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Chapter 1
If you were reincarnated as the heroine of a trashy romance simulation game, how mentally prepared would you need to be?
Even after lowering her expectations as much as possible, when exactly would someone finally say, “I can’t do this anymore”?
Lucy Adelstein looked back on all the crises she had endured so far.
Was it when the “Mouth of Disaster” skill activated at a social party she had barely managed to attend, turning her into a human durian?
Or when she obtained the title “Legendary Fisherman” and attracted not the male leads, but middle-aged fishing enthusiasts?
No.
Those were nothing.
If anything, they had only strengthened Lucy’s determination.
At this very moment, however, Lucy realized this was truly the point where she wanted to surrender and declare she couldn’t go on anymore.
Slowly, she surveyed the scene before her.
At the center of it stood Bartholomew Faraday.
A supporting character whose name was never even mentioned in the game.
And at Bartholomew’s feet lay a man collapsed on the ground.
“…Bartholomew?”
Lucy called out to him in a faint voice.
Bartholomew casually flicked the blood off his sword before sliding it back into its sheath.
There was no trace of excitement or anger in his movements—only calm composure.
Only after removing his gloves did he brush back his hair and look at Lucy.
The moment she saw his face clearly, Lucy’s eyes widened.
Bartholomew was smiling.
The gloom that always lingered in his blue eyes had vanished without a trace.
Satisfaction colored the smile resting on his usually rigid lips.
“Lucy.”
The instant his smile deepened—
Beep—!
A warning sound rang out, and a system window appeared.
[Error detected!]
[A fatal error is occurring in the original scenario.]
While the flustered Lucy stared at the system window, Bartholomew took a step forward.
As he approached, Lucy instinctively stepped back.
Seeing her reaction, Bartholomew tilted his head slightly, as though he couldn’t understand it.
Lucy kept retreating until her feet tangled and she fell onto the ground.
“Lucy?”
Bartholomew immediately approached and knelt in front of her.
“Are you okay?”
Lucy cautiously lifted her gaze from the floor.
Bartholomew looked genuinely worried about her, without the slightest hint of deceit.
Looking at him like this, he seems like the usual Bartholomew.
Just as Lucy’s guard began to lower slightly—
Beep—
The sharp warning sound rang out again.
[The original scenario can no longer be maintained.]
[The system is becoming unstable.]
The system window flickered erratically and began to distort.
Fixing her gaze on Bartholomew, Lucy forced herself to ask,
“Bartholomew. Was this your doing?”
Bartholomew said nothing.
Growing anxious, Lucy asked again.
“It wasn’t, right? There’s some kind of misunderstanding, isn’t there?”
Beep—!
[The scenario is being altered to stabilize the game system.]
[Synchronization Rate: 10%]
What in the world was happening?
Then it happened.
Bartholomew reached his hand toward her, and Lucy reflexively flinched.
[Synchronization Rate: 32%]
Bartholomew’s hand paused briefly in midair before moving again.
His hand reached for her hair.
He gently brushed aside the strands that had fallen loose.
[Synchronization Rate: 56%]
His touch was incredibly soft.
Which made the scent of blood surrounding him feel all the more unreal, like a dream.
After tucking Lucy’s hair behind her ear, Bartholomew slowly slid his hand down along the strands.
[Synchronization Rate: 74%]
He lightly wrapped the ends of her hair around his fingers and pressed them to his lips.
With his eyes closed, the image resembled a knight kissing the back of a king’s hand while swearing loyalty.
“I did it.”
[Synchronization Rate: 88%]
Bartholomew slowly opened his eyes.
“I’m now the head of the Faraday family.”
[Synchronization Rate: 97%]
“So.”
His vivid blue eyes stared directly at Lucy.
“Try seducing me too, Lucy.”
Ding!
[Game scenario modification complete.]
No way.
[‘Bartholomew Faraday’ has become a new male lead.]
[‘Bartholomew Faraday’ has been added as a romance target.]
Lucy’s lips trembled.
I’m screwed.
A mere side character—practically an NPC in the game—had stolen the position of the protagonist.
* * *
Thinking back on it, Lucy should have paid closer attention to the things the system window said when she first encountered it.
If she had, she could have mentally prepared herself for just how miserable life inside this trash game would become.
Ding!
[Welcome! Thank you for playing “Heart-Throbbing Love in Arcana♡”!]
[You will play the game as ‘Lucy,’ the heroine and second daughter of the Adelstein Imperial Family.]
Lucy frowned.
The system windows filling her vision made her head spin.
Ding!
[Although the hardships and trials ahead may be difficult, they will make your gameplay far more exciting and colorful!]
Ding!
[Please carve out your destiny and achieve a beautiful love♡]
The cheerful notification sounds constantly ringing in her ears only made Lucy feel more disoriented.
“Ugh…”
As Lucy groaned and blinked her eyes open, an unfamiliar voice spoke.
“Are you conscious?”
Lucy turned toward the sound.
A man stood beside her bed, looking down at her.
The first thing she noticed was his snow-white hair.
Then came the pale gray eyes beneath straight brows.
Cold eyes. A stiff expression.
And his tightly crossed arms.
Overall, he was a handsome man with a chilly atmosphere.
He looks strangely familiar. Who is he?
As if reading her thoughts, a status window appeared beside him.
[Name: ??
Age: ??
Traits: ??
Affection: ??]
But every field was filled with question marks, making it useless.
“Princess Lucy, are you conscious?”
The man asked once more.
His voice now carried irritation, as though his patience was wearing thin.
Ignoring that, Lucy struggled to remember where she had seen his oddly familiar face before.
When she continued staring silently at him, a crease formed between his brows.
Meanwhile, Lucy’s eyes gradually widened.
She remembered.
Cesil Auden.
She hadn’t recognized him immediately because the crude 2D artwork from the game had transformed into vivid reality, but this man was one of the game’s male leads.
The moment Lucy recalled his name, the status window changed.
[Name: Cesil Auden
Age: 18
Traits: The youngest person ever to become the Empire’s greatest healer.
Affection: ??]
But his affection level was still hidden behind question marks.
Why?
While Lucy wondered about it, Cesil spoke again.
“Lucy Adelstein.”
Leaning forward, Cesil closed the distance between them.
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at her.
“This is the last time I’ll ask.”
“……”
“Are you conscious?”
His cold voice sounded less like concern for her condition and more like a warning.
Lucy parted her lips.
She wanted to answer, but her throat tightened shut.
It felt as though some unknown force was preventing her from speaking to him.
And the moment she thought that—
Ding!
[Cesil Auden has asked you the same question multiple times.]
[If you fail to answer before his patience runs out, it may negatively affect his affection level.]
The system displayed a choice window.
[- Yes. I’m okay now.]
[- Who are you?]
Do I have to pick one of these in order to speak?
The system window flashed rapidly, urging her on.
Feeling pressured, Lucy selected the first option.
At that moment—
Beep—!
[Warning! Event cannot proceed!]
What? Why?
[Your intelligence is too low to answer.]
Intelligence…?
Only then did Lucy notice her own status window floating in the corner.
[Name: Lucy Adelstein
Age: 16
Traits: The ugly duckling of the Adelstein Imperial Family]
As she slowly read further down, Lucy doubted her own eyes.
[Intelligence: -50 (Insight abnormal status)]
[Stamina: -50 (Health abnormal status)]
[Reputation: -100 (Charm abnormal status)]
What the hell.
What is this combined total of negative 200 stats…?
