[{"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-696":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},1218915,1604,"Chapter 695: Frozen Trials 7.5","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-696",696,"\u003Cp>Quite honestly, being cheated on—or maybe just feeling like she was being cheated on—had become almost normal for Snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Riley had ever truly betrayed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in the way most people meant it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the feeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That quiet sting when she saw another girl look at him a little too long, when he gave someone else that rare, soft expression?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That happened more often than she liked to admit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, when they first started dating, she already knew what kind of man he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley attracted people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he flirted or showed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply existed, and people gravitated toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His calm strength, that unreadable stoic face, the quiet way he handled things—it drew others in like a flame in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Snow understood her position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew she hadn’t \"won\" because she was the only one capable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had simply been the first to reach him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to break through that wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to make that cold, unreadable expression crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to make him look at someone and soften.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was proud of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proud that she had been the one to slip past his guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proud that she had seen parts of him no one else had at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she also wasn’t naïve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls around him weren’t shallow crushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t temporary distractions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bonds they formed with Riley were real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time they spent together, the shared battles, the laughter, the quiet talks—it all mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow knew that better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even she couldn’t deny that Riley’s attention wasn’t always solely hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alice was the clearest example of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way Riley treated Alice—gentler than usual, patient, protective in a different way—it wasn’t something Snow could pretend not to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not enough to break her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But enough to remind her that she could never fully monopolize him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with the kind of man he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley didn’t belong to one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He meant too much—not just to her, but to everyone around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Snow adapted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she couldn’t stop others from loving him... then she would control the shape of that love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why the harem plan wasn’t some wild fantasy born from insecurity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was her way of staying at the center no matter how many people entered his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t matter how many girls Riley brought home one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he truly loved them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they weren’t temporary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as she could stand beside them without disgust or rivalry eating her alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because at the end of the day... most of his firsts were already hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first confession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first time lowering his guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first real smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those things couldn’t be replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Snow held onto that truth tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only thing that kept her steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even then... there were limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even someone as understanding as her had a line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uhm... Miss Innkeeper, we’re willing to pay extra—no, three times—no, ten times the price. We just need a place to stay for the night...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unacceptable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow let out a quiet breath as she looked at the slightly bewildered expression on her lover’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or at least... the Riley standing in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of scenario wasn’t new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had gone through something similar before—once in a dream, once in another trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The setting was different, the words slightly changed, but the core was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still... knowing that didn’t make it easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because what stood before her wasn’t just a fake Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fake Snow too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An innkeeper version of herself—calm, composed, teasing him lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way she crossed her arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way her eyes softened for just a second when he pleaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way she dragged the moment out just to enjoy watching him squirm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she knew herself well enough to know what would happen next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she allowed it, that version of Snow would eventually \"push forward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would pretend to be reluctant, make him work for it... then lead him upstairs with that faint smirk she only showed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once the door closed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d probably devour him the entire night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow clenched her jaw slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hate this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, she knew this was just a scenario created by the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, she knew the Riley and Snow in front of her weren’t real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, there was no reason to feel threatened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a copy of herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, it should’ve been harmless. It was still Snow loving Riley, wasn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why did it bother her so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley being with other girls was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could tolerate that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had already accepted that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the feelings were real. As long as the bonds were genuine. As long as it wasn’t shallow or forced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was her condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the rule she set for herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth behind it was fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emotions were scripted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intimacy that would bloom between them in this scenario... it wasn’t built from shared memories, shared pain, shared growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was manufactured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was the one thing she couldn’t accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could willingly share Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could stand beside other girls who truly loved him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could even smile and welcome them if she knew their feelings were sincere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what she wanted—what she needed—was something irreplaceable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that belonged only to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A love born from truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A connection built through everything they had endured together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a shortcut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a version of herself that hadn’t walked through fire with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if that Snow looked identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she spoke the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she loved him just as fiercely in this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Snow refused to let something artificial claim a love that was supposed to be real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her love with Riley wasn’t just about affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was about history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About scars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About being the one who stood there first when he was at his lowest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this trial wanted her to watch another \"Snow\" build something special with him overnight... then it truly didn’t understand her at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she would rather break the illusion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Than allow a false version of herself to bloom in her place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley is mine...