Well, there was nothing she could do in front of everyone right now, so she would obviously wait until evening to talk to him about serious matters.
When they broke apart, they sat down together, and Hans calmly placed his hand over hers, completely ignoring the feigned resentment in her gaze. Thanks to his legendary acting skills, he was highly skilled at reading emotions and could tell whether they were genuine or not, so he immediately noticed that the resentment in her gaze was entirely feigned.
After issuing a command to the system, her profile details immediately appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Aurora di Carmine]
[Status: Villain]
[Affinity]
Level: 99/100
Status: Boundless Love
[Statistics]
Physical: 10
Mental: 32
Luck: 12
Charisma: 99
[Personality]
Obsessively Devoted, Possessive, Controlling, Gentle.
[Passive Abilities]
Good Yandere
[Skills]
Acting — Master, Intimidation — Master, Cooking — Expert, Housework — Expert, Dancing — Student , Singing — Student …and many others.
Hmm, her stats really were very good, especially her Mentality—it was the highest score he'd ever seen. Her personality traits didn't surprise him much either, except for Manic Devotion.
"System, what kind of personality trait is that, anyway?" Hans asked himself.
[System Response]
[Manic devotion is a specific personality trait in which the object of attachment becomes the bearer's absolute emotional priority.]
[Individuals with this trait are prone to extreme displays of loyalty, possessiveness, jealousy, and self-sacrifice.]
[As the emotional bond intensifies, the bearer's behavior may become less rational and more obsessive.]
[Warning: this trait significantly increases the likelihood of obsessive behavior, aggression toward rivals, and pathological dependence on the object of attachment.]
"Hah, looks like I've been worrying for nothing. It seems that no matter how much she wants to lock me in the basement all to herself, my feelings are her priority, and she's willing to make sacrifices for me," Hans thought to himself.
This realization significantly lifted Hans's spirits. He didn't change his plan, but now he was much more confident of success.
Now, Hans issued a command to the system to explain her passive ability—Good Yandere. What did that even mean? He knew the meaning of the word "yandere," but he didn't understand what exactly the "good" qualifier changed.
[System Comment]
Passive Ability: Good Yandere.
[Description]
Kind Yandere is a unique passive psychotype.
The bearer retains the traits of a yandere: extreme emotional attachment, possessive instincts, jealousy, and a tendency toward obsession.
However, the "good" designation means that the bearer's primary priority is not to possess the object of their attachment, but rather the object's happiness, safety, and mutual affection.
A bearer of the Good Yandere is significantly less likely to cause direct harm to the object of their attachment and is more likely to restrain destructive impulses if they conflict with the object's well-being.
The higher the level of attachment, the more the bearer strives to be the only and irreplaceable one for the object of obsession, yet is inclined to sacrifice their own desires for the sake of the object's emotional comfort.
[Effects]
Affects the growth of Mentality.
In the presence of the object of obsession, all of the bearer's characteristics are temporarily doubled.
In the presence of the obsession target, learning speed increases tenfold.
If the obsession target believes the bearer should possess a certain skill, the speed of mastering it is further increased threefold.
Increases the bearer's emotional resilience in all matters concerning the obsession target.
Strengthens determination, attentiveness, and willingness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the obsession target.
Facilitates understanding of the obsession target's emotional state.
Increases reaction speed and concentration in situations related to protecting the obsession target.
[Additional Information]
The learning speed bonus consists of the primary effect of accelerated learning.
Emotional stress may intensify obsessive tendencies, jealousy, and protective instincts.
Warning: Even a "good" yandere is still a yandere.
"Ugh, what on earth is this? It all looks even scarier than with Lilith. Is this really what the power of a yandere is all about?" Hans asked himself silently.
Now Hans wasn't sure he could fool her, because emotions can be faked, but feelings cannot.
If she sensed insincerity, she would definitely try to use it to her advantage. And yet, even then, he couldn't stop thinking about what sacrifices she was willing to make for him.
