"Congratulations, Host. You have completed the hundredth reincarnation cycle as the villainous side character. Please accept your reward."
A flat, mechanical voice—devoid of any emotion—echoed through the void.
Vivienne slowly opened her eyes.
There was no surprise. No joy.
Only endless emptiness.
Her beautiful face was completely devoid of expression, like a broken doll—hollow, lifeless.
"...Oh. Thank you, then."
"Host, you need not worry. Now that the mission is complete, the storyline of this world will no longer be able to control you."
For a brief moment, the system’s voice seemed to carry the faintest trace of emotion.
Vivienne Blackwood, however, couldn’t care less.
After a hundred years of missions—after traveling through countless worlds and dying in ways too brutal, too painful to recount—she no longer had the energy to care about anything.
She was exhausted.
Physically. Mentally. Spiritually.
From every possible angle.
All she wanted now... was to retire. To find a quiet place, far away from protagonists and storylines, and spend the rest of her life in peace.
"Host, this will be our final farewell. I should inform you—every skill and ability you acquired while playing those side characters remains with you. Although the laws of this world will suppress them significantly, they are not gone. They will make your life... more comfortable."
Vivienne stared blankly at the bathroom ceiling.
Then, slowly, she lowered her naked body into the bathtub filled with water.
The water enveloped her completely, flowing around her, bringing with it a strange sense of calm.
This had always been her way of finding solace.
After living through so many worlds—through so many tragic lives and endings—she had long since lost the ability to sleep anywhere else.
Now, only beneath the water... could she rest.
Memories surfaced.
A long time ago—
She had learned that she was nothing more than a minor side character destined to die early in a clichéd romance novel. A story between a cold, powerful CEO and a gentle yet strong, innocent actress.
Vivienne had tried to escape the plot in every possible way.
She failed.
Whenever she strayed from the storyline, her consciousness—and even her body—would be forcibly controlled to correct it.
As a child, she had tried to prevent her parents’ car accident, hoping to avoid becoming an orphan and falling into the predetermined plot.
She failed.
Her parents are still alive.
Later, she tried to avoid the entertainment industry entirely. She chose one of the most difficult fields—medicine—hoping to break free.
She failed again.
In the end, she was dragged back into the very path she had tried to escape.
Every attempt failed.
Every time, it felt as though her fate was being manipulated—as if her entire life was nothing but a cruel joke.
The last time...
She couldn’t bear the pressure anymore.
And so, she tried to kill herself.
At that moment, she had thought—
If I’m going to die anyway... I might as well choose when.
Who could have known—
That awakening her consciousness and disrupting the storyline would bind her to a time-travel system, forcing her to play the roles of side characters for a hundred years?
At first, the reward had been tempting.
For someone who had been controlled since childhood by the tyranny of the plot... freedom was irresistible.
And though she had lost her loved ones and lived a miserable life, things had slowly begun to improve.
Vivienne Blackwood had never been the type to give up on life.
That was why she had been so easily lured in.
But what she experienced over those hundred years...
Was far beyond what any human mind—or soul—could endure.
She spent less than a year in each world.
Sometimes, only a few hours.
Yet the amount of suffering she endured... was unimaginable.
Under the water, Vivienne opened her eyes.
There were no bubbles.
No sign of breath.
She remained there for a long time—
before finally rising, wrapping herself in a towel, and walking toward the bed.
"Host... this is our final meeting. I wish you a happy life this time."
Vivienne collapsed onto the bed, closing her eyes.
"...Mm. Thank you. You too. Goodbye."
After taking strong painkillers and sleeping pills, she drifted into a fractured, restless sleep.
Unaware of the storm raging online.
#VivienneBlackwoodSuicideAttempt
#VivienneSaved / CEO Voss Visits Her in Hospital
#VivienneBlackwoodReturnsWithAnotherScheme
[Those who wish to climb the social ladder should first ask themselves whether they are worthy. Don’t overestimate yourselves, you trash.]
[Disgusting. If I were Adrian Voss, I’d be repulsed to death by a woman like her. It’s already generous enough that a billionaire even visited her in the hospital. Aren’t the rich supposed to be cold and arrogant? Mr. Voss, open your eyes—some people don’t deserve your kindness.]
[Her fans are something else. I don’t understand how a young, promising girl ended up like this. She had such a bright future ahead of her... and now she’s ruined it all for a man. It’s like she’s possessed.]
[Ah... Vivienne’s beauty is unreal. Like a fairy from a fantasy world. I was completely captivated by her early performances—I even voted for her every time. How could someone like her be foolish enough to fall for a man who doesn’t love her back? If she wanted to climb the ladder, she could’ve chosen someone else. Not every man is as cold as President Voss.]
[No matter how you look at it, this is unacceptable. How can someone have so little dignity?]
[Do people actually believe what she said in that livestream? That she’s giving up on Adrian Voss? I don’t buy that nonsense.]
[I bet she’s just switching tactics. Since everything else failed, now she’s playing hard to get to attract his attention. Keep dreaming, girl.]
[Vivienne Blackwood completely wasted her talent. With her looks and the resources Mr. Voss gave her, she could’ve easily secured a top position in the entertainment industry. Instead, she shamelessly chased after him—like a dog. Even after being rejected, she kept harassing him. She brought this miserable ending upon herself.]
[...Still, I used to be a real fan. Seeing her lying pale on that hospital bed... it hurts. I wish the bright, talented girl I first admired would come back. I can’t bear seeing her like this.]
The discussion raged on across the internet.
Meanwhile, Vivienne struggled to sleep through the night.
Sarcasm, mockery, pity, prayers—
Countless voices flooded her social media accounts.
Some insulted her.
Some pitied her.
Some prayed for her.
But none of it reached her.
After taking strong painkillers and sleeping pills, Vivienne finally drifted into sleep.
At first, there was only darkness.
Then—
A sharp scream tore through the silence.
"Please—don’t...!"
Cold chains wrapped around her wrists.
Flames.
The smell of burned flesh.
Laughter filled with hatred.
A voice whispered beside her ear—
"Again."
Vivienne’s body trembled violently on the bed.
Her breathing became uneven, fingers twisting tightly into the sheets as fragmented images flashed through her mind one after another.
Blood is spreading across the floor.
Electric currents are tearing through her body.
Cold water flooded her lungs.
A blade piercing flesh.
Someone grabbed her chin while she begged desperately for mercy.
"Please... I don’t want to die..."
Her voice came out as a broken murmur in her sleep.
Tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes.
"...Let me go home..."
But the nightmare did not end.
No matter how many times she screamed—
A voice always answered coldly:
"You still have to continue the mission."
And somewhere in the darkness—