《Seilah’s True Ending》 Prologue ¡°I can¡¯t see myself going out with you anymore, Miyoung. We no longer have things in common and I feel like I deserve someone better. Let¡¯s end things cleanly, yeah?¡± Jiwook¡¯s words still rang continuously in my mind. Jiwook, a thirty year old office worker and a senior in the office that I worked in. He¡¯s from the business department and inexplicably well-liked by many of the employees and that included myself when I first came here. For some reason, he instantly took a liking to me and we started dating two months into my career in the company. Two years eventually passed by and he went on to do better things, becoming the Project Manager for an important government project while I was still stuck doing design. Our team suggestions never took off with the Director and it had been tough trying to come up with new ideas. I tried my hardest to live a decent life but it was difficult to keep your head up when your work life is like shit. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here today hiking, at my best friend Hana¡¯s insistence of us trying to get some fresh air. Having a shitty personal life is now one of the many things to add on to my already shitty work life. I sighed, looking towards the beer can in my hand; it was one thing to be drinking in broad daylight but it was another all together to be drinking while hiking. I sniffled, hurriedly gulping down the remaining beer as it filled down my throat, hot and stinging just like the tears that had formed in my eyes as I remembered how shitty my life was. It was then I felt a rather strong stare on my back and I hesitantly turned, meeting eyes with Hana. The young woman had been frowning, lips pursed into a thin line as she said unexpectedly. ¡°Did you finish the last route? Johann is so dreamy! You have to finish it, okay?!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I sighed again. Somehow, I knew that Hana was going to steer towards an unrelated topic to cheer me up but the latter also didn¡¯t know that I had already completed the full game in the first place. The Bluebell Daughter, a popular dating sim that took the ladies of Korea by storm a month ago and I, Son Miyoung, a self-proclaimed dating game enthusiast, had been too excited during it¡¯s release and finished it within two weeks. It was a good seventy dollars well spent but even thoughts of the game couldn¡¯t fill up this emptiness that I¡¯m currently feeling. However, I couldn¡¯t shake off the warmth I was feeling from my friend¡¯s concern. ¡°Just to let you know, I already did-¡± ¡°Miyoung, watch out!¡± As though I was scorned by God, I felt myself falling from the edge of a cliff after accidentally losing my footing, feeling the panic gushing through my head before feeling cold dirt embracing my skin just for a short second. It was all too clich¨¦ and I cursed at the horrible atrocity, regretting my decision of drinking and hiking, especially when you considered that I was a lightweight. This must have been my just desserts for dying dramatically. In my last moments, all I could see was Hana¡¯s panicked eyes, the young woman kneeling at the edge of the cliff hoping that her hands could have reached for mine somehow. It was a bitter feeling and it truly felt like it had been a shitty life. For one, I had no family, no one to call home and my career never once took off in the years I¡¯ve been slogging through. The only good thing had been Hana, the sole light and comfort in my dull life. And yet, a single thought continuously glares in my last moment. At least the suffering ends now. Chapter 1 ¡°It¡¯s an accident¡­ all right¡­ bed rest¡­ for one week¡­ avoid¡­ yes¡­call for me¡­¡± I could make out bits and pieces of a man¡¯s voice talking, though my eyelids seemed heavy. I wanted to open my eyes but it felt strenuous and even the back of my head was throbbing painfully. I felt a stir on my right, delicate hands holding tightly on to my own as a woman sobbed uncontrollably. ¡°Oh¡­ whatever are we going to do with you?¡± It was strange, the foreign words repeating itself in my mind. I was pretty sure the woman had been speaking in a foreign language but for some reason, I knew I understood every word the woman said. A sense of restlessness washed through me and I hurriedly opened my eyes and sat up, earning a surprised shriek from nearby company. I tried blinking a few times, taking in the scene as my eyes readjusted to proper sight. An older man, somewhere in his mid forties was staring worriedly across the room, while another young woman dressed in a maid garb peered down my eyes in confusion. On my right sat one of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my entire life, her beautiful red hair tied neatly into a bun, sky blue eyes staring down my own. ¡°Seilah!¡± The woman cried further, suddenly putting her arms around my body as I stifled in a gasp. ¡°You¡¯re awake! We were so worried!¡± Seilah? The familiar name put a frown on my face but it was then that I saw her on the reflection of the long mirror by my bed. The woman in front had long, messy, white hair, her face looking worse for wear. Her blue eyes resembled a lapis lazuli jewel, different from the sky blue ones of the woman that was holding on to me, and it stared back at me with ferocious intensity. Her skin was pure and white, marbled like it was free from any scars as though she was carved by stone. The woman staring back was the most beautiful person I had ever seen but the familiarity of her face and on whose face it was sent chills down my spine. Wait, wait, wait!!! Why do I look exactly like the character Seilah from the illustration of The Bluebell Daughter?! ¡°Seilah? I¡¯m Seilah?¡± My voice came out as a soft whisper, fingers warily pulling onto my own cheeks to make sure that this wasn¡¯t a dream. I winced at my how my voice sounded, sultry and smooth as though God had put his all into making me. The woman who had been hugging me froze, slowly releasing her grip as she anxiously turned to the older man in the room in panic. ¡°¡­ D-Do you not remember who you are? Did you lose your memories when you fell?! Oh, what should we do dear-¡± The mentioned older man cleared his throat, feigning a cough, a worried gaze now resting on my face instead. I somehow instinctively knew who he was. He had the same white hair Seilah had ¨C and not because of old age ¨C and the eyes that I had seen in the mirror was the exact same as this older gentleman here. It was after all, a Siren trait. ¡°¡­ Seilah, do you really not remember who you are?¡± I felt my insides churned at the familiar name, holding off a groan at the sick joke. It had to be a joke, or even a bad dream and I desperately wished that it was anything but reality. Seilah Siren was the name of the antagonist of the game I completed two weeks ago. She was the only daughter of Grand Duke Siren, a loving and doting father who gave her everything she wanted. The woman currently holding onto me tightly must have been Seilah¡¯s step mother, Erin Rose, yet another kind fool who puts the world at Seilah¡¯s feet. The throbbing in my head seemed to be getting worse, unknowingly meeting the black eyes of the sole maid in the room. This woman must have been Maya Archer, Seilah¡¯s most trusted servant and maid in waiting. It was all too ridiculous but it was true as the ominous feeling sunk again in the depths of my stomach. I¡¯ve been reborn into Seilah Siren!!!
