[Evelina's POV]
So… what kind of person was I? And what kind of life did I have?
If I had to describe it in one line—a survival life.
I was born to be discarded. Abandoned by a mother who wrapped me in a plastic bag and left me beside a dustbin. I was nothing more than a breathing mistake—a child who learned to survive before she ever learned to walk.
In that suffocating bag, I fought for air. And after that, I kept fighting—for food, for warmth, for another day that didn't care whether I lived or died.
All my life, I only learned one thing: Survive.
No Matter what...Just Survive.
I never cried for help. I never begged for food. I simply… endured.
And in the end, I found my comfort in a small, dim apartment—a box stacked between concrete walls—and in a screen glowing in the dark.
That's where I found Eternal Love Dating Game.
A stupid dating sim. A world where everything was beautiful, predictable, and safe behind pixels. Where choices had meaning. Where kindness was rewarded.
I loved the heroine, Sera Hartgrave, because she was like me—an orphan. I wanted to give her everything I never had: a family, wealth, love, and a home that wanted her.
So I played. Every day.
I skipped meals just to help her win her happy ending. And every time, to make her shine, I had to kill Evelina Hartgrave—the villainess who stood in her way.
The Real and Biological Daughter of Hartgrave's. I snatched her position and gave it to Sera...just for her Happy ending.
Poisoned. Exiled. Burned. Exposed. Once, I even killed her because of a bug bite.
Funny, isn't it?
But now...it wasn't...
All those deaths felt meaningless until the day I opened my eyes… and realized I wasn't Reina Tanaka anymore.
I was Evelina Hartgrave.
The villainess I had murdered a hundred times. And this time—it was my turn to die.
The story was simple. So simple that I could recite it in my sleep.
A girl named Sera Loraine—daughter of a kindhearted nanny who served the Hartgrave family for Sixteen years—lost her mother to sudden illness. Out of pity and gratitude, Mr. and Mrs. Hartgrave decided to adopt Sera, giving her a home, a name, and a future.
At first, everything was fine. The perfect Rich family. Two daughters. Smiles, laughter, warm dinners.
Until Evelina started to hate her.
Jealousy. Insecurity. Paranoia. She thought Sera was trying to steal her place—her parents, her friends, and even her fiancé. (And maybe she was.)
But when Evelina's cruel pranks and lies were exposed, the family turned on their own daughter. The perfect Rich heiress became the wicked one. The disgrace. The villainess.
And to make it worse—
At the Valtore Successor's Party—the event meant to announce the next heir and her engagement—Evelina's fiancé, the brilliant and cold heir Kael Valtore, stood before everyone and said the words that sealed her fate.
"I can no longer continue this engagement with a woman who knows nothing but Hate."
I could still hear the game's voice line echoing in my head, mocking me with perfect clarity. That was the scene that started every route. The scene that doomed Evelina to die in every timeline.
I remember it too well. The camera zoomed in on Evelina's shocked face. The crowd's whispers. The way the music swelled right before her reputation bar dropped to zero.
And now? Now I was her.
I did everything right. I spent hours making sure Sera was happy. I spent my hard-earned money just to buy those damn diamond options so she could win her endings. I gave her everything!
And what do I get in return? A slap, a bad reputation, and a death flag on my forehead?!
You damn system… you should've made me the fucking heroine. Why… why the villainess?"
The air shimmered faintly in front of me.
[System: Calm down, Evelina. Emotional instability detected.]
"Emotional instability?!" I snapped. "I'm inside a game that's trying to kill me; of course I'm unstable!"
Then—
SCREECH!!!
The car jerked to a halt, tires biting against marble as we stopped before the Valtore Mansion's grand ballroom—a glittering cage built for the elite.
By the time the engine quieted, I had memorized three things. One—every inch of this world looked too perfect to be real. Two—the system had no "quit" option. And three—silence was the safest answer to everything.
The faint translucent screen still hovered at the edge of my vision, pulsing softly like a heartbeat I couldn't escape.
