TCS - Chapter 8

 My last clear memory was summer of 227—so how did I end up almost ten years in the past? My head spun in confusion, and I felt dizzy, barely able to stand.

“Ah…”

“Miss!”

Ena caught me as I collapsed and helped me back onto the bed. She frowned, worried I was feeling unwell, but I told her I just wanted to rest and sent her out.

I closed my eyes and lay still, but my mind was racing.

‘They said it was the end.’

Recalling the gods’ final words, I realized after eavesdropping on their conversations for a long time that they viewed this world like a play or a work of literature.

‘Perhaps “female lead” and “male lead” aren’t names…’

Maybe they’re just shorthand for the female lead and male lead. Probably something like a romance novel.

The ending—“the end.” The word “end of the world” sounded ominous. If the world has an end, isn’t that destruction?

“Sigh… what the hell is this?”

Not only had I just experienced a sudden world-ending event overheard from the gods, but now I’d even reverted to my childhood body.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just accept everything I’d experienced as a nightmare?

Just as I was about to reconcile with this reality, something familiar appeared before my eyes.

<Best> [Golden Family’s Siblings’ Obsession]

Advance party here. The male lead is completely obsessed and the female lead is utterly pitiful.

A regret-free obsessive imprisonment trash can yummy (⋆ˆ ³ ˆ)♥

You won't regret boarding this ship. Oh, but there's something a little strange……

It was the same gods’ chat window I had seen long ago.

The number 78 at the bottom was exactly the same. Though I wanted to close it since I already knew the content, this window wouldn’t disappear until I fully checked it. So, like before, I had no choice but to mess with the numbers.

└ [Golden Family’s Siblings’ Obsession]

(Spoiler alert) There’s a somewhat intriguing character. Honestly, they have nothing to do with the female lead or male lead’s story, but they’re oddly refreshing.

Sometimes the female lead is so naïvely kind it’s frustrating, but watching this character eases the tension. However, as I said, they never meet the female lead or male lead…

I think this character might later become an ally to the female lead.

A vicious, all-around mad dog biting all the bad guys. Girl crush vibes. Krrr. Honestly, this character would make a great protagonist, but that would change the genre, so that’s a shame.

└[Please Help the Evil Beggar ㅠ]

Oh my, I see you here too Obsession. How many serialized works are you following?

But the story didn’t match what I remembered. The god of the Golden Family called me a frustrating villain, didn’t he?

Could they be referring to someone else? But then I saw the name “Lovely” in the following messages and realized it was me.

‘The story changed? Why?’

And after witnessing the horrible ending with me, why are they now pretending to see it for the first time? I couldn’t understand.

* * *

Though I didn’t understand, I realized what I experienced wasn’t just a nightmare. So I decided to deal with the useless trash in my life first.

“Brother.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I want you to come with me somewhere. It’d be nice if your friends… the knight comrades came too.”

I smiled at my family’s second eldest fool—the most reliable person when asking for favors. He smiled, thinking I was inviting him out, but frowned when I said to bring friends too.

“Them too? Why? Can’t you just come with me?”

“Well, it’s usually better to have more people. Would it be hard?”

“They’d come if you asked… but I don’t really want to. What if they see our cutie and get all clingy?”

He was acting cutely, which didn’t suit his size. But after I pressed, he reluctantly agreed.

“All right… if our cutie wants it, I’ll do it. But where are we going?”

"Umm, the capital."

"The capital? Are you going to meet that Pedro guy?"

"Hmm, something like that."

He was curious why I wanted to bring the knights with me to meet Pedro, but when I told him I would show him something interesting, his face lit up with anticipation.

We set a date and went up to the capital on the appointed day. My brother, who had finished work that day, was waiting for me with his colleagues.

"Lovely! You made it!"

"It wasn't much trouble... I was just playing in the territory and teleported here through the transfer gate."

"It must have been hard for you to walk all this way with those little feet!"

"Ugh. You crazy..."

My brother's forwardness made his colleague snicker and curse. It wasn't malicious, but rather a friendly curse born of affection.

As I'd requested, my brother had gathered as many people as possible. With nearly thirty present, it seemed he'd brought the entire Knights Guild he belonged to.

Among them were unfamiliar faces, but also many I recognized from past encounters.

“Hi, Lovely. So, why did you gather everyone today?”

“Just… wanted to show you something fun.”

Everyone tilted their heads, wondering if I was going to take them to see a play or something.

There were some who seemed reluctant, as they weren't interested in plays, but they followed me with a skeptical look after I told them they wouldn't regret it.

'Right. What could be more stimulating and interesting than an affair?'

I planned to make them witnesses to Pedro's infidelity.

***

We headed to the house of Joanna, Pedro's mistress who had given birth to his illegitimate child. According to the servant I had planted in the townhouse, Pedro was supposed to be sleeping at the knights' quarters tonight.

'There's no way.'

Pedro, who had a taste for luxury and hated communal living, would choose to crawl back to the townhouse even if he had to.

If he were using the knights as an excuse, there would only be one reason.

It had been quite some time since he finished work. Could he be in the middle of his affair by now? I pondered for a moment, then turned to my brother and smiled.

"Brother."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Could you break down this door for me?"

Huh? My brother looked quite taken aback by the sudden request. That was because the building in front of us looked like an ordinary family home.

As a knight, he couldn't oppress ordinary people who weren't criminals, so he looked troubled. I gave him a tearful look.

"You can't? I guess you can't..."

"Agh, ah... Lovely-ah..."

"If you can't, well, there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to do it myself."

"...Huh?"

I pulled out a small hand axe. I'd carried it with me from the territory. My brother looked flustered, and his friends watched us with curious eyes.

I didn't know what was happening, but it already seemed interesting.

"I-I'll do it. Just. If you swing that wrong, you'll get hurt."

My brother snatched the hand axe from me with a pout, worried I might hurt myself swinging it around.

But he didn't plan to use it on the door. He lifted one leg and slammed his foot against it. The wooden door tore apart like paper under the kick of a trained knight.

"Ahhh!"

"W-What?"

"...That voice?"

My brother’s face froze when he heard the familiar voice from inside after breaking the door with guilt-ridden expression. His comrades exchanged puzzled looks.

He kicked the remaining door fragments, completely destroying it, and the scene inside became clear.

Shocked by the sudden intrusion, the woman covered herself with the sheet, and the man hurriedly pulled up his pants, stunned to see familiar faces.

“Lo-Lovely?”

"...Pedro Saxen! You crazy bastard, how dare you!"

Even if the second brother was a fool, this situation required no explanation. What could a naked man and woman be doing on a bed? Playing doctor?

The second brother charged forward like a lightning strike, literally throttling Pedro.

Pedro couldn't even attempt a counterattack, let alone defend himself. The massive difference in their sizes made it inevitable.​