¡°Mistress¡­¡± Maya had been hovering anxiously, her fingers fidgeting from how nervous she was. I felt that I couldn¡¯t blame her for feeling that way either as my own heart was a mess, having established a little lie earlier. With how concerned the family had been just now, I had little choice but to lie that I had lost some of my memories during my accident. There was absolutely no way I was going to tell them that I¡¯m an entirely different person who¡¯s now possessing the body of their beloved daughter. Who knows if they¡¯d even believe me and even if they did, they would probably throw me into prison for wrongful trespassing or something. I took in a deep breath to recollect my thoughts, feeling determination swell up to get through this wicked world. First, I was now occupying the body of antagonist Seilah Siren. From the conversation I had earlier with my parents, I knew that the real Seilah had been in a hunting competition before she fell off a cliff, a laughable coincidence to how I had met my demise when I was hiking and drinking. Second, there could be reasons to suspect foul play, considering that Seilah wasn¡¯t well liked by the upper society. She was essentially the most powerful woman in this Kingdom, and wasn¡¯t even one of the King¡¯s lovers, a rare attribute in this aristocratic setting. From the game¡¯s character sheet that I had read before, Seilah wasn¡¯t a simple, spoiled noble who had it all and wanted things to go her way. She was cunning, shrewd and charismatic, commanding the respect of people with her intelligence and wit. In all of the love routes, she had only been sent to death after much investigation from the love interests, and even then, pointing evidences and accusing her was difficult if you didn¡¯t play the game well. The Bluebell Daughter¡¯s world itself was questionable. Set in a fairly large Kingdom called Diamond Kingdom, the story follows the main protagonist Luna Bluebell, the adopted daughter of the unmarried Duke Bluebell, meeting and falling in love with seven love interests that will help her out in their respective routes. The common plot between all routes had been how Seilah interferes with Luna¡¯s love life, and to a certain extent, her family as well. It was definitely quite a bit to take in and I sighed, recalling back what was in store for my new life. It was frustrating to go from one shitty life to the other, when I had been morbidly ecstatic that my suffering would have ended. ¡°Lady Siren...¡± A soft voice called out from outside. The door to the room slightly opened, a handsome young face peeking warily behind it. The first thing I noticed was bright, pastel pink hair, its¡¯ owner scurrying inside when I nodded for him to come in. The young man was really good looking, with a tall build and chiseled muscles hidden by a white shirt. The other thing I had noticed was his lilac-coloured eyes, beautiful like the colour of the skies when urging one to take a rest. It felt comfortable looking into his face, my anxiousness from earlier soothing out. The young man gave a polite bow. ¡°My lady. I apologise for not returning to your side sooner.¡± By the time I realised that my mouth had hung open from how in awe I had been from his entrance, the embarrassment had already kicked in and I quickly went to shut it. I turned to Maya, feeling a tad uncomfortable, and it was to no surprise when she quickly understood why her lady had done so. ¡°This is Cole, Lady Seilah. He is your personal knight and acts as your guard.¡± Ah-ha. The name Cole had yet been another familiar name, though the reason why I couldn¡¯t recognise him right away was because the guy had merely been a side character and there hadn¡¯t been any illustrations of him in the game. It was a difficult thought to process for the guy right in front looked nothing like a side character and it was almost an insult to call him that. Cole looked at his lady unsurely, hands clasped together as he waited for her answer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I could have sworn he stifled a gasp. ¡°I think I lost some parts of my memories so I don¡¯t really remember who you are.¡± It slightly irked and rubbed me the wrong way as I was sure he gasped because I apologised, not when I stated that my memories had disappeared. Oh, Seilah. How did you live your life before? ¡°N-Not at all, my lady!¡± He quickly bowed again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not being by your side when the accident happened! If I was, perhaps this wouldn¡¯t have happened...¡± His tone was tinged with regret. It was strange, I thought, that he was apologetic and still sounded sincere about it. From the information I had of Seilah, none of the servants here were probably sincere in serving her as they walked on eggshells around her all the time. That was how the game had portrayed the antagonist Seilah Siren. Cole¡¯s eyes widened again before he hurriedly bowed once more. ¡°But there¡¯s something more important, My Lady! His Majesty must have heard about your unfortunate accident and had sent His Highness the Crown Prince to see how you¡¯re faring. As we¡¯re speaking, he¡¯s currently out in the Great Hall but His Grace and Her Grace are persuading him since you are still sick in bed.¡± ¡°His Highness?¡± I frowned, immediately sitting up. I turned to Maya again, eyebrows crinkled with worry. ¡°... Were we ever close?¡± It was absolutely bizarre that the Crown Prince would pay Seilah a visit, especially since he wasn¡¯t on good terms with the King. I knew this fact well enough for there was so much mention of how Seilah was only close to His Majesty, thinking the Princes inferior in the game. There was definitely no way the Prince would be doing his father a favour and my stomach stirred unsurely. ¡°... I¡¯m afraid not, My Lady.¡± Maya looked just as worried. ¡°There had been a few run-ins but in general, the Princes never bothered with My Lady and neither did you with them.¡± A simple thought that Maya and Cole may have been purposely withholding information back from me did crossed my mind for a bit but I eventually decided there shouldn¡¯t be distrust among the two servants closest to me. After all, the game did mention that both Maya and Cole had always strongly stayed loyal to Seilah, even after she was declared the mastermind behind many of Luna¡¯s misfortunes. I mulled over my decision carefully, eventually getting out of bed all together. ¡°... Maya, dress me up quickly. We shouldn¡¯t keep His Highness waiting.¡± ¡°My Lady?! Are you going to greet him?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it curious that Royalty have decided to leave the Palace grounds and come to our humble abode? I for one, am most curious to why he¡¯s here.¡± Cole and Maya merely looked to each other in resignation, the former hurriedly exiting the room to inform his lord of the unexpected development.
