I opened my eyes, finding myself once again in the same luxurious bed and equally opulent room. A sigh escaped my lips as I took in the familiar surroundings. How many times had I tried to escape this cursed cycle? Yet, here I was, back at the beginning, trapped in the role of a villain in a story I despised.
Am I truly fated to be this villain, fulfilling his role over and over? If so, then let it be. I'll surrender to destiny, allowing this lowly villain to die for his evil deeds. Perhaps in my next life, I'll find myself in a normal world, like Earth. A place where I can live without the weight of this cursed fate.
A servant stood outside Alan's chamber, announcing, "Young Master Alan, Miss Estella is here to discuss your marriage."
"Very well," I replied, my tone as cold as the character demanded. Estella... I recalled a young woman with white hair and resplendent green eyes, beautiful and pristine yet venomous. She was my fiancée, forced into this engagement by the villain's plot, and she despised me for it. The protagonist would arrive at the wedding, ruin the ceremony, and Estella would flee into his arms, leaving me humiliated. A classic plot, one I had lived through countless times.
Dressed in my signature black tunic adorned with golden dragon figures, I made my way to the guest area where Estella awaited. As I walked, servants bowed, trembling at my gaze. The former Alan had been known to mistreat them, a fact I had grown accustomed to in this cycle.
Entering the guest chamber, I found Estella seated, sipping tea in a white dress that accentuated her beauty. "Good day, Miss Estella," I said with a slight bow, offering the respect due to a lady. She merely furrowed her brow, returning the greeting with a forced smile.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alan Kailer. I am here to discuss our engagement," she said, her voice laced with disdain.
I nodded, taking a seat, and listened as she attempted to persuade me to break off our engagement. Her reasons were trivial, almost endearing in their futility. Eventually, she left, exhausted from her efforts.
Returning to my chamber, I rummaged through a particular chest, seeking an object known as the Mage's Stone. This legendary artifact, mentioned only in passing in the novel, was said to grant a single wish. How it came to be in my possession, I had no idea.
The Mage's Stone can grant a wish, but it cannot interfere with destiny. Even if I wished to be the strongest being, if my fate was to die, then die I would. It cannot bestow omnipotence or anything of that nature.
As I held the stone, I began to recite the activation ritual. "From the dawn of time, magic existed. When all was nothing, the void was magic. All is connected to one thing: magic."
The stone glowed with a resplendent orange light and began to float. A soft, tranquil voice resonated in my mind. "Ask of me what you desire, and it shall be granted."
And so, I made my wish.