Chapter 1

A dating simulation game with handsome men that was becoming a hot topic these days, Moonique's Night.

The handsome looks and sweet voices of the male leads also contributed to the popularity, though they died because of the betrayal of the 'Villainous Grand Duke' whom they trusted. Consequently, it became more famous thanks to the so-called 'Betrayal Ending.'

When the female lead targeted the Emperor, and the wedding ceremony was just around the corner, the Villainous Grand Duke killed the female lead with his own hands, and then made his younger sister the Empress.

It was a formidable twist considering he helped the heroine connect with the Emperor throughout the game.

As if looking at a famous painting in a famous art museum, the male protagonists appearing together with the female protagonist, Lily, in the beautiful game poster were the Emperor and the Grand Duke. Those two were the main male leads.

However, targeting the Emperor would result in death at the hands of the Grand Duke, and the favorability of the Grand Duke did not change even once as though it were a decoration.

Thanks to that, no one has succeeded in targeting the two yet.

The developer of the famous 'Moonique's Night' game, which was famous for being secretive, did not mention any untapped routes. Thanks to this, the users rushed in with their eyes lit saying they were going to target them somehow and failed.

The users, tired of the continuous failure, eventually gave up on the two characters' route. They filled the community with AUs, saying to just enjoy the handsome men with their eyes.

Of course, there were those who did not give up.

She was the kind of person who liked this game to the extent that she found the route of the character that no one had ever discovered and succeeded in targeting it first.

Early that morning, too, she turned on the game habitually, staring blankly at the familiar screens, immersed in thoughts.

Obviously, there was a hidden route.

Having not yet given up on the Emperor's ending, she reset her record and started a new progression again. No matter how much she thought about it, it was strange that they had created such handsome characters and made the two's routes impossible.

If only she could do something to the Villainous Grand Duke, she thought she could marry the Emperor…

Excluding the 'game over route,' the average duration of 'Moonique's Night' exceeded ten hours, but it was carried out twenty-nine times with incredible tenacity.

All endings and game overs discovered so far had been verified by herself—except for the Grand Duke, whose favorability window did not move at all, all that was left was to go for the Emperor.

She was obsessed with her determination to succeed in the Emperor's route and watched all the happy endings. If she could somehow succeed in conquering Matthias, she would become the Empress.

Like Lily in the game, she dreamed of marrying Matthias and becoming the Empress, and started the 30th episode of 'Moonique's Night.'

Along with familiar background music came a brief description of the heroine, Lily, as innocent and pure as the lily of County Ravenas.

Then, it moved to the first chapter, the banquet hall.

Lily, dressed in an elegant dress, headed into the crowd, escorted by the Villainous Grand Duke to help her become the Empress. While the Grand Duke went to look for the Emperor for a while, she ran into another sub-male lead. However, since her target was the Emperor, she left the sub-male lead with an insincere gaze.

After a while, the Emperor appeared and she was introduced by the Grand Duke and greeted the Emperor.

'Great. We said greetings.'

If her lifeline was in the hands of the Villainous Grand Duke, the first person to focus on was the Grand Duke, not the Emperor. After all, the Emperor was a character whose favorability could be easily increased by clicking a shiny button.

She could go and seduce the Emperor later.

With that in mind, she treated the Emperor rudely and answered rudely, ruining everything that was going well. And, the Grand Duke, who had given way for her to speak with the Emperor, had taken all of her attention.

Returning from her first banquet into the deep night, she roamed everywhere she could move, scouring through Moonique.

What she was looking for was, of course, Grand Duke Moritz.

Because Moonique Night was an R-19 game, she thought that if she succeeded in establishing a physical relationship, she might be able to change Moritz's unchanging favorability.

Where was he?

Even though she went everywhere she could go in the game, Moritz did not show up. It was late at night, so there was only a reminder to go to the Grand Duke's mansion at dawn.

'As expected, is there no hidden route…? This was the last place.'

After visiting all the places in the game, when she clicked the back button, a notification window was created stating that she was suddenly moved to a hidden stage.

'Hidden stage…!'

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Through the translucent notification window, she could see somewhere in the dark brick mansion and a crack in the door through which light was leaking.

Where was this? She quickly read the text.

[ We have arrived in the basement of the residence of Grand Duke Kneis in Moonique, the capital city. The alluring moans of a man and a woman could be heard through the gap in the open door. Lily was startled as she went closer and looked inside. ]

What…?

Why was she surprised?

When the 'Continue' button didn't appear, she clicked on the screen. Her heart pounded at the text she saw for the first time. It was because she must have found a new route.

'What, why isn't it coming? Show me, too…!'

A new notification window appeared while clicking on the blackened screen.

[ Do you want to personally become Lily and check the secret life of the Villainous Grand Duke? ]

[ Yes, please. Master. ]
[ No. ]

She frowned when she saw strange words attached to the options. Lily, the female lead, was clearly the daughter of the Count's family. She could not call anyone 'Master.'

Master? Why did such a word suddenly appear…

Feeling puzzled, the moment she pressed the accept button, she was drawn into the game.

She became Lily, standing in front of the basement door of Moritz's mansion, the Villainous Grand Duke.

In front of the basement door, someone's moaning and harsh breathing could be heard. A back view of a woman tied up and a man beating her with a whip, along with the obscene tools that filled the basement.

As Lily, she took a step back in shock at the sight unfolding through the crack in the basement door.

What…? Was she dreaming right now?

Although she tried her best to understand the situation, she was so absorbed in the obscene scene she saw through the crack in the door that she could not get out of it.

'What is this​​—'

Thud.

Preoccupied with fear, she stuttered backward as her legs loosened up and she fell. Then, the moaning of the woman from the room stopped. Moments later, Grand Duke Moritz appeared out of the game with the sound of footsteps.

Moritz Kneis von Krietail.

Grand Duke Kneis of the Krietail region. He was so popular that he, along with the Emperor, was called the two great Masters of Moonique's Night. Even though they did not even succeed in raising his favorability, let alone targeting.

It was natural. Grand Duke Moritz's handsome looks and charming voice were so pleasing that they even forgave the horrific murder of the female lead with his own hands.

Lily gazed up at the sculptural man with a bewildered expression on her face.

The man's eyes looking down at her were cold enough to be creepy. It was like looking at things that were not living things. She already knew that Moritz was villainous. However, until he killed Lily, he was a character that showed only a gentle and friendly side.

When Moritz, who always had a friendly smile, had such a cold expression, she could not help but panic. It was still early in the game, so why was he making such a face?

“Moritz…?”

As the trembling voice echoed in the basement hallway, Moritz laughed at her, raising only one corner of his lips.

Lily felt fear at the sight. She replayed the game over and over again, yet this was a look she had never seen before.

“Ah… I tried not to be noticed by you, but my consideration was in vain.”

Obviously, he was wearing a shirt and pants. Still, she felt like Moritz was naked. Unusually loose undone shirt, rolled-up sleeves, and an untidy appearance.

No matter how she looked at it… It was not the Moritz she knew before.

The woman in the basement quickly put on her clothes and went out, covering her face with the jacket in her hand. Just by looking at her luxurious clothes, she could easily guess that the woman who ran out was a noble lady.