“Please step down carefully.”

The distance to the temple wasn’t far. After riding in the carriage for about twenty minutes, we arrived, and I stepped down from the carriage with Sir Chalmonte’s help.

Before entering the temple, I looked at the ring I held in my hand. For a moment, I was captivated by the diamond ring shimmering with brilliant light. What snapped me out of it was Sir Chalmonte’s voice.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Yes.”

Just when I was about to enter the temple with Sir Chalmonte’s escort, I suddenly felt a transparent wall blocking our way.

It wasn’t a hard feeling. It was soft like a sponge. I bounced right back after hitting the wall, but Sir Chalmonte could enter the temple without any problem. Then he noticed me sitting on the ground and rushed over.

“Are you alright?”

There was only one person who could cast magic that didn’t work on Sir Chalmonte.

I stood up with Sir Chalmonte’s support and hurriedly looked around. Sure enough, the man I expected was standing there.

Count Lindsey. I wondered why he hadn’t shown up.

“Are you planning to take the ring inside the temple?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m thinking.”

I wanted to escape from the game as soon as possible. I was sick of being toyed with by the System, and I didn’t want to be imprisoned by Count Lindsey anymore either.

Even though I knew my boring life would continue when I returned to my original life, I still wanted to go back. I hated this virtual world so much that I only wanted to escape.

When I answered firmly, Count Lindsey’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Are you truly planning to leave me behind?”

Anyone watching would think those feelings were genuine. Yet he probably obsessed over other players besides me too.

I avoided his gaze and answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“You’re really abandoning me?”

“Think about what you did to me.”

“I did my best to earn your love.”

I could see teardrops welling up in Count Lindsey’s eyes. Why did his sobbing appearance look so delicate and innocent? I almost weakened.

Am I crazy?

He was a stalker who imprisoned me. I couldn’t be swayed by the face of a man trying to trap me in the game.

“I’m sorry. When we meet next time, I’ll treat you well then.”

I wanted to cut him off coldly, but I felt strangely sorry, so I lied.

I had no intention of ever touching this stupid game again, but if I didn’t lie like this, it seemed Count Lindsey would keep clinging to me.

“There is no next time.”

Then Count Lindsey answered in a firm voice. It seemed he noticed it was an empty promise.

He approached and tried to grab my arm. I swatted his hand away and refused.

“Don’t grab me.”

“Please, give me one more chance. I’ll do better next time.”

“It’s already too late. You didn’t grant what I wanted.”

He didn’t give me the ring when I asked for it, and even when I begged him not to imprison me, he didn’t let me go—what chance should I give him?

Stealing the ring was the only clear condition for this game. However, to an outsider, the current situation would look like a romance game, which was absurd.

I never wanted to get caught up in such ridiculous situations again. So I planned to enter the temple without being swayed by any temptation.

I tried to enter the temple while shaking off Count Lindsey’s hand trying to grab me again. But the transparent barrier still blocked my way.

I bounced back again, but Count Lindsey caught me from behind so I didn’t fall. What good does helping only at times like this do? He should grant what I want.

Anger rose, but I held it back. What more would I do than get angrier if I only focused on my emotions?

“Count Lindsey, please let me into the temple.”

“Are you planning to abandon me again? I will never let you go again.”

I had no choice but to plead with Count Lindsey. Yet he kept spouting incomprehensible words.

It seemed like he thought I had abandoned him before. He was clearly equating me with the ‘Angela’ written in the diary.

The developers should do their job properly. Why the h*ll are they making things so annoying? Irritation surged, but I forcibly suppressed it and tried to persuade Count Lindsey.

“I’m not the person you know. So let me go. Once I disappear, the woman you’re looking for will return.”

“Angela, if you had even the slightest feelings for me, then please accept my proposal. Then I’ll let you into the temple.”

What’s so special about a proposal that he keeps asking me to accept it? I couldn’t understand, but right now I couldn’t keep rejecting Count Lindsey who kept begging me.

The finish line was right before my eyes, wasn’t it? What’s so hard about saying what he wants to hear?

There were suspicious parts, but I didn’t want to think deeply anymore, so I decided to accept the proposal and then completely finish the game.

“Ah, alri—”

“Lady Richmond, you mustn’t be swayed by him. You must restore this world!”

