"Lathel! Today, I will capture you and make you bow your head before justice!"
A masculine voice rang out.
In a dark and gloomy room, the air was thick with the stench of mold and rot.
The only light came from a single filament bulb hanging from the ceiling; aside from the bloodstains, there was nothing else around.
The walls were overrun with moss and mildew, making the atmosphere even more suffocating.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a bulletproof vest was holding a gun, aiming it straight at the person in front of him.
That person wore a bloodstained trench coat, both hands tucked into his pockets.
Strangely, his face was completely wrapped in white bandages, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed.
"Justice?" The man in the white bandages spoke, his voice hoarse and deep as if something were lodged in his throat. "What a joke..."
"Raise your hands!" the middle-aged man barked, his masculine, angular face revealing clear signs of anxiety.
His body was trembling slightly, sweat pouring down as if he had just stepped out of a shower.
"Lathel! I've won. You'll be punished by the law," the man continued.
Although he tried to sound calm, the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear.
"How pathetic." The man in the bandages—Lathel—spoke, his tone full of sarcasm and disdain. "The law... justice... fairness..."
"They're nothing but the moon's reflection on the water. It looks beautiful, but you can neither reach it nor hold it."
"Shut up!!!" the man shouted.
BANG!
He pulled the trigger, the gunshot shattering the tense silence.
The bullet flew straight toward Lathel, striking him in the shoulder.
Yet he seemed to feel no pain, remaining motionless as if nothing had happened, letting the blood pour from his wound like a stream.
Oddly, the one who was afraid was not Lathel, but the man holding the gun.
His hand trembled, as if he might drop the weapon at any moment.
"Enough! Let's end this farce." Lathel sighed and said.
"What... what are you going to do?" The man, startled, shouted in panic.
At that moment, Lathel took off his trench coat, and the sight before him made the other man's eyes widen in shock.
Strapped tightly to Lathel's body were several red tubes, and on top was a black device that looked like some kind of strange machinery.
"You... you..." The man stared, stammering, but no further words would come out.
Lathel looked up at the weakly glowing bulb on the ceiling and softly said, "Goodbye!"
BAM!!!
…
The World of Magic.
The Kingdom of Terith.
"Mother, I wish to marry Selvia. Please, grant me this unreasonable request of mine."
The moment that sentence echoed out, everyone in the hall fell silent.
This was an extraordinarily lavish and luxurious grand hall. Everyone was dressed in ball gowns reminiscent of Medieval Europe, though their attire was slightly simpler.
In the center of the hall, a young man knelt on one knee, his gaze filled with determination and sincerity as he looked toward the woman standing before him.
That young man stood about 180cm tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, sharp features that radiated the aura of a main character, yet his face still carried a hint of gentleness and kindness.
Those attending the banquet immediately began whispering among themselves at his words.
"Ah! It's Lathel, the youngest prince. Does he want to marry Lady Selvia?"
"I think it's a good thing. After all, Lady Selvia is very beautiful, it's just that..."
"I only feel sorry for Prince Lathel. He truly is a good and gentle prince, with a compassionate heart, but..."
"I agree with you. The gods are cruel—someone like Prince Lathel, yet he lacks any magical talent, cannot become an Awakened, and in the end can only live as an ordinary man."
"Lady Selvia is also an ordinary person. Perhaps that's good. They can live a normal life together."
Lathel knelt on the ground, hearing the voices around him, yet his face revealed no change in expression.
In truth, he was not Lathel.
No, to be precise, he was not the Lathel of this world.
That's right—he was someone from Earth.
He had transmigrated into this world, taking over the body of Prince Lathel, becoming this world's Lathel.
If things had been that simple, there would be nothing more to say.
But as soon as he arrived, the System appeared. Yet the System did not bring him joy, but rather a rather amusing piece of news.
He was not the main character.
He was the villain.
That's right—he was a villain who would die two years from now.
The reason?
Because he was not the real prince, but merely a substitute.
Seventeen years ago, the real prince had been kidnapped. Fearing this would damage their reputation, the royal family had adopted him to stand in for the true prince.
Of course, this was a secret.
But according to what the System had told him, two years from now, the real prince would return to reclaim everything he had lost.
The truly laughable part was… the Lathel of this world was not an evil man, but a kind and good person.
But this world was full of danger—it was a world of Swords and Magic.
No matter how good you are, if you cannot become an 'Awakened', you are still unworthy of sitting upon the throne.
Because of this, the real prince, in order to claim the throne, would kill Lathel.
Of course, that was a matter for two years from now. For now, Lathel still had the chance to change his fate.
He still had time to prepare, and above all else, he had the System.
"Do you truly wish to marry her?" At that moment, a voice brimming with authority and strength rang out, cutting through Lathel's train of thought.
Standing before him was a red-haired woman, her figure stunningly alluring, yet her eyes seemed to burn with a fiery light, radiating the dominance and dignity of a true Queen.
Lathel drew a deep breath and replied resolutely, "Mother, I am completely serious. I truly care for her. Please, Mother, grant me your blessing."
