[New death ending unlocked: Attachment. This is an unexpected ending. You have obtained the reward: Explosive Power (one-time skill that boosts your own strength by five times in a short period)]
[Because your confession caused an unexpected ending, skill Disguise LV1 → LV2]
[LV2 Disguise: You can become anyone. Duration: five minutes]
[Remaining reloads: 2]
Time began to flow backward. Zhe Zilin opened his eyes. Everything rewound before him. In the space of a single breath, he returned to yesterday morning.
At this moment, he had already made a deal with the half-orcs and was leaning alone against the stone wall.
He habitually covered the wound where Osha had stabbed him, as if it still ached faintly.
Zhe Zilin panted heavily. Cold sweat soaked his back. Every time he reloaded after a painful death, his mind teetered on the edge of its limit.
“Insane! Osha is even crazier than Ailia.”
In front of Osha, Ailia’s usual methods could almost be described as gentle.
If Ailia became possessive because of suspicion, then Osha destroyed because of fragility.
In her eyes, there was no difference between death and living, as long as she could be with Zhe Zilin.
He could not let Osha and Ailia meet yet. Absolutely not.
After dying, Zhe Zilin had seen the scene of the two of them fighting. They had nearly destroyed the entire North. It was far too terrifying.
Moreover, the moment the two met, conflict would definitely break out. He might be able to persuade Ailia at the right time, but Osha was like an uncontrollable tiger. She would only make the situation worse.
The root cause was Leon framing Ailia. Zhe Zilin had to prevent it from happening again and stabilize Osha within three days. At the very least, when she met Ailia, she would not go crazy and choose to die together again.
Zhe Zilin rubbed his brow. He had finally figured out Ailia’s personality, and now an even more troublesome Osha had appeared.
He was about to develop a phobia of ex-girlfriends.
Zhe Zilin closed his eyes and tried to calm down, not letting his emotions affect him.
He thought about how to get through this crisis and how to solve the trouble Osha had brought him.
Using death as a threat could not be used on Osha, because she would really make him die.
Osha had always cared deeply about the past. She remembered those beautiful memories and vows, so she still held hope for Zhe Zilin. But this was also the most unsolvable part — Zhe Zilin did not remember anything from before at all.
Tricky.
Extremely tricky.
Zhe Zilin collapsed onto the ground. Ignoring the cold, he looked up at the vast sky.
He could not think of any way to keep Osha calm after she met Ailia. The only feasible option was to stall. Even stalling for one more day was still stalling. He would eventually come up with something.
Therefore, Leon had to die. Only by killing him could he buy three days of time and buy himself some breathing room.
Zhe Zilin stood up and gazed at the falling snow.
“In the valley of despair the cold wind blows. The youth returns amid the chirping of cicadas in spring and autumn. As long as I want to leave, the path lies beneath my feet!”
The sound of the half-orcs’ snoring came from beside him. He already had a plan.
……
In the evening, Griet came to the backyard. He was just about to shout when he discovered that Zhe Zilin had already stood up, as if he had predicted his arrival in advance.
“The princess is calling for you.”
He looked at Zhe Zilin in surprise, treating it as a coincidence.
After arriving on the second floor, Griet stood guard at the door while Osha allowed Zhe Zilin to enter alone.
This time, Zhe Zilin was not awkward. He took the initiative to sit beside Osha’s bed and quietly observed her.
He wanted to pay more attention to Osha’s every movement and better understand her personality. If possible, he wanted to know even more what she was truly thinking.
Osha had originally planned to observe Zhe Zilin carefully, but she never expected him to take the initiative instead. Being stared at made her feel somewhat unconfident.
“What are you trying to see on my face?”
Zhe Zilin shook his head slightly, his words honest. “Beauty. Beauty that moves the heart.”
“That’s all?”
“For now, I don’t see anything else.”
Osha chuckled softly. Her brows and eyes curved like blooming flowers, enough to make anyone fall in love at first sight.
“All men say this when they see me. But why is it that only with you, I don’t feel annoyed?”
She thought about this question but could not find an answer. She simply stopped thinking and waited for Zhe Zilin’s response.
“Because they judge people by their appearance, while I judge people with my eyes. Beauty is beauty. It will not be tainted by the evil thoughts in one’s heart.”
Osha became interested. She rested her chin on one hand and smiled.
“Everyone else wants to obtain it. Don’t you want to?”
Zhe Zilin shook his head. He truly did not.
A rose was beautiful, but it also had thorns. If one wanted to obtain a rose, they first had to withstand its sharp spines.
Osha was puzzled. “Why? Do you have a fetish for ugliness? Or do you like men?”
Zhe Zilin: “……”
“Love at first sight is nothing more than being moved by appearance. If there are no feelings between two people, then all you obtain is a beautiful shell.”
Osha fell into thought. After a brief silence, she said, “Your answer does not satisfy me. And I did not come here to reason with you.”
She leaned closer, staring intently into Zhe Zilin’s eyes.
“Your eyes and eyebrows are very similar. Especially your voice. It’s almost exactly the same.”
“You are Ed, aren’t you?”
Zhe Zilin nodded without the slightest hesitation. “I am.”
Osha frowned. “You were still lying to me this morning. Why are you admitting it now?”
Zhe Zilin explained, “I am an ordinary woodcutter from a common background, and I am also Ed. Whoever the princess wants me to be, I will be.”
Osha’s brows furrowed. She lay on her side on the bed and closed her eyes.
“Fine. Right now, you are Leibang Ed. I order you to immediately kiss your fiancée.”
“This……” Zhe Zilin froze. He had originally planned to argue his way out and agree along with Osha’s suspicion, but he never expected the other party to not fall for it at all.
Was she about to tear through the thin layer between them?
No. If he admitted he was Leibang Ed, he probably would not be able to leave this room tonight. Then Leon would not be able to be killed, and nothing could be stopped.
Zhe Zilin stared at Osha’s rosy lips and swallowed. He did not move for a long time.
He now felt somewhat like a decent young woman being teased. The other party knew he was most likely Leibang Ed and was deliberately provoking him.
If he really mustered the courage to kiss her, what if Osha suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed him down onto the bed? What then?!
He was completely no match for Osha. He would probably be at her mercy.
Not to mention killing Leon — even the innate holy body he had preserved for twenty years might be broken.
“This cannot be done, Princess. This absolutely cannot be done.”
Zhe Zilin quickly scooted backward.
But all of his movements had been predicted by Osha. The moment he tried to retreat, one hand grabbed his collar and effortlessly pulled him right in front of her.
Their noses lightly touched. They could feel each other’s warm breath.
The corners of Osha’s mouth lifted. Her eyes occasionally glanced at Zhe Zilin’s lips, then back at his eyes, teasing his mind.
“This is what you taught me, Ed.”
Zhe Zilin had lost. He had lost in a completely miserable and flustered manner.
“Princess, I am not Ed. If you don’t believe me, I can remove this fake beard.”
Osha ran out of patience. “You didn’t remove it earlier or later. Why do you want to remove it now?”
She pulled hard with her hand, drawing Zhe Zilin even closer. His lips felt a trace of warmth.
Zhe Zilin wanted to escape. He wanted to dodge backward. But Osha gave him no chance. Her gaze was hazy as she stared at him.
“Ed, you used to be like this too. You never let me leave.”