Chapter 1: Bad News — I'm the Villain
The room screamed wealth—medieval European architecture, furniture worth a fortune, some pieces crafted from pure gold and rare metals. Some items were even made of gold and rare metals.
Before the mirror stood a young man with black hair.
Standing at about 5'10" with an athletic build, with a balanced physique and neatly trimmed yellow hair. His face was handsome and masculine, and he wore a black robe that radiated an aura of nobility and arrogance.
Right now though? He looked like he'd just gotten the worst news of his life.
His name was Lathel, and he possessed a secret no one else knew: he wasn't a native of this world.
That's right. He came from Earth. He couldn't even remember how he died; the last thing he recalled was perishing in a terrible fire.
After that, he was brought to this world—a world overflowing with magic, legendary races, and endless wars.
"System, you brought me to this world—why didn't you make me the main character? Why am I the villain?" Lathel muttered.
At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
[You think protagonist slots grow on trees? They're all taken, buddy. You get to be the villain—deal with it.]
[Once you complete the script, I'll send you to another world—where you'll be the main character.]
"Heh?! Really?" Lathel's eyes lit up with hope. He grinned and said, "System, you better not be lying to me."
[Of course not! As long as you properly complete the script. Once you finish all the protagonist scripts in this world, I'll transfer you to a similar one.]
[I'll even reward you with twenty beautiful girls from twenty different races, eternal lifespan, and limitless wealth. At that point, you can live however you wish.]
Lathel's eyes gleamed as he stammered, "Y-You mean it? Twenty girls, twenty races, eternal life, infinite riches…"
[That's right. Just complete the script. Think of it as… a job.]
Hearing that, Lathel burst out laughing. "Hahaha! System, you're my father!"
[I don't have dumbass sons!]
Lathel: "…"
"Hahaha…" He gave an awkward laugh. It didn't matter if the System scolded or mocked him.
As long as it kept its promise once he completed the mission and rewarded him as promised, that was enough.
Lathel had read enough web novels to know how this usually went. Transmigrate as the villain? Beat up the protagonist. Steal his girls. Profit. Simple.
"Tsk!" Lathel clicked his tongue. "Killing the main character and stealing the heroine… such despicable acts—how could a righteous man like me ever do something like that?"
"Hahaha… as long as I complete the script and let the protagonist end up with the heroines, I can move on to the next world and enjoy my new life."
At that moment, the weariness and despair on Lathel's face vanished, replaced by a spark of hope for a brighter future.
"System, do you have any other functions? Or are you just here to tell me all this?"
[Don't worry. I am the 'Fate Choice System'. When the time comes, I'll give you options to choose from. As long as you make the right choices and act accordingly to fulfill the script, you'll receive rewards.]
"Ah! So it's that simple?" A smirk crossed his face. "Then this job doesn't sound hard at all. So… System, what's the script?"
At that moment, a surge of information was forcefully injected into Lathel's mind, making his head throb as if it were about to explode.
Fortunately, the pain didn't last long and soon faded away.
Lathel slowly opened his eyes, feeling the flood of memories inside his head. In an instant, he understood exactly what situation he was in.
He was Lathel L. Sterling, the son of Duchess Valoria, one of the most powerful nobles in the Carol Empire.
But unlike Valoria, Lathel was not an Awakened One—which meant he had no magical talent whatsoever.
Still, his mother loved and protected him deeply.
Lathel, however, was different. During a visit to the Capital, he met Arina, and since then, he had followed her to this small kingdom, pursuing her relentlessly for two whole years.
He even tried using his mother's influence to pressure Arina's family into agreeing to their marriage—but it failed, because Arina was already engaged.
Her fiancé's name was Alex—a so-called "useless son-in-law," nothing more than a servant within Arina's household.
Lathel rubbed his chin and muttered, "Another 'Useless Son-in-Law' cliché, huh? Well, doesn't matter to me—as long as I finish the script."
"Hahahaha… Even though the System didn't give me the full script, just the opening part, I can already guess most of the plot."