Just when I was about to answer, Sir Chalmonte suddenly shouted at me in an urgent voice. I stopped what I was saying and looked at him.

Sir Chalmonte sent me a look that said I absolutely must not accept the proposal, so I glanced between Count Lindsey and Sir Chalmonte before shutting my mouth tight.

I didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed I should listen to Sir Chalmonte right now.

“Shut up!”

When I didn’t move as he wanted, Count Lindsey’s face twisted.

With an anxious expression, he tried to cast magic on Sir Chalmonte, but it still didn’t work on him. The magic that couldn’t reach Sir Chalmonte simply disappeared.

“Restore this wor—”

Sir Chalmonte tried to shout something at me again, but suddenly his face twisted grotesquely. The combination of his eyes, nose, and mouth collapsed as his appearance gradually blurred.

Wasn’t it when Sir Chalmonte looked like that that he was about to say something he shouldn’t? Especially regarding Count Lindsey.

Clearly, Sir Chalmonte and Count Lindsey were hiding something I didn’t know. What could it be? It seemed related to Count Lindsey forcing his proposal on me now.

“Angela, you’re the only one for me. I can’t live in a world without you. So please stay by my side. I’ll give you anything you want.”

While I was lost in thought for a moment, Count Lindsey began begging for my love. His attitude made it seem like he would actually do it if I asked him to pluck stars from the sky, and I didn’t know what to do.

Why does he want me that much?

No, that’s not right. All of this is directed at the Angela he met eight months ago, not me.

I almost wavered for a moment, but I steadied my mind. Covering both ears with my hands, I looked at Sir Chalmonte.

I hoped he had returned to normal, but he still couldn’t speak. I had no choice but to ask Count Lindsey about what Sir Chalmonte couldn’t finish saying.

“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you? What is it exactly? Why are you trying to keep it secret even while silencing Sir Chalmonte?”

Count Lindsey bit his lower lip and kept his mouth shut, seemingly having no intention of answering.

What the h*ll is it?

Unable to enter the temple, Sir Chalmonte’s condition is strange, and even the Status Window does not appear in this current situation…

Thinking carefully, I felt like I was being forced to follow Count Lindsey’s words.

This makes it seem like the System is taking Count Lindsey’s side…

I looked back and forth between Count Lindsey and Sir Chalmonte with anxious eyes. Wasn’t Sir Chalmonte somewhat free from the System because he was a bug?

But why does he keep lagging whenever he tries to talk about Count Lindsey?

I carefully thought through everything the System had instructed me to do so far. It gave me the mission to acquire the ring without giving me any abilities.

As a result, I was ordered to seduce Count Lindsey and take the ring, and when it was revealed that Count Lindsey was my stalker, didn’t I realize it was the System’s manipulation?

But what made me suddenly trust the System? Was it when Sir Chalmonte tried to kill me? My heart softened a bit after that…

That’s why I changed my mind about accepting Count Lindsey’s proposal, wasn’t it? If Sir Chalmonte hadn’t appeared, things would surely have gone as the Count wanted.

Could everything have been planned? But if so, the System wouldn’t have helped me escape from the imprisoned room.

No, didn’t it force me to read Count Lindsey’s diary in that process? And even though I came to the temple with the System’s help, I’m still being obstructed by Count Lindsey…

The more I organized my thoughts, the more I leaned toward the System being on Count Lindsey’s side. Because it seemed to be guiding me to get engaged to him.

But I still couldn’t be certain. That’s why right now I didn’t want to enter the temple, nor did I want to accept Count Lindsey’s proposal.

I didn’t want to be fooled anymore by the System that had tricked me, but I was confused and couldn’t figure out how to act.

I tried to recall Count Richmond’s advice and think of a way to strike back at the System.

That’s when it happened. One good idea flashed through my mind. There was something he told me never to do!

‘Never put on the ring.’

Did he say the player would disappear? That warning, close to a threat, must have been said on behalf of the System.

After hearing that, didn’t I get scared and forget about it for a while? 

Thinking about it now, putting on the ring would definitely cause some problem.

I didn’t know if it would cause problems for the System or if I would disappear. But I’d rather choose death than continue living here being toyed with.