How to Safely Break Up with the Male Leads - Chapter 1

HTSBUWTML 001: A Sinful Heroine (1)
“So……let’s break up.“

The tallest spire in the capital of Calicia, and a famous place for lovers. Is there anything as ironic as declaring a breakup here with Herines, a member of the Knights of the Calicia Palace, which symbolizes the foundation [1] of this spire.

“What?”

The handsome blonde man’s eyes, which sparkled like a blue river, opened wide in shock. At such a sight, any woman in the world would feel guilty about it.

“……you’re…..you’re joking, right? ”

I shook my head firmly. Yes, you have to be determined in times like this. Even though the sunset shining over the palace and his scattered blond hair looked stunningly beautiful,  I had to say it again.

“No. I respectfully ask you, Herines, member of the Imperial Knights, to please accept that this is the end of our relationship.”

Was my firm voice ineffective?

His sturdy body, apart from his head that was fixed towards me, wavered and crumpled like a sheet of paper. Surprised, I grabbed his shoulders and looked at his face. His blue eyes were filled with tears.

“Why……Aisha,” Herines said in a grief-stricken voice. “I loved you. No…..I love you, and I will continue loving you forever. I thought both of us felt the same way, but…”

The knights of the Imperial Palace shed no blood or tears. This brave man fought and survived with one armor and one sword in a deadly against the 10 million armies of the Gargot Empire, then returned to Calicia as a hero. I can’t believe such a man is on his knees and begging with tears…..

I know it’s horrible, but it feels a little…..nice?

“Aisha, please tell me why. Is it about your status in society? Is it a problem that I am the heir of the Countess, a knights of the Imperial Palace, and that you are from the knights of an unnamed family? But, that’s nothing compared to our love.”

“Umm…..it’s not because of that.”

“Then is it because of my fiancee? I broke it off with her after meeting you. You remember, don’t you? That marriage [2] is meaningless. It’s all in the past.”

“Well……that’s not true.”

I shrugged my shoulders, and raised the fallen Herines. Then, I shook off the dust on his uniform, and rolled my head for a moment.

It would be better to tell him the truth, right? Herines is also a rational adult, he can take it.

“It’s because I don’t love you.”

Herines turned pale.

”…….That….That can’t be true…….Then….. Are you saying that all the words you’ve said…those were lies?”

I sighed. They weren’t words of love, they were choices for ‘targets’.

“That’s…..a little complicated to explain. I won’t make excuses now. Well, you can think like that. You can blame me. I’d rather be uncomfortable,” I murmured to myself, not noticing that Herines was staggering.

“I just want you to break up with me…”

“…I won’t let that happen.”

Herines leaned against the edge of the roof. His face was obscured by darkness as he turned away from the sunset. What kind of facial expression does he have, I wondered.

With a glistening light, his tears fell down without hesitation.

“I made a promise here, remember? Before the final battle with Gargot…..when I thought that meeting would be our last…I promised…”

As I recall, I think there was an event like that just before the ending. So, the vow you made at the time……what was it about?

“Only death will separate us.”

The moment I remembered the event, it was too late. Because the man quietly said the words, then threw himself into the sunset over the tallest spire in the city center. Without reaching out his hand, he disappeared in the horizon. I ran, swallowing my scream, and looked down from the edge of the stone tower.

A march was being held to celebrate the return of the royal knights. People scattered petals from rose bushes that were as red as the blood before them. I gaped at the sight.

No, wait a minute. That’s ridiculous. Come on out, developer! Or scenario writer! Answer me!

“Who decided that this is what happens?!” I shouted and screamed into the air because Herines, who just jumped, is the one of the male leads of this love simulation game.

Only two days ago, until I entered this game, I was an ordinary office worker. I was an HR manager at the leading global IT company, Rigveda.

“So……please return your pass.”

