The setting sun dyed the gardens in a beautiful golden hue, matching the hair of the woman waiting there.
I quietly walked over, my footsteps echoing along the stone path towards the center of the gardens.
Evelyn turned to face me, a brilliant smile on her face. The water fountain behind her gently bubbled as she waited.
Beautiful. Both her and the scene.
It was a breathtaking view, looking every bit like a CG from a visual novel or a screenshot from an anime brought to life-
I froze, suddenly getting a sense of deja vu. And with that deja vu came a few sentences that I remembered writing.
*Roland. There... is something I must say to you. I hope you do not mind...*
I blinked, shaking away the memory. But then Evelyn slowly walked towards me and started speaking.
"Alex." Evelyn came to a stop just an arm's reach away from me and said, "There is... something I must say to you. I hope you do not mind..."
Words that I remembered as clear as day. Because this was *the* moment of the first arc.
The confession scene. An emotional and hopeful moment to set up expectations for the readers. A wonderful scene that even had an image insert. The first one as well.
And I did it all to make the impact of Evelyn's death at the Winter Solstice Ball hit even harder.
This scene wasn't supposed to happen yet. Evelyn was supposed to confess to the one she loved right before the Winter Solstice Ball. Not only that... it was supposed to be Roland. But instead of that guy, instead of that time, she was here. Now, and for someone else.
Me.
A tender gaze with half-lidded silver eyes. Evelyn, smiling with her golden hair shifting in the breeze behind her.
...Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit.
Guilt, sorrow, anxiety, self-hatred, and more mixed in my heart as I met that affectionate gaze. But as always
Evelyn gently tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear and then said, "Shall we take a walk, Alex?"
"Of course, Eve." I wrapped her left arm with my right as if it was natural and started walking along the garden path. As I did, I felt my heart pounding in my chest.
But what man wouldn't feel like that in this situation?
Evelyn was perfect. A true 10/10 in appearance, personality, and ability.
So perfect that her death was the first time I got death threats from my writing.
Evelyn just made that much of an impact on the readers.
And so, walking beside her, knowing her personally... and knowing her fate, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Even so, I played it off.
Evelyn shyly shifted beside me, stealing glances at me. As we walked, she said, "I... know it may be soon. And I know that this may seem... sudden. But." Evelyn came to a stop in front of a rose bush and gently untangled herself from my arm. Placing both her hands over her chest, she looked up at me with determined and hopeful eyes.
I stopped walking as well and turned to face her.
It was a romantic scene.
And even if I was as dense as Roland, I would know what was coming next.
Evelyn took a deep breath and then quietly said, "I care for you. More... more than just as a friend. And..." Her hands trembled against her chest. "And so I must know. With how you have been acting around me. Can..." She lowered her gaze, as if unable to face the answer. "Can... I assume that you feel the same?"
I didn't respond. Not because I couldn't, but because the situation brought more words to mind.
'I know that the difference in social status is great. And I know my affection may be more of a burden than a blessing upon you, Roland. But… I know that they are true.'
Evelyn's words came unbidden to my mind. And as I looked at her, she repeated them in reality.
"I... know that the difference in social status is great." Evelyn murmured. "And this affection of mine is a terrible burden upon you. I know this. But... I also know that this affection is true. So... even knowing that. Can... Can I hope for it?" Evelyn looked up, yearning and trust shining in her silver eyes. "Do... you like me too?"
'Can you... love me?'
Similar words, similar circumstances, but in the end, all so different.
There was affection in Evelyn's eyes. There was hope. There was devotion and faint expectation.
It was similar to what I wrote, but there was also a clear divide in how different she was.
When Evelyn confessed to Roland in 3D-ED, it was because she saw an equal. Someone who worked hard to take advantage of his natural gifts and also one who saw her as herself. Not as the princess, but as a classmate. That was what caused her to fall for him before the end.
But Evelyn here... not the Evelyn I wrote, but the Evelyn I knew.
It was clear in Evelyn's silver eyes. Her affection... her love wasn't from meeting an equal. It wasn't out of respect or admiration. No, it wasn't because of anything as grand as that.
Evelyn loved me for something simple.
I saw her. I knew her.
Despite being the Imperial Princess, Evelyn was just a young woman who was still a terrified girl at heart. Someone who was struggling to connect with the world around her even as she was crushed by expectations.
And then there was me. Someone who treated her as a close friend. Not just a classmate, but someone who cared enough about her to check in on her, text her throughout the day, text her goodnight...
...Hm. Maybe I had pulled too many pages from the MC handbook.
But regardless of how I did it, I was always sincere in what I did towards Eve.
