Confusing Endings Are A Pain

If there was the main male lead who liked his women delicate and submissive, then there was always the other one, the psychopath who was just way too protective for his own good.

Could it be? That even if I fulfill the system missions, the way I do it also matters?! She groaned internally. It would've been helpful if I knew that in the beginning!

[SYSTEM WARNING: BAD ROUTE INITIATED.]

[You have unknowingly triggered a Death Flag.]

[Solution: Steal the Love Target immediately with a kiss.]

[Penalty: Immediate application of brutal debuffs.]

[Time: 10 Seconds]

The debuffs slammed into her again, making her stomach churn like she had just eaten expired seafood. Her knees buckled. She felt horrible.

But if there was one thing she prided herself on, both as a former human resource manager and a decent human being, it was knowing how to adapt in a crisis management to new work policies!

So, she grabbed Evelyn's arm, yanked her forward, and brought their faces dangerously close.

"A-Ack! L-Lady Verena?!" the heroine whimpered, her eyes wide with panic.

Verena took a breath.

Then, with the grace of a seasoned office worker bullshitting her way through a last-minute presentation—

She leaned in and kissed Evelyn.

On the cheek.

[Debuffs have been removed!]

[Congratulations! You have successfully secured your first target]

[New Love Target: Evelyn Ashbourne]

[Affection Points: -5]

She let go, smoothly wrapping an arm around the completely shell-shocked girl's waist.

With a dazzling smile that could rival a corporate boss gaslighting an employee into unpaid overtime, she cooed, "I don't know what you're talking about… Me and Evelyn are friends… right?"

If there was one thing Verena had learned from years of dealing with office doormats, it was that they crumbled under the slightest pressure. And Evelyn? Oh, sweet Evelyn was the very definition of a workplace pushover.

"U-Uh…" Evelyn whimpered, her face an absolute mess of confusion and impending existential crisis.

Her lips wobbled like she was about to cry, and honestly, who could blame her? Verena had slapped her across the face and kissed her all in the same day.

"Right?" Verena leaned in ever so slightly, tightening her hold just enough to make her point clear.

"Eep! Yes!" Evelyn gasped out, flinching like a scared bunny.

Honestly, Verena had to admit that she royally screwed up before.

Kissing Evelyn on the lips? Way too much attention.

She might as well have set off fireworks and declared herself the protagonist. She needed an escape plan, preferably one that dumped all the attention onto Raphael instead.

"But since you've already so boldly declared our engagement over, could it be…" She tilted her head, voice dripping with false curiosity. "That you've set your eyes on someone else?"

Raphael stiffened, his frown deepening. "Of course. And it is the very woman you hold."

"Raphael! What is the meaning of this?!"

Ah. And there it was—Norvan finally stepping in, his voice tight with restrained anger. "This is unbecoming of your behavior!"

If there was anything worse than a love triangle, it was a love square. An even worse scenario?

The fact that Raphael and Norvan were stepbrothers, both trained to kill in their own terrifying ways.

Raphael was the kind of guy who'd bash his way through an army. Norvan preferred slipping a knife between someone's ribs before they even realized he was in the room.

Now, they were arguing—again.

Meanwhile, poor Evelyn stood there, looking like she was about to implode. Her shoulders were shaking, her eyes were wide, and the only thing coming out of her mouth were pathetic little stutters.

Verena sighed. 

Reaching out a hand, her voice was oh-so-gentle. "Eve..."

The girl flinched.

That reaction was normal. Afterall, she had slapped the girl earlier.

"I'm not going to hit you," Verena deadpanned. "Do you want me to stop them?"

"H-Huh?" Evelyn sniffled. "C-Can you?"

Oh, I absolutely can. And more importantly, I was going to milk this moment for all it was worth.

With zero hesitation, she wedged herself between the two raging men.

"Enough!" she declared, tossing her hair dramatically. "Do you not see how you're scaring our dear Evelyn? And here I thought both of you cared for her."

Dead silence.

Both men turned, guilt practically slamming into them at the sight of Evelyn's trembling form. 

Perfect.

Evelyn's mind was a mess.

Just earlier, Verena had slapped her. Suddenly, she was protecting her like some noble heroine.

Her heart pounded—was it fear, confusion, or… something else?

Verena had never been kind before. But now she was calling her our Evelyn like she actually cared.

She stared at Verena's outstretched hand, hesitant. Some foolish, hopeless part of her wanted to believe this was real.

But the fear remained.

Because Verena had been cruel before. And people didn't just change overnight.

But...

Perhaps that she's too weak since she accepts it.

[System Notification: Affection Update!]

[Target: Evelyn Ashbourne]

[+2 Affection Points Earned!]

The party had eventually simmered down, much to Verena's relief.

With tensions diffused and reputations still somewhat intact, the nobles pretended as if the night hadn't been an absolute circus.

The music resumed, gossip shifted to less scandalous topics, and everyone moved on, except, of course, for the three people Verena had thrown into absolute emotional turmoil. But that wasn't her problem.

By the time she arrived home, exhaustion weighed on her bones.

She stepped inside, took a deep breath, and, without hesitation, locked the door. Then the windows. Then the balcony. Then the secondary entrance for the servants.

She double-checked. Triple-checked.

Then, she waited.

Silence.

No knocks. No unwelcome visitors. No surprise assassinations.

She exhaled, slumping against the door. Finally, something worked.

"Finally..."

Honestly, she half-assed everything. She didn't even know how noble decorum worked.

"Well, whatever..."

After all that, she slept like the dead.

***

A day later, she found herself standing amidst a bustling crowd, staring up at the towering gates before her.

So this is what her maid had meant. How could she have possibly forgotten?