The first thing I had seen as I walked through large, double oakwood doors had been my new parents mortified faces. Grand Duke Edward Siren had looked bright for merely a second when he saw me, though his head hung low again when he remembered that they were in the presence of royalty. The second thing I had seen had been his red eyes. It was a difficult sight to miss, as though it was desperately vying for my attention so that it can be noticed. The red eyes were terrifying to say the least, feeling as though it commanded my body to stay where it was by the doors, unworthy to take a step further for an audience. And yet, as my vision focused, I could make out a wary, polite smile plastered on its¡¯ owner¡¯s face, as though he had merely sucked it up and tolerated my presence instead. ¡°Lady Seilah Siren greets His Highness the Crown Prince.¡± I curtsied respectfully, slightly in awe at how naturally I did it even though I wasn¡¯t the original owner of this body. ¡°No need for formalities. Instead, I apologise for calling you when you¡¯re supposed to be in bed.¡± When I had raised my head once more, it wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince¡¯s red eyes that I had met, but rather wary black ones, as dark as obsidian peering into my own ones. It was a much darker black than what I had seen in Maya and it was an uncomfortable thought to take in. I unwittingly took a step back by how forceful his gaze had been, straightening my back again to recompose myself when I remembered how poised of a woman the original Seilah Siren had been. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The guy before me was definitely a new face, a side character that I hadn¡¯t had any illustrations to go by. My lips were pursed into a thin line at his presence, thinking that his force was also out of the ordinary and far too commanding to just be a side character. And although I wanted to ask who he was, my question would have inevitably raised suspicions considering Seilah the character herself should be familiar with whoever worked in the palace. The Crown Prince seemed to notice my gaze linger a tad too long on his company, eyebrows furrowed from the one second of confusion that had just flickered on my face. Fortunately, that had also disappeared just as quick. ¡°... Are you uncomfortable with Ezekiel here with me?¡± I froze upon hearing his question, thinking the Prince to be a dangerous man with how perceptive he was at catching me off guard. It was to my relief ¨C or dismay ¨C when the mentioned company answered instead. But by then, I already knew of who the man before was, thanks to the Prince name-dropping him. ¡°It¡¯s not that strange that I would be, Your Highness.¡± Ezekiel muttered. ¡°I am but your personal knight.¡± The former didn¡¯t looked too convinced, his red eyes piercing my entire being. ¡°I wonder, for Lady Seilah looked confused to why you¡¯re here. Unless, I¡¯m reading her wrongly. Did the accident left more scars than intended?¡± His question was definitely a jab and I inwardly frowned from how perceptive the Crown Prince had been. Aereus Diamandis was arguably the most distrustful guy in the kingdom but he had good reasons to do so. The close circle of friends and allies he had gathered was the main reason to why he managed to defeat the current King and also inevitably being a big pain in the neck for the original Seilah. At least in the game anyway. ¡°¡­ I apologise, Your Highness.¡± Surely there was no reason to keep the accident a secret. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve lost a good chunk of my memories so I¡¯m trying my best to remember certain names and faces but it still proves to be difficult.¡± The two men appeared surprised at the revelation, and so did my new parents when I spoke. Aereus narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­ How much memories did you actually lose?¡± ¡°I am unable to put an estimate. However¡­¡± I frowned, recalling the only clear memory I had from the original owner. It was something I didn¡¯t wanted to think about ever since I awoke and trying to think too much into it gave me a horrible headache. After all, nothing of that sort ever took place in the real game, or at least from what I remembered ¨C and I was certain because my good memory was one of the things that I¡¯m always praised about. It was also why I was always petty. The memories of the original Seilah were nerve-wrecking, her heart almost beating out of her chest as she stood on the edge of a cliff. It was as if she had already anticipated her doom, before feeling warm hands pushed her off as she simply accepted her fate. ¡°However?¡± Aereus looked at me impatiently. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing, Your Highness.¡± Seilah Siren must have had a lot of enemies, and even in the original game, the two men before me were two of the many against her. There was no telling to who tried killed the original Seilah and they might have even been successful considering that I was now in her body instead. It could have been someone from the Crown Prince¡¯s faction and I tried to keep the possibility close to my heart. One thing for sure, there was no way I could tell anyone about this and I had to do the investigation on my own if I wanted answers, and perhaps along the way, I might find out to why I¡¯m occupying her body instead. ¡°Nothing at all? Not even your last words to Ezekiel here before you went missing?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I frowned again. I could vaguely recall the original Seilah talking to the knight but it was strange that she did so, since the two never even talked to each other in the original game. Was there something that the Prince was hiding? I can¡¯t afford to take a chance for now. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Aereus sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Are you sure? Ezekiel, please inform Lady Siren here what she had asked of you.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Ezekiel¡¯s black eyes bored into mine once more. ¡°Lady Siren, you brought me aside at the beginning of the hunting competition to warn me that there was someone trying to assassinate His Highness and to refrain from bringing him to the end of the North Cliff. I didn¡¯t believe you¡­ due to our existing affiliations but it was to everyone¡¯s surprise when we found you at the bottom of the North Cliff instead. I apologise-¡± Before I could speak, my new father had interrupted. ¡°Then that means our Seilah must have been in danger just to tell you that! How could you not have believed her?!¡± ¡°D-Dear-¡± I could see my mother anxiously holding her husband back. ¡°L-Let¡¯s not anger them-¡± Aereus simply glared sharply at the two. ¡°Are you trying to say I¡¯m at fault for having misconceptions on where your family choose your loyalty to, Grand Duke? Should I just have trusted your daughter wholeheartedly when it is clear which master she serves?