The woman frowned, her gaze locked intently on Lathel, then shifted toward a girl standing in the crowd.
She was about 165 centimeters tall, with a beautiful face, brown hair, and fair skin.
There was a gentle, tranquil aura about her, like a serene autumn lake, bringing comfort to anyone who saw her.
At this moment, she was bowing her head, cheeks flushed bright red from embarrassment, both hands gripping her dress tightly.
"Selvia." The Queen spoke, "Do you agree to take my son as your husband?"
Hearing this, Selvia was startled and quickly knelt to the ground. She glanced at Lathel, her face a mixture of confusion and excitement.
However, the moment she saw Lathel's gentle and warm smile, her heart instantly melted.
Finally, she stammered, "Queen Catherine, I… I… I agree."
Catherine nodded lightly, then proclaimed in a loud voice, "Good! Today marks my son's twentieth birthday—truly a joyous occasion."
"The Prince has indeed reached the age for marriage. Selvia is a good girl, so I approve of this union."
"Two months from now, the wedding will be held in the Royal Grand Hall. I hope all of you will join us in celebration."
As Catherine spoke, she raised a glass of red wine high.
At that, everyone erupted in cheer, heartily congratulating Lathel and Selvia.
"Hahaha… Congratulations to the Prince and Lady Selvia!"
"The two of you truly make a wonderful couple."
"Yes, may you both find happiness together."
"Congratulations, Your Highness, congratulations Lady Selvia."
Selvia beamed happily at these words, her gaze toward Lathel overflowing with love.
Lathel looked at her, yet his eyes were not focused on her, but rather on the information panel displayed by the System.
…
Name: Selvia AquelisClass: 0Role: Main HeroineTalent: Tear of the Tide – S (Status: Sealed.)Description:
She has liked Lathel since childhood, but because Lathel was only infatuated with the Saintess of the Church, he never noticed her feelings.
After being rejected by Lathel time and time again, Selvia fell into despair, but was saved by the male lead, Lucien, and awakened an S-rank talent.
Later, Selvia and Lucien joined forces to eliminate Lathel.
After killing Lathel, Selvia was so overcome with pain that she took her own life.
…
After reading the description, Lathel inwardly felt that the "old Lathel" was truly a fool.
A girl who loved him so deeply, yet he ignored her, choosing instead to play lapdog to the Saintess.
'Luckily, things haven't gone so far as to be irreparable,' Lathel thought to himself. 'Fortunately, I arrived in this world just in time—if I'd been any later, after today Selvia might have truly turned from love to hatred.'
"System, do I need to marry her for you to activate?" Lathel communicated with the system in his thoughts.
🔔 [Ding! That's right. Although she has a favorable impression of you, it's only when you marry her properly and publicly that she will be officially listed in your Harem.
At that time, the exp/s accumulation function will be activated, along with other features of the System.]
Lathel nodded slightly at that, feeling fortunate to have a main heroine who already liked him.
'A rather favorable start,' Lathel smiled coldly to himself. 'It's just… two months until the wedding—far too long.'
Indeed, he truly wanted to marry Selvia as soon as possible, so the System could begin functioning and activate its other features.
However, he couldn't rush things. After all, this was an important matter, and the royal family needed time to prepare.
In reality, unlike the gentle, warm, and kind Lathel of this world, the Lathel from Earth was not a good person at all.
On Earth, Lathel had endured countless hardships, countless moments of despair, and so he had come to understand the price of being a good person.
'Perhaps... playing the role of a villain suits me better,' Lathel mused to himself. 'Still, I should thank the "old Lathel" for building up the image of a gentle, warm-hearted prince.'
'That way... it will be much easier for me to act.'
He bowed his head to Catherine and said, "Thank you, Mother."
Catherine nodded lightly. "No need to thank me; this is merely what I should do."
"You should make preparations. The wedding will be held two months from now."
Lathel bowed again, then stood and walked over to Selvia. With a smile as warm as sunlight, he reached out and helped her to her feet.
"I'm sorry, Selvia. I made this decision without asking for your opinion—are you upset with me?"
Hearing Lathel's words, full of care and apology, Selvia quickly shook her head and replied, "No, Lathel. I... I'm very happy. It's just that... I'm just an ordinary person, and I'm afraid that..."
"Don't worry." Lathel gently patted the back of her hand to reassure her. "I'm an ordinary person too. For me, as long as I can have a happy life with you, that's enough."
Selvia was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Uhm! Me too. I... I only want to be by your side."
"Thank you, Lathel. Thank you for accepting my love."
At this moment, Selvia was utterly humble, almost as if she were begging for Lathel's love.
She truly had loved him since they were children, but he had always been focused only on the Saintess, never once looking her way.
And now, all of a sudden, he wanted to marry her. Happiness had come so unexpectedly that she thought she was dreaming.
Lathel, however, was different. Seeing Selvia's expression, he laughed coldly to himself: 'That's right, my little lamb. I want you to belong to me—and only me.'
"No! I do not agree!"