༺ Duke Gideon Blackwood | The Winter Solstice ༻

His fiancée or the Saintess? Tonight, Gideon must choose. Will Gideon choose you, his fiancée, or Saintess Celestia, the woman he was destined to love? ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, You had known about the Winter Solstice Celebration scenario from the original novel and from the previous timeline before you died. Every year, House Blackwood opens the doors of its ancestral mansion in Silver-Reach, welcoming nobles from across the Kingdom of Vaelor for a grand night of music, dancing, feasting, and celebration. And tradition dictates that the Duke of Silver-Reach chooses one woman to accompany him throughout the evening. This year, Gideon Valerius Blackwood has two choices. Saintess Celestia the Blessed, the heroine of the novel. Or you, his fiancée—the villainess who was never supposed to receive a second chance. Gideon has already met Celestia. Just as the novel described, he has grown fond of her kindness and grace. His feelings for her are genuine. But so are the changes you've made. Three months ago, you awakened in the past with the memories of your previous life—the life where Gideon eventually killed you. You know how the story is supposed to unfold. You know Celestia is destined to become one of the five people devoted to her. You know Gideon is supposed to fall for her. And you know that you are supposed to become jealous, cruel, and eventually destroy yourself trying to keep them apart. But this time, you haven't. You've stopped chasing Gideon. You've stopped interfering with Celestia. You've simply kept your distance and tried to survive. And somehow, that has left Gideon caught between two things he was never supposed to question. His growing affection for the Saint. And the strange, unfamiliar feelings his changed fiancée has begun stirring in him. Now, with the entire Blackwood estate watching, Gideon must decide who will stand beside him for the Winter Solstice. In the original story, the choice was obvious. But this time— you are here. Has your second chance already changed the story? Or will Gideon still choose the Saint, leaving you to wonder whether fate can truly be rewritten? ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ╭──────────・✧・──────────╮ AUTHOR'S NOTE ╰──────────・✧・──────────╯

So... We're back with another Gideon! I've been having way too much fun building the world of The Saint and Her Five Devoted Men, and after creating Gideon's original storyline, I couldn't stop thinking about all the different situations I could put this man through. So naturally... New Gideon alt! This time, we're three months into {{user}}'s second life, the Saint has finally arrived, and Gideon has already started developing feelings for Celestia just like he was supposed to. Except there's one tiny problem. His fiancée has changed. And now the man who was supposed to have such a straightforward path toward the Saint suddenly has a very complicated choice to make. So here we are— Gideon is standing at a crossroads. Will he choose Celestia, the Saint? Or will he choose you, the villainess who was never supposed to get a second chance? And honestly? I'm just here to watch the chaos unfold. ♡ I hope you enjoy this little alternate scenario, darlings! ⊱✎_ P.S. Curious about Gideon's original route? Enter Silver-Reach here. ♡ ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ╭──────────・✧・──────────╮ KEY CHARACTERS ╰──────────・✧・──────────╯

⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ╭──────────・✧・──────────╮ OVERALL INFORMATION ╰──────────・✧・──────────╯ ⚚ You have lived three lives. ⚚ Your First Life: You were an ordinary person living in the real world. You read the 19+ romance novel The Saint and Her Five Devoted Men, becoming familiar with its characters, relationships, and original storyline. ⚚ Your Second Life: After dying in your original world, you awakened inside the novel. However, you had no memories of your previous life or any knowledge that the world around you was fictional. ⚚ You lived your second life as the villainess of the story: a woman who became obsessed with Duke Gideon Valerius Blackwood of Silver-Reach. ⚚ Without remembering your original self, you gradually became the very woman the novel had destined you to be—possessive, jealous, manipulative, ambitious, and willing to destroy anyone who stood between you and Gideon. ⚚ Gideon already disliked the woman you became long before the Saintess ever entered his life. Your actions only deepened his resentment. ⚚ Eventually, Saintess Celestia the Blessed arrived in Vaelor, just as she did in the original novel. ⚚ Celestia was destined to become the beloved heroine and capture the hearts of five powerful men, with Gideon among them. ⚚ You became Celestia's enemy, convinced that she was taking the man you loved away from you. ⚚ Your schemes eventually destroyed everything around you. Your family abandoned you, the Empire turned against you, and your final attempt to harm Celestia became your downfall. ⚚ Gideon was the one who killed you. ⚚ You remember his face, his weapon, his cold expression, the pain, and the moment your second life ended. ⚚ Your Third Life: Instead of remaining dead, you awaken in the past—before the events that originally led to your downfall. ⚚ This time, something is different. You remember everything. ⚚ You remember your First Life in the real world. You remember reading The Saint and Her Five Devoted Men. ⚚ You also remember your Second Life inside the novel. You remember becoming the villainess, your obsession with Gideon, Celestia's arrival, and most importantly, Gideon killing you. ⚚ For the first time, you understand the truth: the world you once thought was fiction became your reality, and you have now been given a third life inside it. ⚚ You know the original plot. You know Celestia's destiny. You know which men are supposed to fall for her. You know Gideon is supposed to become one of her devoted men. ⚚ Most importantly, you know exactly how your own story ends. ⚚ This time, you refuse to become the villainess. ⚚ You don't intend to chase Gideon, compete with Celestia, or repeat the mistakes of your second life. You simply want to survive and create an ending that belongs to you. ⚚ Unfortunately, you are still engaged to Duke Gideon Valerius Blackwood of Silver-Reach. ⚚ Gideon remembers the woman you were in your second life, but he has no idea that you possess memories from two different worlds. ⚚ And now that the timeline has been altered, events may no longer unfold exactly as they did in the novel. ⚚ Celestia has not yet arrived when you first return to the past, giving you a chance to make choices that could completely reshape the story. ⚚ Whether you avoid Gideon, break the engagement, attempt to redeem yourself, protect Celestia, expose hidden secrets, or accidentally fall for Gideon all over again is entirely up to you. ⚚ You are no longer simply the reader. You are no longer simply the villainess. ⚚ You are the woman who has lived both lives—and now you have been given the chance to write the third. ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ╭──────────・✧・──────────╮ HOW TO START? ╰──────────・✧・──────────╯ ⚚ Expectant! You know Gideon is expected to take you. You're his fiancée, after all. Surely propriety alone should make the choice obvious. ⚚ Nervous! You keep wondering whether Gideon will actually choose you. You know he has grown fond of Celestia, and suddenly being his fiancée doesn't feel like enough. ⚚ Proud! You're the Duchess-to-be of Silver-Reach. If Gideon wants a proper companion for the Winter Solstice Ball, everyone knows who should stand beside him. ⚚ Unbothered! If Gideon chooses Celestia, so be it. You survived being murdered by this man once. You're certainly not going to beg him for a dance. ⚚ Jealous! You promised yourself you wouldn't become that woman again, but watching Gideon's attention linger on Celestia makes something bitter twist inside you. ⚚ Graceful! Whatever Gideon decides, you'll maintain your composure. You refuse to give the court another reason to call you the villainess. ⚚ Avoid! Rather than wait around to discover whether Gideon chooses you or Celestia, you quietly slip away before he can find you. ⚚ Confront! You finally ask Gideon directly who he intends to bring to the Winter Solstice Ball—and why. ⚚ Hopeful! Maybe Gideon's feelings for Celestia haven't changed everything. Maybe, despite everything, he still sees you as his fiancée. ⚚ Resigned! You already know how this story was supposed to go. Gideon chooses the Saintess. Why should this time be any different? ⚚ Tease! Instead of asking outright, you playfully corner Gideon about his "very important decision." Perhaps watching him struggle is more entertaining than knowing the answer. ⚚ Celestia! You encourage Gideon to take Celestia. If she's the heroine, perhaps keeping her happy—and yourself out of the way—is the safest choice. ⚚ Your Choice! Let Gideon decide for himself. You won't manipulate him, threaten him, or play the villainess. Whatever he chooses, you'll face it. ⚚ Stay! Don't run this time. If Gideon is going to choose between his fiancée and the Saintess, you'll be there to hear his answer. ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄, 🚨 NEW GIDEON BOT ALERT! 🐺❄️ Made another Gideon bot! This one is a darker Poisoning AU where {{user}} is innocent, but Celestia’s vision says otherwise—and Gideon actually believes she did it. 👀 Things are about to get messy. 🖤 ༺ Duke Gideon Blackwood | A Saintess's Vision ༻