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter which world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter which dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter which fantasy or twisted version of reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley is mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The love I carry for him... it belongs to him alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to a copy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to a scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to some cheap imitation created to test me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t let a fake version of myself even catch a glimpse of something that took me blood and tears to build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That quiet thought settled in her chest like iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hesitation disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With calm resolve, Snow lifted her gaze and looked at the two bewildered figures standing before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fake lovers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fake Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fake Snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear, slow and deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the city was alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was festival night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Music drifted through the streets—drums, laughter, distant cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparks of fireworks bloomed in the sky, scattering color across the rooftops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lanterns swayed gently in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight poured down from above, silver and cold, slipping through the inn’s open window and resting softly against her figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore the plain clothes of an inn girl now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An apron tied loosely at her waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No divine aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No overwhelming presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her goddess-like beauty was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost forgettable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her dark brown eyes...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with divinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with something far more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Riley and Snow in front of her both widened their eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because of her appearance—but because of the shift in her presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about her felt... heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave them a gentle smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just remembered,\" she said lightly, her voice calm, steady. \"All the rooms are taken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless you two want to spend the night with some strangers, I suggest you leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile didn’t fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get the fuck out of my face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were crude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely out of place compared to her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in that borrowed, average body... she was beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fake Snow felt it first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint tremble ran down her spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at her for a second longer than necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not at her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if, for just a moment, he was looking at someone who truly belonged to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, back at the Frozen Castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technical Banquet Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive chamber was silent except for the faint crackling of frost crawling along the marble walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long tables of crystal stood untouched, silverware frozen in place, goblets filled with unmelted ice instead of wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, chandeliers made of pure frost hung like captured stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of it all sat the Frost Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from her, Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them had been together in silence for a while now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between them floated a thin mirror of light—showing Snow’s trial in perfect clarity. Every word. Every expression. Every shift in emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only the Frost Queen could see through,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes they exchanged small comments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen’s gaze shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley noticed immediately. \"Did something happen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t answer right away. Her icy blue eyes narrowed just a little as she studied the image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An unexpected reaction...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley frowned. \"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems your beloved likes the trial I made...\" she paused faintly. \"No. Perhaps loathes it. I’m not entirely sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley’s expression sharpened. \"Please explain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen finally looked at him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not get agitated,\" she said calmly. \"She is fine. It is simply that I may need to readjust the trial’s key. Your lover—my heir—appears to be more stubborn than I anticipated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well,\" she leaned back slightly in her chair of ice, crossing one elegant leg over the other, \"that in itself is interesting. Perhaps I should simply let her pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did Snow finish the second trial already?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was curious about Snow’s answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen’s lips curved just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It would be difficult to call her the ’correct answer’ to the concept I designed,\" she admitted. \"But... what she chose is unique.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes returned to the floating image of Snow standing under the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I like it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something almost amused in her tone now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An heir does not need to be a direct copy of her predecessor. In fact, that would be boring. The throne of frost is not meant to produce replicas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rested her chin lightly on her gloved hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems she may already be walking a path beyond mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley stared at her, clearly not following.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beyond you... how?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen ignored the confusion in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her attention lingered on Snow for a moment longer—on the certainty in her eyes, on the possessiveness she refused to deny, on the way she rejected a hollow imitation of love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she nodded quietly to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... that is acceptable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp, crisp snap echoed through the banquet hall as her fingers met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mirror of light shattered into fragments of frost—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere within the trial, light bloomed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1968,"2026-06-03T14:41:09.353Z",1,"novelbin.me","66b20d3cc4e7569823fd7f2ebf6b81bd022ced4cc4ac991001c749071bffb438","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-697","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-695",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]