"…Huh?"
I panicked and tried to pull away, but Ludwig was faster. He gracefully twisted my wrist and yanked me into his arms. Crushed against his chest, I took a sharp breath and was hit with the faint, sterile smell of alcohol and medicine.
"What—what are you doing!"
I struggled with all my might to break his grip, but it was like trying to pull my hand out of solid rock. At that moment, the rope on the ground shot towards me like a striking snake. I stared in disbelief as it moved, then looked back at Ludwig in utter confusion. The expression hanging on his lips was unmistakably a sneer.
"You fell for it completely."
You… you bastard!
Zing! The rope, moving as if it were alive, bound me in an instant. I felt the strength drain from my body as my mana was rapidly siphoned away.
"Oh, no!"
I hurriedly waved my hand to cast a skill, but it was useless.
Are you telling me a level 72 'Capture' skill lets the rope move on its own?! When the hell did this game's genre change to BDSM?!
I was losing my mind. I glared at Ludwig, who was still holding my wrist in a crushing grip. "You tricked me…"
At my words, Ludwig gently caressed my cheek, his fingers tracing the shell of my ear before stroking the nape of my neck. The skin on my neck prickled at the coldness of his touch; it didn't feel like he was a living person at all. Then, his hand struck the back of my neck in a swift, light chop.
"!"
My vision began to darken from the edges in. Darkness was closing in fast.
"You… son of a bitch…" I cursed, even as my consciousness faded. I could hear Ludwig's characteristically slow, cool laughter echo in my ears.
"Still so naïve…"
* * *
I had a dream for the first time in a long while.
It was the day of Ludwig's coronation. The day, which had been full of fluttering pollen and roaring cheers, finally came to a close, giving way to a quiet night as still as a tomb. I had been playing for over twenty hours straight and was about to log out, but a message from Ludwig stopped me.
[Meet me in the rear garden.]
Ugh, I really need to sleep. But ignoring Ludwig's requests had never ended well for me, so I dragged my exhausted body toward the gardens.
The faint, sweet scent of evening primroses hung in the air. It was a clear night, the moon and stars exceptionally bright, making it easy to see. Ludwig was waiting for me at the end of the path. I snuck up behind him and quietly called his name.
"Ludwig."
He heard me and slowly turned around. A gentle breeze rustled his fine silver hair. "What is it? You're the one who called me."
"This… I wanted to give this to you."
Ludwig pressed what he was holding into my hand.
"…Flowers?"
It was a bouquet of black roses, each petal dusted with a fine pearl powder that shimmered beautifully in the dark.
"Black roses?"
"I chose them because they match the color of your hair…" Ludwig murmured, carefully taking one rose from the bouquet and tucking it behind my ear. As I stood there, stunned, he looked at me and gave a rare, soft smile. "You are more beautiful."
So cheesy, it's giving me goosebumps.
I did my best to return a smile. Ludwig, who had been watching me with a nervous expression, suddenly took something from his pocket and knelt on one knee. It was a small, blue velvet box. I knew instantly what it was.
No way. My heart started hammering against my ribs. He's proposing too?!
I had already received proposals from the other three love interests. But Ludwig, the one I'd put the most effort into, had never confessed. I was starting to regret that I'd have to leave for the army before I could get his ending. Oh my god. I bit my lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.
As he opened the box, I glanced at the chat window connected to my VR rig. It was exploding.
[YogurtLover99]: LETS GOOOO[Yellow_Scarf]: I BELIEVED IN YOU!!!!![AC_Unit_77]: is this a proposal? is it a proposal? is it a proposal? is it a proposal?[Hyun_Inn (Mod)]: @AC_Unit_77 has been timed out for 1 minute.[LilChickadee]: I'm so emotional 😢😢😢 Isn't this the first canon proposal on the entire server, outside of a Merry Bad Ending?[MaxNicknameLength]: idk, knowing ludwig's personality, our boy hyun might just get locked up again lol[SiriusBiz]: If he gets this proposal, he'll be the first person to achieve the 4-Gong Grand Slam![LeeGeumHyun_Fan]: Our hyun… continuing to walk the path of the ultimate gaymer…[ProtectAtAllCosts]: hyung… watch your ass in the army…[Absilon_4ever]: I'll donate 1000 moon balloons if you reject him![Ludwig_Is_Life_S2]: I'll donate 3000 moon balloons if you accept![LilChickadee]: LMAO the donation war
The chat was pure chaos as fans of each character waged a donation war over my decision. The frenzy only calmed down after one enthusiastic subscriber pledged 10,000 "moon balloons" if I accepted.