"All right then! This is just a job anyway. Once I'm done, I can enjoy my new life."
Lathel laughed heartily—it all felt absurdly funny. Back on Earth, he used to find such storylines painfully cringe.
After all, he was the son of a Duchess. Why would he lower himself to chase after a single girl?
He sighed. Even though the whole script seemed idiotic, the System's rewards were far too tempting. He'd just have to drag this useless body along and get the job done.
Lathel couldn't help but feel that this life wasn't much different from his time on Earth. You still had to work, obey your capitalist boss, and labor yourself to death chasing empty promises.
"Young Master!" a woman's voice called from outside the door. "The banquet is about to begin. Please make your preparations. The flowers you requested have also been arranged."
"Flowers?!" Lathel smacked his forehead and sighed. "Got it."
Even though today was his coming-of-age ceremony, he had still prepared flowers and a special gift—to propose to Arina.
"Lathel, are you just stupid, or has that girl completely bewitched you?" he muttered to himself.
Ack! No—he was scolding the old Lathel, not himself.
As for him, he wasn't an idiot—he was just following the script.
"Let's go!" Lathel took a deep breath and said resolutely, "For eternal life, for infinite wealth, for twenty beautiful girls… let's do this!"
…
In the grand hall, the soft melody of classical music filled the air. Nobles dressed in elegant, immaculate attire danced and conversed leisurely.
After all, this was the birthday celebration of Duchess Valoria's only son—naturally, every noble in the kingdom was present.
Even several aristocrats from the Carol Capital had come to offer their congratulations.
Though they spoke about Lathel, the disdain in their eyes was unmistakable.
"Hahaha… Lady Arina's here? Oh, this should be good. Another public rejection incoming."
"A hundred confessions in two years—the man's got dedication, I'll give him that. Too bad it's all cringe."
"Arina may be beautiful and a genius Mage, but she's already engaged. How could she possibly fall for someone else?"
"Speaking of her engagement—it's infuriating. Her fiancé is a worthless man, and yet he's the one who gets to be her husband."
"Ah, poor Lady Arina. So talented, so beautiful—and yet she's surrounded by two idiots bothering her. Hahaha…"
"Shhh! Remember, Lathel is still Duchess Valoria's son. We shouldn't speak too loudly."
"Huh! Just a useless man with a powerful mother. If I were him, I'd have killed myself out of shame long ago."
"Quiet! He's here!"
"Lathel's coming—shut up!"
At that moment, Lathel appeared at the top of the grand staircase, slowly descending while scanning the hall with indifferent eyes.
He knew… all those smiles were fake. Every one of them was silently mocking him as a useless noble who survived only thanks to his mother's protection.
But he didn't care. Once he finished the script, he could live the good life he wanted.
'Hmm… Lathel thought to himself. The System has already given me the outline of this scenario.'
'Today, I'm supposed to follow the usual routine—confess and propose to Arina, get rejected, be humiliated by everyone. Then… hmm… I'll get my leg broken by her 'husband' and become the laughingstock of the crowd.'
'Fine. Let's finish the scene first. But… getting my leg broken—does it really have to hurt that much? Maybe if I run fast enough, I can dodge it.'
Suddenly, he stumbled on the stairs, lost in thought.
"Ack!"
Lathel, after all, was just an ordinary man. There was no way he could react in time.
His eyes widened as he felt himself falling forward, cursing inwardly: 'Damn it! Did I just fail the mission at the very beginning?!'
He clenched his teeth, bracing for the pain of crashing down the steps—
—but before that could happen, a soft, fragrant body caught him, steadying him before he fell.
Lathel froze, startled by the unexpected rescue. When he looked up, he was even more shocked by who it was.
"Y-You… you…" he stammered, eyes wide in disbelief.
The woman looked down at him, her gaze filled with warmth and an almost overwhelming tenderness. "Lathel… it's been a long time."
Lathel's mouth hung open in astonishment.
This wasn't in the script.
After a long pause, he finally managed to speak with great difficulty—
"Aunt Catrina."