¡± The original soft-hearted image of Grand Duke Siren went out of the window almost immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak of masters when you¡¯ve yet to inherit the throne, Your Highness. Be careful of your words. If I wanted to, I could have reported them to His Majesty-¡± ¡°How dare you speak to His Highness like that-¡± Ezekiel stood in front of the Crown Prince and drew his sword to my father¡¯s neck. My mother screamed apologetically, groveling down towards the red eyed nuisance whose presence had been more than unwelcomed in the Siren household. And yet, I found a newfound respect for both the woman and the man Seilah called her parents, the former who protects her family''s peace by lowering her humility and the latter who wouldn¡¯t allow even Royalty to sully the Siren name. ¡°How dare the son of a mere Viscount points his sword at a Grand Duke, and one named Siren at that.¡± My father muttered coolly but it was obvious that he was as nervous as me with the tip of the sword still pointed at his cool skin. ¡°Do the lower nobility not mind their manners?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I sighed, earning the stares of all in the room. Perhaps it was because I was in Seilah¡¯s body but the feeling of annoyance far outweighed the nervousness of having the sword potentially pointed to me next. Aereus¡¯s eyes narrowed once more but I tried not to look too much into it, feeling like a prey under his cursed eyes. ¡°Father,¡± Grand Duke Siren flinched at being singled out. ¡°I thank you for your concern but it is unlike you to be talking about ranks and nobilities. I understand that it is for your poor daughter but I believe I am more than capable to handle this situation.¡± Or not! I can¡¯t handle this at all! I looked towards the dark brown-haired Knight. ¡°Sir Ezekiel, I kindly ask you to put away your sword. This is a residence, not a training ground. And Your Highness too, let¡¯s not be hasty.¡± Aereus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I always?¡± This was true for Seilah and Aereus always locked heads with each other in the game. It seemed like the two couldn¡¯t stand each other, with the Crown Prince rightfully suspicious of her for she worked for the King, the man he couldn¡¯t stand the most. I only hoped that he wouldn¡¯t say any other word in for his temper always gets the best of him. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re always like that.¡± He sighed, looking uninterested. Ezekiel finally sheathed his sword back into its¡¯ scabbard at Aereus¡¯s sigh, though the crinkles on his eyebrows still remained. ¡°Thank you, Sir Ezekiel.¡± I curtsied politely, earning the strange stares of both men. I bet it was weird for them to see such a polite version of Seilah. ¡°Now, about that warning¡­ I¡¯m sorry but it seems that my memories are not able to recall the full details though I admit that I had asked for Sir Ezekiel¡¯s help. It is the only thing I remember.¡± That had also been a lie. With the Crown Prince¡¯s words, I did in fact remembered to why Seilah had been so desperate to get the attention of the Knight. It was a perplexing feeling to me as someone who finished the game, knowing that the old Seilah had really wanted to save the Prince. It was a sure feeling, embedded deep into the body¡¯s bones but also one of caution. Seilah had wanted to save the Crown Prince but the young woman was working directly for the King. It was obvious to me now that something had gone awry somewhere for her to change her allegiance at the last minute. It was also up to me to find out why. ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡± Aereus was judging me from where I stood. I could see the wheels in his brain working to see if I had been lying. The man muttered sarcastically. ¡°¡­ And are you sure you don¡¯t remember any other excruciating details that you might have left out? One you might hide from me?¡± Why, this distrustful Prince-Stop trying to pick on Seilah all the time!!! ¡°Your Highness, if I may,¡± Ezekiel bowed to his master. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lady Siren is lying. She has the same earnest eyes as back then when she had desperately pleaded for my help to save you.¡± Sir Ezekiel!!! ¡°Ezekiel, you should never trust a noble lady¡¯s eyes. They hide off more than you could chew-¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°And the person you¡¯re talking to is a Siren. Haven¡¯t you interacted enough with the other one to know that they¡¯re always hiding something?¡± Why¡­ he¡¯s not only distrustful and a bully, he¡¯s also rude?! Hello, we¡¯re right here with you, you rambling fool! I frowned at his words. To think the Crown Prince had been my favourite character when I was playing through the game. It was tiring to be under his scrutiny. I feigned a cough, earning his attention once more. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s quite rude of you, Your Highness, to be saying such things blatantly to our faces. Need I remind you that you¡¯re in the presence of the Grand Duke himself?¡± Aereus simply turned towards my father and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°And?¡± And?! Why I oughta- ¡°AND, I think you¡¯re being rude to Sir Ezekiel by merely throwing his opinions away.¡± My words must have gotten through him somehow as the Prince lightly bit at his lips as he thought about it. I knew that the Crown Prince treated everyone else not within his faction without a care in the world but he had been extremely generous and kind to those that worked under him. Dismissing a subordinate¡¯s opinions was never in his book for he didn¡¯t wanted to be like the tyrant of a King his father was. I definitely wanted to prick at his conscience for all the jabs he had taken at my new family just now. [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Ezekiel Lush, +1] [Ezekiel appreciates your back-up!] [Ezekiel¡¯s Total Affection: 1 point] Wait, what? I rubbed my eyes for a bit, taking in a weird, white coloured box that had appeared right in front of my eyes. It looked like a screen of some sorts and the text continued being still, as though it was waiting for further instructions. It was then I saw a small ¡®ok¡¯ button at the bottom right hand corner, begging to be pressed like the dating simulator game that I was so familiar with. My hands hesitantly raised to meet it and although it passed through the text box, it still showed that the ¡®ok¡¯ button had been pressed and the text box finally disappeared. ¡°What the hell-¡± Oops, I have an audience right now. Aereus glare was as sharp as a knife. ¡°What did you say-¡± ¡°What the hell, I¡¯ve been rude to Your Highness too!