[Objective: Attend the Successor's Party.
Upcoming Scene: Evelina's engagement annulment by Kael Valtore.
Penalty of Failure: System Intervention.]
System intervention.
Those words twisted in my gut like ice. I didn't know what that meant exactly—but I had a feeling it wouldn't be pleasant. The driver stepped out and opened my door. I took a deep breath, schooling my face into something cold, perfect, and untouchable.
As my heels clicked against the marble pavement, two sleek cars pulled up behind mine.
From the first, my brothers stepped out—Aiden and Lucien Hartgrave. Their movements were practiced and elegant, like they'd done this scene a hundred times before.
And then—
"Come out, Sera," Lucien said gently, stretching his hand toward the other car.
And she stepped out.
Sera Loraine. Pink cotton-candy hair. Wide rose eyes. The heroine of Eternal Love.
She wore a simple blue gown that shimmered like morning dew, the very image of innocence. She smiled faintly at my brothers.
"Thank you, brothers," she said softly, her voice the kind that made people want to protect her.
Behind her car, my parents emerged—smiling proudly, their attention fixed entirely on Sera. Not me.
Of course not me.
I stood there for a moment, watching the picture-perfect family gather around their new daughter, and it hit me—No matter how rich Evelina had been, she had already been alone.
And now, so was I.
Still, I straightened my shoulders. It's not like I had any expectations. I wasn't here for love or redemption. I was here to survive.
I turned to walk toward the ballroom entrance—and a hand gripped my wrist.
Tight. Controlling.
When I turned, Aiden Hartgrave was staring down at me. His blue eyes were cold as polished steel, his jaw sharp with irritation.
"Don't embarrass the family tonight," he said curtly.
I met his glare, expressionless.
I met his glare, expressionless. My fingers twitched at my side. Say something, I thought. Anything.
But my lips didn't move.
Every time I stood in front of the game's characters, it was as if invisible threads sealed my mouth shut. The system's silent control is pressing down on me, forcing me into Evelina's role like a puppet wrapped in silk and diamonds.
He held my gaze for a moment longer before scoffing softly. "Figures," Aiden muttered, turning his back on me. Lucien followed, their steps in perfect sync, like a practiced scene.
And just like that, they walked inside—leaving me alone at the foot of the marble stairs, the night air sharp against my skin.
I stood there for a breath. The mansion doors loomed ahead, golden and bright, a stage waiting for its villainess to appear.
"…Right," I whispered to myself, straightening my spine. "Let's get this over with."
The moment I stepped past the threshold, the world changed.
The low hum of violins wove through the air, soft and deceptively elegant. Laughter sparkled like champagne. Crystal chandeliers scattered light across velvet gowns and jeweled masks. Photographers' flashes burst like tiny explosions of judgment.
And as I walked through the ballroom—alone, unwanted, and perfectly dressed for my own downfall—the conversations quieted, one by one.
Every eye turned. Every whisper followed.
"Evelina Hartgrave," someone murmured.
"The wicked heiress."
"Did you hear what she did to poor Sera—?"
I didn't look at them. I just smiled—that polite, cold smile I'd practiced in front of mirrors that weren't mine. And somewhere in that sea of gold and glass, I saw him.
Kael Valtore. The heir to Valtore Group. The golden boy with black hair and red eyes. The man who would, in every route, destroy me.
He stood beneath the chandelier, radiant in black and silver, the perfect picture of nobility. The crowd orbited him like he was gravity itself.
My chest tightened—fear, memory, and anger, all tangled together.
But this time, it would be different.
My voice was barely a breath, but I meant every word. "I'm not letting that happen."
[System: New Objective Generated.
Instruction: Pour red wine on the heroine's face to process the marriage annulment.
Timer: 02:59]
I froze.
My eyes widened. My lips parted.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The countdown began. The ballroom sparkled. And I, Evelina Hartgrave, was seconds away from dying—again.