It’s noteworthy that I was not just an ordinary HR manager, but a layoff expert who gives notice of dismissal. My colleagues called me ‘Guillotine’. They called me that because I was cold-blooded and can fire anyone without even handing a tissue to an employee who cries, blows their nose, or hangs on to me.

It is a meaningful nickname when I think of Herines. Yes, people who get notified of their dismissal might get angry, but if they accept a hefty severance pay, they leave looking for a new life. They don’t jump off a spire!

Ugh, where on earth did it go wrong?

Probably from the moment I entered this love simulation game, <The Knights of Calicia>.

* * *

“I know a really good izakaya [3] in front of the company. Let’s have a team dinner [4] after work today, shall we?”

While the manager invited us before leaving work, I felt my colleagues stare at me. Regardless, I jumped up as soon as the second hand of the clock in the corner of the office pointed at 7 o’clock sharp.

“Sir, I’ll be on my way.”

As soon as he heard me, the manager frowned.

“Why, Ms. Lee? You’re leaving on time again? You’ve never had a team dinner since you joined the company, how could you do that?”

I, Lee Young-ah, who was a chief, answered back while packing up my things.

“Isn’t that our company’s principle? I think the reason why Rigveda became a leading global company is because it guarantees employees’ personal time.”

“But people still need to socialize~!”

“Another advantage in our company is avoiding outdated culture. The company has also developed by firing employees who follow existing wrong practices.”

I looked up at the manager, raising my glasses.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you about to retire?”

It just came to mind and asked, but the manager seems to have taken it as a ‘Guillotine’ [5] remark. His face turned green, and just left the office saying he’s leaving work first.

Well, it’s great that you’re able to retire. But, my words must have been seen as a kind of threat.

”…..isn’t it useless to go against the Guillotine?“

“Wow, she’s so cold…..so cold.”

Murmurs from my colleagues came from behind.

“Why are you so obsessed with leaving on time? Do you have a boyfriend at your house?”

That’s when I laughed. How did you know? I’m hiding a boyfriend at home.

“Well, see you all tomorrow!

After the gossip and saying goodbye to my colleagues, I slipped out of the office.

* * *

Cold, unfriendly, businesslike……words that everyone used to describe me. But if you see me sitting in front of the computer after work playing the game with all of my passion and blood, then I’d say that’s who I really am. On the computer screen, a brown-haired male character in a knight’s uniform is showing a dialogue.

[Aisha, I’m……in love with you.]

“Kyaaaaa~”

I burst into a sigh of joy, and hit an empty can of beer on the floor! I put it aside and raised both arms.

“Hahahaha! I finally got him! How many hours did it take for me to get here?”

Finally, in <The Knights of Calicia>, I’ve captured Leno, the knight of the sky who has the second highest level of difficulty! The latest famous love simulation game, <The Knights of Calicia> is set in a medieval fantasy where Aisha, a nurse from the Royal Knights Corps and has secrets of birth, is dating the knights.

It’s hard to build the reputation and experience of the main character, but then it’s a game that’s been talked about as a challenging love simulation game to play.

Who am I? I am ‘Dandoodae’ [6], a love simulation game blogger who has a 100% success rate and ten years of experience with both foreign and local love simulation games. No matter how difficult capturing the target is, how weird the character is, or how deep and dark their past is, there was not a single character who did not kneel in front of the ‘Guillotine’.

After finishing work and staying up every night to clear all the events, checking each and every change in favor of the options, playing persistently, finally, Leno…you’re now mine! I quickly captured Leno’s confession and posted it on my blog. Soon, the comments were flooding.

– [ Congratulations!! ]

– [ Amazing! Great job, ‘Dandoodae’! Isn’t that the first attempt? ]

– [ You’ve attacked Harris, Helios, and Leno, and now all you have left is an impregnable man. ]

A man of iron wall.

Ren Brecht, a notorious target character among  <The Knights of Calicia> players, was given this nickname. He is the general of the Knights of the Imperial Palace and successor to the Duke of Brecht. This man, who is loved and trusted by the king, is absolutely faithful to the king’s orders and deals with anyone who blocked his path regardless of age or gender, and thus was called ‘The ‘Murderous Knight’.

