Side Character’s Second Life

The Withered Court gate was not very high. After stacking two washbasins beneath the lintel, I finally managed to hook the cloth and haul myself up.I was almost home.The thought struck like stepping into a warm room after a blizzard. I ached to see my family again. I kicked off hard. Pain exploded at my throat, and the air vanished. The world collapsed into a brutal, ringing squeeze.My thoughts blurred at the edges. Somewhere far away, lively, bright palace music continued to play, yet utterly indifferent to me. Each beat faded, as if someone were slowly lowering the volume.Then everything I had lived through here rushed past in shattered, glittering fragments.Twenty-one years in the Great Wayland Dynasty. I had been reborn into this body before I could even form words. I had four targets. The System had laid out the rules with brutal clarity: earn Absolute Affection from any one of them, and the version of me in my original world would be cured of the terminal illness waitin

Oleander leaves were highly toxic, and everyone knew it. Yet as long as Roxanne liked them, Vincent could make them bloom in the Frostwell household all year.I once feared someone might eat them by mistake. I argued against planting a poisonous flower in the courtyard.Roxanne cried herself sick over it. "Does Vicky hate me so much that she will not even let you plant flowers for me, Vince?"Vincent pulled her behind him and sneered at me. "If you want to target Roxy, at least come up with a better excuse. Who would ever eat something this bitter by accident? Anyone would spit it out the moment it touched their mouth."I never imagined it would become the tool that finally let me leave.The sharp, overwhelming bitterness exploded across my tongue. Nausea surged. I forced it down and swallowed.This time, I was really going home.Vincent dropped the box and rushed forward. He slapped my back hard, then pried my mouth open with rough fingers, scraping and digging inside."Spit i

Everyone froze. Roxanne swayed for a heartbeat. When no one noticed, she steadied herself at once, shook her head, and put on an injured look. "I… No. I didn't."Caelum drew her into his arms and wiped away the faint tears at the corners of her eyes. "Don't cry, Roxy. We all know what kind of person you are."Vincent stayed close, doing his best to coax a smile from her. "Don't cry, Roxy. I'll admire the moon with you later. My little sister is more beautiful than a goddess."Surrounded by them, Roxanne finally smiled again. When her gaze met mine, a hint of triumph flickered through it.I let out a short laugh. "See? I could speak a thousand words and it would mean nothing. A few tears from the heroine outweigh everything. At this point, what is left for me to say? No one would believe me anyway."Lucius spoke without warning."I believe you, Vicky. I'll take you home. You can live with me from now on." His voice was quiet, yet firm.Everyone stared.I caught only one thing.

They laid me out before Roxanne like a dead fish. I wanted to ask her why she had to destroy me this way.She spoke first."Look at you," Roxanne said lightly. "This is how a side character is supposed to end. Don't look so surprised. I'm a player too, and I'm the heroine of this world. What gives a mere supporting character like you the nerve to steal my male leads?"So that was it. At that moment, I almost wished she hated me enough to kill me outright. I was done with this game. Done with the mission. I wanted to go home.Roxanne laughed, as if she had read my thoughts. "Want to die? I won't let you. If you stay in this world for one more year after failing your mission, your body in the original world will never wake up again."Her eyes gleamed. "I'll take your accumulated progress and clear the mission smoothly."She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "Don't blame me. The male leads in this world are too difficult. Every one of them looks like they love me to death, but none