—Night before—
"Fuck…! Him? Of all the people I could be? Seriously? I felt bad about him, but that's all. I never said I wanted to be him!" James yelled in frustration, regretting everytime he had a thought of saving this guy.
If the transmigrator God was watching he would've just related to some harem game protagnist.
He stared at the towering Victorian mirror, which looked more like a portal than a mirror, swallowing the dim candlelight in its gilded frame. His reflection stared back—unfamiliar, yet certainly real.
"Johan Von Matilda."
His gaze drifted over the reflection's features—sharp and ethereal. Pale skin, almost luminescent under the flickering candlelight.
Long silver hair cascaded to his shoulders, half tied into a flowing bun, the rest spilling like liquid mercury down his back.
But it was the eyes that stole all attention: ocean blue, glowing faintly like the eerie light of a deep-sea jellyfish—cold, yet mesmerizing.
His past self would've killed for this height, broad-shoulders, lean muscles, and a sharp long jawling, basically a physique that screamed Aura.
The clothes only buffed it. He looked like he'd walked straight out of a Genshin Impacto convention.
A high-collared black linen shirt clung to his torso—soft, but annoyingly itchy—tucked under a midnight-blue overcoat that flared around his knees.
This was the common dress code for the men of House Matilda.
Black pants hugged his legs, disappearing into knee-high cavalier boots that pinched just enough to remind him of their presence.
"Uncomfortable? Absolutely. But damn, I look good," he said, playing with his silky white hair that felt like a woman's.
Then his brows twitched.
Catching a mark—a dark, crescent-shaped half-moon etched just above his left brow.
Not like a tattoo, it felt too… natural, like it was part of his skin.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his hand against it.
'He sealed her there, right… his wife and… Vessel of the Goddess of Death.'
Not that it mattered much now. James couldn't care less about someone else's wife.
But what mattered was—
'Johan Von Matilda, I James am about to experience hell on earth. The game made all the main characters so overpowered that it felt boring at a certain point, so they balanced it by making every villain a universe-ending threat.'
'I am neither a main character nor a main villain,' thought James, suppressing the urge to bash his head on the black brick wall behind the mirror.
Johan wasn't weak compared to an average guy. A stage 1, skilled healer even.
But, in front of the protagonist, the main villains, and his daughter? Calling him an ant would be an overestimation.
'And my death is really important. Both the antagonist and the protagonist's first goal in their plans is to kill me…' He held the tattoo-like mark with some force.
'Protagonist Leor wants revenge from me, while Radhan's—one of the main villains'—literal life goal is to revive and kill the Goddess of Death…' James's frown deepened.
Also every character in the game despised Johan, so no one cared, they will only join. And James can't even blame the characters..
Genocide.
Human trafficking and illegal slave trading.
Human experiments on his own people, that went way too far.
The destruction of Midgard—an entire empire—where billions had lived in one of the choices.
And, most of all, bullying of the fan-favorite Selene.
'It won't be an exaggeration to say every last person in the world who knows Johan hates Johan in some way or another.'
'Of course, the main antagonist was forgiven by fans since she was just a troubled girl,' thought James sarcastically.
'Those soft simps piss me off. Johan wasn't even bullying her, just giving some character development. Look how stopping the bullying made Selene.' James cursed under his breath.
But even after knowing what he did, James knew Johan wasn't just evil for the sake of being one. To survive without power at the top of this world required him to be that.
Then his stomach twisted, remembering something.
'What time is it? Has the protagonist awakened his Aether core yet?
If I remember correctly, Johan could be killed hundreds of times in the first week of his awakening.' James shuddered at the thought.
He was the stepping stone for the protagonist to gain political influence after marrying Selene.
But before he could think further—
A sharp, searing pain lanced through his skull, like a screw had been placed on his head and hammered over and over again.
He staggered towards the ground, clutching his head as fragmented memories flooded his mind—memories that weren't his.
He sank onto the softness of the red mat on the ground, curling like a ball, but the pain was too much, like his brain was being operated on.
A strategic genius of the great House Matilda—shoved into politics and the military.
Crying for weeks after being forced to kill an innocent woman at the age of ten by his father to end his 'naivety'.
Getting higher in ranks. Controlling armies to win wars. Being praised by everyone for killing people, even his little sister, and parents.
Starting to think that killing people was the way to be loved.
Then, everything changed.
