(Evelina's POV)
The first thing I felt was the silence.
Not the comforting kind—the one that hums at 3 a.m. in a Tokyo apartment, when the fridge buzzes and the city lights flicker through the curtains.
No. This was a silence that listened back.
My eyes snapped open to a ceiling I didn't recognize—pure white, with a chandelier glittering like frozen tears. The bed beneath me was too soft, the sheets smelled like perfume and roses, and the air… sterile. Expensive. Unreal.
"...Where am I?" My voice sounded wrong. Sharper. Softer.
Then—ding.
A translucent blue window blinked into existence above me, its letters forming in perfect golden font.
[SYSTEM BOOT SUCCESSFUL.
Welcome back, Evelina Hartgrave.
Route: Unknown. Mode: Simple.]
I stared at the glowing text, eyes wide. "What's going on…?"
In the corner, the logo flickered briefly: Eternal Love.
I froze. That was the game I played last night. The game where the villainess dies in every single route.
I sat up too fast. The silk sheets tangled around my legs. My hands—pale, delicate, manicured—were not mine. A diamond ring glittered on my finger, heavy as guilt.
[Objective:Attend Your Finance's birthday party with your Family.Penalty for refusal: System intervention.]
"What the hell is 'system intervention' supposed to mean?" I muttered.
No answer. Just that soft ding again—like the chime of a knife.
A knock came at the door. "Evelina, come out. We don't have all day."
The voice was cold, clipped, and disturbingly familiar. I'd heard it before, in the game's dialogue menus. It belonged to her second brother. The same brother who, in one route, stabbed her in the garden for "tainting the family name."
My throat tightened. My pulse pounded.
Don't tell me… I…
I turned toward the mirror—and froze. Long black hair with faint red at the tips. Pale yellow eyes.A black, backless dress hugging flawless skin. The face of the villainess I'd killed a hundred times stared back at me.
"No… this can't be real. No… please, no…"
Then—SLAM!
The door burst open. "Evelina!"
A young man entered, his expression sharp with irritation. He had the same dark hair—but his eyes were an icy blue.
Aiden Hartgrave.The eldest son and my favorite character.
Behind him stood Lucien Hartgrave, the second brother—equally cold, equally beautiful.
Before I could even stand—
SLAP!
Pain exploded across my cheek.
"How could you—HOW CAN YOU TEAR SERA'S DRESS?!" Aiden shouted.
My eyes widened.
Did he...Did he just slap me?
How dare—
Before I could move or speak, the blue window blinked open again.
[ARE YOU ANGRY? Choose an option:
1. Curse the heroine.
2. Throw a tantrum.
3. Stay silent.]
"What… the hell…?" My lips moved, but no sound came out.
Why and how… did I end up here? Do I have an option to quit?
I looked back at the glowing screen, frantically searching for a menu, an exit button, anything.
Nothing.
"Are you going to stay silent?!" Aiden barked again, his voice slicing through the air.
No… please… there must be a way out.
But the system only blinked, waiting for my input. And all I could do was choose.
[Option 3: Stay silent.]
My trembling finger hovered for a moment before the screen accepted the command with a soft ding.
Aiden's glare burned into me, Lucien's expression unreadable. My cheek stung, my throat tightened—but I said nothing, as if my lips were sealed.
And for now, silence was the only thing that could keep me alive.
[Choice registered.
Status: Villainess—Active.]
The world around me pulsed once—bright, sharp, real.
And then I understood the cruel truth.This wasn't a dream.This was the game.
And no matter what, I have to find a way to survive.