Transmigrated into Eroge as the Simp, but I Refuse This Fate-Chapter 22: Selene

I leaned back slightly, my smirk never fading.

"Let's start from the beginning," I murmured, more to myself than to her. "From the moment this whole mess began."

Selene raised a brow, but said nothing, simply watching.

I let my thoughts run back to where it all started—

Shackles of Fate.

The game that had pissed me off beyond belief.

And more importantly—

The reviews.

I could still remember the first one. The one that started it all.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

[RighteousOne:

Hello, Successful_Cucumber. I am the developer of Shackles of Fate. First of all, thank you for playing the game.

I see that you had quite the emotional reaction to it. That means, in some way, we succeeded in what we wanted to create.

This game was never meant to be empowering for guys. It was meant to be fair. We wanted players to experience something that people often refuse to acknowledge—

That sometimes, no matter how hard you try... no matter how much effort you put in...

There will be nothing you can do.

Especially in the name of love.]

Even now, reading that again in my head, I could practically hear the smug self-righteousness in it.

I clicked my tongue.

'So that's what you believe, huh?'

I pulled up the second one—the response that made it clear what kind of guy Righteous_One was.

[RighteousOne: Reply...]

"There are countless guys out there who have been in this position. Not everyone wins in love. Not everyone gets a happy ending. We wanted to tell a story that reflects those real experiences—so that people like us can be understood, even if just a little."

And that was it.

That was the key to everything.

This game wasn't just a game. It wasn't some creative storytelling masterpiece.

It was him.

His own miserable, self-inflicted reality disguised as "art."

The reason he had made this?

Because he had lived it.

Because he had been dumped, abandoned—whatever the fuck had happened to him, it clearly still haunted him.

Celia's betrayal of Damien?

It wasn't just a plot point.

It was personal.

I chuckled under my breath. "Tch. Figures."

Then my thoughts shifted—

To Selene.

And more importantly—

To what Righteous_One had said when she first appeared.

"You bitch! You dare show your face here after betraying me?!"

The words echoed in my mind, fitting into the puzzle piece by piece.

Selene had called him a mere mortal.

Yet, he had powers. Strange ones.

Which meant—

She was something above that.

Not human. Not like him.

A god? A higher being? Whatever she was, she was above him in the hierarchy of power.

But that wasn't even the most important part.

It was that he couldn't do shit about it.

Despite all his rage, all his posturing—

The moment she entered the picture, he had been powerless.

Which meant one thing—

She was at least his equal.

Or more likely—

She was stronger.

I smirked, finally turning my gaze back to her.

"Yeah," I said, amusement flickering in my eyes. "I think I'm starting to get it now."

I leaned forward, my smirk widening as the pieces fell into place.

"So, let's break this down," I said, watching her closely. "You called him a mere mortal. That alone says plenty. It means you're something above that—a god, a higher being, or something close to it. And since he clearly has some weird powers of his own, that means he's not just any mortal, either. He's... something in between. A step above humans, but still beneath you."

Selene said nothing, simply tilting her head slightly, her golden eyes gleaming with interest.

"And then there's you and him."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "The way he reacted when he saw you? That wasn't just anger. That was betrayal. And not just any kind, either. No, no, that was personal. It had weight to it. Like someone who had been left behind."

I tapped my temple. "Which means only one thing—you two were together before. But something happened. Something big enough for you to walk away. And if I had to guess?" I let my smirk stretch, my voice dropping into something almost mocking. "You left him for someone else, didn't you?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I caught the smallest flicker of amusement in her expression.

And then—

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Selene applauded, slow and deliberate.

"Not bad," she said, her lips curling. "You figured it out. Though, I must say—this wasn't particularly hard to piece togeth—"

I held up a hand, cutting her off. "Ah, ah, ah. I'm not done."

Her eyes flashed slightly at my interruption, but she let me continue.

"See, it's not just that you left him," I said, leaning back. "It's who you left him for. That's what really fucked him up."

I let my smirk linger, watching the way Selene's expression remained composed—but I could see it. A flicker of something behind those golden eyes. Interest? Amusement? Maybe even a hint of respect?

Good.

That meant I was right on the money.

"You didn't just leave him," I continued, voice smooth, deliberate. "You left him for his rival. And not just any rival—someone who's everything he isn't."

I leaned forward slightly. "Handsome, charismatic, probably dripping with power that people actually admire instead of... whatever pathetic shit he got stuck with."

Selene's lips curled ever so slightly, but she said nothing.

"But that's not the only thing that stands out about him," I went on. "Righteous_One—he built that game, that miserable excuse of a world, because he thinks fate is unchangeable. That no matter how hard you try, you're shackled to your destiny. He doesn't believe in effort, just suffering."

I tilted my head. "Now tell me—why the hell would a guy with powers like his think like that?"

Silence.

Selene didn't answer.

Because she didn't have to.*

I already knew.

"You guys—higher beings, gods, whatever you want to call yourselves—you don't have infinite power, do you?" I grinned. "You must have limits. Something that defines you, restricts you. Like a title—some sort of symbolic authority."

I let the words hang, watching her carefully. She still didn't speak. But she was listening.

"And judging by how that thing looked—fat, disgusting, bitter—" I scoffed. "His title must be just as pathetic as he is."

Selene's smirk widened ever so slightly.

"And the one you left him for?" I continued, chuckling. "He must be the complete opposite. A god of something that people want. Something appealing, attractive. Something that makes sense for you to choose him over that."

Selene let out a soft hum, still watching me with that unreadable gaze.

But I wasn't done.

"There's one last thing," I added, my tone sharpening.

Selene raised a brow slightly.

"I don't believe in coincidences," I said, voice firm. "And it sure as hell wasn't a coincidence that you just happened to be there when Righteous_One dragged me into that void."

I leaned back, folding my arms. "Which means you were watching."

Selene's expression didn't change, but I caught the briefest pause.

"And the real question is..." I murmured, locking eyes with her.

"Why?"