said you had something to say. The man who ruined our family and tried to bind us with debt… I really hate you.”

“Yeah… I know.”

Being forced into an engagement with Tristan must have deeply wounded her pride and dignity.

Ironically, Tristan didn’t make Bella his fiancée out of love. He just wanted to possess her.

To him, there was no more desirable trophy than Princess Bella Izakhel, praised as the most beautiful in the empire. He saw her as nothing more than a rare and pretty object.

Knowing this, Bella detested Tristan. She would try to escape his grasp at any opportunity.

By the way, since Peter, who was supposed to be with her, isn’t here, I wonder who she’ll end up with in this game.

Of course, it won’t be me.

“Bella Izakhel.”

I called her name.

“Don’t call my name so casually, Count. It’s unpleasant.”

“Do you still have no intention of holding our engagement ceremony?”

“…What have you been hearing from me?”

Bella snapped her fan shut with her hand.

“You shameless man. Do you really still not get it? I don’t want to be engaged to you, let alone face you. I hate even breathing the same air as you at this moment.”

“……”

“Right… Maybe in the past… The you of that time, but now, you’re a man I don’t need in my life.”

Bella poured out her accumulated words.

She’s a bird in a cage. Someday, she’ll meet the protagonist Peter, open the cage, and fly away with silver wings. But Peter won’t come.

Thinking that, I was seized with the desire to set her free.

“Yeah… I get it.”

“You get it? You? No. You don’t. Saying this, you’ll still-”

“I don’t need a fiancée like you either.”

“…Huh?”

Bella’s face froze like ice.

“Count… What did you just say…?”

“Go.”

Ignoring her, I stood by the window, looking into the distance. Gazing at the place created by my sister’s imagination, I muttered.

“From now on, live as you want.”

At least for this round, I’ll open your cage.

 

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