Chapter 2
What a joke.
Just as my consciousness was about to slip into darkness, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my ears.
[Host's vital signs have ceased.]
[Death Escape Mission completed successfully.]
[Reward granted: One chance at rebirth, ten thousand gold coins, and new identity papers.]
[Detaching from original body... Detachment complete.]
My consciousness felt weightless, floating in the air.
I saw my own "corpse" sprawled on the cold ground, like a red rose crushed underfoot.
Marcus came rushing over like a madman, his hands trembling as he gathered me into his arms.
"Joyce! Joyce!" he shouted.
His voice filled with a panic I'd never heard before.
Leila dropped to her knees beside Marcus, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Joyce, why did you do something so foolish?
"It's all my fault. I never should have come to Marcus's estate."
My mother-in-law froze for a moment, then suddenly screamed and rushed over.
She didn't even look at me; her focus was all on Marcus as she grabbed his arm.
She yelled, "Marcus, just ignore her!
"That venomous woman is just using her death to manipulate you.
"Quick, get a doctor for Leila! She's scared out of her wits!"
Marcus didn't even acknowledge her. He just clung to me like he'd never let go, his eyes so red it looked like he could bleed tears.
"Call the court physician! Hurry up!" he bellowed at the servants.
He yelled at the servants, desperation thick in his voice.
Everyone in the manor was scrambling in panic.
The court physician arrived in a hurry, his hands shaking as he checked for my breath and felt for my pulse.
Finally, he dropped to his knees before Marcus, his face full of despair.
"General, please accept my condolences," he said, his voice trembling.
"Mrs. Eden... there's nothing more we can do."
He made his way unsteadily back to the room we once shared, everything inside still untouched, just as it was before. He opened the drawer of the dressing table; there were no jewels or hairpins, only a thick stack of letter paper. Every single sheet was covered with his name, Marcus Eden. She'd spent her youth practicing writing, and every stroke was his name. The last page, the ink barely dry, held a single line: "Today, the general returns victorious. My heart is at peace. May you live in safety and peace for all your years." The date was today. Marcus gripped the paper tightly, the taste of blood rising in his throat, and finally let out a desperate howl, like a beast caught in a trap.
It was funny.
I always believed his tears were reserved for Leila.
The system spoke up in my head.
[Do you want to see what happens next?]
I said: [Show me.]
I wanted to see how they'd do without me.
My "corpse" was placed in the mourning hall, and mourning banners were hung throughout the general's manor.
My mother-in-law sat in the mourning hall, but she wasn't mourning me.
Instead, she was holding Leila's hand, whispering words of comfort.
"Good girl, don't be afraid," she said softly.
"That spiteful woman is dead. From now on, you'll be the one in charge of the general's manor."
Leila wiped away her tears, speaking nervously in a small voice.
"But... Joyce just died. Should I really be acting like this?"
My mother-in-law gave her hand a reassuring pat.
"There's nothing wrong with it," she said.
"Once the seven-day mourning is over, I'll make sure Marcus makes you the lady of the manor.
"She's just a woman who can't have children; her death means nothing. Do you really expect Marcus to stay loyal to her forever?"
Even though they spoke quietly, their words reached me loud and clear.
I didn't feel angry. I just thought it was pathetic.
This was the mother-in-law I'd been dutiful to for three years.
Marcus walked into the mourning hall.
He'd lost a lot of weight, his chin shadowed with dark stubble, and the mourning clothes made him look even more gaunt and hollow.
He dismissed everyone, then knelt stiffly in front of my coffin, completely alone.
He stared at my memorial tablet for what felt like forever.
Then he reached out, like he was about to touch it.
But halfway there, he stopped abruptly, his hand suspended mid-air.
He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and raw.
"Joyce, why?
"Why didn't you wait for me to explain?"
Explain?
What could he explain?
Explain that he brought home a replacement because he was just so madly in love with me?
I just stared at him coldly, my face showing nothing but emptiness.
The system chimed in again.
[Regret points for the male lead: +10.]
[Total regret points: 10.]
[When regret points hit 100, ultimate punishment unlocked.]
My funeral was held in haste, barely given a second thought.
My father and brother from my family home came.
My father was the Chancellor, and my brother was the commander of the imperial guards.
When they saw my body, their eyes reddened with sorrow.
My brother Louis Simpson stormed up and seized Marcus by the collar, his grip fierce and eyes blazing.
"Marcus! Tell me, how did Joyce die?" Louis demanded, his voice trembling with fury.
"You owe me my sister! Bring her back!"
Marcus didn't fight back. He just stood there, letting Louis's fist land on his face, not even trying to defend himself.