¡± I exclaimed a little too loudly, earning the blank looks of everyone in the room. Well, almost everyone, for my new mother was now urgently shaking her head and giving me eyes to keep quiet from across the room. ¡°I apologise for my rudeness, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± He truly looked to be at a loss for words. ¡°I guess¡­ A-Anyway, it truly does look like you¡¯ve got nothing to hide, Lady Siren. And it¡¯s also¡­ blatantly obvious that your accident had left more scars than intended. In that case, we¡¯ll contact you again once you¡¯re better. Please have a good rest.¡± Wait¡­ they totally think I¡¯ve gone bonkers, didn¡¯t they?! Well¡­ at least they¡¯re leaving. But still! ¡°E-Excuse me, I think we can talk for longer if you want to-¡± And thus the second clich¨¦ began, as my stomach grumbled furiously and loudly, begging to be fed. For the love of God¡­ [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Ezekiel Lush, +1] [Ezekiel thinks you¡¯re funny!] [Ezekiel¡¯s Total Affection: 2 points] My fingers discreetly pressed the ¡®ok¡¯ button once more, though it was obvious to everyone looking in that I had been stretching my arms. [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Aereus Diamandis, +1] [Aereus thinks you¡¯re weird!] [Aereus¡¯s Total Affection: 1 point] Why does THAT get me an increase in affection points?! ¡°You¡­¡± Aereus was still looking at me strangely and his gaze was directed towards my hand instead. I instinctively put them behind my back. ¡°You should eat. We¡¯re sorry for our rude display when you¡¯ve just woken up.¡± Both the Crown Prince and Ezekiel bowed politely, first toward me and then toward both of my parents. Before he left through the doors, Aereus took one last glance at my side and I could immediately tell that there was a lot on his mind. He eventually turned around and went back, and I felt the strength losing from my knees as I tumbled to the marbled floor. ¡°Seilah!¡± Both Erin and Edward came running to me, probably shocked that I might have fainted. ¡°We should get you to eat something quick!¡± There were too many things to reflect on, as I lost myself in thoughts, vaguely feeling strong arms carry my body to the dining room. My parents probably called for Cole to carry me but it was not for me to care for there were other things I cared more about right now. First, the game world that I¡¯m stuck in still works as usual, except that I am now somehow the protagonist of this story. I had to be, as the familiar text box was only available to gamers when they played as Luna Bluebell. But I was now Seilah Siren, the antagonist of the game, who is also capable of seeing the affection stats towards Seilah. And although that itself was a headache, there was another thing I had to address and test out in the future. Ezekiel Lush had never been a love interest for Luna and he had merely been a side character. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know how he looked like for the game developers didn¡¯t even release any of his illustrations for he was that unimportant! However, it would seem now that he¡¯s a potential love interest for me, the new Seilah. It was difficult to wrap my head around the new events that had developed but the most important aspect of it all had not yet been addressed. The old Seilah definitely behaved differently than the Seilah I knew while I was playing the game. Why did she betrayed the King to save the Crown Prince? Thoughts of all the unexpected developments were thrown out the window as the head chef of the Siren duchy came running in with a tantalising lunch, placed neatly on the table to my heart¡¯s content. I wouldn¡¯t realise it then as I wolfed down the entire plate ¨C as lady like as possible ¨C that even my new family had been looking down at me worriedly after my accident. Chapter 2 A week¡¯s worth of staying in bed flew pass far too quickly. I had taken the days to retrace back the original Seilah¡¯s actions, her words as well as her motives before her fateful accident but none came up fruitful. What I had indefinitely learned was that Seilah Siren was a shrewd and secretive woman. She never left any clues to what she was thinking, not even a personal diary that could have recount her thoughts of the day. As such, I could only go through her vague memories and even then, it was not enough. The week didn¡¯t passed all that peacefully, however, as I exchanged secret letters with the Crown Prince. His words were always short and curt but this gesture was unheard of in the original game. Even today, Maya had passed me a letter from him upon hearing that I was now better.
Lady Siren, I request your presence at my quarters to discuss what we last talked about. I believe you will find my request most beneficial. I¡¯ll send my best knight to accompany you here so that there won¡¯t be another assassination attempt on your life. Leon should arrive this afternoon at 2PM. Please follow his instructions. Regards, A.D
The letter was the longest the Crown Prince had ever written but it was still just as self-centered like the other ones. I sighed, crumpling it into a ball before discarding it right into the trash bin where it rightfully belonged. It was one thing to be requesting a meeting when my body had just gotten better but to send his best knight while he was at it proved that he still didn¡¯t trust me enough and was even taking jabs for previously standing on the wrong side. But he could also have been worried¡­ No. I frowned, picking up the quill as I tried to write my own reply back to him. Meanwhile, Maya simply stood by my side, watching me wryly.
Unto His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Diamond Kingdom, Lady Seilah of the Siren Duchy sends her greetings once again. I¡¯m afraid I must humbly reject Your Highness¡¯s offer to come to your Palace as I have yet to fully recover. I am still scarred from the previous assassination attempt that you have mentioned and would need further time to recover from the shock. If your Highness had even an ounce of kindness If you had common sense I would be eternally grateful if Your Highness could extend your kindness to this lowly subject and rearrange such meeting to a different time. Also, you¡¯re sending your best knight? Are you still trying to keep me in check, you distrustful Prince or are you actually being kind for once to think of my safety? I thank you for sending me Sir Leon to assure my safety but I would not want to burden such an esteemed person into handling my personal affairs. I will arrange for my own knight, Sir Cole, to accompany on our next rescheduled meeting. Yours faithfully, Lady Seilah Siren of the Siren Duchy aka I¡¯m over this!!!