And that sincerity had not just won Evelyn over, but given her hope that she had never dared to dream of, even in the 'Fate' she was given in 3D-ED. The hope that maybe, just maybe, she could be a normal girl. That there was at least one person in this world who genuinely didn't care for her status and only cared for her.
I could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, feel it in the faint warmth of her smile.
This wasn't admiration or liking. This wasn't an all-consuming flame of desire or yearning like she should have felt towards Roland.
This was something soft. Something tender. Something gentle that she was praying wouldn't be snuffed out.
Love. Something she had never felt before.
Something real.
"Alex?" Evelyn looked up and whispered with faint hope in her voice. "Can... I hear your answer?"
I looked at her and then sighed.
Evelyn flinched and lowered her gaze, tears already flickering in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, probably to apologize and brush it all off.
But before she could, I stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'll be honest, Evelyn. I'm not in love with you."
Evelyn tensed. Then she started to tremble. Letting out a shaky nod, she lowered her head and slowly said, "I... understand. I suppose I was foolish to-"
I cut her off. "But that doesn't mean I won't love you." I gently lifted her chin and brushed away her tears.
Evelyn's breath hitched in her chest. Then her silver eyes began to water, hope and fear emerging in equal measure.
At the same time, a crimson message window appeared in front of me.
> Warning! Optional Quest: Affection of the Doomed Princess cannot be taken back!
> You are embarking upon an irreversible path!
I understood that. I knew the risks. I knew that I might fail. I knew that I might not be able to save Evelyn. I knew that, at the end in just over a month, I might have to take her life with my own hands. Even so...
I stared into those beautiful silver eyes of her, gazing into the crescent moons hidden in her pupils. Smiling, I caressed her cheek and leaned forward, whispering against her lips. "I want to try. Will you let me?"
===
> The User's choice is confirmed.
> Optional Quest: Affection of the Doomed Princess has been accepted
> The main quest has been updated.
> Main Quest: Save Evelyn.
[Save Evelyn]
> Save her by any means necessary. You chose to accept her love, so prove that you are worth it.
> Objective: Save Evelyn.
> Success: I don't need to explain it, do I?
> Failure: You know this better than me.
> Time limit: The Winter Solstice Ball
===
I saw the messages pop up, but ignored them, focusing on the beautiful young woman in my arms who dared to hold out her heart to me.
Evelyn leaned into my hand and then looked up with watery eyes. "...Truly?" Her lovely pink lips quivered as she said, "Will you truly love me?"
I smiled and spoke again, our breaths intermingling. "Even if this ends in heartbreak. I swear, I will never regret choosing to love you, Evelyn."
Evelyn gasped, turning a bright red. Then she looked at me and pressed her forehead against mine, gazing at me with her silver eyes. "You have a terrible silver tongue, Alex. Terrible."
I smiled and then said, "All the better then to match your lovely silver eyes." And with that, I shifted my hand on her cheek to pull her in for a soft kiss.
Evelyn closed her eyes and then kissed me. It was awkward. Too tense and a bit too much teeth.
Even so, I gently kissed her, rubbing her back to help her relax.
And eventually, Evelyn did, melting against me. Her tongue, warm, soft, and sweet. Her scent, vanilla and something citrusy filling the air.
I held Evelyn close as she slowly gathered her courage to give a deeper and more passionate kiss. And then, at that time, messages appeared in my mind's eye.
===
> You have made a choice that will result in a monumental shift of narrative.
> You have taken an action that will result in a monumental shift of narrative.
> Potential genre shift: Romance/Tragedy (pending main story quest)
> You have gained a large amount of SP for taking charge of the narrative. +1,000,000 SP
> Current SP: 1,990,000
> I hope you know what you're doing.
===
...Yes. I know. I knew the risks. I knew what could spin out from this decision. Even so...
A memory- No, an image as clear as day, rendered by the hands of a master artist. Evelyn, reaching out as her body dissolved into tar. And the words written beneath that image...
'I love you, Roland. In another life... maybe... I could be...'
Happy.
That word was left out.
And I was the one who left it out. I was the one who took it away from her.
So.
To grant the wish of a girl who just wanted a tiny glimpse of happiness...
Evelyn let out a content sigh and then looked up with a loving gaze, her arms lovingly laced around the back of my neck. With a warm smile, she said, "I love you, Alex. Please..." She rested her head against my chest and whispered, "Make me happy?"
A request, a plea, a wish, and the purest hope, all wrapped up in three words.
Hearing them, I gently kissed her forehead and whispered, "I swear." I held her tight and whispered into her ear. "Even if death takes you, I'll be by your side until the bitter end."
...Yes. Until the bitter end.
Even if that end was wrought by my own hands.