Chapter 1: Livia regrets it

Dang dang……

Dang dang……

The crisp sound of bells echoed through the narrow corridor, accompanied by a faint, mysterious fragrance.

A barefoot girl, dressed in white gauze and holding white flowers in her hands, ran lightly down the freshly mopped corridor.

The small bronze bell at her ankle jingled non-stop, leaving a trail of little footprints behind her.

Her face was filled with anxiety.

The maid was just about to scold this thoughtless little fool for ruining all her hard work cleaning the floor, but as soon as she saw the girl’s face, she turned pale with fear, lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

For the person before her was none other than the guardian witch of Atz Royal City, Livia.

And at the same time, she was Young Master Lynn’s fiancée, though the wedding had yet to take place.

If it was just the young master’s fiancée, it would not have caused such a reaction.

The problem was, Lynn had suddenly gone mad this morning, spreading rumors all over the place, boasting that he looked down on her and would annul the engagement.

Everyone knew how powerful witches were, and how much they valued their own reputation.

Thanks to Lynn, now the whole royal city knew that Livia had been abandoned by a playboy—reduced to secondhand goods.

So, her reason for coming here was clear.

She was going to kill Lynn, cutting off the rumors at their source.

…

“Lynn!”

Livia burst through the door, only to see a handsome youth in fine clothes sitting by the window.

The young man looked out the window with a calm expression, showing not the slightest surprise at Livia’s arrival.

Alright, to be honest, when Lynn caught sight of Livia’s reddened eyes, he did feel a bit nervous inside.

Anyone could guess as much—witches were always elegant, mysterious.

If she came here in person, it meant she had truly been pushed past her limits.

“What do you want?”

Lynn let out a long breath, his tone flat.

“Why… did you do this?”

There was already a hint of a sob in Livia’s voice.

“This is for your own good, Miss Witch.”

Lynn sighed deeply.

“We are not people from the same world. Even if we are forced together, we are destined not to last.”

With his hands behind his back, Lynn rattled on, completely unaware of the growing storm on Livia’s face.

He wasn’t wrong.

The two of them really were from different worlds.

Just a few months ago, he had been at his computer, playing through his second run of the fantasy RPG “Sword of Roses.”

Suddenly, he was overcome by drowsiness.

He only napped at his desk for a while, but when he opened his eyes again, he found himself transmigrated into the body of Lynn Carret, the duke’s son in the game, sharing his name.

The good news—he would never want for food or drink for the rest of his life.

The bad news—he only had two days left to live.

In two days, it would be Lynn’s wedding to Livia.

And as long as he married Livia, no matter how much he planned ahead or how well he knew the story, he and Livia would always meet a tragic end.

Then, he would be sent back in time to before the wedding, forced to repeat the cycle.

Out of ideas.

If it were a game, this would be a corrupted save file.

But a game could be restarted—unlike the unfortunate Lynn.

So, this was the only way he could think of.

Rather than the two of them becoming doomed lovers, it would be better to part ways and let each live in peace.

What’s more, according to the original plot, by this time, the Carret family’s ancestral treasure, the “Dragon Heart,” was already being targeted by the Abyss Deathsworn of the Abyssal Cult.

Before long, everyone in Carret Manor would be slaughtered by the Abyss Deathsworn dispatched by the cult.

In his previous life, Lynn had prepared everything, but on the wedding night, the Abyss Deathsworn who had been lurking in the shadows made their move ahead of schedule, ignoring the script.

It was as if fate itself erased him.

As long as he married Livia, Lynn was doomed.

“So—”

Before Lynn could finish, Livia rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

???

The softness of the girl’s chest and her gentle fragrance surrounded Lynn, and for a moment, his mind went blank.

He’d considered all the possible outcomes.

The worst he expected was an enraged witch cutting him down with a blade.

That wouldn’t be so bad—he could just load his save and try a gentler approach next time.

But this… what was happening?

“Livia will do her best to become a worthy wife.”

“So… please, don’t leave me, alright?”

Livia lifted her head, looking up at Lynn with a face full of hurt.

Her softly curled chestnut hair hung messily over her shoulders.

In those ruby-like, clear eyes, tears shimmered, making her look like a pitiful doll.

In the previous life, on their wedding night, Carret Manor had come under a sudden attack.

In the blink of an eye, the manor became a living hell.

By the time they realized what was happening, the assassin was already upon them, sealing Livia’s magic and leaving her no chance to fight back.

Just when Livia thought death was certain, it was her husband—whom she once looked down on, whom she believed to be a selfish, pleasure-seeking scoundrel—who stood before her to shield her.

Without a moment’s hesitation.

Livia still remembered the look in Lynn’s eyes then, a murderous intent so different from his usual careless demeanor.

Though she still didn’t escape the assassin’s blade, from that moment, Livia realized how deeply she had misjudged him because of hearsay.

After all, rumor had it that Lynn was a murderous brute who killed on a whim.

Yet, even though she had treated him with disdain, he had always responded with courtesy, even risking his life to protect her.

How could Lynn be a mere playboy?

He was her husband!

Her hero!

So, since heaven had given her another chance, no matter what, she would protect him in this life!

Thinking of this, Livia couldn’t help but snuggle against Lynn like a kitten.

Holding Livia in his arms, Lynn felt a headache coming on.

This was trouble…

Although the two of them had never met before the wedding in their previous life, Livia had heard plenty about Lynn’s notorious reputation.

So, back then, her attitude toward him wasn’t just cold—it bordered on hatred.

Every time they met, Livia would look at him with barely concealed disgust, and would leave after cursing him as scum.

Even on their wedding night, they drew a line across the bed.

From his perspective, canceling the engagement should have made Livia happy.

So why was she clinging to him now?

“…Sorry.”

Lynn glanced at the time, not bothering to dwell any further.

He gently pushed Livia aside, then turned and left the room without looking back.

Watching Lynn’s departing figure, Livia raised her hand slightly, wanting to call after him, but the words stuck in her throat.

A hollow ache welled up in her chest.

She clenched her fists tightly.

Yes, she hadn’t cherished Lynn before—how could she expect him to accept her now?

Livia brushed the dust from her skirt, let out a long sigh, and slowly stood up.

Now, her task was simple.

She had to protect Lynn, and make him fall in love with her all over again.