I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead
Chapter 41: Suicide

Chapter 41: Suicide

She was right not to trust her. But that didn’t make it any easier. Confusion churned inside her, twisting into something she couldn’t quite name.

Her fingers tangled in her hair, frustration pressing down on her chest.

"I..." The words wouldn’t come. She inhaled sharply, then exhaled, trying to steady herself, but the turmoil refused to settle.

[System Notification]

[ALERT: FORCED SUICIDE EVENT TRIGGERED]

[Failure to protect the heroine has resulted in a catastrophic event.]

[Penalty Applied: DEATH DEBUFF]

[Vitality reduced to 1%]

[Continuous HP Drain (Irreversible)]

[Status: Terminal Condition]

[Cause of Death: System-Enforced Suicide]

[Time Until Complete System Shutdown: 5 Seconds]

[You have failed your mission. A heroine’s fate cannot be undone once it reaches this point. Try again.]

There was no resistance. No dramatic final stand. Just the creeping realization that she had been too careless.

Another regression wasted.

The world blurred at the edges, her body sinking and collapsing under the weight of her own failure.

She could barely process the pain, dulled by the numbing chill spreading through her limbs. Her breaths came shallow, her fingers twitched uselessly at her side, and her vision darkened, like ink seeping into parchment.

The taste of iron pooled in her mouth. Her heartbeat, once steady, stuttered like a broken clock winding down.

She wanted to scream and curse at the absurdity of it all.

How had she miscalculated so badly?

Had she underestimated the toxicity of the people in this world?

Or had she simply been arrogant, thinking she could steer the plot in her favor?

All because she had decided to place her stamp on Evelyn and the female leads.

Her lips parted, but the only sound that escaped was a weak gasp.

The last thing she saw was the worried Evelyn infront of her and then darkness swallowed her whole.

...

...

...

A shaky exhale left her lips, her heart pounding in her chest. She had met death again.

[You’ve used up one out of eight regressions! You have five left.]

The message blinked mockingly before vanishing. The weight of it settled deep in her bones, the trauma still fresh.

Meanwhile, Evelyn, oblivious to it all, stood before her, clasping her hands together with an unusual urgency.

"Lady Verena," Evelyn said softly, her voice almost hopeful. "Would you... have lunch with me today? Outside? In the garden?"

This scene again.

Verena exhaled slowly.

So this was the moment that probably nudged Evelyn’s personality shift even further. People were so hard to read. Or maybe, she was just terrible at trusting the complexity of the character’s in this novel.

"Sure..." she replied, though her enthusiasm was notably absent.

She followed Evelyn outside, moving toward the familiar secluded garden from last time.

But something in her gut twisted.

The memory of last time, the way things unfolded, the way Beatrice died, and she died lingered.

Her steps came to an abrupt halt.

"Wait, no. Not here."

"What?"

Verena turned on her heel and marched off. "Somewhere else."

A little startled, Evelyn hurried after her, confused but willing.

They weaved through the academy grounds, past the grand courtyards and marble benches where other students lingered.

Verena led her toward an older section of the garden.

One with taller hedges, overgrown ivy, and a little cobblestone pathway that twisted out of sight.

It wasn’t completely abandoned, but it was quiet. Peaceful. Hidden.

Evelyn looked around. "I didn’t know this place existed..."

Verena sat down on a mossy bench, finally allowing herself to relax. "Yeah, well. Now you do."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Just the sound of rustling leaves and distant birdsong.

And for the first time in a long while, Verena felt like she could actually breathe.

Evelyn hesitantly reached out, her fingers grazing the back of Verena’s hand.

But before they could settle, Verena slightly shifted her hands.

Just slightly and just enough for the touch to break. It wasn’t on purpose.

But it was enough.

Evelyn’s expression faltered, her hand retreating as if she’d been burned.

Verena noticed immediately.

The flicker of hurt in those soft eyes, the way Evelyn’s fingers curled in on themselves like she was trying to make herself smaller.

"I-Is something wrong?" Evelyn asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Verena exhaled slowly.

"Nothing..." she murmured. Then, before she could second-guess herself, she reached back out, gently taking Evelyn’s hand in her own, fingers threading together like a silent apology. "I’m sorry."

Evelyn’s breath hitched, her grip tightening instinctively.

Verena knew she wasn’t good at this.

Romance had always been a distant, abstract thing. Something she watched unfold in stories, in other people’s lives, but never truly experienced herself because it was a matter of thrill.

And yet, here she was, pulling Evelyn closer, tilting the girl’s chin up with featherlight fingers.

"If you want me to stay," Verena murmured, voice low, "then hold on to me properly."

Evelyn swallowed hard, but she didn’t hesitate this time. Her hands slid up Verena’s arms, hesitant at first, then firm. Clinging. Like she was afraid Verena would slip away again.

It was unbearably intimate.

The kind of moment that should’ve been accompanied by a dramatic swell of music.

But instead, all Verena could hear was the sound of their breaths mingling, the rustle of fabric as Evelyn leaned in, their foreheads brushing close, so close.

She could stop this.

But she didn’t.

Because if this was the game she had to play to save them, then she’d make sure Evelyn never felt unwanted again.

"You don’t have to lie to me," Verena whispered, her voice like silk, smooth and dangerously inviting. "If you want something, all you have to do is take it."

Evelyn swallowed hard, her hands gripping her skirt like it was the only thing tethering her to reality.

But she wouldn’t move. She was too timid.

A shame.

Verena reached out, her fingers grazing against Evelyn’s jaw, tilting her chin up ever so slightly. Evelyn sucked in a sharp breath.

"See?" Verena murmured, eyes half-lidded. "So easy."

She leaned in, closing the space between them, letting the moment drag just enough to make Evelyn squirm.

Finally, in a soft and deliberate manner, she brushed her lips against Evelyn’s.