I was still sitting on the edge of the bed, replaying those damned system rules in my head when there came a knock at the door.
Before I could say anything, it creaked open and a young maid stepped inside. She looked about my age—early twenties, maybe—with blonde hair tied up neatly, though her hands fidgeted against her apron like she was holding back nerves. Her eyes landed on me and in an instant, she dropped into a bow so low it looked like her back might snap.
"My Lord."
My Lord.
Yeah, that hit different. Not sir, not young master, not even a casual "hey, you're awake." Straight-up My Lord.
"Uh... right. Hi."
My voice came out deeper than I expected and that alone made me straighten up a little. It wasn't my voice anymore. It was sharper and deeper, like the kind of tone one would expect from someone dripping in money and influence. I cleared my throat.
"What day is it today?"
She lifted her head just enough to peek at me before answering.
"It is the fourteenth of February, my Lord. You are also expected to depart soon for your admission into the University."
I groaned and dragged a hand down my face.
"Damn it…"
The curse slipped out before I could stop it. The maid froze like I had just slapped her across the face. She went stiff, her eyes widening slightly, her lips parting like she was holding her breath.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I—I… forgive me, my Lord! I did not mean to stare or—"
"Hey, hey, relax. It's fine."
I cut her off with a wave of my hand. She looked at me like I had spoken another language, then bolted from the room with a stammered apology. The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in silence.
That was when I noticed it.
On the nightstand beside the bed, carved neatly into the wood, was a symbol I knew all too well. It was a rose flower wrapped in a crown of thorns above it. But the more I looked at it, the more it sank in.
This is the crest of the House of Argemenes.
My stomach twisted.
I stumbled over to the mirror in the corner of the room. For a long moment, I hesitated, then looked. The reflection staring back at me wasn't me.
The man in the reflection had dark tanned skin kissed by sun and fire both. His hair was long and crimson red, cascading down his shoulders like a royal banner. He had bangs too. His eyes were silver. His frame was broad and muscular, the nightgown barely concealing the definition underneath. And he was… ridiculously handsome. No wonder the maid had looked like she wanted to sink into the floor when I cursed.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Because I knew exactly who I was. I'm Phasnovterich Vecria Argemenes.
In the game, he was the infamous twin brother of the villainess herself, Xaessiarerich Vecria Argemenes. She had the same crimson hair and silver eyes. Together, they were the perfect storm. She was the tempest that made the heroine's life hell, and he was the blade that helped carve her path of torment.
But he wasn't just some cardboard-cutout lackey. Phasnovterich was complicated. He wasn't evil for the sake of evil. He was the neutral who played both sides not because he wanted to, but because his loyalty was, first and foremost, to his sister. Even if the world saw Xaessiarerich as a monster, he saw her as family. And he would burn the entire damn world if it meant keeping her safe.
I pressed a hand against the mirror, still staring at the reflection. My voice came out low.
"I'm him."
And I remembered the arc that shattered everyone when the game dropped those late-story updates. Xaessiarerich had been cornered, about to be executed in an elaborate punishment staged by the heroine's side. Just when it looked like she would finally get what the players thought she deserved, Phasnovterich stepped in and took the blow meant for her. That cutscene had been emotional. The way his blood stained her hands while he smiled and told her he'd always be there for her, even in death. It broke the fandom in half.
I remembered the forum posts.
"Why wasn't he part of the main cast?!"
"He deserved better."
"They wasted his potential!"
Because despite everything, he was loved. He wasn't coded as a love interest but he had more depth and humanity than the entire pretty-boy roster. He shared real, quiet moments with the heroine that hinted at friendship, maybe even something more, if the story had allowed it. They weren't friends or enemies. They were something bittersweet that made one root for both, even when the plot forced them apart.
And now I was him, the hidden character, the fandom's "why not him" poster child. I let out a shaky exhale and ran a hand through my crimson hair.
"Well, shit. Guess I'm doomed from the start."
But even as I said it, a spark lit in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, I could change it. I let out the longest sigh of my life, one that came from deep in the chest. Because once the identity hit, 'I'm in the game' panic started to appear.
Also, I was rich.
The Argemenes weren't some throwaway noble family that popped up in filler dialogue. They were one of the Twelve Houses, the families that ended the Third Great World War, stabilized the world, and built modern Flux society. They were like royalty mixed with CEOs mixed with generals. Everyone knew their crest. Everyone knew their name. If you said Argemenes in this world, people bowed, saluted, or both.
And there was a silver lining. Literally. I was part of the main cast in the University Arc, which meant, according to the system rules, I couldn't die. Not by players, not by NPCs, not even by slipping on a damn bar of soap. I was basically invincible until the end of the arc but I'm sure this only applies within the university. That was… comforting. Plus, being an Argemene meant my Flux was already leagues beyond most students at the University. And then there were the vaults, the training grounds, the relics, the money, the maids, the carriages, the...
I stopped myself before I started drooling.
"Yeah… I'll survive."
But then the flip side hit me. My death.
That cutscene that destroyed the fandom didn't happen until way later in the story. It was far down the line, waiting like a guillotine. No matter how strong I got or how much I prepared, I already knew how my script ended. It would end with me bleeding out for my sister.
I gritted my teeth and looked back at the mirror.
"That's the problem, huh? Living with an expiration date."
And yet the system had said something. After the University Arc, the plot changed depending on the players' actions. That meant the future wasn't locked. That meant I had a chance. A tiny one, sure, but still a chance.
So the plan was simple. Step one, survive the University Arc. Step two, get stronger. Step three, pray the Outers screwed around enough to twist the story into one where I didn't have to die.
For now? I needed to clean up.
I looked around the room, and like some weird instinct, I already knew where everything was. My legs carried me across the massive suite without a second thought. There was a door on the right, and when I opened it, I nearly choked.
This wasn't a shower. This was a palace disguised as a bathroom.
White marble walls veined with gold, glass panels shimmering with enchantments, sinks carved from crystal, and a tub big enough for a pool party we all I could see. The shower itself was a whole chamber. Even the towels looked thick enough to use as mattresses.
I actually burst out laughing.
"Oh, hell yeah. At least I hit the jackpot. I could have woken up as some Commoner Fluxer or worse, an extra who dies in the tutorial but no. I'm a damn Argemenes."
I peeled off the ridiculous silk nightgown—seriously, who sleeps in something that expensive?—and stepped into the shower. The moment the water hit me, my entire body sighed in relief. It was perfectly warm and it didn't just wash away the grime. I tilted my head back and let the water run down my face, laughing again.
"Rina, if you could see me right now, you'd probably kill me for hogging your favorite character's body."
When I was done, I dried off with towels that probably cost more than my entire old apartment and walked back into the bedroom. It was strange. I didn't even have to think about where anything was. My wardrobe stood massive and orderly, full of suits, uniforms, and casual wear. My drawers were arranged with military precision. I opened one, pulled out clothes, and it wasn't awkward at all.
It felt like muscle memory, like I have always been here. It felt like my old life, my late nights of instant noodles and unfinished assignments had been nothing more than a dream. And for the first time since waking up in that world, I smiled.
"Yeah, if this is how it's going to be. I'm glad. It's better than my trashy world anyway..."