How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 3: My happy ending

According to the game's lore, Liyana was supposed to feel little to no attraction toward Riley. When we first met, I clung to the desperate hope that I could remain beneath her notice and avoid her gaze entirely.

To my utter shock, she didn't just find me interesting—she began to flaunt her affection for me without reservation.

Haha... For a brief moment, I actually tried to look on the bright side of this situation.

After all, how many people get to experience a youthful romance with a woman of such breathtaking beauty?

By all accounts, I should have considered myself the luckiest man alive, right?

Unfortunately, fate had orchestrated a much darker path for me, one that felt as cruel as it was unavoidable.

The second our lives intersected, I became shackled to her, my future permanently fused with hers.

My destiny? To perish by her hand.

Hers? To either become the lover of the world's protagonist or to trigger the total annihilation of existence, depending on the choices that hero made.

I used to believe that isekai tales were filled with wonder, overpowered cheats, and sprawling harems.

So why did I get stuck with such a miserable hand?

Of all the possibilities, why am I trapped with the most powerful yandere in the world?

It felt like a sick joke.

Haah... a part of me considered just giving up. I wanted to end it all right there in a futile attempt to return to my original world. But in my heart, I knew those thoughts were nothing but cowardly delusions.

Especially when I looked at this.

[Status:] [Riley Hell] [Race: Human] [Level-7] [Strength: F] [Agility: D] [Endurance: D] [Luck: 0] [Power: F] [Skill info....] [Invalid: no skills found] [Special Traits] [Crazy Magnet] [Description: Evil individuals will harbor a certain fondness for you] [Overview: A person destined to be surrounded by happiness]

The mere sight of this organized status window floating before me ignited a wave of pure fury.

How in the actual fuck was I "destined to be surrounded by happiness"? And what kind of nonsense was this "Crazy Magnet" trait?

I had never encountered such a thing during my time playing the game.

Was this even a legitimate mechanic?

The thought alone made my blood boil.

The idea that villains would be naturally drawn to me explained quite a lot, didn't it? It was likely the primary reason Liyana had become obsessed with me in the first place.

It was truly pathetic—even my own "skills" forced me into the role of a villainess's fiancé. It would have been hilarious if it wasn't so damn infuriating.

A status screen full of Fs with the occasional D... My luck wasn't even ranked with a letter; it was a literal zero. Ha-ha, I honestly feel like crying.

Trash. Disposable. That was the only way to interpret these stats.

I’ve spent nearly ten years living in this world now. Despite that, my attributes remained frozen, refusing to budge no matter how hard I trained or tried to build muscle.

While Riley was designed to be a throwaway character with no strength, this was now my reality.

Shouldn't I have been granted some kind of cheat or advantage?

Isn't that the standard for transmigrators, reincarnators, and regressors? Why was I the exception?

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

The sun hadn't even started to rise yet, but I couldn't waste another second moping about my bad luck.

"Today is the day."

[Mission: Attend the Academy]

As I looked to the side, a golden window manifested, looking different from the standard blue ones.

These were mission screens, a special feature that only appeared when the mysterious system had a specific task for me.

I didn't fully grasp why these missions existed, but I suspected they were meant to keep me tethered to the world's main storyline.

When the status screen first appeared eight years ago, the very first mission was simple: "Live and be happy."

However, as the years passed, the objectives became more specific, eventually forcing me to make Liyana fall for me—a feat I somehow achieved despite my best efforts to avoid her.

Facing this new mission, I felt a sharp pang of anxiety. To be honest, I wanted to ignore the system entirely, but I had learned through painful experience that ignoring its commands led to dire consequences. About four months ago, I abandoned a mission to show Liyana affection so I could go help my favorite heroine instead.

I was punished with a constant, deafening ringing in my head that made it impossible to think.

Luckily, the protagonist followed my advice and arrived in time to save her.

But the fallout was terrible—a "bad luck" outcome where Liyana tightened her grip on me by officially becoming my fiancée.

Even though I had prayed that such a thing would never happen, my own greed had backfired.

Now, I was likely stuck with her for the remainder of my short life.

[Warning: Failing consecutive missions will result in a Bad End.]

And then there were the personal warnings.

Seriously, I'm not even the protagonist, so why am I being burdened with these missions?

Whatever entity brought me here must be a total sadist.

Well, there’s no point in overthinking it now...

I have many interests, but what I love most are... happy endings. No matter what happens, I will secure my own happy ending.

"Oh, Riley, there you are."

A massive man with a messy beard greeted me outside, pulling me into a crushing bear hug. Despite his fierce look, he was the kindest soul in our family—my current father, Count Leto Hell, the head of the house.

He looked absolutely beaming as he ruffled my hair.

I suppose any father would be overjoyed seeing his son head off to the Academy, the most prestigious and noble school in the world. "Honestly, Riley, I'm so proud of you. To think my little boy is growing into a man. Haha, Kirsta and I did a fine job raising you."

I simply nodded and gave a polite smile. Having grown up with divorced parents, the warmth and care provided by the Count and my mother felt... surreal. It was a foreign sensation, yet incredibly comforting.

"I know you're not one for small talk, but take this advice to heart... never pick a fight with someone of higher status, alright? Life is much more peaceful that way," he said with a boisterous laugh, looking slightly nostalgic.

He released me from the hug and looked me over. "Have you seen Lady Liyana yet?"

"Not yet..." I answered.

"You should visit her before you leave. She was incredibly upset yesterday when she visited, knowing you'd be gone today."

I was well aware of that. That woman almost tied me to the bed so I could never leave. Thankfully, Mother intervened at the last second and saved me from that nightmare.

"I'll do that."

The Count smiled at my response, patted my shoulder, and nudged me toward the gate.

"Ah, one more thing before you go, Riley..."

"?" I turned back, wondering what else he had to say.

A playful glint appeared in his eyes as he leaned closer. "Never cheat."

"..." I stood there, stunned by the sudden advice.

"Hahaha, I know that expression," he laughed. "But seriously, that is the one thing you must always keep in mind."

"Do you honestly think I would ever cheat?"

The Count just chuckled again with a knowing look, clearly thinking about the nature of my fiancée.

"I'm leaving now."

"Take care." I climbed into the waiting carriage, but the weight of the Count's words lingered. I had two years to prepare...

Two years until Liyana joined the Academy and sealed my doom.

Whatever it takes, I have to find a way to dodge the fate waiting for me.

'My happy ending... don't worry, we'll meet soon.'

"Young Master, shall we stop by the Duke's castle first?" the coachman asked, clearly worried about whether I intended to see Liyana.

"No, head straight to the city, please."

"But..." He started to protest but quickly went silent, knowing better than to argue with a noble.

Haah... he didn't need to worry. Knowing Liyana, she was likely already waiting for me at the Mages' Association. Going to the Duchy would be a total waste of time.

Sure enough, there she was... sitting by herself in one of the public chairs.

Nobody dared to sit near her; her aura of elegance and beauty left everyone around her staring in silent awe.

She sat with her legs crossed, sipping tea and reading a newspaper, completely ignoring the crowd.

Where did she even manage to get high-quality tea in a place like this?

"Liyana..."

When I called her name, her eyes finally snapped toward me. The bored expression she wore moments ago vanished instantly.

"Darling~" Her voice echoed through the quiet air, causing every man in the vicinity to glare at me with murderous envy.

Whether she meant it or not, this woman was definitely going to be the death of me.