The problem lies in his handsome face, where the bloody title does not fit. He had neatly raised black hair, clear red eyes, blue uniform wrapped around the skin with beautiful lips, and the battle scars carved on his hand stretched out outside the sleeves. He is the epitome of handsomeness that makes you faint at the mere thought of it.

Let’s be honest.

Yes, I played this game to make Len Brecht mine.

I took out a new can of beer from the refrigerator, drank it at a gulp, wiped the foam off my mouth, and smiled in satisfaction.

Whoo-hoo, how long have I been waiting for this very day? This is the day I’m going after Ren.

It’s natural to eat the carp bread tail at the end, so saving the main dish for last is the right way! [7]

<The Knights of Calicia> is a two-legged system. If one character and his favorability levels are above a certain level, no other target character will appear in the game. So, I had to restart the game every time I was targeting the other three characters, and now I’m the master of this difficult <The Knights of Calicia> that even if I close my eyes, I can write the lines in the prologue.

Well, don’t you need this much preparation to knock down Ren Brecht, who was the hardest target to capture?

“Now, it’s finally your turn!”

I wickedly smiled as I thought about my next target, the ‘Murderous Knight’ [8]. After rolling up my sleeves, I opened the game but a terrifying window that made every gamer’s heart sink appeared.

[AM01: 00-04:00 is update time.]

“Ahhhh!”

No way, who does an update on Friday? I’ve heard about a second update, but doing it on a Friday is a bad business ethic, production crew!

I found a small package next to me while I was screaming and tossing in bed. As soon as I got off work, I was only playing games. Did I order anything?

I opened the package as I tried to recall, then some nice hand-written letter greeted me.

To ‘Dandoodae’, the best Aisha

Congratulations for successfully capturing Leno for the first time today! You were selected to be a beta tester for the second update of <The Knights of Calicia>. If you are willing to participate, please sign the contract.

You can log in through the device.

–  <The Knights of Calicia> DREAM
After reading the letter, I doubted my eyes. The producer? No, how did you know I’m going to target Leno today? Where did my address come from? At that moment, all kinds of questions are shaking up reason.

Beta tester means I’m the first to do a second update.

With my eyes wide open, I quickly looked inside the package. I saw a few nicely-wrapped boxes, and sheets of paper which is the contract.

Since it was inspection time and Friday night was long, I had to participate. I quickly signed the last page of the contract and opened the box.

After reading the instruction manual that came with the machine that shaped like a mentos, I turned the game on to log in. I admired that the world had improved and without thinking about it, I attached the device to the computer, then turned it on. [9]

It’s more intense than when I struggled in the bathroom after eating buldak for lunch on the day of my SAT. I didn’t think this was a choice I would regret.

* * *

Did I fall asleep? I wondered at the pouring sun. It was definitely night. Was I asleep until the sun rose in the middle of the sky?

I almost fainted when I saw the man standing in front of me.

“Welcome, to the world of Calicia!” This foreign man welcoming me with his arms open…..who is he?

No, wait.

A face full of smiles, spectacles, brown curly hair, and a nurse’s uniform – it looks just like Igor in <The Knights of Calicia>. Even the dialogue is similar to the ones that appear when I log in to the game.

“I-Igor?”

“Yes, that’s right. Aisha! Nice to see you again!”

Igor is the friend of Aisha, the main character, and the NPC for the game.

Is this a dream because I played too many games? I did, but the touch of the man holding my hand was very real.

The same was true of the room in front of me. It was not an officetel with a bookshelf full of love simulation games on one wall, but the home of a knight’s nurse that came out of the game. Also, the image in the mirror at the opposite side of the room looked very familiar – a red-haired woman with golden eyes,  with her eyes widely opened.

“Aisha?!”

