How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 721: Rose’s Gold Interlude

”So... this is the duke now...”

Riley’s voice was quieter than usual as he looked through the bars. His eyes lingered on the chains, then on the faint, unsettling aura leaking from the man’s body.

”Yes.”

Rose didn’t look at him. Her gaze stayed fixed forward.

Riley narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the energy more carefully.

”...I can see why you said it felt off. At first glance, it lines up with demonic influence... but this—” he paused, tilting his head a little, ”—this feels different. It’s heavier. Not chaotic in the usual sense.”

He stepped a bit closer, his expression sharpening.

”If anything... it leans closer to something divine in structure. Twisted, but structured. So evil worship...?” He let out a quiet breath. ”I don’t remember your father having any ties to that kind of thing either.”

”Neither do I,” Rose replied, her tone low. ”Even I was surprised by how things turned out.”

A brief silence passed before she added,

”My plans with him are ruined now...”

Riley glanced at her.

”...Plans?”

Rose’s eyes flickered for a second, then she shook her head.

”Forget that part. It’s not important right now.”

It was.

He could tell it was.

But the way she dismissed it made it clear she wasn’t going to explain—not yet.

Instead, she turned slightly toward him.

”...Can you do something, Riley?”

He blinked once, then gave a small, uncertain smile.

”Even if you say that... what exactly do you want me to do?” His tone softened a bit. ”You don’t really talk about these things with me, but... I do know one thing.”

He glanced back at the duke.

”You hate him, right?”

”...I do.”

There was no hesitation in her answer.

But she didn’t stop there.

”...But leaving him like this...” Her voice slowed, her brows knitting slightly. ”It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Riley stayed quiet, letting her continue.

”He hasn’t suffered enough.”

Her eyes hardened just a little, her gaze locking onto the man in chains.

”Being sealed like this... or even dying like this—it’s not enough. Not for what he’s done.”

The air grew heavier with her words.

”This isn’t judgment. It’s just... an end. And an easy one at that.”

Riley exhaled slowly.

”I see...”

He didn’t argue. Didn’t question it.

He just watched her.

The way her expression stayed steady, but her voice carried something deeper underneath—anger, yes, but not just anger. There was history there. Weight.

Complicated didn’t even begin to cover it.

And honestly...

He didn’t need the full story to understand that.

Riley shifted his gaze back to the duke, silent for a moment.

Duke Raymond Brilliance.

His supposed future father-in-law.

And yet—

There wasn’t a single ounce of respect in him for that man.

Not like the others.

Not like the parents of the rest of the girls.

Because this man...

He was rotten.

Through and through.

The kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate to cross any line if it meant raising his family’s name higher. Pride, prestige, legacy—those things came first. Everything else came after.

A man obsessed with results.

With control.

With value.

The kind who saw people less as people... and more as tools.

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The man in front of him was the worst kind.

Abusive. Manipulative. The kind who knew exactly how to twist people from the inside—while wearing the mask of a perfect father to the outside world. Clean reputation, respected name, flawless image...

All built on rot.

Rose grew up in that.

So did Dorothy.

Riley’s gaze lingered on the duke for a moment longer before his eyes lowered slightly.

Dorothy...

The moment Rose found out the truth—that Dorothy was her sister—something in her shifted. She never said much about it, but it was obvious. The way she reacted, the way certain things started to hit harder than they should’ve.

It became a sensitive subject.

For both of them.

Because Dorothy wasn’t just someone tied to Rose.

She was someone Riley failed.

One of many.

His expression tightened just a little as the memory surfaced. Back then, he didn’t have the same resolve he carried now. He hesitated. He held back. He didn’t push far enough.

If he had the same conviction he showed when saving Alice...

...would things have been different?

Would Dorothy still be here?

Riley exhaled quietly.

He didn’t have an answer.

And it didn’t matter anymore.

The past wasn’t something he could go back and fix.

But at the very least... in her final moments, Dorothy had found peace. He knew that much. He held onto that, even if it didn’t change anything.

His gaze lifted again, settling back on the duke.

Honestly... he didn’t feel anything for him.

Maybe a bit of pity—but even that was thin.

Whether the man lived or died didn’t matter to him.

What mattered was Rose.

Her anger.

Her feelings toward all of this.

That alone was enough.

Riley’s eyes flickered faintly as he focused again, looking past the surface and into the essence of the energy wrapped around the duke.

And the moment he saw it clearly—

His expression darkened.

”...That damn goddess...”

The realization came instantly.

There was no mistaking it.

But that only made things worse.

His brows furrowed.

Our deal still stands... so how is this even possible?

Erebil made it clear—she wouldn’t interfere. Not until her full descent. That was the condition. That was the line she set herself.

