I Regress if the Villainess Dies! Chapter 2: Chapter 1 Second Regression

Read chapter 2 of I Regress if the Villainess Dies! by Yuzai_Rearu on NovelPedia.

A sharp and cold sensation was the last thing he felt from his neck. There was neither pain nor resistance, only the terror of realization as his view spun. He had been beheaded; at the orders of the very same character he loved and was trying to save. That was his first regression. Xian found himself in front of the villainess once again, involuntarily touching his neck as he felt a shiver run down his spine. “Damn bitch.” Before the villainess was able to speak, his expression contorted fiercely as he spat out a curse. It was a habit he developed whenever he got frustrated with her character or anything that caused him displeasure. Without hesitation, the same swordmaiden drew her longsword and beheaded him painlessly in cold blood. All he felt was the cold touch of the blade as it painlessly cut his neck once again, triggering his second regression. When he returned, his eyes winced, stunned from the shock of dying twice in a row. 'Fuck!' This time, Xian managed to rein in his mouth and cursed in his head instead. With the threat of death looming over him, his mind raced for the most plausible way to avoid displeasing the lady. "I greet her highness, princess Carmillia Montagne." He bowed with utmost respect, referring to her as a princess, for she is a daughter of a kingdom's grand duke. 'She's displeased.' One look and he knew right away what her current mood is from the many playthroughs he experienced. Why? Because right over her head floated a black heart with a number in it: 19. Just like in the game. He recognized it right away. In Romance and Ruin, affection levels were color coded. Red meant love when a character is already at max favorability and in love with the player. The lower levels went in order at pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and gray. Gray being the neutral and starting point for each heroine usually set at 50 or 0. Black signified animosity, and finally, dark crimson, a level of hatred where ‘kill on sight’ often occurred. Anyone who bore this would attack the protagonist immediately, sometimes even to the point of madness. The number inside the hearts signified the heroine’s affection score toward the player within each heart-color tier. And at [Black Heart], 19 was a dangerously low score. If he made a mistake, he might be forced to regress for a third time. “Hmph.” She huffed, tilting her head to the side with a frown. “The head butler will teach you what you need to learn. I expect no more than a week of preparation.” ‘A week?’ Xian thought. He only knew of butlers from the media he consumed—novels, anime, and manga. He wanted to complain and refuse the training, but his mouth remained shut as realization struck. He was no longer on Earth, living an isolated life while playing games. “As you wish.” Xian bowed, attempting to mimic the butlers he remembered. Carmillia narrowed her eyes before turning away, her two guards following behind. Of course, Xian glanced at the woman who beheaded him twice, searching for any distinct feature he could remember. A [Gray Heart] hovered over her head with an affection score of 50. She surprisingly held a stable impression of him, despite her lack of hesitation when she cut his neck. Clad in black armor and leather, it was hard to notice anything unique about her. Still, Xian understood that they would be seeing each other often. And in the future, he would make sure to return the favor for the experience she had given him even if regression reset it all. "Hah!" When they were finally gone, Xian gasped in relief. His chest heaved like he had just done a marathon. It came with sweat and coldness, coursing through his body as he trembled. That was his first time experiencing 'death' caused by murder. Although it was painless, the feeling of disconnection in his neck lingered. He didn't even get to see the speed at which he was beheaded. 'Shit! Shit!' That helpless sensation made him unable to get up, shaking on the ground like a pathetic wench. At the same time, h