TVWD 26

Chapter 26.

The man threatened me, but I blew my whistle and ran.

“Seriously, you’re such a nuisance.”

“Ugh.”

Something grabbed my ankle, and I fell forward.

“Still, I appreciate you coming alone, my lady. Thanks to you, it’ll be easier to kill you.”

The voice drew closer, and I quickly scrambled to my feet. Whatever had grabbed my ankle was gone.

“Haah… haah…”

My arms trembled, probably because the effect of the stimulant that temporarily boosted my strength had worn off.

I’d been too complacent, relying on the fact that I couldn’t die unless it was by one of the male leads.

But this time—this time was different in so many ways. I should’ve been more careful.

“Let’s stop this futile resistance, shall we?”

But I’ve never died halfway before. Not once.

Even when I fell from the top of a twenty-story spire, even when my head hit the ground—I didn’t die.

Unless it’s the moment written in the novel for me to die, I absolutely cannot!

“Huff… hah…”

I forced my trembling legs to move, but my body swayed, and I had to lean against a nearby tree.

The man in the robe drew closer.

“Have you finally given up?”

My vision blurred.

“Yes, a wise choice. I’ll honor you by making your death quick.”

Am I… really going to die? This life had only just begun—am I really dying now?

…Wait a second. This is the first time I’ve actually been about to die in the middle.

A glimmer of hope sprouted deep within my heart.

If I die this time… maybe I won’t come back?

My heart pounded wildly.

Yes, maybe if I die now, I won’t return again. This has never happened before!

“You…”

The robed man, who’d been stalking toward me like a predator cornering its prey, froze.

“Why are you smiling?”

Smiling? Me?

I touched my lips—they were curved upward. The man’s lips twisted.

“No wonder ‘that person’ told me not to kill you… You’re strange, aren’t you?”

“That person?”

“Our master. The one who takes an interest in all things rare and bizarre. A being with a weakness for anything… intriguing.”

That description—I’d heard it somewhere before…

“I came because he said to keep you alive for now, and now I see why.”

“‘Keep me alive for now’…” I could already guess who he meant.

What— the Tower Master?

I thought he was only loosely connected to the Blue Bird, but turns out he has a major role?

“To think you’ve caught his attention—how irritating.”

The robed man raised his hand and slapped my cheek.

Slap! A sharp sound rang out, but I felt no pain.

“I can’t forgive you.”

The man advanced, not with magic this time, but with physical force.

At close range, I could see the madness in his eyes—pure, unfiltered lunacy.

“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny about death? …Right. You wouldn’t know fear like he does. You must never let him find out. He mustn’t know…”

He muttered incoherently, but continued to menace me.

Death was creeping closer, yet laughter spilled from my lips.

An ending that comes at the wrong time—this had never happened before in any of the cycles. Please, let it end like this.

“Roshia!”

As if to confirm that I was truly dying, I heard his urgent voice. My breath loosened, and I collapsed to the ground.

“Eeeeeee!”

That voice—I thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t.

The situation had changed; the mage who had been about to kill me stumbled backward in shock.

“I was so close!”

From his deranged eyes, black energy began to boil and surge. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I knew it wasn’t good.

The energy poured from the mage’s body, taking the form of sharp spikes. I realized it was condensed, concentrated mana.

Wherever the spikes touched grass or flowers, they withered black.

Rexian, who had come to save me, also sensed the danger—he wrapped his sword in sword energy.

“Damn you, meddler!”

The energy turned toward Rexian, not me—and though my body was exhausted beyond reason, I somehow sprang up and ran.

“No!”

I’d even forgotten about the chance that this could be my escape from the cycle—I just ran, throwing myself between them.

“You—!”

The mage, just about to unleash his dark magic at Rexian, stared in shock as I jumped in. The deadly energy wavered for an instant.

At that moment, a blue swordlight slashed past me, cutting through the mage. The surging energy dissipated like heat haze, and the mage collapsed—his head and body separated.

“Are you insane?!”

Rexian grabbed my shoulders, shouting angrily. But in those deep blue eyes, the dominant emotion wasn’t anger—it was fear.

“That’s my line, Rexian Ricianshus!”

I grabbed his collar.

“Why? Why did you do that! Why do you keep interfering in my affairs!”

“Ro… Roshia?”

“You think you won’t die just because you’re a Sword Master? You can die too! You can! You’re not immortal!”

Exhausted, half-delirious from being strangled by that mage and losing the silver fox, I lost all rational thought at the idea that Rexian might have died.

I tried to shake him by the collar—but it was my body that shook.

Even dizzy, I had to make him understand me.

“Don’t ever do that again. Don’t risk your life by getting involved in my problems!”

“Then what, I should just stand by and watch? When you might die?”

“Yes! Just watch! Watch me die and be happy about it!”

Rexian gave a disbelieving laugh, but I couldn’t stop.

“You mustn’t die for me. Please, don’t die in front of me…”

“Are you all right?”

From the day Rexian chose my side over Merina’s, the world began to change.

The crown prince and my sister still loved Merina, but Rexian… looked at me.

The gentle man who handed me a handkerchief met my gaze, spoke to me, and stood by my side.

At first, I thought it was another trap the world had set for me, so I pushed Rexian away—again and again—speaking cruelly if I had to.

“I don’t mean to burden or trouble you,” he said.

But no matter what I did, he wouldn’t back away.

“I can’t stand seeing you treated unjustly… or suffering alone.”

In those deep, sea-colored eyes—there was sincerity.

“I won’t ask you to return my feelings. Just… let me be on your side when you’re attacked for no reason.”

In a world that revolved entirely around Merina, Rexian alone stepped out of that orbit—and faced me.

Was it okay to accept this love?

Was something about to go wrong?

Was this the sign that everything was about to collapse?

I’d never received anyone’s pure affection before—so I was terrified. How much further could I fall from here?

While I spent hundreds, thousands of moments hesitating, Rexian stayed by my side—and that life ended.

In the next round, he sided with me even earlier than before. And in the next, and the next…

After about ten cycles, I finally admitted it.

Rexian Ricianshus truly loved me.

In the 23rd cycle, we became lovers.

Having been utterly alone in this world, there was no way I could reject such unconditional love.

After that, instead of the usual ten months or so, I spent nearly three years with him.

I thought the regressions were finally over—but perhaps the world wanted to toy with me one last time.

Because this ending was crueler than any before.

Our family was accused of treason, but calmly, I sent my family to the duchy while I remained in the empire.

I’d always been caught before escaping—so I figured I’d at least buy some time.

The problem was…

“The Levian family, traitors? Your Majesty, perhaps you should reinvestigate. You can’t rely solely on the word of a few noble houses—”

“Stand aside, Duke. That witch’s deception of the royal family is already common knowledge. Even your protection won’t change the outcome.”

Rexian again stood between me and the crown prince.

“If you keep defending that woman, you’ll be charged with treason yourself!”

Even when I begged him to go, Rexian shielded me. He took my hand, running with me again and again—but we couldn’t escape fate.

The suffocating chains of destiny tightened—and this time, they caught Rexian too.

“No matter how great a Sword Master you are, you can’t stop this!”

At the prince’s command, thousands of arrows darkened the sky. Rexian’s sword energy split countless arrows in two.

But still, many remained—raining down upon us.

“Rexian, at least you should run.”

You’re a Sword Master—you can hide yourself easily. Please, at least you survive.

I pushed him away and stood tall, ready to face the storm of arrows.

This time, I thought, will have a different ending.

As I gave a bitter smile at my first death of this kind, Rexian pulled me into his arms.