After the fallout of the broken engagement, Viviana and Faust returned to their previous state—inseparable as ever, yet always busy.
Everything seemed unchanged; the engagement and its subsequent cancellation were nothing more than a minor interlude.
But Viviana knew that things could never go back to how they were.
What she thought was mutual affection turned out to be nothing more than her own wishful thinking.
Faust was no longer her fiancé, no longer a treasure that belonged to her, and certainly no longer... an intimate soulmate.
When the old illusions shattered, all that remained was the bitterness of a cruel reality.
Faust still placed great trust in her, regarding her as his confidante and right hand, even willing to entrust his life to her if necessary.
But he alone did not see Viviana as a lover... to put it bluntly, he did not see her as a member of the opposite sex, nor as a woman.
The clearest proof of this was that Faust had never shared any physical intimacy with her.
In the past, the young girl had been very tolerant of her fiancé’s philandering ways. She could calmly step aside and even encourage Faust to do so.
It was perfectly normal for a prince to have several concubines, and since His Highness harbored grand ambitions to dominate the world, who was she to say he shouldn't expand his harem?
It wasn't a bad thing; at least it kept things lively.
Moreover, Viviana didn't mind the lack of physical intimacy with Faust; she even enjoyed the process.
'I know we will eventually be together, but I don't know when.' That ambiguous atmosphere was like a drug, making it impossible for her to stop!
But now, as Viviana stood outside the door on watch, what grew in her heart was no longer sweet palpitations, but absolute shame, jealousy, and even self-loathing.
She knew very well that Faust felt no love for those vulgar women, but even so, it was never her turn.
There was no other explanation for such behavior other than physical revulsion.
Every time she attended to him, Viviana dug her nails into her palms and bit her lip until it bled, questioning her own heart over and over.
Why?
Where exactly did I earn His Highness's disgust?!
Today, my hands shake... today, my heart aches... why did it turn out like this? I gave everything, yet I receive none of the love I desire. Why did heaven give me this pain? What did I do wrong...?
Faust, Faust, Faust, Faust, Faust!!
Viviana had long prepared herself to be Faust’s wife and companion. If she lost that goal, what meaning did her life have left?
This agony tortured her, but Viviana could never bring herself to hate Faust. Therefore... she could only hate herself.
She hated herself for being unable to make His Highness love her, hated herself for being so cowardly and pathetic... and she hated the face that caused His Highness to feel such distaste.
Under the weight of such extreme hatred, Viviana donned a hood to hide her "ugly face."
She sealed her excessive longing and possessiveness for the prince deep within her heart. Only by doing so could she behave normally at Faust's side.
Only then could she endure the Qingxi prince's false affection and hot-and-cold manipulation, all while feigning ignorance.
But upon learning of the selection ball, the jealousy and resentment in Viviana's heart finally overwhelmed her.
She heard a voice coming from the depths of her soul, as if it were the voice of another self.
'Are you really planning to just stand by and do nothing?'
'You've imprisoned me for so long; don't you understand yet? I can make His Highness fall in love with us. He must be ours. Faust must be ours.'
'At least for these three days, let me leave behind some beautiful memories.'
Everything that happened next felt like a dream to the watching Viviana.
Once the ball ended, Viviana finally understood an even more cruel truth.
Despite having the exact same face, the result was completely different.
"I see. He simply doesn't like me."
"As long as it's me, it won't work. As long as it's Viviana Roselin, it's impossible!"
Because of this, Viviana, filled with helplessness and bitterness, could only rest her head on the prince's shoulder and ask in a trembling voice:
"Do you... loathe me that much?"
.....................
"I see. So what you're saying is that you have a split personality?"
Faust only understood the situation after Viviana finished her quiet explanation.
The pale-blonde girl nodded slightly.
"Yes..."
His Highness bluntly commented,
"But strictly speaking, that doesn't sound like a second personality. It looks more like a mask to me."
Viviana’s ability to switch forms so flexibly didn't seem like a personality disorder; it was more like a persona mask used to expose her true inner feelings.
"............."
The girl's expression suddenly darkened.
Oops, I shouldn't have been so blunt.
Faust realized his mistake as he saw Viviana sigh and whisper to herself,
"I'll leave it to you..."
Are you planning to just put on the mask to run away again? Viviana, you really are quite cunning!
Faust hurriedly said, "Wait, Vivian, calm down first..."
"There's no need to calm down. What I am doing now is the result of careful consideration. I will never regret it."
Viviana—or rather, Cinderella—curled the corners of her lips. She pressed her hands onto Faust’s shoulders, guiding the restrained Qingxi prince onto the soft sofa.
Faust was forced to look at Cinderella from a close distance.
Her soft, exquisite face was as beautiful as flowing moonlight; her clear violet eyes were like precious gems.
Her pale-blonde hair and proud figure perfectly matched Faust’s tastes.
"I must have been out of my mind."
The prince licked his lips, breaking into a cold sweat.
"How could I have turned a blind eye to such a world-class beauty before?"
Given Faust’s dissolute nature, how could he have overlooked his childhood friend?!
Not only did he lack desire, but he had also been cold to Viviana.
Faust wasn't the type to be that much of a scumbag; thinking about it, the script of fate must have been at work!
I was too naive. When did I start having the delusion that I was only recently affected by fate? He had stepped into the script as early as ten years ago!
Faust’s mind raced, and in an instant, he understood the cause and effect. He desperately wanted to explain the whole story to Viviana, but as he was about to speak, Mephistopheles's voice rang in his head:
【Please do not do that. Revealing fate to a witch is an unforgivable act of fate-defying blasphemy. The protagonist of the supreme fate is not permitted to escape their destiny.】
Faust immediately fell silent.
Cinderella propped her supple cheek with one hand, looking at the Qingxi prince with a smile and slowly shaking her head.
"Please continue with your sweet talk. I would be very happy to enjoy it."
"But I'm not like that fool Vivian. I'm not an easy woman to handle, even if I know it's a lie and enjoy it regardless..."
The blonde, violet-eyed Cinderella leaned forward, rubbing her soft cheek against Faust. Her beautifully curved eyelashes fluttered, yet Faust caught an incredibly intense fire within those violet eyes.
"It was you... you were the one who seduced her first, over and over, again and again. Did you know? She originally planned to seal the memories of those nights deep in her heart, but you... why did you give her that mission?"
"So it's your fault. Everything is your fault..."
Faced with this, Faust could only manage a bitter smile.
"Could you not force yourself on me?"
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