Far away, deep underground, the demon Varnak sat in a black room.
He heard the news from a bat.
"Leo is dead."
Varnak laughed.
"I didn't even touch him. The boy did it."
He licked his lips.
"This prince... he's better than I thought."
He looked into the fire.
"Maybe... maybe he's the one I was waiting for."
But he didn't know.
Jin was not his toy.
Jin had his own plan.
Jin was not a puppet.
He was the player.
And more pieces were on the board.
The kingdom was still talking about Leo's death. Some people felt sad. Some felt nothing. But Jin Haru didn't care. His smile stayed soft. His hands stayed clean. The system was quiet, but he knew—it was hungry for more.
But this day was not like the others.
Today, someone came back.
She was once called the Crown Prince's fiancée.
Her name was Aria Valen.
She came from a noble house. Smart. Talented. Proud. In the old future, she was the only one who loved Jin Haru.
But he never loved her back.
---
In the past timeline...
Jin was king.
Aria stood by his side, smiling with fake happiness. She studied hard. She worked for him. She helped the people. All because she thought he would notice her.
But he didn't.
Jin used her.
He blamed her.
Every crime he did, he made look like Aria did it.
Killing priests.
Burning villages.
Poisoning nobles.
One by one, all pointed at her.
The court held a trial.
The people shouted, "Witch!"
"Liar!"
"Traitor!"
She was crying in chains.
"I didn't do it..."
Jin stood there in front of everyone. His face was full of sorrow. Fake sorrow.
"I don't want to believe it... but the evidence is clear," he said softly.
The people clapped for his fairness.
The punishment was death.
They gave Aria poison.
She held the cup in her hand.
She looked at Jin, hoping he would stop it.
He didn't.
She drank.
And she died.
---
But she opened her eyes again.
She woke up in her bed.
She gasped, sweating. She touched her face, her hands, her chest.
She was alive.
She ran to the mirror.
She looked young.
"What is this...?"
A small mark was glowing on her chest.
A system message appeared in her mind.
[You have regressed] [You have one chance to change your fate]
She fell to her knees.
"This time... I won't love him again."
Her eyes turned sharp.
"I will make him pay. Slowly."
She began planning.
Learning. Watching.
She stayed quiet in her new life.
Acted the same.
But deep inside, she was full of rage.
---
Now, in the present timeline...
Aria entered the royal garden. She wore a white dress. Her golden hair blew in the wind.
Jin saw her from far away.
He paused.
His smile faded for a second.
But then, the system spoke.
[Warning: Regressor Detected] [Target: Aria Valen. She remembers the old future.]
Jin laughed in his mind.
"So... you're back."
The system said:
[Suggested Mission: Fool Her. Make Her Love You Again. Confuse Her Heart. Reward: 2 Passive Skills from Target if Successful.]
He smiled again.
He walked fast.
"Aria! You're here! I missed you so much!"
People nearby looked shocked.
"The prince is running?!"
"He hugged her?"
"He's crying?!"
Jin held her hands. "Please forgive me. I was too shy before. I didn't know how to love you. But now I do."
Aria blinked.
She looked confused.
"What is this...? Why is he... like this?"
Her heart shook. Just a little.
She stepped back.
Jin didn't let go.
"Please, Aria. Give me one chance. Just one."
People clapped. Some smiled.
"He's so romantic."
"What a beautiful couple."
Aria bit her lip.
"No... I must not fall for this. He's acting. He's tricking me. I know he is."
But her fingers trembled.
In her room that night, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Why did he look so... real?"
She covered her face.
"Stop it. Remember your death. Remember the poison."
Tears fell.