“Huh. Are there worlds where I can freely fall in love?”

“Of course. There are worlds where you can freely fall in love and choose your profession.”

“Hmm.”

“Is it attractive?”

“Yes… After all, even if I reincarnate, I’ll have to live in a controlled environment as a duke’s daughter, maintaining my dignity… And going back just to get back at that woman is infuriating. Why should I give her even a second of my time? But if I don’t go back, all her scheming against me so far will be buried forever.”

As I mused over various things and became frustrated, I sighed.

“Hey, are you the villainous duke’s daughter, Richeli?”

“Wow! I’m a huge fan of Magic Eyes. Let’s shake hands!”

“Huh? What’s that?”

Suddenly surrounded by two or three chirpy girls, my hand was arbitrarily grabbed and swung around, startling me.

“Look at this.”

With that, one of the girls held out her palm in the air and spun it around. A surprising video was projected with fancy sound effects. It was a play-like skit with Zinon, and I turned it into illustrations.

And the freedom to choose the storyline along with cheerful sound effects. The best scenes were embarrassingly highlighted and made into an album.

“What is this? It’s embarrassing… Wait a minute. Why am I playing such an indecent role?”

“In any route, Richeli ends up like this? The crown prince discovers her promiscuous acts, the engagement is broken off, and she ends up going to a convent.”

What? Just as Eloise planned. The girls were taken aback by my face, contorted in anger and humiliation.

“Hey, grim reaper! What is this?”

“I told you, I’m not a grim reaper. I’m a messenger of God, Richeli. This is a dating simulation game that’s popular in their world.”

“Dating simulation game?”

“A dating game?”

“Uh-huh, it’s like love has become a game, much like chess. The creator of this game must have chanced upon the state of your world, including you, Richeli, and created it through channeling.”

One of the girls stepped forward excitedly in front of me, who was left speechless by the fact that my life was being used for a game.

“Hey, I’m a fan of Zinon, Richeli’s fiancé. Can I reincarnate as you? I’ll be reborn as Richeli, seduce Zinon, and change the game’s future.”

“What? You?”

I was shocked by her outrageous statement.

“Nowadays, that kind of reincarnation is popular. It’s called mid-way reincarnation. As I mentioned earlier, those who have died from heart stoppage can exchange their lives.”

“Huh…”

“It would have been better if I could be the heroine, Luna Maria, but it’s not easy to meet her here.”

The girl who enthusiastically said this was tall, attractive, and well-proportioned.

“Luna Maria?”

“Yes, she’s the heroine of this game. She’s a baron’s daughter, pure, pretty, and very popular. Even Zinon is completely smitten.”

The game in front of me continued to play. The girl called Luna Maria had flaxen hair and refreshing mint-green eyes, was modest and girly, and her smile was gentle and friendly. Every time she interacted with Zinon, his love for her increased like filling a bathtub with water.

“Hmm.”

“So, what do you think, Richeli? Want to exchange our lives? I come from an elite family with both parents working in a trading company. I’m also a reader model for a magazine, so I’m popular and have no issues with men or life.”

“Well… but you can’t. You’re not Zinon’s type. Even if you reincarnated as me, you’d get your engagement broken off by Zinon right away, and it would be over.”

“What…”

Ignoring the shocked girl who retreated, I continued to stare at the image of Luna Maria in front of me. Mid-way reincarnation, huh? So that’s an option… If I don’t return as I am, this girl will take my place and end up with Zinon…?

“Is this girl… really the heroine? I don’t see why Zinon would particularly like her.”

Luna Maria, huh… I can’t imagine Zinon’s original tastes changing by the time they meet at the magic academy… I wonder if she works hard in various ways to get Zinon to turn around.

“What’s wrong, Richeli? What will you do? Will you go back to your original world?”

“Well… there’s no point in switching lives with someone else. Zinon and I are just about to break off our engagement. Unless the woman who switches with me can instantly make Zinon fall in love with her, there’s no way to change that flow.”

I sighed, casually looking around, my gaze halting at a certain spot. People shared their life’s flashbacks atop a cloud a little distance away.

“…What’s that?”

“Those are the people who died of heart failure around the same time as you, Richeli. They, like you, are considering their next steps.”

“Hmm.”

Their conversations became audible as the Grim Reaper and I approached the cloud.

“Hey, look, I had to endure painful injections and surgeries, see?”

“Oh, you really did your best. Good for you.”

A woman held a young boy on her lap, seemingly sharing their life’s flashbacks.

“I always smiled so my mom and dad wouldn’t cry, you know?”

“Is that so? You did well. It was hard, wasn’t it? There, there.”

“And me, look, a car hit me. It hurt so much. It was scary.”

“I can imagine. It must’ve been frightening. But you’re okay now. You did well.”

“Hey, look…”

One by one, children climbed onto a woman’s back, seeking her embrace and head pats. Her petite figure was hugging the children tightly, her smile radiant. Her innocent expression and gestures as she listened to the children and nodded captivated me.

“…Who’s she?”