"You have always been by my side," Ludwig said, his voice earnest. "Now, I can finally give you the place you deserve. Lee Hyun… be my companion."
He held out the ring, his gaze fixed on mine. At the same time, a system window popped up with a chime.
**[You have received a proposal from 'Ludwig von Griche'. If you accept, you will become his Empress and rule by his side.]
Accept
Reject
Defer**
The first-ever Empress ending. I could practically hear the donation alerts going off in the background.
I raised a hand to accept, but stopped myself. Taking a few deep breaths, I parted my trembling lips. "I…"
Then… what did I say?
* * *
"Hah—!"
I woke up drenched in cold sweat. With every blink, the gorgeous paintings on the ceiling above me came into sharper focus. This was definitely not my apartment. I frowned and looked around.
"This is…"
"My bedroom."
I jumped at the deep bass voice coming from right beside me. I whipped my head around to see Ludwig, sitting with his long legs crossed, looking down at me. I instantly scowled and pointed an accusing finger at him.
"You—you cheated! You tricked me!"
I shouted, but Ludwig just stared back, unmoved. "So?"
"So?! Didn't your parents teach you not to lie? Weren't you raised right?"
At my words, Ludwig lowered his eyes and muttered, "My parents… died before they could teach me much of anything."
You crazy bastard… Don't you dare pretend to be sad.
You're the one who killed one of them.
The memory of Ludwig, kneeling in the rain after slitting the previous emperor's throat, was still vivid. Back then, with my youth mode on, the whole scene had been censored with blooming pink flowers instead of blood…
Of course, he had acted in self-defense after several assassination attempts, but for him to bring it up like this? This guy was a real piece of work. I sighed and ran a hand through my damp hair.
"Lee Hyun," Ludwig said quietly, his gaze unwavering.
"What?"
"Is lying a bad thing?"
What is he even talking about? "…Of course it is! That's something even a child knows, you—!"
I never finished my sentence.
CRACK! The chair Ludwig was sitting on splintered as he launched himself at me. In an instant, my vision flipped. One moment he was in the chair, the next he was straddling my stomach. He wrapped a hand around my neck and leaned in close, his cold breath ghosting against my ear. A chill shot down my spine.
"Hrk—"
"Yes," he whispered. "Even a child knows that lying is bad."
I pushed against him desperately, but he didn't budge. My vision swam as his grip tightened, his hand feeling like it was rooted to my throat.
"So why did you do it?" he hissed, his grip becoming stronger. My attempts to escape were useless. Even as my face turned pale, his expression remained perfectly nonchalant. I was running out of air.
"Let… go…!" I rasped.
"Tell me. Why did you do that to me?"
How can I tell you if you're choking me, you idiot!
My vision started to blur. I could almost see my deceased grandmother beckoning to me from across a river. She had a sad expression on her face. My dear grandson, how did you end up here so young?
Grandma, your grandson… died while playing a BL game…
What a disgrace!
"Crrk—!"
As I thrashed, the pressure on my throat loosened just enough. A violent cough wracked my body as I gasped for air. "You… son of a bitch… Heok. Let go… I'll tell you… anything…"
"…A mistake," Ludwig said, though his hand remained firmly around my neck.
No, he said I lied about something. Of course, I lied all the time in this game, but it had to be a specific lie that he caught. I desperately tried to search my memories, but everything was a blur. I tried to think of another way out.
**
Oh, no.