Let's pretend this story was actually a romance.

If that was the case, then I've judged by scouring through the stereotypes that a Prince is needed.

If the Female Lead isn't a Princess of sorts, then she definitely needed to be a downtrodden genius.

A clear 'Mary Sue' who has no noteworthy flaws…

…or maybe even flaws like 'they are too good for their own good', 'innocence', or anything feminine.

God forbid they break away from gender biases.

Of course the Female Lead has to be 'feminine' the standards men, and be attracted to the 'manliest'.

That's why Vhalen and Lily were tied by fate…

Oh the irony…

The Smart Guy and The (metaphorically) Big Guy being paired up while the others are at front.

Perhaps it was because they had less use in plot.

While Lily was indeed a powerhouse that was protected by Lady Luck, her role could easily be fulfilled by Arthur. After all, that dude was already big and strong enough to brute force all problems.

Even if she was a lot more reliable…

The same could be said with Vhalen. He might have a brain, but he wasn't really needed in a fight.

Even Fear was more useful, and SHE was a blackhearted woman that didn't help much…!

They were similar in their useless specialities…

However, the true reason Vhalen qualified for being the Male Lead of a romance was actually…

…his mundanity.

In romance set in fantasy medieval settings, the Male Lead with the highest privileges and authority tended to be chosen in the end. They had money, power, charisma, loyalty, and many other perks.

The handsome shorty himself was also someone who could bring Lily out of her room and into the world. He could fulfil her urge to curiously look for new things, while being able to back her financially.

And in his own perspective, Lily was the perfect partner thanks to her being such a Mary Sue.

It was funny how the duo that could both qualify as the team's 'heart' were destined to get together.

Though perhaps not in Fear's jaded eyes…

Was this because she was more of a 'Black Heart'?

Lily had the bearings of 'The Chick' of the newly forming five-man band. She looked like all the stereotypes of femininity wrapped into one wholesome package. Different from Fear a lot…

Maybe that's why the latter became the predicable stockpile 'Villainess who meets a most tragic end'.

Her death ensuring there would be no rivals…

In this original timeline, that was nearly the exact thing that happened between her and Vhalen.

Thanks to Fear's status as a Priestess, she was introduced as a spouse to the royal family through the recommendation of her Cult Leader and the Crown Prince. This was to fulfil their political goals.

Vhalen's first impression on her couldn't have been any worse. Even if he didn't discriminate himself.

An arranged marriage was too boring to him…

That's why the commoner, Lily Moonshade, was such an appealing life partner in comparison.

Haha… Would you look at that~? He also did the token 'breaking the marriage proposal' event.

The Otome was strong in this Game of Life…!

He may have had a short stature, but his confidence was as high in the Ruling Kingdom.

This was his most appealing and 'manly' trait…

Though since this was a standard romance, his height was considered a subtle curse that could be lifted using effort. Especially when the heroine found a rare ingredient for really a 'Growth Potion'.

Then they finally lived happily-ever-after…

The Villainess got her uselessly cruel death more because of bad upbringing than actual evilness.

The secondary Male Leads like Arthur, Alex, and others were definitely going to be single for life.

And her identity as a kind of princess for the Moonwolf Clan erased the discrimination of Beasts.

Yeah, not lessen or suppress. You could somehow erase centuries of bad habits with one marriage.

Everything went in the slice-of-life direction…

The world was saved by Alex, and there were no longer any threats that could harm Royals anymore.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

But wasn't this actually a boring ending?

Sure, everything being good in the end was fine and all. I also liked happy endings like any other.

However, such 'happiness' felt so bittersweet.

Any Earthling would tell you that there was no way of getting a 'Happy Ending' even with great effort.

Life was more about struggling until death on Earth compared to the mundane satisfaction on Gaia.

From seeing Alex's experiences, there seemed to be a certain void that every Earthling experienced.

Even if you work a fine job and are consistently earning enough to feed yourself and others, one without friends or drive in life would eventually find themselves unable to find meaning every so often.

Money was good and all, but human connection was what made one feel satisfied in their lives.

The same could be said to exist on Gaia. Though not to the degree and regularity than on Earth.

Even without a lover, Lily and Vhalen felt complete thanks to the sense of community they'd built up.

Everyone loved a Mary Sue by nature, and Vhalen had earned the love of his citizens step by step.

It was that very same 'love' that filled the void Earthlings felt when they had nothing to do.

Work made them feel needed, but nothing was more satisfying than seeing a loved one smile.

When they showed affected… That they were happy that you were the one who was with them.

It's why many try searching for their soulmates…

If looked in that sense, then maybe the happy ending where everyone gets along was more envious than what you readers think. What was nicer than having a life with harmonious bonds?

Vhalen felt this himself while looking out the balcony window. His wife was fast asleep in her bed, and she didn't make any effort at all to hide her bright yellow mechanical wolf ears and tail.

The two features suiting her blonde hair…

In fact, even the fact that she was blonde made her seem much more fit to be his wife than any other.

It was like she was created to be his life partner…

He wasn't the Imperial Ruler, but he had much more freedom to love and indulge in happiness.

