The girl’s purple eyes, as radiant as gemstones, gradually dimmed, losing their original luster. Her entire body went limp and collapsed onto herself.
This witch had laid bare her most sincere heart without reservation.
If a corpse could speak, then at that final moment, still forcing a smile, she must have been saying: Whether you believe it or not, I have always been true to you.
The blood in her hands was still warm. It was her—her stubbornness, her incomplete trust—that led to this outcome.
In the end, the one she wanted to save had, instead, saved her countless times, without ever needing her salvation.
“I’m sorry……………”
People often say that when a person’s sorrow reaches its peak, even the tears in their eyes become bitter, sometimes staining red like drops of blood, falling to the ground and causing petals to wither.
But she could no longer cry.
Holding the cold corpse, Lia only felt her heart hollow, as if the most vital piece was missing.
“If only, you had never met me at the start, never helped me, never followed me all this time… then it would have been better…………..
Then there would be no pain of parting.
But there are no ifs.
She is already dead.
Glory.
Year 972, Keliweier Kingdom.
Many events were recorded in the annals of this year.
The Carnival was held smoothly, the king was succeeded, a heretical cult invaded.
An unknown Curse swept across the nation, only to be instantly absorbed and eradicated.
A mountain suddenly appeared out of thin air on the plains near the royal palace, and within it, a village that had passed down its heritage for a thousand years was found in seclusion.
The kingdom’s only Hibron Tree grew overnight into a majestic wonder.
Reactionary nobles secretly conspired, but were soon completely purged by spies planted by the queen along with her forces.
The newly ascended queen, as if suddenly awakened, quickly consolidated her position with decisive and swift action, and every sector of the kingdom flourished.
However, the citizens would never have guessed that the queen sitting calmly in the palace—the one who orchestrated everything—had once contemplated ending her own life………….
Whenever Lia saw a Mock Puppet, she thought of someone.
Whenever Lia returned tiredly to her room and noticed dusty books on the desk, she thought of someone.
Whenever Lia rested under the Hibron Tree, she thought of someone.
The person she thought of was recorded in her treasured Memory Stone as a photograph.
Inside was a girl wearing a flower crown, smiling under the sunset—so lovely, so romantic.
“Knock knock.”
The Memory Stone slipped from Lia’s hand as she daydreamed, falling onto a book.
She brushed off the dust and flipped through it absentmindedly.
It was a familiar story, but now it seemed almost childish.
“Wait, what’s this?”
A yellowed scrap of paper was tucked inside the pages, the handwriting crooked but showing the author’s earnestness and clumsiness.
【I guess you will stumble upon this book by chance. Beneath the soil of the Hibron Tree, there is something for you.】
Lia snapped out of her daze, clutching the note, and wandered toward the base of the tree.
The spot where she often sat—there was something hidden underneath? How had she never noticed?
After digging through the shallow soil with her hands, Lia found a notebook and a withered flower crown, almost fully merged with the earth.
The notebook’s cover was adorned with doodles of two little figures—one with black hair, the other silver.
Inside were diary entries written by a girl during moments of boredom.
【4.24, Today I wore the clothes Lia gave me. The clothes are pretty, and she said I’m pretty too. It’s kind of embarrassing.】
【4.26, The snacks Lia sent were delicious. I heard they were specially made in the palace, just for me.】
【4.25, I sneaked into the Sage’s Tower to cause trouble for the Great Sage, nearly got caught. Luckily, Lia had my back in the end.】
【…Every day spent with Lia is happy.】
【Lia is the best.】
Drip.
-drip.
On the last page of the notebook, water droplets suddenly appeared. Was it rain?
Feeling wet streaks on her cheeks, Lia gently wiped them away.
Oh, they were tears.
Why did they flow out without her realizing?
“Hey, hey, can you hear me?”
Hearing that voice etched deep in her heart once again, Lia was momentarily dazed.
After a frantic search around, she realized the sound was coming from the puppet she always carried.
“Surprised? I even gave the puppet this function.
Although I don’t know what Lia is doing now, or what she’s thinking, I want to remind you—today is your birthday. No matter how busy you are, don’t forget that.
Finally,
remember to spend this important day with the people around you. Don’t overwork yourself, don’t get sick, and don’t dwell on random thoughts.
If I never get to see you again, then I wish you good morning, good afternoon, and good night~”
After speaking, the puppet played another audio.
This time, it was no longer narration, but purely the birthday song.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you……………”
Joyful birdsong blew in the wind, intertwining with the blessings carried by the song.
A refreshing fragrance drifted down from the Hibron Tree full of green leaves, mingling with the scent borne by the flower crown, flowing away into the distance.
The queen, who always thought her heart was unbreakably tough, could no longer suppress her loneliness and broke down crying like a child, clutching the puppet tightly.
Only then did she understand.
The death of a loved one is not a downpour, but a lifetime of dampness.
[Simulation End]
Shortly after meeting death, Tina finally regained sensation in her limbs within the darkness.
The feeling of death, the pain of life—everything was so real, yet extraordinarily unreal.
Now, freed from the simulated world and returned to sober reality, she felt as if the heavy stone that had long oppressed her heart was finally lowering.
Did this count as success?
How much lifespan would be granted in the reckoning?
[Achievement: Moonmist Sect’s Fated Nemesis — In this simulation, you eliminated two Archbishops and assisted in capturing one Archbishop.
As a witch, you severely disrupted the Moonmist Sect’s plans, saving the endangered Keliweier Kingdom from crisis.]
[Achievement: Whimsical Doctor — In this simulation, your handling of the prince involved using witchcraft to sever his soul, successfully turning him into her.
Although inhumane, you saved a person who was otherwise doomed to die.]
[Achievement: Princess’s Guardian, Princess’s Tormentor — In this simulation, you used all means to help the princess while deceiving her, ultimately shattering her inner defenses.
As a villain, you did well; as a lover, you’re a bit inhuman.]
Tina: “?”
No, why are you still scolding me?
[Summary Rating: A-]
[Based solely on results, you have successfully met all objectives, but there is much room for improvement.]
[Rewarded lifespan extension: six months + one year, along with partial relief from disease and pain.]
[Please keep up the good work.]