¡°Lady Seilah,¡± Maya interrupted my furious writing. ¡°I believe your head will roll should His Highness receive such an¡­ emotive letter.¡± I clucked in disapproval. ¡°His Highness has always prioritised on honesty so I would think he might appreciate my fervent words directed to him.¡± ¡°As your most trusted servant, I retract my previous words. Instead, I think everyone¡¯s head in the Siren Duchy will roll once His Highness receives such a brilliant and honest letter. As wonderful as it is, I¡¯m not so sure he would appreciate such¡­ of your fervent emotions.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ So Maya? You think he¡¯s a dickhead too, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Lady Seilah, those aren¡¯t words befitting of a noble lady.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noble too though Maya.¡± ¡°An illegitimate daughter of a Baron is not comparable to my lady¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not disagreeing with me about the Crown Prince, then.¡± I sighed, burning the letter I had just written with the candle on my desk. There shouldn¡¯t be any traces of my honesty in case it could lead to further misunderstandings that outsiders do not understand. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s insufferable.¡± Maya pursed her lips together. ¡°He is quite¡­ charismatic in getting things done quickly.¡± ¡°A tyrant I tell you!¡± Maya let out a small laugh, earning a small smile from her lady. It was nice to see the always stoic Maya letting loose once in a while for she had always been a serious person with how the game described her. In Maya¡¯s eyes, the change in her lady¡¯s personality was as clear as day. Before the accident, Seilah had always been deeply engrossed in her own thoughts, never speaking more than necessary. Most times, her personality had felt calculative, as though she was ten steps ahead of whatever she was talking about, even if it was about the mundane things. The Seilah before her now was still engrossed in her own thoughts but she had been more honest in her feelings instead of keeping it pent up. As someone who was with her the most, these obvious changes didn¡¯t end there but to also the littlest things. For example, Seilah used to love drinking tea before bedtime and always avoided coffee whenever she can for it reminded her of someone. The Seilah before her now still takes to having tea at night though it was most strange that she requested for coffee to start her day. It was almost as if she was an entirely different person. Maya shook her head at that thought. As strange as the thought was, it was also somewhat believable but she had already decided that it wasn¡¯t her concern. Either way, Seilah still treated her nicely and she would give her life to her mistress, a past vow coming back to her mind. I wouldn¡¯t be privy to her thoughts, merely watching her gaze affectionately onto my face before we were interrupted by a knock on the door. The door was half opened, revealing pink pastel hair behind it and the person feigning a cough. [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Cole Star, +1] [Cole finds your smile enchanting!] [Cole¡¯s Total Affection: 1 point] Wait, what? I tried my hardest to hide my blush, hoping that my face wasn¡¯t red. ¡°¡­ Come in.¡± Cole opened the door and bowed, before walking straight into my personal office. It was difficult to meet his eyes knowing that he had found my smile enchanting and I felt giddy at the non-verbal compliment. Wait, no! Cole¡¯s a potential love interest too?! I inwardly slapped myself on my cheeks upon that realisation. It would seem the game is still progressing much differently to the game that I was used to since Cole wasn¡¯t a side character anymore. I knew I was right when I deduced that his pink hair left more to the story than what we as the gamers knew. But if he¡¯s a potential love interest¡­ does that mean he has a back story too? I couldn¡¯t help the doubts that had crept in my mind, though I pushed it away for the time being. ¡°What is it, Cole?¡± ¡°My Lady, it would seem that the carriage and your escort for today have arrived much earlier than anticipated. The Knight is currently waiting outside on our front yard.¡± ¡°Wait, what?! Already?!¡± I hurried to the windows only to confirm the truth. There was a luxurious looking carriage waiting for me and a familiar looking face standing right outside its¡¯ doors. A quick look to the wall clock, however, showed that it was only 1pm in the afternoon. It was an hour earlier than the stipulated time that the Crown Prince had written in his letter. ¡°Isn¡¯t it far too early?!¡± I felt like tugging my hair out. Cole agreed. ¡°Yes, when I asked the Knight earlier, he mentioned that it was His Highness¡¯s instructions to give you ample time to prepare and also so that you wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse his invitation.¡± ¡°¡­ That Prince¡­¡± ¡°Should I turn him away, my lady?¡± I felt a headache coming on. ¡°No, tell him I¡¯ll be down at 2pm. The Prince is right. I do need time to prepare. I can see now that heads will roll if we refuse his invitation.¡± ¡°¡­ Then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Maya, let¡¯s go.¡± The mentioned young woman bowed. ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡±
The Knight assigned to me was Leon Greengrass, the Knight Commander of the Royal Knights that is also being headed by the Crown Prince himself. House Greengrass have been inheriting the title of Knight Commander for many years, serving their swords to the Royal family for generations. It wasn¡¯t strange for Leon to swear his loyalty to the Crown Prince but it was definitely strange that his own father, Duke Greengrass, had quickly left the Knights in his care when he turned of age, as though not wanting to serve the King. He was definitely a handsome face, bronze skin complimenting his dark green hair and brown eyes perfectly. The man was especially beautiful with how suave he looked while waiting under the hot sun for an hour and I hurried over, feeling bad for making him wait. ¡°My lady, there is no need to rush.¡± Cole reminded me in place of Maya. I had no choice but to leave my maid behind since this meeting was supposed to be a secret. The Crown Prince did mention to bring as few people as possible, and even better, none at all. But there was no way I was going to the Palace alone knowing that someone out there is out for my neck. ¡°The Knight will still wait regardless if you¡¯re late or not.¡± ¡°Cole¡­¡± I lament at his carefree attitude. ¡°Even if you are a Knight of House Siren, Sir Leon is still a Knight Commander of the Royal Knights. Should you really be addressing him so casually?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s put our personal feelings aside. He¡¯s greeting us after all.¡± [You¡¯ve reduced the affection of Leon Greengrass, -1] Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. [Leon is not happy to see you!] [Leon¡¯s Total Affection: -1 point] ¡°Leon Greengrass greets The Lady Seilah Siren.¡± The former bowed respectfully. What the hell?! Negative points?! I¡¯m not happy to see you either, mister! ¡°My Lord.¡± It was clear to Cole who had been waiting on his lady ever since her accident that her face had turned a little too red, as I glared angrily at the Knight¡¯s face. A slight pout had formed and Cole resisted the urge to laugh at the situation. ¡°My lady,¡± He whispered for my ears only, breath tickling on my skin. ¡°let¡¯s put our personal feelings aside.¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t be cheeky.¡± [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Cole Star, +1] [Cole finds you amusing!] [Cole¡¯s Total Affection: 2 points] I was almost swept away by the rude shock of the previous text box, feeling my heartbeat quicken in anger. I had to calm myself down if I were to get through this journey in one piece. In the original game, Leon and Seilah both loathed each other with a deep passion. Leon hated how cunning the woman was and how much she resembled a certain someone that he despised for making his life difficult. In fact, in Leon¡¯s route, he brutally beheaded the cunning Seilah when she had poisoned his troops in their Coup D¡¯¨¦tat. All the other routes also mentioned how much they couldn¡¯t get along with each other, and it was surprising for their relationship was worse than with Seilah and Aereus the Crown Prince. But I wasn¡¯t the original Seilah and I had hoped to make a favourable new impression so that there was no chance of Leon extinguishing my new life. This goal proved harder than I thought especially since he was already not elated at seeing me. ¡°I apologise for the long wait, My Lord.¡± I curtsied, though it was futile as he merely looked at me blankly. Leon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s nothing new. Isn¡¯t that your specialty?¡± Why this rude- ¡°It takes time for a lady to prepare. After all, His Highness¡¯s letter arrived at the last minute so I was unable to take proper preparations to head to the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°¡­ That has never stopped you before from treating the place as your own residence, coming in and out whenever you fancied.¡± Ergh! He¡¯s not wrong but why does he have to be this rude about it?! ¡°I humbly apologise for my previous¡­ mishaps¡­ but I assure you that I will behave with proper decorum from now on. I hope it will be to your satisfaction.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Leon didn¡¯t bother to hide his misgivings. ¡°What are you up to, this time?¡± The man moved forward intimidatingly and I almost stepped back if it wasn¡¯t for Cole standing protectively in front of me. ¡°Sir Greengrass.¡± Cole said it with such a frightening force. ¡°I believe we should be on our way lest His Highness punish us on our tardiness.¡± The frown on Leon¡¯s face deepened, as though he hated dealing with Cole much more than he hated Seilah. I took note of this subtle change on his face as it changed back into a blank expression, opening the door to the carriage as he ushered me inside. If only our first meeting as the new Seilah had went well, I would have liked to think that I had time to admire the golden and ruby like decorations of the Royal carriage that much better.