He felt a little uneasy. She truly put him above everything else in her life, and he was going to use that to manipulate her. But now he had almost no choice left. Even without the system, Hans wouldn't have given up his own desires, but now it was no longer just a desire, but a necessity.
While he sat silently thinking about all this, his family and fiancée were chatting amiably until his great-grandfather and great-grandmother came into view.
"What the…? You look like you've gotten ten years younger!" his father was the first to speak, staring in amazement at his grandparents. Now they looked more like his own father and mother.
They looked much younger than when he had last seen them, especially the old woman, who seemed much livelier.
"I don't understand what you're talking about. We've always looked like this," said the great-grandfather, as if nothing had changed.
"Well, of course," muttered the father, as if to say, "Who are you trying to fool?"
"Well, I gave him some special water today." "Looks like it worked just fine," Hans said cheerfully, with a barely perceptible hint of mystery in his voice.
His father, however, looked at them as if they were hiding something. A thought immediately flashed through his mind: since when has ordinary water been capable of rejuvenating someone like that, and in just one day? He didn't know that Hans had indeed given the old man water—just not ordinary water.
For a while longer, everything continued in a warm, family atmosphere. Eventually, everyone went to their own rooms, and Aurora got the room next to Hans. Everyone understood perfectly well that they would have to talk.
To be sure, neither of them was in a hurry, for both sensed that whoever took the initiative first would immediately put themselves at a disadvantage.
And, surprisingly, Lilith was the first to make a move. She walked up to Aurora's room and knocked softly on the door.
"Oh, Hans, you've finally decided…" she began, certain that her fiancé was standing behind the door. But as soon as the door opened and Lilith's pretty little face appeared before her, she merely pursed her lips, feeling a sharp pang of disappointment.
Why was he still ignoring her? She could feel his love, and that was why she had waited patiently, believing that sooner or later he wouldn't be able to resist and would come on his own. But why was Hans being so stubborn?
"Hehe, little sister Aurora, it's not Hans, it's me," Lilith smiled. She had come here at Hans's request to give Aurora a little nudge. He had explained everything to her in detail—what to say and what not to mention under any circumstances.
"Ugh…" Sighing heavily, she invited Lilith in. Aurora would never allow herself to treat her badly: if she did, her beloved would hate her. She knew very well how much the Nightmare people valued family ties. And she herself had no intention of turning Lilith away, since she had long since come to see her as a sweet younger sister.
"Sis Aurora, if you want to see Hans, why don't you just go see him? He's literally right behind that wall," Lilith teased, tapping her finger lightly against the wall.
"That rude guy who dared to ignore me for two months?" Aurora grumbled. "Let him apologize first."
Lilith just smiled broadly at that. She didn't have to pretend or lie—she just had to tell the truth.
"Well, actually, he didn't mean to do that; he just got really sick," Lilith said sadly. Her emotions were entirely sincere: Hans had indeed been in poor condition for the past few months, so Aurora couldn't detect any insincerity in them.
"Sick?" Aurora asked, her voice a mix of surprise and concern.
"Not physically, but psychologically." "After your argument, he started having nightmares and barely slept… Just a few days ago, he looked utterly pitiful and exhausted. The family blamed you and wanted to call off the engagement, but Hans flatly forbade it. It's good that he's feeling better," Lilith said with a smile as she cast her line.
But Aurora was in no mood for that. Not seeing any deception in her eyes, she panicked.
Hurrying out of the room, she headed decisively toward Hans and knocked loudly on the door several times.
She was overcome by sheer panic. Her mind was in turmoil; thoughts raced one after another, preventing her from focusing on even a single thing, while a heavy, almost agonizing anxiety froze in her eyes. She could no longer think calmly or clearly—every word Lilith had spoken echoed over and over in her mind, only fueling her fear more intensely. If they were truly separated because of this, she would be in despair, but even that thought didn't hurt her as much as the other one. What broke her most was the realization that she herself might have been the cause of Hans's condition. That while she had been angry, offended, and waiting, he might actually have been suffering, unable to sleep at night, and slowly driving himself to exhaustion. And that made her truly afraid.
