'I liked surprises.'
Surprises have a knack for tiptoeing into our lives when we're least prepared, catching us off guard like a playful trickster in the midst of our routines.
They're the unexpected guests crashing the party of predictability, injecting a dose of spontaneity into the otherwise ordinary.
Whether it's an unexpected encounter with a long-lost friend on a bustling street corner or stumbling upon a breathtaking sunset during an evening stroll, surprises have a way of reminding us that life is brimming with fun and mysterious things for us to open.
'Yes, surprises were fun… But now, why the heck is it the reason I'm about to die right now?'
"Riley, Darling?"
'Fucking shit, I shouldn't have played that damn game…!!!'
I have made many wrong choices in my life but not as large as this one.
'What the hell did I even do wrong?'
That old sales clerk looked like he was about to die if I didn't buy that darn game, so I just bought and played it out of goodwill.
As I liked getting surprised, I thought, why not give it a shot?
And to my surprise, it was a hidden gem, an extremely good game
I even started questioning why it wasn't that popular because there weren't that many people talking about it.
I loved playing the game.
But why...?
Why is this happening to me right now?
Just outside my room, a dragon was waiting.
"I know you're inside, Darling"
I even tried my best to avoid getting any flags with her, if possible, yet here I was in this goddamn situation.
'Judging from her overly calm voice I knew she was upset with me right now.'
[Hero's Legacy]
In short, it was a romance fantasy game set in an academy where the innocent and youthful drama of the characters unfolds, featuring complex and well-written characters, each with their own unique sets of personality and backgrounds, as well as a good touch of action and adventure.
It wasn't perfect, though, as it had some pretty well-overused archetypes and clichés.
But I didn't mind it, though.
After all, clichés and archetypes are still used to this day for a reason, and that's because they're 'Fun.'
Overall, it was a pretty good game.
The addictive narrative and story, as well as the really beautiful heroines, kept me hooked into the game, exploring every nook and cranny of each and every heroine's routes and even testing out all the bad endings with each of them.
Not to mention the fairly steamy erotic scenes if you conquer or romance the girls at the end.
If I hadn't been transported into the game, it would've made it to my top 5 best romance games of all time.
Why did this even happen in the first place?
Did that old man cast a spell or something on the game when he sold it to me?
He's not a god or something, right?
Or is it because my heart beat so fast when I finally achieved the harem end in my last run of the game?
Is it because I fell for each heroine?
'Did I get a heart attack while playing the game all night?'
No, that was a stupid thing to think about.
Falling for a game character wouldn't make one fall inside the game itself.
Sure, I may have been very happy achieving the best ending of the game, which took me hell and lots and lots of hours due to the amount of retries.
But after completing it, I just went to sleep right away because of my exhaustion.
Only to surprisingly wake up in a new body as a freaking child at that…
"Hello, Darling~ are you not going to respond to me?"
"…"
My mouth shut tight. I knew she was already aware I was inside; after all, that woman was a fucking dragon.
Hearing a paper flip from miles away was entirely possible. So, hearing my heartbeat and breathing alone was possible, not to mention those overpowered eyes of hers.
But still, I hoped—hoped that if I didn't respond, she would just walk away, understanding my apprehension and fear of her right now.
Snap….!!!
But of course, I could only say goodbye to that hope as the magically reinforced door of my room snapped like a twig, its handle broken and crumpled like a piece of paper in her delicate hand.
"I'm sorry, Darling, you just wouldn't respond, so I was getting worried…"
'Don't you mean getting impatient, you goddamn monster?'
As I quickly covered my body with the blanket, I could only hear her walking closer toward me.
"Mother and father, as well as your parents, they are already discussing our engagement at this moment."
"…"
So in the end we ended up getting engaged as expected, I've been trying to delay it all this time but I guess this was bound to happen one way or another.
"Don't you think it's about time you faced reality, darling?"
"…"
"Ignoring me won't change your destiny, Darling."
Feeling a rustle on my bed, I could hear her breathing more clearly now.
'Fuck…'
"Covering yourself like that only makes you look more delicious, darling~"
She whispered into my ears, even though the blanket covered most of her voice, the allure it gave was still surreal.
Without giving me any time to respond, she took off the blanket I had covered myself with.
