[ I can’t believe people still play this trash. To everyone complaining… what did you expect??? Lol ]

  [ Mediocre story riddled with plotholes, one-dimensional love interests, and a generic fantasy setting. You should have managed your expectations hahahahaha ]

  [ I was a fan of this game for a while and I thought the routes for each love interest were decent. I had a lot of anticipation for the crown prince route but what can I say… this update… isn’t it… The bad ending seriously disappointed me. I can’t defend it anymore!! ]

  [ I know it’s called a ‘bad ending’, but isn’t this too far!??? Who even asked for this? The devs must be on crack to even come up with a story like that. ]

  [ I thought this game couldn’t get any worse than that bland knight’s route. Turns out I was wrong lmao ]

  [ DON’T LIKE IT, DON’T PLAY IT!!! ]

  Mimi sat back with a huff after furiously typing out a comment and hitting send. All of the online forums dedicated to her favorite guilty pleasure game, Love in the Kingdom of Darkness, had been flooded with trash and trolls for the past week. Normally, she believed herself to be above responding to such obvious hate comments.

  Truthfully, Mimi didn’t fully disagree with most of their points. The game itself wasn’t anything special, but the beautiful and unique art style had captivated Mimi enough to download the game and give it a try. Somewhere along the way, she became kind of addicted. Before she knew it, she had played all the routes and their various endings to completion and was eagerly awaiting the new update along with the other handfuls of fans.

  The update introduced the long-anticipated route for Crown Prince Dimitri, a fan favorite since the game’s release. However, the bad ending for the crown prince’s route was… not received well, to say the least. A seemingly endless stream of comments bashing the game had flooded every single fandom space since, and for the most part, Mimi had ignored them.

  Sure, the bad ending wasn’t to her taste either. However, the game was an indie production created by a single developer, so she thought the outrage was blown entirely out of proportion. Getting the bad ending on the first try was blindsiding, but it was easy to avoid once you became aware of it. The whole point of otome games was the variety of the characters and the endings, right? Not all of them had to be catered to everyone’s preferences.

  That’s what Mimi thought, anyway. At least, until some brain-dead moron decided to drag her favorite love interest into the pointless debate. How could they say the knight was the worst route!? His sincerity and vulnerability towards the MC tugged at her heartstrings, breaking down her walls until she learned to trust for the first time! Mimi hadn’t cried alone in her room at three in the morning just for some punk online to spew slanderous bullshit!

  Thus, she let her temper get the best of her and found herself posting a short but effective statement. And really, she felt her words should have been common sense. Don’t like the game, don’t play it!!! Mimi never understood people who dedicated so much time and energy to something they didn’t like to the point of leaving malicious comments. Although she supposed now she was no better than those people…

  Still, criticism was one thing, but considering the small number of downloads the game had, most of those people probably didn’t even play the game and just wanted to jump on the recent hate train. Mimi can forgive a lot of things, but hate towards her sweet, innocent, pure, adorable knight??? No way! He did nothing wrong!

  Just thinking about it again made her stomach start churning in fury. Mimi angrily closed the tab on her computer, not even wanting to wait for any more responses to the forum post. She had successfully vented her frustration, no need to drag it out with strangers on the internet. She rolled out of her desk chair and into bed, glancing at her alarm clock on the way.

  Uh oh… three a.m. again… I really should start going to bed sooner.

  She laid her head on her pillow and faced the dimly glowing sleep screen of her desktop, tucking her blanket up to her chin. The dashing knight on her wallpaper wore a small, reassuring smile telling her that all was right in the world. Mimi sighed in contentment as her eyelids fluttered closed.

  “Goodnight, Sir Arius.”

  –

  Drip. Drip. Drip.

  A freezing drop of water hit Mimi on the nose, rousing her out of her drowsy sleep.

  What the-

  Did her bedroom ceiling suddenly get a leak? And why was it so cold? It was the middle of summer-

  When she finally pried her heavy eyelids open, she quickly realized she was not in her bedroom. A surge of panic struck her heart as her head whipped around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Finally shaking herself of the last remnants of unconsciousness, all she saw were the bleak grey walls of a tiny cell. The ground she was lying on seemed to be made of the same jagged and uncomfortable stone, and she groaned as she sat up.

  With the motion came the clinking sound of metal, and Mimi quickly realized her leg was chained to the back wall. An iron cuff locked tightly around her right ankle, chafing unpleasantly against her skin. She wasn’t wearing any shoes, and her only clothes appeared to be a simple, tattered red gown. Mimi had to suppress a shiver at how much she was exposed to the damp, chilly air.

  A gust of wind blew through the bars of the tiny window, bringing with it even more frigid air. The tips of Mimi’s fingers had already been turned red, and the tip of her nose stung as well. How long had she been locked up here? No, wait. More importantly-

  Why was she in some kind of dungeon? How did she get here? Despite waking up in an entirely new location, she felt a vague sense of familiarity. Just then, a robotic-sounding voice echoed in her head, startling her.