Maybe he didn't have a big role on Gaia, but he was fully content with continuing his joyful life.

While looking at his wife through the glass window on the balcony's closed doors, his smile was fading. Eventually, his eyes lowered as he started to reminisce about the 'Villainess' of the past.

"…I'm sorry. I'd went too far." He mumbled. The scene of him breaking his engagement arose.

Vhalen suddenly realised that the actions he did back then were far too cruel and unethical.

Back then, all Fear did was say a few bad things and bully her in ways that were immature in nature.

And yet, he retaliated so brutally and viciously…

He destroyed her position in the Mirror Cult, had made her fall from grace, and finally left her with no one to support her. It was to the point that he'd wondered what had gotten into him back then…

Was it just his immaturity?

No, perhaps his luck was just bad…

In fact, looking back… He also felt that Lily's unusual luck also played a big part Fear's fall.

Despite her keen intellect, all of Fear's plans failed and even backlashed stronger than she intended.

Things spiralled out of control so easily…

It was to the point he started to doubt whether everything was truly the work of fate or destiny…

Things… had been too smooth.

He wanted a life partner who could be fresh and new in his eyes, then he found her out of nowhere.

He wanted his fiancé to stop bothering him so he could be single, then controversy started appearing… and Fear was dealt with. It was such a clear progression of scenarios that benefited them.

…While taking the fortune of many others.

His father passed away, and his brother was able to gain full control of the kingdom thanks to this.

It ended up helping Vhalen and Lily when it came to political disputes between the other kingdoms.

Especially when it came to his wife's background.

If his father hadn't died at such a perfect time, then they likely would've been stopped from marrying.

'Huh…?' This trial of thought was starting to give him goosebumps, but he couldn't be sure…

Lily had always had his back when he needed someone strong and reliable by his side.

She too also listened to his thoughts when it came to dealing with situation without using brute force.

So why was he starting to suspect her?

Doing so would clearly be an act of madness!

'Yeah… My wife is so pure.' He turned his head and looked down… Vision starting to become hazy...

This was supposed to be their Happy Ending.

All the world's problems were fixed, and there was someone better than him sitting on the throne.

One day, his children would also be born into this perfect world where no one ever struggles to live.

However, he didn't know one thing about himself that was making him feel such a sense of unease.

After all, though having no struggles meant there wasn't a reason for him to overexert himself, it also meant there was no longer anything for people to accomplish in life. Happiness wasn't even 'earned'.

He had been entitled to happiness from the beginning, so it was only human nature to be unable to give this freebie sentimental value. He wasn't able to feel as if he accomplished anything.

Everything fell into his hands… Such a feeling was gradually eating him up. It made him melancholic.

What should he do now?

Now that his role had ended, no one 'needed' him anymore… Not Drake, not Lily… no one at all.

Even his 'Role' as a Healer had no meaning when there was no one to heal. The world was peaceful.

…And so he became restless.

Was there anyone else who felt like this?

Even though he could look at the luxuries he was entitled to, nothing about them felt meaningful.

What was he supposed to do now?

It was then he looked at the children playing in the streets on his kingdom. An idea formed in his head.

'Right. A new role will appear.' Even if he could do nothing as a Prince, he could still be a 'Father'.

He naturally would put all effort into being one!

The Imperial Prince walked back into their bedroom and continued fulfilling his 'Role' as a husband.

They spent their lives together in bliss…

Years went by without any incidents at all. He had his fun with different hobbies, and so did she.

Their children were born, and they went through the parents of parenthood just like other couples.

They made close friends along the way…

The only ones who couldn't bring himself to smile was one of the left behind romantic interests who experienced 'Secondary Male Lead Syndrome'. It was none other than the Arcanist, Alex Stuman.

His best friend had died… and he was left with nothing but money he'd accumulated over time.

Some might say that he was fortunate. After all, a rich life was better than a life filled with poverty.

However, that wasn't what made him feel empty...

Alex laid down in his expensive mansion on a luxurious sofa that was both soft and comfortable.

The work around the house was being done by the Androids he'd created after many years of effort.

But he still wasn't happy?

The answer to 'Why?' was extremely simple:

'Money can buy you luxuries, but it can't buy you satisfaction.' He realised in his nearly empty home.

He had achieved his dream, so why was he still feeling so discontent… despite being a great hero?

Didn't he fulfil the last wish of his Mentor?

The emptiness he was feeling started to feel like a crushing weight, but he could do nothing about it.

Alex had forgotten how to trust others…

He wasn't like Vhalen. After Arthur had died, he'd realised he forgot how to open his heart to others.

The Arcanist didn't know how to make friends.

Even if he could talk to others, he was still antisocial at heart. A tough nut to break…

It was what eventually made him come to one conclusion: Love didn't exist in this vast universe.

It would have been better if he had sacrificed it all just to save his friend, even if the world perished…

Thus, he let go of all his previous names…

He’d no longer identify as someone. If he wasn’t a human, then he wouldn’t feel so starved for love!!!

Thus, a new name that this story wouldn’t be able to forget emerged. It symbolised his resolve.

‘End’ was finally born when the story ended…!