Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!-Chapter 98: A Game of Lies and Manipulations

Eva was concerned.

The fact that she, Arthur, and Cassandra had somehow swapped bodies had just been decided to be kept secret from everyone else.

In short, to maintain that secrecy, she had to step in for Arthur at this moment.

Her eyes drifted to the still-unconscious Arthur—and frowned.

"...Alright, I get it. Lead the way," she sighed, resigning to her temporary fate.

---

Gerard Astoria.

A devil in a human's skin.

A name infamous across the entire universe—A figure synonymous with evil itself. His deeds knew no bounds, and his reputation preceded him everywhere.

And yet, as Eva followed the soldier leading the way, she couldn't help but wonder—

Why did Arthur act like the polar opposite of his fearsome reputation?

A change in image? A redemption arc? Neither made sense.

She had spent long enough at Arthur's side to realize his kindness—his almost pushover tendencies—weren't an act.

Eva was no stranger to deception. Having survived a harsh life, she had developed a sharp instinct for detecting lies.

And Arthur, every time she observed him closely, every time she heard him speak, she was convinced that he wasn't pretending.

If she didn't know better, she might have thought that the one inside his body was...

Someone else entirely.

"...Memory loss, huh..."

Eva muttered, recalling the excuse Arthur always used.

But every time he brought it up, she could tell it was a blatant lie. And that only made her even more confused.

She sighed.

Thinking about it was pointless.

Instead, she decided to act as Arthur as he currently was. It was far less risky than trying to imitate "Gerard," whom she knew less about.

---

"This is as far as I'm allowed to go," the soldier said, halting at the end of a long corridor. "The President is inside."

Eva glanced ahead.

Roughly a hundred meters further, a large set of doors stood waiting, flanked by two motionless guards, clad in full-body powered suits. She couldn't even see their expressions.

"Alright, you can go."

Eva took a deep breath, waving dismissively toward the soldier before striding forward.

For a moment, the only sounds in the corridor were her boots striking the metal floor and the low hum of energy vibrating through the base.

As she walked, she steeled herself.

She solidified the persona she was about to adopt.

Stopping a few steps before the massive doors, Eva called out to the two guards—

"Father, President Astoria, has summoned me. Let me through."

"..."

The guards did not reply. They merely stepped aside in eerie synchronization.

The moment they moved—the doors slid open, revealing the interior.

"Gerard, huh? Come in."

A man's voice drifted out, steady, calm, yet carrying the weight of a man who held the majority of the universe's trade in his grip.

Anderson Phi Astoria.

Eva's nerves tensed. But she quickly suppressed them, keeping her stride smooth as she stepped inside.

The moment she entered the room—the doors slammed shut behind her.

And then, a deafening hum vibrated through the room as energy surged along the walls, ceiling, and floor.

An energy barrier, and quite a familiar one.

Eva's brows knitted together. "A soundproofing field...?"

Her unease grew.

The reason for "Gerard's" summons had been regarding the Eclipse Sovereign. That was not a classified topic.

So why—

Why go to such extreme lengths for secrecy?

Eva shoved down her anxiety and focused.

"What's wrong? Take a seat," Anderson said with a smile, gesturing toward the sofa in front of him.

A tea set rested on the table, alongside carefully arranged snacks.

Eva hesitated for a fraction of a second before sitting down. She couldn't afford to raise suspicion. Anderson watched her closely, his sweet smile never fading.

Then, he stood up from behind his sleek glass desk, moving to sit across from her.

"About the Eclipse Sovereign—"

He began, skipping right to the main topic.

Eva perked up, ready to respond. But then—

"...Actually, that was just an excuse to call you here."

"..."

'Fuck...' Eva cursed internally.

If it had been about the Eclipse Sovereign, she could have managed.

She had been by Arthur's side during the negotiations, the handover, and all of it. She knew enough to fake her way through.

But now, he was saying it was about something else entirely!

Eva kept her expression neutral.

"What's this about?" she asked, her tone sharp and impatient. "I don't have much time, so be quick."

Anderson's grin widened slightly.

"Ah, you mean our bet for the Grand Prix?" he mused, tilting his head. "Don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time."

'...Bet?' Eva got curious, but she didn't have time to ponder about it.

He leaned back into the sofa, taking a slow sip of tea.

"Actually, I was just... concerned."

"Concerned?" Eva narrowed her eyes.

Anderson set his cup down with a quiet clink, then spoke—"We've talked about this before, but you always evade the question."

"But between that red-haired woman and the newly ordained Meyers Queen..." His smile deepened. "Which one are you pushing for?"

"—?!"

Eva's breath hitched.

Her body stiffened—and for a split second—she almost cursed aloud.

