The Player’s Hundred Deaths

[Player's 99th death confirmed. Hidden quest commenced: Hundred Deaths—reward: Yvie Jade's revival.]

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on the cold floor, the pool of my own blood around me dried up.

Once again, I reminded myself that I had come to this world to charm Mila Gibbs, in order to bring my beloved Yvie back to life.

I was an orphan without anyone, but Yvie brought me out of the darkness.

When the System told me that I could save Yvie by charming Mila, I didn't hesitate to say yes.

I was an angel to her, passing myself off as hopelessly in love with her, even as she tormented me in every way since she learned that I was a Player.

As I would resurrect from every death, she did everything she could to hurt me without mercy.

-

Before I died the ninety-ninth time, Mila brought me along to Julian Stark's fashion show.

He was her one true love. As she watched his presentation on stage, she humiliated me by teasing me like I was her pet.

I simply sat quietly at her side, not leaving no matter what she said.

Halfway through the show, the glass ceiling suddenly collapsed.

I promptly threw myself on top of Mila, protecting her and letting the glass tear through my body.

However, she shoved me away and ran toward Julian, who was unscathed.

No one else noticed me even after the entire hall was cleared out, and I welcomed my ninety-ninth death with a glass shard in my heart.

Thank goodness.

One more resurrection and one more death, and I could bring Yvie back to live.

Just as I was pushing myself up, I got a call from Mila. "Are you up yet?! Julian and I are at the hospital downtown. Make soup for him and hurry up!"

She sounded impatient, as if breathing another word to me disgusted her endlessly.

Not even the fact that I had just died to protect her made her feel anything.

I struggled to get up and drive home, not even stopping to change out of my filthy clothes to cook soup.

That was how Mila had always harassed me—she made me cook her food, and if it didn't taste right, she would throw it in my face along with the meal box.

She took no notice even though that left a large burn mark on my face just before my sixty-seventh death, even laughing at me. "What are you worried about? You'll just start over when you die!"

-

When I arrived at the hospital with a soup flask, Mila was doting on Julian as he lay in bed, and she frowned when she saw me. "You didn't even change?! What if you brought germs in here?!"

Julian patted her hand and turned to flash me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ben. Mila's just so worried about me."

While it looked like he was getting me out of a bind, the look of contempt in his eyes was all too clear.

Mila then took my flask, scooping a spoonful and blowing on it before feeding Julian.

The soup wasn't even in Julian's mouth for seconds before he started hacking violently.

Mila scrambled to pat his back, but it took minutes for Julian to recover and frown at the soup. "I'm allergic to lemons."