Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough?

Chapter 73 The Girl's Story Is About to Be Twisted

Rhodes returned to his room.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

So many things happened tonight...

He confesses the truth of the story to Felicity, has sex with Lilith, and then is sexually repressed and tempted by Felicity.

He arrived at his room door, looking somewhat tired, having already released some of the pressure, and then opened the door.

And what came into view was Ivina.

The girl curled up in his bedding, seemingly lonely as she waited for his arrival.

She always dressed so lightly, just a plain white dress...

Can't you dress a little better? Even if you're not cold, you should at least look presentable, right?

Regardless of her appearance, the moment she saw Rhodes, her almond-shaped eyes lit up.

"Rhodes!" She crawled and crawled, like a cat-like worm, cute as a cat and wriggling closer to Rhodes.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

Rhodes nodded, finally settling the matter for the night. He took off his coat and boots and walked to the bedside naturally.

Naturally, Ivina nervously wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, genuinely afraid that Rhodes might do something bad.

But she quickly realized what was happening, shifted her petite body slightly, and buried her head next to Rod's legs.

And so, she lay down sideways next to Rod's lap, her back against the bed, her head looking at the ceiling and Rod, her hair slipping off the bed.

"Bad Rod, I just saw you fighting the witch through the window... but I'm not strong enough to help."

Ivina was so nervous that she even bit her little tongue, causing her to pause.

"Anyway, anyway, are you alright?"

"Ah? Of course it's nothing." Rhodes reached out and patted the forehead of the girl next to him.

"Ah, yes, is that so?"

Ivina pursed her lips, her mind filled with complex emotions.

I'm so unhappy.

She knew that Rhodes was in danger because of her again.

She really wanted to tell Rod the truth of the story, to tell him that letting him stay here was definitely not a good thing.

But she also understood that if she told the truth, she would face the choice of being abandoned.

Should she believe Cecilia's lies to satisfy herself, or let Rhodes leave the Duke's mansion safely...? This inner struggle had been raging within her all day.

Although she understood that letting Rhodes leave would mean his injuries had been for nothing, and his efforts to save her would be in vain.

But a failure of this magnitude is better than putting him in danger...

"How about I start taking you to dance practice these next couple of days?" Rod suddenly said.

"Huh?" Ivina was stunned.

"You must really want to try it, right? Having a dance partner," Rod said with a smile. "That way, on your coming-of-age day, you can actually dance with me, can't you?"

A slight silence,

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Rod asked, looking at the small figure nestled beside him.

"Rhodes, don't you think I'm a very problematic person?" Ivina said softly. "Look, I'm blind, and I have a bad temper. The worst part is that I sometimes have episodes where I suck your blood."

"and then?"

"That means if you stay here any longer, it will be dangerous, very dangerous." Ivina rested her head gently against the bed and raised her slender hand.

Rhodes had a feeling that something was off.

He turned his head and looked at Ivina.

But then he suddenly noticed the thin layer of mist in the girl's eyes.

Yes,

The girl cried.

With the determination to bring this whole story to a halt, she told Rhodes about the best option.

after all.

She was greedy, no doubt.

But the moment she saw Rhodes' genuine concern in her eyes, she knew she had to respond to his kindness.

Even if it means ending the story, she clearly doesn't want the beautiful ending to ruin it.

At least she once had this friendship, and that's enough. At least in this worthless and haphazard life, she once received a sufficiently profound emotion.

"So, let's stop here."

"I'm so glad to have met a friend like you."

"And then...and then, I'll try to get out of the Duke's mansion tomorrow. If I fail and faint or go into shock, you don't have to save me, okay?"

"You can burn my body directly. That way, you can avoid danger, and you can avoid danger for this town."

"You have a formidable enemy, and the current situation is dire, so... you don't need to stay with me..."

Rod covered Ivina's mouth.

"Shut up."

Rod quickly bent down, bringing his face close to Ivina's, and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

One of the most common problems with mental illness is suicidal thoughts that lead to constant contemplation of death, something Rod knew all too well.

But this world is not the peaceful world we know; death is everywhere, so people's fear of death is far less than it is in a peaceful world.

Ivina, now she wants to give up everything again.

He understood this situation very well, after all, he had met too many girls like this, and he himself had been caught up in it in the past.

There's a reason why he always likes redemption literature...

Ultimately, it's about providing a safety net for newcomers.

"There's no need to worry about these so-called enemies. Just take your time and then come with me out of here, you fool."

"Waaah..." Ivina struggled to pry Rhodes's hand open, but in the end she couldn't actually do it.

After all, Rhodes has now truly reached the third level of ascension, a level of strength that she cannot withstand.

"If I want you to live, there's no way I'll give up halfway."

Rhodes' eyes were serious as he focused all his strength on Ivina.

And Ivina gradually stopped struggling.

Her body became a little more at peace.

Seeing this, Rod released his grip.

but--

"In that case... well, let's move my coming-of-age ceremony a few days earlier and hold it the day after tomorrow. Anyway, all the nobles who were supposed to come have already come. These next few days are just for them to have fun. Nobody really wants to participate in my coming-of-age ceremony."

Ivina looked at Rhodes with a slightly sad smile.

There's nothing I can do...

Rod thought the story was that simple, but it's not that simple at all.

Wouldn't it be better to leave everything at this level?

But since he insisted on doing it this way, she had no choice but to comply.

Or rather...

The best thing for her is to learn the truth sooner and escape the painful struggle sooner.

That's right—

Let's move the coming-of-age ceremony to the day after tomorrow and reveal the whole truth.

In this way, Cecilia's plan will definitely be disrupted and she won't be able to hurt Rhodes. She will also be able to find out Rhodes's thoughts sooner, so she won't suffer so much.

just.

The faster the story progresses, the greater the probability that she will lose Rhodes.

But from the very beginning, she could no longer hold onto the hope of harming Rhodes...