[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game":3,"chapter-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1218596,1604,"Chapter 4: Liyana's lies","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at me from head to toe, Liyana's eyes widened with admiration, her captivating red gaze gleaming brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look so handsome, darling,\" she purred, circling me with a grace that seemed almost ethereal, her fingertips lightly brushing against my attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you...\" I replied, though inwardly marveling at how even in simple clothing, she radiated an undeniable beauty. It was said that true elegance lay in the way a person carried themselves, and Liyana exemplified this concept effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're very mean, you know, darling. How come the thought of visiting the duchy never crossed our minds? I was waiting for you there, you know?\" she teased, her tone playful yet tinged with a hint of reproach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This liar... I knew for certain she wasn't at the duchy but instead had been hovering above me while I traveled in the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent enough time with her already, I had grown accustomed to the depths of her obsessions and the lengths to which she would go to just to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, I couldn't spot the usual butler who always accompanied her, nor the maid who attended to her every need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, those two servants were steadfast in their loyalty, never leaving Liyana's side. Their absence was a clear indication of what was up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing Liyana's disheveled appearance-her tousled dress and slightly messy hair-it was evident that she had likely flown here on her own after noticing me heading straight for the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can counter her argument entirely by asking why she was here and how she knew I went straight for the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, pointing out these discrepancies would undoubtedly land me in trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, ignoring the obvious, I mustered the best excuse I could conjure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't want to bother you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since when were you a bother to me, darling?\" she countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with a tight hug, she enveloped me, drawing the already hateful gazes directed at me to intensify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you don't like me, darling... but shouldn't you at least say your goodbye?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice quivered with emotion, tears glistening in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she muffledly cried into my chest, I felt like my neck was now on the chopping block. Every eye in the vicinity was fixated on me, their glares piercing through my very soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making such a beautiful lover cry was perhaps the greatest sin a man could commit in their eyes. If they knew she was the duke's daughter, they would likely have strung me up in public square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this city of Hamen fell under the duke's protection and jurisdiction, making her essentially their princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason they didn't recognize her was because of the skill she possessed, one that rendered people unable to recognize her true identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a remarkably potent skill, extensively discussed in the game lore. And yet, they chose to elaborate on a mere skill rather than delve into Riley's backstory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It begged the question: just how much did the developers despise or neglect Riley?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, she was behaving in a manner so different from the usual game character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The affectionate gaze, the lingering remarks, the lovable whispers-even the genuine sadness-I hadn't seen this side of her in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only I didn't know her other side, I might have fallen for her already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was baffling to witness the world ender behave so nicely and affectionately towards\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the game developers saw this scene, they would probably bawl their eyes out of sheer disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a heavy sigh, I found myself returning her embrace instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry...\" The words spilled from my lips, laden with genuine remorse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite being showered with her love for so long, the thought of reciprocating those feelings never resonated in my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I was being selfish, but the fear of the impending future with her was too overwhelming to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her smile upon hearing my words, my heart ached with a mixture of emotions. As much as I was afraid of her, I didn't truly hate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that I couldn't bring myself to reciprocate the love and affection she always showered upon me. Conflicting emotions brewed inside me, blocking any genuine response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, I could probably deceive her and start acting more affectionate, but ultimately, that would still be a lie-to her and to myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I'm sorry, Liyana, but our future together only ends in your own happiness together with the protagonist....'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system remained online, intertwined with the main scenarios in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that my inevitable death, along with a future with her, must come true, or else I would fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My future seemed set in stone. If I deviated from my fate in an attempt to hope for a future with Liyana, the system would ensure my 'bad end'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I followed the main scenarios, Liyana herself would be the harbinger of my end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what path I chose, the outcome was predetermined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Death'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>VOOOMMM...!!