  [ SYSTEM: Hello, user. Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in the first closed beta test. Your synchronization with the current character is now complete. ]

  Oh my god… Is it finally my turn for reincarnation!???

  Mimi had read about this particular trope countless times. A fan of a game or a novel gets reincarnated as the villain of said novel and changes their fate, usually living happily ever after with their new harem or chosen love interest or whatever. There was even a system!

  Never did she think she would get the chance to live out one of her secret fanstasies for herself. Then this weirdly familiar dungeon… could it be??? Love in the Kingdom of Darkness!??

  But wait… Why am I in the dungeon?

  [ SYSTEM: You are now synchronized with the character Nemesis Cain. Current Route: Crown Prince Dimitri - Bad End. ]

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Well, those were both names Mimi recognized. She had clearly reincarnated as the notorious and aptly named villainess, Nemesis Cain. Only, if this was Dimitri’s route, and she was in the dungeon… didn’t that mean she was already at the end!? Where was her fresh start, damn it!?

  [ SYSTEM: The Developer appreciates your kindness, so they are giving you a chance to help fix the hated route. ]

  What kind of a scam was this? All of the reincarnation and transmigration novels she read started at the beginning of the villain’s life, giving them a chance to change their tragic cannon-fodder fates. So why was Mimi already doomed before the chance at a new life even began!?

  [ SYSTEM: Only the ending needs to be changed. There’s no need to go back to the beginning. ]

  …

  [ SYSTEM: … ]

  Are you sure this isn’t a scam!?

  [ SYSTEM: It is not a scam. Nemesis Cain will remain a villain, and your evil deeds have already been committed. That is a part of the story that will not change. ]

  So then how am I supposed to fix anything!? Even as the villain, I can’t do that while rotting in a prison cell!

  [ SYSTEM: Please calm down. The data indicates that the user has played through this route. Therefore, you must know that you will be rescued shortly. ]

  Hold on… No. No no no no no. So you’re saying I have no choice but to work with him? Isn’t that just following the same story as before?

  [ SYSTEM: The character Anteros Theron is necessary for facilitating the freedom of the character Nemesis Cain. After that, the user may change the story as they see fit. Data indicates that many players were unhappy with the actions of the character Anteros Theron in Crown Prince Dimitri’s ‘Bad End’ Route. Please do your best to alter this outcome. ]

  Wait a minute… Mimi suddenly had a very intriguing thought. After I’m freed, I can do whatever I want? Even if it’s… romancing another character?

  She thought of her precious knight waiting somewhere in the castle. If she was on Dimitri’s route, that meant Sir Arius was definitely single right now. It wasn’t completely hopeless after all! Maybe Mimi still had a chance for her happy ending!

  [ SYSTEM: That is correct. There are only three stipulations the user must adhere to. The first is that Nemesis Cain is a villain. The second is that Anteros Theron is not hated by the players by the end of the route. The third is that Crown Prince Dimitri cannot end up with the protagonist. Please remember that this is a ‘Bad Ending’. Outside of these rules, the user may do whatever they please. ]

  Those stipulations… could be tricky. The reason the route ended badly in the original game was that the protagonist, Iliana Callista, got kidnapped by Anteros Theron, another future love interest whose full route had yet to come out. The developer probably intended for the ending to be a first introduction to the character in anticipation of the future route, but instead, it ended up making him hated by almost everyone who played it.

  Nemesis also assisted with the kidnapping, driving her further into ‘irredeemable garbage’ territory in the eyes of the players. Of course, the villainess had her own motives. As the main love rival, she too had her eyes set on the crown prince. They were childhood friends whose family ties went way back, even going so far as to be betrothed to one another at a young age. Alas, the protagonist comes in and puts an end to all of that, sending Nemesis on a spiraling tirade of jealousy resulting in her getting locked away.

  But if Mimi was meant to change Anteros’s actions to alter the ending, how was she going to ruin Dimirtri and Iliana’s happily ever after?

  [ SYSTEM: That is up for the user to decide. ]

  So you’re really going to be no help at all, huh?

  [ SYSTEM: On the contrary, this system has many features that may be helpful to you. Would you like to hear them? ]

  Obviously!

  [ SYSTEM: The user may use the action ‘Quicksave’ up to once per day. This allows the user to ‘reload’ to the point in time of the Quicksave and continue from there. The characters will be unaware of anything that has been undone by the Quicksave. ]

  Are you saying I can basically time travel once per day?

  [ SYSTEM: The user can think of it as a do-over in the event of any undesirable actions or dialogue that may result from the user’s choices. ]

  Why only once per day? Isn’t this kind of thing fundamental to an otome game?

  [ SYSTEM: That is best explained by another feature. The user can accrue ‘Villainess Points’, or ‘VP’ for short, by committing evil deeds. These points can then be exchanged with the system to use benefits or increase the number of Quicksaves per day. ]

  What kind of benefits? Also what constitutes an evil deed exactly?

