Chapter 2: The Fiancée Who Remembers

---

Lucian sat at the grand dining table of the Valcrest Estate, a glass of fine spirit in hand, but his mind was elsewhere.

The realization of his transmigration still settled uneasily in his chest. The world saw him as Lucian Valcrest, heir to the empire's most powerful noble house. A man destined to be the perfect antagonist to the Chosen Hero.

But unlike the novel, this time, he had two advantages:

One, the Villain System.

Two, knowledge of what was to come.

And yet, there was one loose thread he couldn't ignore—his fiancée.

Annalise Vermillion.

The name alone brought a surge of unease. In the novel, she was a tragic figure—a brilliant, determined woman who loved Lucian until the end.

But in the original timeline, Lucian, corrupted by a devil's power, had killed her with his own hands.

And now?

Lucian clenched his jaw. He needed to know if she had regressed.

And if she had… what did she remember?

---

A Dance of Masks

The grand doors of the estate's hall opened, and Annalise Vermillion stepped inside.

Golden-blonde hair cascaded down her back, her emerald-green eyes sharp and piercing, betraying a depth of emotion she hid well. She was the daughter of Duke Vermillion, the empire's military powerhouse. Elegant yet lethal, a woman trained in both diplomacy and the sword.

And as she looked at him, he knew immediately.

She remembered everything.

Her gaze was too calculating, too controlled.

She did not look at him with the affection of a fiancée—she looked at him like a monster in human skin.

'So, it's true… she's a regressor.'

Lucian smiled, standing smoothly. "My dear fiancée, you seem distant."

Her fingers curled into her dress. "You…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried weight.

Lucian took a step closer, but she did not flinch. She would not show weakness, not to the man who had once killed her.

A game of deception had begun.

But Lucian was no longer the same man.

And he would prove it.

---