Her bright red eyes met mine…
In front of me right now was a dazingly beautiful woman with white hair as white as the purest snow and red eyes as deep as blood red.
She wore a black dress that highlighted all of her great assets…
'Beautiful'
That was the first thing that would come to anyone's mind when they see her.
But what made her presence even more special was the unnatural aura she emitted.
She exuded an air of nobility and grace that just by looking at her made you want to kneel down and kiss her feet.
No matter how many times I've seen her now, engraving her appearance into my brain always felt like something new…
You just never get tired of it.
She was Liyana Heavens, the grand final boss of the game, titled as the villainess, the ancient black dragon of destruction, and the very reason the world ended if you failed to defeat her in the end.
As well as my childhood friend and, as confirmed by her just now, my future fiancée.
"H-hi…?" I stammered.
"Fufu… You're still as awkward as ever, Darling."
She smiled as she traced my cheek, sending goosebumps throughout my whole body.
All my hair practically stood on end with fear as her voice suddenly grew colder.
I'm sure any man would have been happy if such a beautiful lady touched him and showed affection, but for me, this was just an awful nightmare come true.
"I've noticed this a lot lately, but aren't you avoiding me rather openly? I may have a big heart, but there's a limit to how much I can take living without your affection, you know, darling?"
"…."
'Shit…'
I was at a loss for words.
Lying right now would only guarantee my death even further...
The light in her eyes was slowly started to darken.
Memories of the CGs from the game resurfaced as I saw her make that face.
[Bad end no.89: A Dragon's Dessert]
It was the same face she made as she transformed into her true form and swallowed the protagonist whole.
'Fuck… she's not really going to eat me, is she?'
I knew avoiding her for almost three weeks straight was a bad choice, but what can I do about it?
I had to make sure that the goddamn, dense-as-a-black-hole protagonist safely rescued my favorite heroine…
I couldn't have just said to her, "Liyana, I have this girl I want to save right now, can you help me?"
Considering her personality, the moment she hears another girl's name come out of my mouth, not only would I die, but that certain woman as well…
As she was a secret heroine who wouldn't be part of the main scenario if she wasn't saved early on in the game, I had no choice but to make a move to ensure she survives.
Of course, the chances of me romancing her were slim to none, as I'm practically a mob character in this world.
"You were gone for two weeks straight with no one knowing where you went… Because of that, I had to make do with what I could to make sure you become entirely mine, Darling."
In the game there was only one rule if you want to try and romance Liyana…. never ever go for the other heroines.
Sadly I failed to do that the moment I saved my favorite.
Was it stupid?
Yes.
But even still, as long as she was alive, I could live somewhat happily in this hellish world full of monsters and dungeons.
At least that was what I thought back then.... the way Liyana was looking at me right now was really scary.... I knew I fucked it.
As someone who completed the whole game down to its deepest secrets I knew just how evil and ruthless this woman can be to both the protagonist and me.
I can still remember when she skinned the protagonist alive when she saw him holding hands with another heroine in the [Bad end no.63: Skin for Love]
"Liyana-"
I wanted to explain my situation even if for a bit, but Liyana prevented me from speaking, as her gentle finger locked onto my lips.
'Her finger felt so cold... in fact it started to hurt a little bit'
It felt like frost was slowly incasing my lips.
Liyana then ruffled my hair before resting on my chest.
My fear of her locked my body in place, even though I wanted to run so badly right now…
"You're not cheating on me, are you?"
'Even If I could I won't, or more like I can't even think of the notion of cheating with another woman while I have your temporary affection'
Haha, I tried my best to avoid any flags early on in my new transmigrated life and live in this world like a background character as best as I could, but is this truly my fate?
My destiny as Riley Hell, to be the fiancé of this goddamn monster, the very fiancé she kills in front of the protagonist the moment she falls for him.
"No…"
I just said one word, but the pressuring aura she gave me was all but gone in mere moments…
It seems she was assured that I was telling the whole truth…
She nestled closer and cuddled me like a cat.
"Riley you're mine…"
Seriously, I still couldn't fathom this situation at all.
To think that the woman who will destroy the whole world in just a few years was this obsessed with me.
I wonder what I did wrong in my previous life?
With her around.....
How the fuck am I supposed to survive in this romance fantasy world?