Chapter 17

It's the heroine's entrance in the game.

“Hey, what’s going on!? What do you mean!?”

She shakes the iron bars of the dungeon in the castle. Her pink hair, which had been soft, had become unkempt due to the lack of care over the past few days. No matter how loudly she shouted, no one responded. Her words were completely ignored.

"Why... why is this happening..."

As she repeats these words over and over, her heart begins to break.

It started smoothly. Born as Lillian von Cheria, she had been looking forward to the romance with handsome guys like Gerard at the academy. Lillian was the illegitimate child of Baron Cheria and a maid. Her mother, who had become pregnant, could not have an abortion and gave birth to Lillian near a facility, dying shortly after. Lillian was raised in the facility until she turned 15. She knew she was a noble's child because of the noble emblem her mother left behind, but her father did not come forward immediately, probably because she was an unwanted child.

Finally, her father came forward after losing his heir to an epidemic. Despite neglecting her until then, he took her in for selfish reasons. At this stage, Lillian is the only child of the baron.

Lillian's father probably wants her to marry and produce an heir, but Lillian doesn't care. She doesn't want to live for a father who abandoned her and then picked her up on a whim.

Fortunately, Lillian has the memories of another person, not as Lillian. In a completely different world called Japan, she was a plain student. She immersed herself in the game world to escape her loneliness. The world where Lillian now exists is very similar to that game.

The romantic scenes at the Royal Academy of the Ruberia Kingdom. Among them, Prince Gerard is a very popular character. As a future king, he is so strictly disciplined that he doesn't know how to be affectionate. He opens his heart to the heroine, who gives him genuine praise for everything he does. In the end, he breaks off his engagement and makes the heroine his princess, building the kingdom together.

Just like in the game, when Lillian spoke to Gerard, he began to stay with her. Gerard, who is excellent, but suffocating, sighs, saying that if he marries Elina, he will never have a day of peace. Marriage should be based on mutual affection. Lillian told Gerard that such a relationship is wrong. This is Lillian's true feeling.

Of course, she also spoke to the other targets. They said Lillian was the cutest and praised her a lot. Although Lillian's favorite is Gerard, she doesn't mind being pursued by good-looking men. It's a story that couldn't have happened in her previous life, so she got carried away. Lillian is the heroine in this world. She believed she deserved to be loved. No, she still believes that.

The engagement break event went smoothly. What was concerning was that the insults and harassment from the duke's daughter were less than expected, just nagging. However, she did slip and get injured, which was not a setup. So she told Gerard and the others that Elina pushed her. There was no one else who would want to tarnish Lillian's reputation. At least, not in the game world. So she was certain it was Elina.

However, the result was not Elina. Moreover, she was accused of defaming the duke's family. Even worse, Gerard was stripped of his position as prince and imprisoned. When she heard that Alvis had become the new prince, Lillian thought it was impossible. It was too far from the game.

Prince Gerard is the only prince of the Ruberia Kingdom. His position is unshakable unless he commits a serious crime. Most importantly, the Ruberia Kingdom only allows male heirs to inherit. There was no way Gerard would be deposed. Yet, not only was he deposed, but someone else became the prince.

"Prince Alvis... He's a character from the sequel. Why is he here?"

He is the main character of the game's sequel and, of course, a target. The son of the duke and the younger brother of the king, he is also a royal with succession rights. To be honest, his face was more to Lillian's liking than Gerard's. She had given up on him because he wasn't supposed to appear this time, but now Alvis is engaged to Elina. Moreover, there are rumors that he has received the blessing of the goddess.

"The one who receives the blessing is the heroine... me. Why is Alvis receiving it? This is a mess... If Alvis was here, I would have aimed for his route..."

"Calling the new prince by his first name is quite disrespectful. It seems you still don't understand your position."

Lillian half-whispered his name, and the man with a frown pointed the tip of his sword at her throat.

"Ah!"

"...You know my name, which is quite knowledgeable for a baron's daughter. We haven't met before, have we?"

"That... that's..."

Lillian's voice trembled. She only knew because he was a character, but telling him that would make her seem crazy. Lillian understood that much.

"...You are also suspected of being a spy. The Cheria family has been stripped of their noble status. You will be sent to the Garuda Monastery."

"Garuda...?"

The Garuda Monastery. It's a small island that can only be reached by boat. The island has only the monastery. It's a place where noble daughters who have committed crimes are locked away for life.

Lillian's face turned pale. She couldn't bear the thought of living there for the rest of her life.

"No... No! Why... Why am I...?"

"Being allowed to live is a mercy. The young men you deceived have all been expelled from their families. If you want to live freely, becoming a commoner is the best option. However, you have wrongfully accused a duke's daughter. Even as a commoner, you might turn against us again. Hence this decision."

"No... I didn't mean to! Because at that time, the only person who hated me was Elina! That's why I thought it was her! So, it's not my fault! I'm not to blame! I'm not to blame!!"

...

Lillian screamed as if in a wail. But the Knight Commander Hector, who heard her, only looked at her with emotionless eyes.