I'll save the villainess! (GL)

Chapter 26: Story

"This world... is a story."

"What?"

I knew it'd be like this. I mean, it's not everyday someone tells you you're part of some novel written by a person from another universe.

"Before dying in my original world, a novel was delivered to me. This world is in that novel."

"Is that the reason why you can 'foretell' the future...?"

I nod.

Alisa looks even more serious now.

"I'm... a character in a novel..."

She furrows her brows.

"That's right... All of you are... well, except for the other users from my original world."

"You know the other users too?"

"Yes. One of them is my brother."

"Your brother? How is that possible? Isn't it too much of a coincidence?"

She has a point.

"Oh, right. Do you know any other users?"

"I know two of them... three including you."

One of them must be the first. As for the other...

"It's the crown prince, Leonas."

The guy my brother likes?

Sheesh, both of them are users and they don't know that.

Something's wrong though. Aren't there supposed to be six users now?

The second user... we haven't heard of them yet.

"Say, Alisa. Do you know anything about the second user?"

"The second user... he went missing a few years back. He was known as a 'merciless tyrant' since he used the system to gain power. He was a complete power-obsessed maniac."

For someone like that to go missing...?

It doesn't seem natural. What happened a few years back when he suddenly disappeared?

Now that I think about it, there are so many unanswered questions...

In the first place, how did Alisa and Prince Leonas get the system? Why did they have to turn back time?

"Alisa, what happened before you got the system?"

As far as I know, from the novel, nothing happened that could've led to the crown prince and the heroine having a bad ending.

Unless... it was the events that occured after the novel had ended? 

"Well... we all gained self-awareness, I'd say."

Self-awareness?

"All of a sudden, we felt free. Before that, we always felt a strong urge to do something... but after that, we could make our own decisions, and the urge was gone."

An urge? Must be the plot of the novel. After the novel ended, the characters didn't have a script to follow, and thus gained self-awareness...

"After gaining self-awareness, I woke up as myself twenty years ago. I also found out that Prince Leonas experienced the same thing. Everyone else didn't remember anything at all."

So aside from the Male and Female lead, everyone else was reset. It seems like someone didn't want to let the story continue after the events in the novel, and decided to 'replay' everything that happened.

However, while trying to do so, the male and female lead somehow didn't get 'reset' like they were supposed to.

Come to think of it, there is something that all the users thus far have in common. All of them were people who have broken some rule of some sort.

Either entering this world from another world, or turning back time without 'resetting' like all the other characters...

Does that mean Elise had been 'reset' too?

All of them right now... are like puppets on a string... or rather, an act?

The only thing that doesn't add up is the second user. How did he suddenly disappear?

"It's getting late, Y/N. I believe it's best for you to go back to your little lover before she starts panicking..."

Ah, Elise... she's still waiting for me.

I nod and turn before leaving.

_____________________________________

This is a lot to take in. It does make sense now though... that this world is a story. As much as I'd hate to believe it, I am a character in someone's novel.

I need to ask Leonas about this.

"It's getting late, Y/N. I believe it's best for you to go back to your little lover before she starts panicking..."

I hesitated a little when saying 'lover'. She probably didn't notice it regardless.

Elise and Y/N... they're in love, aren't they?

It hurts a little knowing that someone else is holding her, touching her... kissing her...

I've pictured it countless times, that she would be the one I held at the end of the day.

I can still picture it, except the person holding her isn't me.

Elise wouldn't share what's her's, would she?

I chuckled, but I still feel sad.

"Ah... Y/N... what is it you're doing to me?"

How pathetic. I was sure I've become stronger after turning back time...

I glance at her fading figure in the distance one last time before turning away.

_____________________________________

"N/N! You're finally back!!"

Elise's imaginary tail wags profusely.

I chuckle.

Adorable little villainess...

She holds me tight in her embrace.

"Love you, N/N."

"Love you too, Elise."

She presses our foreheads together, and our lips connected.

*ahem* *ahem*

"...?!"

"Shiro! Kuro!! And.. Batman? Why are you crying?"

"S-Shiro and Kuro are bullying me wahhhh..."

I sweatdrop.

"Nonsense. Shiro and Kuro didn't bully you."

Batman rushes up to us and hugs my leg.

"Save me from those two monsters...!"

"Batman, aren't you a dog? The roles are reversed!!"

"Wahh..."

Batman continues sobbing.