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the magical ship that had just arrived outside the tower, I reluctantly let go of Liyana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked very disappointed as the ship heading straight towards the academy was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll see you soon\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said, trying to inject reassurance into my voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gently patted her head before planting a kiss on her cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing my actions, Liyana froze, her gaze locked onto me in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red against her pale complexion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, she looked so adorable and flustered that it stirred an impulse within me to\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>hug her once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I boarded the ship, determination filled every fiber of my being. I had made my resolve to secure my happy ending, no matter the obstacles that lay ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With two whole years stretched out before me, I knew I had to make the most of every\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system may be forcing me to follow the main scenarios, but I refused to be bound by its\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>constraints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I vowed to explore every supporting scenario, every divergent path the protagonist\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>could take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would manipulate as many variables as possible to defy my looming fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in order to succeed, there was one crucial sacrifice I had to make: 'I couldn't allow myself to fall in love with Liyana.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two years from now, Liyana would inevitably cross paths with the protagonist of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, she would fall for him, ensnared in a fate from which she could never escape, Afterall a dragons heart could only truly fall in love with their fated one... and sadly I wasn't\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That role belonged to the protagonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tragically, that fate would seal my own demise, as she would ultimately kill me in pursuit of\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her newfound love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the darkness that loomed over our shared future, I was determined to carry a torch of understanding and compassion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what twisted turns our destinies took, I vowed to ensure that Liyana knew one undeniable truth: I never hated her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the face of impending tragedy, I would hold onto this shred of humanity, clinging to it like\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a lifeline amidst the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ship slowly vanished into the distant horizon, Liyana stood there, her fingertips grazing the spot where Riley's lips had briefly touched hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a rare occurrence, one that stirred a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in a decade, Riley had taken the initiative, a surprising move that caught\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liyana off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that he was finally breaking free from the confines of his passive demeanor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought intrigued her, and a faint smile played upon her lips, revealing a glimmer of\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her crimson eyes shimmered like polished rubies, reflecting the sinister glow of her inner thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around her neck, ethereal black scales danced, casting an otherworldly aura around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has your heart finally stirred for me, Riley?\" she whispered softly to herself, her hand\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>drifting to her chest, where no heartbeat echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liyana's heart remained a void, untouched by the affections of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Riley had managed to breach its icy walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what had drawn her to Riley was his uniqueness, his divergence from the mundane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the only one who didn't like her. While others showered her with adoration and affection, his gaze held a disdain that intrigued her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a refreshing change from the usual fawning she received, a unique dynamic that piqued\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something captivating about his indifference, a challenge that she found oddly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>exhilarating. In his eyes, she saw not admiration, but raw honesty-a rarity in the world she\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>inhabited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he were to succumb to the same fate as countless others, then what was the point of\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>keeping him around for fun?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Should I kill him now?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question echoed in her thoughts, a tantalizing prospect that offered a swift solution to\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her dilemma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a mere gesture, she could eliminate him and be done with it, sparing herself further complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, as tempting as it was, Liyana hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence served as a deterrent against unwanted suitors and undesirable marriage proposals, a convenient shield that protected her autonomy and independence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a resigned sigh, Liyana shook her head, dismissing the notion of ending his life\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>prematurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his flaws, Riley was still somewhat important to her-albeit in a peculiar way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although her heart doesn't beat for him for some reason, she still likes him.... a notion she\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>couldn't quite understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>----\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ship sailed off into the distance, a palpable sense of excitement swelled up within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, I was about to see my favorite character in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, the announcer's voice crackled over the speakers, announcing our impending arrival at Arkein City, a neighboring city of Hamen, to pick up the students there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fairly close city, situated just a few kilometers away from our current location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arkein City also happened to be the hometown of my favorite heroine, the character I had admired and rooted for countless times as I played through the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought of finally meeting her face-to-face filled me with a mix of anticipation and\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>nervousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only saw a glimpse of her last time...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time I will savor her entire presence along the ride.\u003C\u002Fp>",1732,"2026-06-03T14:40:38.648Z",1,"novelbin.me","f684a52dec664649e68e43ab1c1598fd75f5aab2cfa1f0b004584c774b022164","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-5","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-3",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]