It was rare for the original Seilah to step foot into the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace and thus when the carriage first arrived, I had been in awe at how grand the place actually was. It was not as grand as the King¡¯s, but it was still a sight to behold for the second most important person in this Kingdom. Leon had forced Cole to stay at the carriage for the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t allowed anyone else except myself to enter the Palace Grounds. The latter had no choice but to accept his wishes and thus I found myself reluctantly trailing behind the green haired brute. Every little action of Leon¡¯s proved that he wasn¡¯t a big fan of Seilah. He walked too fast with his long legs, and even as athletic as I was, I found it difficult to keep up with him. The original Seilah had a good stamina, and even in my old life, I had represented my class during track and field so I thought I was a pretty good runner. All these achievements were not needed, apparently, since I now have trouble following a brute of a Knight. ¡°Sir Greengrass.¡± I frowned, catching my breath. How huge was this place really?! It seemed as though we¡¯ve been walking for hours before we could reach the Crown Prince¡¯s private quarters. ¡°Can¡¯t you walk a little slower?¡± [You¡¯ve reduced the affection of Leon Greengrass, -1] [Leon thinks you¡¯re making excuses!] [Leon¡¯s Total Affection: -2 points] This bastard! ¡°I seem to recall that you had no problems slipping unnoticed whenever you¡¯re at His Majesty¡¯s quarters and thus treated you as such. Is there a problem now that we¡¯re here at His Highness¡¯s Palace instead?¡± The smirk on Leon¡¯s face was far too annoying to take in considering that I knew the original Leon in the game always treated the main protagonist Luna kindly, and never had such expressions when he was with her. He did always treat Seilah with contempt, though. Still, it wasn¡¯t a good excuse for the son of a Duke to be treating a lady of his standing so rudely. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a huge problem.¡± I glared, hoping my next words would prick at his conscience. ¡°It would seem my bodily parts are not working as well as they are ever since my accident. You know? The one where someone tried to murder me and was almost successful at it?¡± Of course, Leon didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Ah, my condolences. Then I shall walk slower and hope that His Highness would be kind enough to let our tardiness slide.¡± ¡°Of course he would.¡± Somehow, I felt like I didn¡¯t want to lose to his verbal war. ¡°You are his most trusted Knight. Should you speak up, I¡¯m sure His Highness would understand the reasons why.¡± ¡°And why should I speak up on your behalf?¡± I felt my anger rise, placing a hand at my chest in an attempt to slow it down. Obviously, it was futile. This was something I noticed ever since I possessed the body of Seilah. Since the young woman had always kept her thoughts and emotions locked deep within herself, her temper was bound to flare at the littlest things but she always kept herself in check. And although I wasn¡¯t the original Seilah, I was still good at keeping my anger in, though frustrations was a different story all together. ¡°Because you¡¯re bound by your knightly duties and gentlemanly traits.¡± Leon sighed. ¡°One that isn¡¯t extended to you, Lady Seilah.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± I felt the anger rise again. ¡°Why do you gotta be an insufferable bastard?!¡± ¡°¡­ What did you call me?¡± His voice lowered, deep and threatening as he eyed my figure scarily. Although the change had been scary, I knew that he wouldn¡¯t simply murder me on the Crown Prince¡¯s grounds considering that the latter had something to talk to me about. I hope. ¡°An insufferable bastard.¡± I crossed my arms, hoping he wouldn¡¯t see the large gulp I just took a second ago. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me very much but I¡¯ve been polite to you this entire time. Shouldn¡¯t you return my manners?¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Leon scoffed at my words. ¡°I swore my sword, oath and loyalty to my master, the very same one you¡¯ve been plotting to remove from power all this while. His Highness might have taken pity on you since you informed Ezekiel about the potential assassination and ended up being almost assassinated instead but I still don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°And that extends to me asking you to walk a little slower?!¡± ¡°If I did, you might have taken an opportunity to put a knife in my back. Like I said, I do not trust you.¡± ¡°So I can¡¯t put a knife at your back if you¡¯re walking fast?¡± ¡°I would think not, seeing how out of breath you are right now.¡± The headache seemed to be getting worse as I tried to make sense of his words. First of all, where should I even start at his ridiculousness?! Wait, I get that he has a point¡­ but still! ¡°Look here you piece of shit.¡± The wires holding my sanity together in my brain finally snapped. Leon¡¯s quick reflexes took a hold of my hand before it could reach for his collar. But still, I didn¡¯t allow that to scare me. Fear could be such an adrenaline sometimes. ¡°I¡¯m out of breath right now because my pudgy little legs can¡¯t keep up with how fast you¡¯re walking!¡± ¡°P-Pudgy?¡± Leon seemed surprised at my choice of words. Of course, the original Seilah would have never think any part of her to be pudgy, and while my legs were definitely not that, it was the only vocabulary I could think of in my fit of anger. ¡°If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn¡¯t put a knife in your back at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace! How stupid can you get?! I¡¯d get arrested even if I had been successful at doing it, which I might add, I won¡¯t!¡± I pointed angrily to his face, seeing how he was still holding my hand captive. It felt weird as my hand dangled weirdly. ¡°Look at me! And now look at you! I can¡¯t even grab your collar because your reflexes are too fast!¡± ¡°¡­ One can never be too careful.¡± He¡¯s so thick-headed!!! I attempted to stamp onto his feet, one that Leon dodged perfectly, surprise evident on his face once more. ¡°What are you-¡± ¡°God! I can¡¯t even stamp on your feet as I want because look at how quick you are at avoiding danger! You are the most bull-headed person I¡¯ve ever met in my entire life.¡± ¡°You were trying to step on my feet?! Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re such an asshole!