"As expected, just as before, you're still pushing for that redhead?"

Anderson mused, his voice carrying an air of amusement. He paid no mind to the turmoil stirring within the person before him.

"Do you really not want to reconsider? As your father, and as a merchant, I still believe the young Queen would be a far more beneficial match for you."

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders in feigned resignation.

"Well, if you're truly set on that woman, you could always take her as your second wife. Father wouldn't object, you know?"

Despite the casual tone in which he spoke, Eva was fuming.

She felt insulted—looked down upon, as if she were being openly dismissed to her face.

But the worst part? Anderson's words made sense.

His logic was pragmatic, undeniable even to her. If Arthur was aiming to secure both of them, then pursuing Cassandra first was the smarter choice.

No matter how much Eva wanted to deny it, she couldn't ignore the truth. If Arthur chose her, he would gain nothing.

What could she offer him? The thought gnawed at her.

Her body? She clenched her fists. If that was all—then she wasn't even special.

Her mind spiraled further down, sinking into a pit of bitter self-doubt. Anderson, ever the keen observer, watched her shifting expressions and smiled.

'Ah… how wonderful. This girl is quite a fun little toy.'

Right from the moment Eva stepped into his office, he had already noticed something was off.

The way her eyes moved, how she consciously controlled her expressions, the distinct rhythm of her footsteps—none of it matched Gerard Astoria, or even Arthur Grail.

From just those minor details, he had already deduced the identity of the one pretending to be his son—Eva Beastol.

'Still… this situation. Did they actually swap bodies?'

Anderson continued analyzing, though his face betrayed none of his thoughts. A scenario straight out of fiction. But the proof was sitting right in front of him.

His common sense urged him to reject the possibility—

Yet his five senses told him otherwise.

The only logical conclusion was that Eva Beastol was inside Gerard's body.

"Hmm..."

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Anderson let out a soft hum, savoring both the aroma of his tea and the ever-changing expressions on Eva's face.

To most, her reactions would have seemed imperceptible—but not to him.

Nothing escaped the sharp eyes of the universe's greatest merchant.

'She doesn't even realize her own feelings, this girl.' His earlier question had been blunt, yet logical.

By all reasoning, she should have immediately chosen Cassandra. That was the rational and immediate answer.

And yet, Eva was subconsciously resisting it. Instead of that, she was attempting to conjure an alternate reality—one where she was the one chosen.

But she couldn't find any justification for such a future, so she remained trapped, caught in an endless loop of uncertainty.

Half a minute passed in silence. Then, Anderson finally spoke.

"Could it be… Arthur, did you really fall for Miss Eva?"

His brow arched ever so slightly, a thin frown forming on his lips—completely fabricated, yet indistinguishable from the real thing.

"You did mention liking her from the start… Well, I suppose emotions do have a way of interfering with logic at times."

"L-Like?! Eva?!"

Eva's mind stalled—her entire body locking up. Her face burned, her thoughts scattering into complete disarray.

A truth that wasn't even real—and yet it struck her with the force of reality itself.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat abruptly, struggling to regain composure. "T-That… I'm still unsure. I did say that, but… it's not like that…"

She forced her voice into a neutral tone, attempting to feign calmness.

"Can you give me some more time to think, Father?"

Eva knew that the longer she lingered, the greater the risk of compromising Arthur's position.

But unbeknownst to her, Anderson had already unraveled the truth.

"It's alright."

He set his now-empty teacup onto the table with measured ease. "Then, let's move on to another topic."

Anderson's demeanor shifted, his voice adopting a tone of casual indifference.

"Mercy has been calling you nonstop, asking when you'll visit her."

Eva's eyes twitched.

"Then there's Glenda, who mentioned that she misses you. What did you feed that stubborn woman to want you this much?"

Her fingers clenched.

"And of course, there's—"

Anderson continued listing name after name.

Names from the reports regarding Arthur's movements. Names of women Arthur had encountered along his journey.

The way he spoke—purposefully misleading. As if Arthur had been "entertaining" them all. As if he had been "having fun" with each one of them.

And with every new name added, Eva's expression darkened.

The more he pushed, the more her unconscious emotions stirred—until, eventually—even Anderson himself felt a faint chill.

After naming about a dozen, ensuring Eva could recall who they were, he dismissed her.

Eva's steps were unsteady as she left the room.

Her mind swirled with emotions she didn't fully comprehend.

Anderson watched her retreating figure, and then, for the first time in their exchange—His lips curled into a truly brilliant smile.

A terrifying smile.

The rumors were true—the brighter his smile, the more twisted the situation had become.

And in this case... It had become very twisted indeed.

Arthur had no idea what awaited him.

He was still asleep, after all.