Falling in love with a slave at a glance. She made him kinder while he helped her heal her scar.
Finally getting the love he always wanted. His life became sunshine and roses. They had Selene. He tried fixing his past mistakes.
Then… Killing her with his own hands to save the world.
Falling to darkness.
Killing his own parents for more power.
Becoming the patriarch of House Matilda. Pulling some strings and becoming a divine general and advisor to the King aswell.
Becoming known as the most ruthless divine general even without the power of one.
But always secretly staring at Selene's face when she wasn't looking, then regretting everything he had done.
Trying to protect her from the smallest of problems from the shadows, but instead of getting her love, getting hated for mending too much.
His breath hitched.
Despite knowing this was just a game's plot, despite knowing this wasn't his life…
The memories of loving his daughter and wife felt real… too real. Like he had lived through them.
He clutched the half-moon on his brow.
"…Alya."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A sharp knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Master, I brought you the wine."
Then, his body stiffened.
He could feel his heart beating so fast, as if it was trying to escape from his chest.
Shit. Olivia.
"…Enter."
His voice came out deeper than he expected—rich and commanding. It felt wrong, like someone else was speaking through him.
The door creaked open, and in walked a young woman, her every movement fluid and precise. She was beautiful—unnervingly so.
Pale skin, soft features, full pink lips that curved into a polite smile.
The traditional black-and-white maid uniform fit snugly, emphasizing a well-proportioned figure. Green long hair swayed with her every step, touching her round hips.
Olivia Williams.
A minor noble's daughter. Her family had become vassals to House Matilda after Johan's… persuasion. She had been one of the key players in his downfall, leaking his location and resources to Selene.
Johan's face twitched at the sight of her, but he quickly schooled his expression, offering only a curt nod.
Olivia stepped forward, placing a silver tray on the wooden table near his bed—a glass of deep crimson wine resting atop it.
And then—
She reached for the buttons of her maid dress.
Johan's breath caught.
In one smooth motion, she stripped off her uniform.
His brain short-circuited.
'What the fuck!?'
Bare skin, barely concealed by thin pink lingerie. Wide, round hips perfectly balancing thick thighs. A slim waist, but not too thin—small love handles hanging slightly, only adding to the well-proportioned curves.
Johan froze.
"…What are you doing?" His voice came out sharper than intended.
She flinched. The sharp voice brought up memories she wanted to suppress.
Her fingers hesitated mid-motion as if not wanting to go through that.
Her breathing hitched, chest rising and falling in uneven waves, but then, her eyes lit up as she thought of another possibility.
"M-Master?" She swallowed her saliva. "Would you prefer if I call for Lady Acier instead…?"
Johan's blood ran cold.
'Ah. I see.'
A memory surfaced—'his' memory.
The real Johan had threatened this girl with her brother's life. And then, he had used her, daily, for years.
It hadn't been mentioned in the game, but now… now her betrayal made sense.
Johan Von Matilda was a scumbag.
And Acier. His second wife. A cliché villain who had bullied Olivia her entire life, or atleast it seemed so without knowing the things he knew now.
Johan bit his lips, why did he have to get those memories?
Johan's hands clenched at his sides.
"No. Acier was tired from yesterday's meetings…" Johan shook his head, then motioned with his head for her to stay where she was.
His voice was calm. Stoic even, just like Johan.
But the difference was… He had never felt this guilty before.
Even though it wasn't really him, it was still him.
The memories were Johan's, but the mind was still James's. Just… 'influenced' by the memories.
Thankfully, not a merging of personalities.
"…Yes, Master, I heard, congratulations on securing the contract with the church… How can I help you then? " she asked hessitantly, frowning.
'Is he in a bad mood today?' Olivia thought with a trembling body. She had dropped the possibility of just leaving without anything, but—
She remembered those days vividly, when was in a bad mood, he wouldn't just have sex with her but would grab a whip and keep beating her until every inch of skin was bleeding, then heal her, but still leaving a scar or two to mark her as his property.
Johan stepped closer. Their bodies were only inches apart.
Olivia's warm breath hit his face.
He gently took her hand, feeling its softness, as if trying to reassure her.
"Your brother will be free tomorrow. You can leave with him. I will provide you eight thousand pounds for your… inconveniences." Johan said in a faint whisper. Nothing was enough for what she had gone through at his hands.
Olivia's eyes widened to the limit.
Her brother… free?