When I ran in front of the mirror in surprise, I finally realized. This is the second update! I was convinced that I could go directly into the game, and that such a huge update would make the Friday inspection acceptable.

Igor gave me a gown since I was still in my pajamas.

“Aisha, there will be a reception tonight to celebrate the return of the Imperial Knights, so you should reply to your companion.”

While I studied Aisha’s face in front of the mirror, I heard Igor’s story and came to my senses. If the Knights have returned to downtown Calicia……it’s almost the end of the story. But, what did he just say?

“A companion? Who are you talking about?”

“Well…”

Tak! Igor snapped his finger and with the small sound, the door opened wide.

“Now you have to choose, Aisha.”

There were different bundles of flowers in front of the door, all of which came with a letter.

A nice letter on a bunch of red roses said, ‘With love, Count Stenborg Fermor de Herines’. In the letter placed on a purple violet bouquet, ‘With faith, Baron Stenborg Fermor de Helios’. The last was a bunch of white lilies with the note saying, ‘With respect, Count Bertrand Russell Leno’. The names that blossomed between the bouquets……were the male leads of this game.

I reached out my hand and opened the letter casually, then I read the contents. I felt my face turn red and hurriedly covered it up.

“Uh…….. Igor?”

“What is it, Aisha?”

“Why……Why did these people send me letters like this? With a bouquet of flowers, it’s like…It’s like a letter to a lover.”

“That’s because these are all for you.”

“What?!” [10]

Igor proudly said with his signature bright smile, “for the optimal beta test, I’ve brought in all of “Dandoodae”’s saved data!”

That means…

“You’re saying I’m…in a relationship with all these guys I’ve captured?”

“Yes! You’re a sinful heroine.” [11]

Igor fumbled thoughtlessly. Embarrassed, I had to act as rationally as possible.

“But <The Knights of Calicia> is a two-legged system!!”

“Yes! However, the saved data are simply combined, so there should be no problem with the game. The system is no different from the game you’ve played before.”

The system…it’s the same. If that is the case…

”……then, since there is a character who is my lover, then the system in which the other characters can’t even appear remains the same?“

“Yes! The system is the same.”

I fell in front of the mirror with a puzzled look.

So I can’t even run into my favorite character, Ren Brecht?

_______________

[1]  ‘첨탑의 기상을’ literal translation is ‘weather of the spire’, but when I tried to search for it, ‘foundation of the spire’ made more sense to me i.e. the knights are the foundation of the Palace.

[2]  The translation is ‘marriage’, but I think he means to say ‘engagement’ because he mentioned ‘fiancee’ in the first sentence.

[3]  According to Naver, an izakaya is a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. Izakayas are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to Irish pubs, Spanish tapas bars, and American saloons and taverns. See: This.

[4]  Literal translation is ‘get-together’, but I think ‘team dinner’ works better for this scene.

[5]  Basically, the manager thought she’s threatening him that he’s gonna get fired.

[6]  Lit. ’guillotine’

[7]  Saving the best (Ren) for last

[8]  Author-nim used the word ‘헤롱헤롱’, but I decided to omit it because I didn’t know the meaning and the search results online shows the Overlord or Pokemon ‘헤롱헤롱’ and the ‘해롱해롱 ’ with a different spelling which meant something like rude or has no manners.

[9]  I’m not really sure with the terms author-nim used here, but I think she logged into the game first then attached the device which had the update then turned the device on. Author-nim used these words so I just interpreted them freely. ‘웬 멘토스같이’ which translated to mentos-like, and ‘관자놀이에’ that literally means temple.

[10]  Young-Ah is shocked that they sent her a love letter because this is just the beginning of the game, she still shouldn’t have received any letters since she hasn’t encountered any of the male leads yet.

[11]  He called her a sinful heroine simply because she is currently in a relationship with three different male leads despite each of them having their own saved data. Remember that Young-Ah always starts from the beginning, i.e. back to zero, whenever she plays to capture another target.