She no longer cared about any advantages—she had to see him right now!!!
She no longer cared about any advantages, about pride, about which of them would end up in a stronger or weaker position. All of that instantly lost any meaning. Right now, there was only one single desire for her, one that had pushed all other thoughts aside—she had to see him immediately. Right now, at this very moment, to see with her own eyes that he was all right, to hear his voice, to look into his face. Only that mattered. Everything else could wait.
Hans opened the door casually—he had just been smoking, so a faint scent of nicotine still wafted from him.
"What's wrong, dear?" he asked her calmly.
Without saying a word, she rushed inside and immediately began to examine him anxiously, almost frantically. Her gaze swept over his face, neck, shoulders, and arms—quickly, nervously, as if she were afraid of missing something important. And soon she did indeed notice signs of exhaustion on his body that had not yet completely faded. Although most of them had already faded, a keen eye could still catch that unnatural pallor, the slight gauntness of his features, and that barely perceptible trace of past weakness that had not yet completely vanished. This made her heart ache even more.
The realization of her guilt truly hurt her, as if a heavy roller had indeed rolled over her heart. But she couldn't just give in so easily. Even if she was the cause of it all, that didn't change the fact that Hans had to put an end to his fantasies about a harem. He had to be hers and hers alone. The most she could agree to as a sort of apology was to let him have five mistresses, if that's what he wanted so badly. But she wasn't going to give in any further than that. A second wife was out of the question.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked, casting a glance at him that was so mixed with emotions it was impossible to make out anything specific.
"What are you talking about?" he asked her, feigning confusion.
"Stop pretending to be so tough—Lilith told me everything," she said. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she couldn't think clearly and hadn't realized that Lilith's words were actually just a decoy. And by the time she figured it out, it would be too late.
"Are you talking about that little thing with the nightmares?" Hans looked at her and made a barely perceptible facial expression, pretending to be hiding something important. "Well, I'm feeling better now."
"Well, since you're already here, I was just about to come see you to talk," said Hans, sitting down on the sofa in his room and offering his fiancée a seat.
She did just that, looking at Hans strangely.
"Hans, I know where you're going with this. And, like a good fiancée, I'm willing to let you have up to five mistresses, but no more. Don't even mention wives—I'm already making huge concessions for you," though she was plagued by guilt over his recent condition, she couldn't possibly sacrifice her own happiness. She wasn't going to let him marry anyone he wanted, giving him complete free rein over his desires. She was already suppressing her jealousy, pain, and reluctance, trying to please him. But even the mere thought of him being with another woman made her heart ache.
"I know you won't agree," he said calmly, taking her hand. "That's exactly why I wanted to talk to you."
"I've thought about this a lot, struggled with myself, but my feelings turned out to be too strong," Hans said with feigned sadness.
"I truly love you very much, with all my heart, and the very thought of parting with you breaks my heart," he continued. A shadow of obsession flashed in his eyes for a moment, and then a single tear fell from his eyelashes, as if he were barely holding back his tears.
"But I simply cannot fight this desire," Hans said quietly. "That is why I have decided to break off the engagement. It will be better for both of us, and in time it will become easier for us," he added, lowering his head.
The whole time she listened to him, Aurora studied his face intently, picking up on every change, every barely perceptible twitch of a muscle that might betray a lie. But it was in vain—she didn't notice a single slip. Aurora was certain: it was nearly impossible to pull off such a scene flawlessly.
Even she herself would hardly have managed it.
And that meant he was saying exactly what he thought and truly intended to do so. He was ready to give her up, to sacrifice her for the sake of other women. The thought that he wanted to leave her spun endlessly in her head, like the obsessive chime of a clock. Everything was mixed up inside her: anger, despair, hatred, and bitter resentment.
Finally, she could no longer bear these thoughts; she abruptly stood up from her seat and loomed over Hans.