So what changed?

Was it because he used his divinity back in the frozen castle dungeon?

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

...No.

The timing didn’t match.

If what Rose and the others said was true, the duke had already fallen into this state the moment he and Snow left.

Four days ago.

Which meant—

This started before that.

Before he used his power.

Before the deal even mattered.

A quiet breath left him as the pieces fell into place.

As twisted as Erebil was... she was still a goddess. She followed her own rules, her own logic. If she made a promise, it wasn’t something she’d casually break.

Which meant this wasn’t her interfering now—

This was something she had already set in motion.

Long before Riley ever got involved.

His jaw tightened slightly.

...So I can’t rely on that deal at all.

The thought left a bitter taste.

Back then, it felt too convenient.

Too clean.

Now it made sense why.

Riley clicked his tongue under his breath.

”Tch...”

”...I knew it.”

His voice dropped, low and quiet.

”That promise was too good to be true.”

”Did you say something, Riley?”

Rose’s voice cut in, pulling him out of his thoughts. She had caught the faint mumble, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

Riley paused for a second... then shook his head.

”...It’s nothing.”

He didn’t elaborate.

Instead, his gaze returned to the duke, expression settling back into something calm—measured.

”Anyway... I think I can suppress whatever energy is inside him,” he said after a moment. ”But removing it completely is a different matter.”

Rose’s eyes sharpened.

”You can?”

”Yeah.” Riley nodded once. ”If I suppress it, he should wake up normally... like nothing ever happened. At least on the surface.”

He glanced at the faint aura still leaking from the duke, his tone lowering slightly.

”But suppression isn’t a solution. It’s just delaying the problem. Whatever this energy is... it’s not the type to stay quiet forever.”

A brief pause.

”I don’t fully understand its nature yet, but if it’s anything like most demonic or corrupted forces... it won’t hide. It’ll build up again, and when it does—”

He looked back at her.

”—it’ll probably explode into a rampage sooner or later.”

Silence lingered for a second.

”Do you still want me to do it?”

Rose didn’t hesitate.

She nodded.

”I never planned on properly healing him in the first place,” she said plainly. ”If anything, that would be more than he deserves.”

Her golden eyes flicked toward the duke, steady and cold.

”This much is already mercy.”

Then, after a slight pause, she added,

”And if he does go on a rampage...”

There was no doubt in her voice.

”I’ll deal with him myself.”

Riley studied her for a second, then let out a quiet breath.

”...Alright.”

No more questions.

He stepped forward slightly, raising his hand as a faint pressure began to spread through the dungeon. It wasn’t overwhelming—but it was different. A presence that didn’t belong to ordinary magic.

Divinity.

It gathered around him, subtle but undeniable.

Since this was only suppression, using a small portion of his authority wouldn’t disrupt anything too much. At least... not on the surface.

The balance for causality shouldn’t be too much...

Rose’s eyes widened slightly as she felt it.

”...Riley.”

There was a hint of disbelief in her voice now.

”Since when did you have this much divinity?”

Riley didn’t look back.

”...It’s a long story.”

A faint pause.

”I’ll tell you later.”

Rose stared at him for another second... then gave a small nod.

”...Okay.”

But there was something new in her expression now.

Curiosity.

No—more than that.

A quiet excitement.

Her eyes stayed on him as the energy around him continued to build.

Then—

Riley spoke.

”The duke’s energy is suppressed.”

The moment the words left his mouth—

Something shifted.

Not visibly.

Not loudly.

But fundamentally.

As if the world itself had paused... then adjusted.

[The Anomaly has lied]

[The World listened]

[Conceptual Oblivion has activated]

...

”A—! Cough—! Huff...! Huff...!”

The sudden sound broke the silence.

The duke’s body jerked violently as he sucked in air, his chest rising and falling rapidly like he had just been dragged back from the edge of something far worse than death.

”Your Grace!”

A man rushed forward immediately, his voice filled with panic and relief.

”Roberto...?”

The duke’s voice came out hoarse, unsteady, his eyes struggling to focus as he looked around.

”Oh, thank the goddess above—you’ve awakened!” Roberto’s expression was almost overwhelmed with relief. ”We... we should be thanking Young Lady Rose! She’s the one who saved you, Your Grace!”

The duke frowned, confusion settling in quickly as his breathing steadied.

”...Rose?”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

”What do you mean by that?”

There was a pause.

Then his gaze sharpened.

”Explain everything, Roberto.”

Roberto straightened immediately, still visibly shaken but unable to hide his relief.

Without hesitation, he began recounting everything that had happened—every detail he could recall—while the duke listened in silence, his expression growing darker with each passing moment.