¡± I huffed, attempting to do it once more. As usual, Leon avoided my feet like the wind. ¡°See? You¡¯ve avoided it easily!¡± ¡°¡­ What in the world are you trying to prove-¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to prove that I cannot keep up with you, and thus I won¡¯t be able to assassinate you, or whatever fantasy you have of me. So please, I beg of you, My Lord. Can¡¯t you just walk a teeny bit slower so that I can keep up? I think I am going to die of exhaustion before I even reach His Highness quarters at this rate. My feet can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Leon finally let go of my hand, sighing as he ran his now free hand through his annoyingly gorgeous green hair. I could only hope his thick head understood what I was trying to say. ¡°Fine, I understand.¡± He uttered begrudgingly. It took me by surprise when Leon suddenly scooped me up into his arms, walking towards the Prince¡¯s quarters once more. ¡°What are you doing-¡± I attempted to be free of his hold but the man simply hugged me tighter. ¡°Are you trying to suffocate me to death instead?¡± Leon simply glared, though it wasn¡¯t as scary as his previous ones. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a noisy woman. Your legs are tired thanks to my oblivion, are they not? Then I must simply carry you to the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°No, sorry, I take it back. Are you trying to embarrass me to death instead? Do you know how many of the Palace workers will see you carrying me? I have a reputation to uphold-¡± ¡°Just shut up and accept my kindness.¡± He sighed. ¡°If I knew that the great Seilah Siren could throw a temper tantrum, then I would have brought some cloth with me to keep your mouth shut.¡± Wow. What a gentleman. Not. ¡°¡­ You really are such an insufferable bastard.¡± He shrugged coolly. ¡°At least I¡¯m returning your manners.¡± I had no choice but to keep mum, knowing that he had returned my words back at me. My acceptance of the situation still didn¡¯t make me any less embarrassed though, as maids and butlers continued greeting us all the way to the Crown Prince¡¯s quarters. [You¡¯ve raised the affection of Leon Greengrass, +1] [Leon finds you curious!] [Leon¡¯s Total Affection: -1 point] I sneaked a peek onto the brute¡¯s face but a mere blank expression rested on his face as usual. One thing for sure, Leon Greengrass was good at masking his feelings. I was lucky that the text box was there to guide me for it wasn¡¯t so easy to read this annoying person. We eventually reached the Crown Prince¡¯s quarters after five minutes and Leon returned me back to the floor surprisingly gently. Although I was still wary of his intentions, I was more than glad that my show of temper finally got through his thick-headed skull. It was a step in the right direction, though I did wish that I no longer needed to show my temper for our future interactions. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll head in first to inform the rest that you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Leon knocked on the door, before turning back to me sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere else.¡± ¡°¡­ Like I could. Did you lose a few braincells along the way? I mentioned that my legs were exhausted.¡± A rare smile appeared on his face. Weird. ¡°I always expect the unexpected with you, after all.¡± The man finally entered, closing the large doors behind him. I sighed, feeling more mentally exhausted at having to deal with Leon instead of walking the large Palace grounds. I knew that the main reason my legs had been so tired wasn¡¯t because the Palace was huge but rather because they haven¡¯t walked much ever since the accident. It would take some time before my legs fully recovered, and I kept that thought in mind, knowing that I might need to take extra measures for the next few days or so should I head out. If there had been another assassination attempt¡­ I shuddered at that horrific idea. It was times like this that I wished Cole was right by my side. At least I had an ally right next to me. ¡°Oh? Have you been summoned as well?¡± A voice broke me out of my thoughts and my head perked up to see my new company. Silky blonde hair and light blue eyes greeted my sight, its¡¯ owner taking me by surprise by suddenly appearing to my front. Where did he come from? I felt my body instantly reacting and on edge at this newcomer, his handsome face peering down my eyes knowingly. ¡°¡­ Grand Master¡­¡± The man smiled, though it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. This was a normal sight as I rummaged through Seilah¡¯s memory for he always smiled at her like that. I shouldn¡¯t even have the need to go through my memories for his face had been one I was familiar with. Sion Fae was the Grand Master of the Order of Magic and the current Archmage for the Royal family. He¡¯s considered the youngest and most talented mage in the world at the age of thirty and had once cursed Seilah to eternal slumber when she had poisoned Luna in the game. The man always kept his true personality hidden, for he was actually working for the Crown Prince¡¯s faction even though he was officially employed by the King himself. This was a secret I knew from playing the game but one Seilah wasn¡¯t privy to. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been summoned by His Highness to his quarters today.¡± I made a mental note not to get on his bad side. I considered Sion to be the game¡¯s most intelligent character. He was the main reason to why the Crown Prince could bring Seilah down in every route for he always found evidences against her treacherous nature. ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s odd.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± I flinched when he took a step closer, playful blue eyes staring into my own as he bended his knees to meet them. He was definitely far too close, lips almost touching my own. If my muscles had been a second later, our lips probably would have already touched. ¡°What are you-¡± I tried to take a step back but Sion¡¯s hands had been quicker as he wrapped them tightly around my waist. ¡°Grand Master-¡± Wriggling out of his grip was useless as he was much stronger than me. I had no choice but to glare into those cursed eyes of his, feeling his warm breath on the tip of my lips and feeling his steady heartbeat as my hands tried to push his chest away. Sion simply took a while to regard the expression on my face and he finally grinned once more. It was nerve-wrecking as I saw how elated he had been for the first time through Seilah¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not Lady Seilah, are you?¡±