"YOU CAN'T!!!" she burst out. "How dare you even say that, you monster? You have no right to leave me!"
Unable to control her emotions, she slapped him. The sound of the blow echoed throughout the room.
Hans's head jerked sharply to the side, and almost immediately a red mark from her palm appeared on his cheek. A heavy, oppressive silence hung in the room, so thick it seemed you could cut it with a knife.
"I'm sorry," she quickly came to her senses. A single thought kept pounding insistently in her head: How could she have hit him? How did she dare? She felt disgusted with herself. But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside—now she was frightened by something else, something much worse: she was losing control. She no longer knew what to do, didn't know how to convince him, and for the first time in a long time, she felt truly powerless.
"Hans, if you want, you can have more lovers—ten or even twenty," she was already trying to persuade him, clinging to this as her last chance. "Just don't leave me."
"I'm sorry, but this is for the best," Hans said with such finality that there was simply no room left for further discussion.
Aurora simply sank to her knees. Her legs spread limply to the sides, as if in an instant they had stopped supporting her weight, and she herself suddenly became somehow empty, heavy, and almost dead. Her face turned so pale it was as if all the blood had drained from it in a matter of seconds, and her eyes froze into that terrible, glassy expression that appears when a person hasn't yet fully realized the blow, but has already felt how it shattered them from within. Her heart twisted into a tight, painful knot, and it felt as if someone had cruelly squeezed it with their hand, leaving her with no air, no strength, and not even the right to breathe normally.
She stared straight ahead, but for a while she could see almost nothing. A dull roar filled her ears, her thoughts scattered, and inside her there remained only one unbearable void, rapidly expanding and pushing everything else aside. It felt as though, along with those words, something vital had been torn from her—something without which she could no longer imagine how she was supposed to go on living.
Her fingers twitched almost imperceptibly, but she didn't even have the strength for that. A wave of weakness washed over her entire body, so profound that she felt like a broken doll that had simply been tossed onto the floor. And the worst part wasn't even the pain, but the fact that Hans's words were still echoing in her head, tearing her apart from the inside over and over again.
No, she had no right to just give up like that and let herself lose him!!!
"No, Hans, I beg you. If you want, I can just be your mistress, and you can marry whoever you please," she said, rushing toward him in a panic and clinging to his legs.
Her desire to preserve her status and not lose control over him was completely shattered by a single thought—that she might lose him.
"No!!! I can be a slave or even a dog, and you can bring whoever you want and have fun right in front of me; I'll never say a word, never react—I'll exist for you as an ornament. Without words, I'll just be a thing that belongs to you"—she could never, ever, ever lose him.
"Please, I beg you, just don't send me away! Don't leave me, don't reject me, don't look at me as if it's already over between us. I'll agree to anything, just don't take away my right to be by your side," she said, looking at him with a gaze full of obsession. Her belief that he loved her enough to never, under any circumstances, leave her had finally faded, leaving only despair in its wake.
It was hard for Hans to watch this, and he quickly pulled her close. He had already achieved everything he wanted: now she certainly wouldn't risk taking her words back, because the fear of losing him had proven too strong. So there was no point in continuing to pressure her.
Hans was truly lucky that she wasn't your typical yandere; otherwise, she would most likely have tried to deceive him. Aurora, however, was far too sensitive to his emotional state.
So much so that even before all his manipulations, she was ready to let him have mistresses, and that's what truly stunned him. But he still believed he had to tame her at any cost—after that, in his opinion, everyone was supposed to be happy.
"Hans…" she whispered, barely audible, pressing herself cautiously and tenderly against him, as if afraid that any sudden movement on her part might ruin everything again.
"Shh… Don't cry, I've changed my mind," Hans said, gently wiping her tear-stained eyes with a handkerchief.
"Actually… no, I haven't changed my mind," he corrected himself quietly. At those words, her heart clenched with dread once more, and she was about to start begging him not to leave again. But Hans wouldn't let her.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered barely audibly: "I haven't changed my mind, because I never intended to leave you."