Tears welled up in her eyes, not daring to break free. 'Is this a dream? No! Maybe just another game? Another one of his fetishes? Maybe to break me mentally.' Olivia thought of acting to just broke down herself, she didn't need his false hope.
Johan sensed her thoughts, and his voice softened. "I know it's nothing compared to what you've been through. I killed your parents. I tortured you. I don't want forgiveness. But… move on." His expression was sincere.
The soft voice of James didn't suit Johan's stoic face, but the mixture of them was enough to touch her heart.
He can't really change what had happened, but he can't let this guilt just sit by, and endure, just because it might change the plot. He had to do something, anything.
She sucked in a shaky breath. Tears spilled down her cheeks, dripping onto her exposed breasts.
To her surprise, she really wanted to… have hope.
"…H-how can I be sure?" She finally asked hesitantly.
Johan smiled reassurinilgly.
"Give Sebestian this." Johan took a napkin from the silver tray, writing something in complete gibberish to her—secret codes of House Matilda, and passed it to her.
"Trust me… You will be fine," he picked up her clothes, placing them on her exposed body with a warm smile.
She dressed swiftly and left, mumbling something hessitantly, which sounded similar to a 'Thanks'.
Johan exhaled deeply, lifting the wine glass, and sinking on the golden cushioned throne like chair beside his brown wood tea table.
'I was wrong. I may have no combat power… but I have influence. And the greatest power of all to combine it with—money. A ton of it.' His eyes grew dreamy, looking at the lavish room.
'I can still save them all… and grow stronger.' His voice grew a bit heavy.
Suddenly, a single sound changed the plot of the entire life he was planning for—
Ding!!
[Gambler's Gambit Initiating]
Johan jolted at the voice in his head, his grip slipping.
The wine glass tumbled to the floor with a suppressed thud..
Fortunately, the thick red carpet cushioned the fall, saving it from shattering, but then absorbed the wine like a sponge.
'Fuck!! How generic can this get, God!? I was thinking about an underdog's epic rise to power you know' Johan just now had hardened his will to become that one protagonist who won with his brains rather than being overpowered, and now this.
He even thought of lines to use while beating the main villains strategically—
'The white knight doesn't show mercy, be it a King or a bandit. If you commit a crime, you will be dripped in the white knight's white liquid.'
He sighed, picking the glass back up.
But then—
A slow grin crept onto his face.
He can't be too sad. The system. The cheat is here! Everything will only get easier.
But then, his brows knit together.
'Gamble? I mean, I love gambling in gacha games and all, but still…' He started having a strange superstition in his heart.
A blue screen materialized before him. Words appeared, one after another—
[Host will receive quests, each with multiple choices. These choices will drastically alter the ending of the 'game' while also determining the points the host earns.]
Johan chuckled. "Heh, so choices work like the original game? But this time the 'game' is my life."
Then an important question rose in his mind. 'What are these points? Do they give me power?'
[Yes and no. Points earned by the host can be used to gamble in various machines, such as Slot Machine, Wheel of Fortune, Roulette, etc. (One thousand points per use being the lowest.)]
His grin twisted into something unnerving, like the one a kidnapper when a child accepts the candy would give. 'Interesting.'
"System, get ready to be absolutely fucked! I'm the guy who pulls the rarest skins on the first spin!"
Laughter erupted from him—the kind villains unleashed when their plans fell perfectly into place.
The blue screen just watched the laughter coldly, vibrating from time to time as it kept going for a whole minute, as if regretting its choice.
Even as the laughter faded, Johan's smirk remained.
Just as he thought of gambling everything—
His gaze flicked to the top-right corner of the panel—0 points.
The smirk wavered slightly. If there was a loan option, he wouldn't even hesitate.
"Alright, System. Any quests for me?" he asked resignedly.
[Quests will be triggered when the host encounters specific triggers. Triggers that can shift the story immensly. Exploring the estate is recommended to activate the first trigger.]
Johan's smirk returned, darker than before.
"Be prepared little Leor. I'll tear apart your harem and manipulate you into killing the villains for me." His lips curled wider, revealing gleaming teeth. The expression suited Johan a little too much.
[By the way, Host, today is September 9th, 1501.]
Johan's grin instantly vanished, his mouth twitching unnaturally.
So…
It all starts tomorrow.
A.N.= I was trynna be creative with storytelling and took some risks :D