Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 2.1

Siegvard Ledda Argento stared at me in stunned silence.

Flustered, I waved both hands frantically.

“A-a-a-ah! No, that’s not what I meant! I mean—wait, no! It is what I meant! I do want you to fall in love with me! But, um… how do I put this…!”

Ahh…

The more I try to explain, the worse I make it.

“Um… so… what I’m trying to say is…”

I struggled to recover, but at that very moment—

BOOM!

A sudden, earth-shaking impact rumbled from beneath.

“!”

“Kyaa!”

I let out an involuntary scream as the ground lurched violently.

Before I could stumble, Siegvard Ledda Argento seized my hand and pulled me close, shielding me as we crouched together.

His strong, powerful arms enveloped me.

Thump!

My heart slammed against my chest.

How could he do this?

Even now—even in this life, where he had no reason to care about me—

He protected me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The memory of that day rushed back—

My chest tightened with emotion.

I bit down on my lip to keep the rising tears at bay.

Then—

From the western sky, an intense light erupted, bright as daylight.

“What is that light…?”

Siegvard Ledda Argento murmured in awe.

I lifted my head.

At the western edge of the imperial capital—

A pillar of radiant light pierced the heavens, illuminating not just the palace, but the entire city.

The light of the Saintess’ awakening.

“…The game has begun.”

“What?”

“N-nothing! Never mind—”

I hastily turned back toward Siegvard Ledda Argento—only to find his amethyst eyes startlingly close.

Thump!

My heart jumped again.

His eyes were breathtakingly clear and pure.

Though he was known as “The Ice Prince”—feared for his cold demeanor—

He was a kind man.

Even in my first life, even now, when I meant nothing to him,

He still shielded me.

I wouldn’t let him die.

If I truly cared about Siegvard Ledda Argento—

I knew I should stay away from him.

That would be the safest choice.

But I couldn’t.

Because I couldn’t afford to abandon my only chance at survival.

I would do whatever it took to change my fate.

And no matter what, I would prevent the tragic ending that awaited us.

That was why—

I needed him to fall in love with me.

I needed him to marry me.

“Lady Kishtaria?”

Siegvard Ledda Argento furrowed his brows slightly.

Even his puzzled expression was breathtaking.

Wait a minute.

At this distance, I could feel his warmth, his breath—

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

Could I seduce him right now?

…Wait, but how?

How did one seduce a man?

“Uh…?”

“Are you injured anywhere?”

His worried gaze searched my face, and I frantically shook my head as I stood.

“N-no! I’m fine! No injuries at all! I’m totally okay!”

Right!

Seduction can wait!

I needed to focus on the situation at hand!

“Come with me, Sieg—ah, I mean, Lord Argento! We must report to His Majesty immediately!”

“Report?”

“Yes! That light was the awakening of the Saintess!”

Siegvard Ledda Argento’s breath caught as he turned toward the sky, still blazing with unnatural brightness.

“It… does match the ancient records…”

“We must hurry!”

Together, we ran toward the palace hall.

“When the world is on the brink of ruin, the First King’s sacred sword shall awaken within the Saintess. The one whom the Saintess chooses shall become the next ruler—the savior of the world.”

This legend of the Saintess was taught everywhere—

At temples, at schools, even in basic literacy classes for the poor.

Every citizen of the empire knew these words by heart.

But here’s the thing—

While everyone knew the prophecy, very few actually understood its full meaning.

That was something I had realized in my first life.

Just because the game provided detailed lore didn’t mean the people of this world had the same knowledge.

The most crucial part of the prophecy was a single phrase—

“The one whom the Saintess chooses.”

The Emperor—

Or in modern terms, the ruler of the empire—

Was chosen through a two-stage process.

Stage One:

The Saintess’ sacred mark would appear on those with the qualifications to rule when they made contact with her.

These chosen few were known as Knights of the Round Table—sworn protectors of the Saintess.

Stage Two:

Among these knights, the Saintess would choose the one she truly loved—

And only that person could ascend the throne.

Simply put—

If the Saintess didn’t grant someone the mark of a knight, they could never become Emperor.

But like I said—

Most people didn’t fully understand this.

That was why so many men fought desperately to curry favor with the Saintess—

Or worse, to possess her outright.

The heroine’s first major crisis would happen right after her awakening.

Her own father would lock her away, attempting to force her into choosing him as Emperor.

Through violence and intimidation, he would try to break her will.

When we reached the grand hall, everyone had gathered near the tall glass windows, staring at the brilliant pillar of light piercing the western sky.

Even His Majesty stood among them.

Just as I spotted the Emperor—

The pillar of light flickered, then vanished.

I rushed forward with Siegvard Ledda Argento at my side.

We stepped before the Emperor and executed a deep curtsy.

“Your Majesty, forgive my impudence, but I have urgent advice to offer”