  [ SYSTEM: Use your imagination. ]

  …

  [ SYSTEM: … ]

  Are all systems this uncooperative?

  [ SYSTEM: Would you like to hear about the final feature? ]

  Yeah, might as well…

  [ SYSTEM: The user can see attribute and affection windows of other characters. This way, the user can better determine how certain characters are feeling towards the character Nemesis Cain. ]

  That sounds like it could be useful actually… How does it work?

  [ SYSTEM: … ]

  Hello?

  Suddenly, the voice had gone quiet again. It was like the system vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Mimi was left confused and was about to call out to it again in her mind when she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. At the entrance to her cell, a white snake with golden eyes had slithered through the bars.

  As soon as she made eye contact with it, the snake transformed. Now, standing in front of her was a tall, handsome young man with fluffy white hair and brown-gold eyes. His flowing, snow-white attire matched his hair, and the aura he gave off was otherworldly. He stared down expressionlessly at the girl on the dungeon floor.

  Normally witnessing such a scene would make anyone surprised. An average person would have been immediately captured by the man’s beauty and believed him to be an angel of some sort. However, Mimi knew exactly who this man was, and she failed to hide the slight displeasure on her face.

  As expected of a snake spirit… He seems completely detached from the mortal world.

  “Miss Cain,” the man addressed formally, voice pleasant to the ears but devoid of emotion. He acted as though he hadn’t noticed her unusual reaction towards him and glanced around the dingy cell calmly before looking back at her. “I didn’t expect the prince to be so cruel, even to his dear childhood friend.”

  It’s begun, Mimi thought bitterly. Out of all the characters in Love in the Kingdom of Darkness, Anteros was her absolute least favorite. Though he didn’t have an official route out yet, his behavior and attitude in Crown Prince Dimitri’s Bad End had certainly left an impression on her, and it wasn’t a positive one. Many fans of the game obviously felt the same way. She supposed that’s why she had been sent to fix it.

  The way Anteros spoke as though he were admonishing the prince and yet the matter simultaneously had nothing to do with him rubbed Mimi the wrong way. He acted elegant, but really, he was just arrogant.

  Still, unless she wanted to be stuck in a dungeon for the remainder of her life, it wasn’t like Mimi had much choice. She would have to work with him if she wanted to get out and fix the game’s ending. Besides… her knight was waiting for her!!! Time to pay the part of a scorned villainess.

  “May I ask why it’s any of your concern?” Mimi narrowed her eyes at the man. Her character was also arrogant, after all. Two could play at this game. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

  Anteros raised a condescending brow but still answered her questions anyway. “You can call me Ant. I believe we have a common goal. Are you interested in getting out of here?”

  “How do I know I can trust you?” Mimi wasn’t sure exactly how this scene went in the game. She only recognized the dungeon because it was featured in the bad ending of a different route. The actual conversation and subsequent escape between Nemesis and Anteros was never shown. Still, a part of her wanted to give him a hard time just for the sake of it.

  “Your false confidence would be more convincing if you weren’t shivering.” The corner of Ant’s lips twitched slightly as if he was trying not to smile.

  Mimi didn’t give up her tough girl act yet. “You haven’t convinced me either.”

  “It’s simple. You want the Crown Prince. I want the soon-to-be princess. It’s difficult to accomplish much alone in this place. Why don’t we help each other?” As he spoke, he walked in a slow, leisurely circle around the cell like he was simply going for a stroll.

  Mimi chuckled and slowly stood up unsteadily. Her feet were in pain from the cold, and the skin that rubbed against the iron cuff felt like it was burning, but she refused to flinch. Her fiery gaze trailed after him.

  “Now that you’ve laid all your cards on the table, doesn’t that give me the upper hand? You say it’s difficult to accomplish anything alone. Isn’t that you basically admitting that you need me?”

  He scoffed. “I didn’t expect you to be in any condition to negotiate. You would consider remaining trapped here forever? And here I thought my offer was pretty generous. All things considered, don’t you need me as well?”

  “I do,” Mimi replied with an unconscious smile. She couldn’t help her eagerness to get out and meet the real love of her life. Little did she know, on the face of a villainess, that smile had transformed into a smirk. Of course, Nemesis was beautiful in her own right, but her hair was long and black and her eyes were a dark blood-red color. Her entire appearance practically screamed ‘villain’, and each of her expressions was meant to amplify that.

  “Let’s escape first, and then we can negotiate some more. How about it?” she proposed.

  Ant’s golden eyes gleamed with interest, and Mimi finally heard the voice of the system again as a text window visible only to her popped up next to his head.

  [ SYSTEM: New bond unlocked.

  Character name: Anteros Theron

  Affection Lvl: 0%

  Character Attribute: Currently Unavailable ]

  Mimi read the character pop-up and sighed internally. And that’s why this is going to be so difficult… Of all characters, why must it be him!? All this talk and the affection is still at zero!?

  She opened her mouth to say something else to him but was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. The corners of Ant’s mouth quickly tugged downward into a frown.

  “Someone’s coming.”