I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 2

Chapter 2.1

[ 〈SYSTEM〉

Congratulations! You have become the heroine, 〈 Ardi Aidelis 〉, in the reverse harem dating simulation game, 〈 Flower of Arbonis. 〉 Find the male leads and complete the endings of 〈 Flower of Arbonis 〉! ]

My eyes fluttered open with a thumping sensation in my chest. I grimaced my face at the sensation that never felt familiar despite experiencing it several times before slowly raising my gaze. The room was adorned with opulent embellishments, yet an air of monotony hung heavy, casting a slightly desolate ambiance. The room, elegant yet modest, seemed to encapsulate the owner’s personality perfectly.

Feeling a sense of unease at the familiar surroundings, my heart thumped rapidly that the palpitations were even audible.

As I glanced around, struggling to adjust my focus, there it was — the system window that I had encountered countless times before, alongside the visage of my disapproving father staring back at me.

‘…D*mn it.’

Once again, it was the beginning.

I pressed my lips together, suppressing the urge to scream out loud.

If there was any silver lining amidst the unaltered circumstances, it was that I wasn’t holding anything in my hand this time. In my fourteenth life, I dropped the teacup I was holding and the searing liquid scalded the top of my foot. Fortunately, through the repetition of life and death, the scars from back then had disappeared completely.

However, strangely enough, there were times when the spots where scars used to be felt a dull ache.

“What are you thinking?”

A voice full of disapproval resonated in my ears. Startled by the voice, I looked up, startled by the voice to see the man’s gray eyes staring back at me.

“…No. It’s nothing, father.”

“I don’t need a fool in this house. The same goes for someone who doesn’t fulfill their responsibilities.”

“I know.”

He still showed his displeasure even with my immediate response.

With unease clawing at me, I directed my gaze into the empty space and bit my lip. Even though the juncture I had returned to was the same, I couldn’t think that the situation was exactly the same as before.

I narrowed my gaze as I remembered the lapis lazuli I had glimpsed in the last moments on the child.

Through countless long years that I couldn’t even remember, I repeated death dozens of times, dying in all sorts of ways. Poisoning, murder, execution, accidents… Still, irrespective of the manner of death I faced, not a single person had ever told me to go back to the beginning. I had believed that no one in this world knew the fact—that upon death, I would go back to the beginning—and that my life didn’t end with death.

〈 You’re going back. You can go back and start over. 〉

〈 You have to see the ending. 〉

〈 That’s the only way to end this cruel life that’s been given to you. 〉

The presence of the child, who spoke as if they knew everything about my situation, instilled a vague sense of hope within me. Maybe this life, in which I was forcibly regressed by the child, would be different from what it has been.

‘So, please. Please, just this once…!’

“Go visit the palace in a little. I have a message for Heron.”

Along with my father’s words, a window appeared in the air with a flash. The window that appeared before me was showing a message I had seen several times before.

[ 〈SYSTEM〉 MISSION!

Your father, Baltanium Aidelis, has requested that you deliver a letter to Heron Aidelis, who is currently at the imperial palace.
Would you like to accept?

[ YES / NO ]

* Accepting the mission will increase Baltanium Aidelis’s trust increases, while declining will decrease Baltanium Aidelis’s trust. ]

I turned my head away, ignoring the system window that flashed incessantly as if demanding my choice. Although it appeared as though I was given options to choose from, in reality, there was really only one choice.

〈 I won’t deliver the letter. 〉

In one of the lives, I had felt disillusioned with this meaningless game and chose nothing.

‘And then, as if it was natural, the accept button was pressed.’

So out of frustration, I pressed the decline’ button the next time.

[ 〈SYSTEM〉

Penalty for rejecting a mission!
Baltanium Aidelis’s trust decreases by 3%.

Baltanium Aidelis’s current trust: 8% -〉 5% ]

[ 〈SYSTEM〉

Due to decreased trust, your maximum holding amount is restricted. (Maximum five gold)
You have been deducted three gold for exceeding the limit.

Ardi’s current possession: Five gold ]

‘I didn’t expect that they would limit the maximum amount of money I can carry. I didn’t even realize it meant they’d confiscate my money as if it were stolen goods. I’m not the devil, so how could they even think of taking my hard-earned money like that?’

Having money at my disposal to see the ending turned out to be more important than I had thought. Whether it was purchasing information from informants or buying gifts for the target characters to gain their favors, all of these facets required using the money I had.

‘Of course, I also had to buy snacks from time to time to keep myself from going insane from the repetitive lives.’

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