Victor didn't sleep. He spent the night in the library of his own small wing of the palace, a place the original Victor had rarely visited. The old Victor preferred brooding and complaining. The new Victor preferred information.
The library was dusty and smelled of old paper and neglect. He pulled down tomes on history, on noble families, and most importantly, on the Phoenix family. He needed to know everything about the man who was supposed to kill him.
Leon Phoenix. The Hero. The youngest son of a minor baron, he had risen to fame after supposedly slaying a wyvern that was terrorizing a village. He was described as brave, handsome, noble, and infuriatingly righteous. He was the protagonist of this world. And Victor was just a speed bump on his road to glory.
*Brave, handsome, noble... boring,* Victor thought, flipping through a book of heroic tales. *This guy probably rescues puppies and helps old ladies cross the street. He's the kind of man who would die choking on a noodle because he was too polite to make a scene.*
He had a plan. A terrible, risky plan that relied entirely on his one unique skill: [Dominion of Desire]. He couldn't fight Leon. He couldn't outrun him. So he had to out-think him. He had to break him before the fight even began.
The next two days were a blur of preparation. He spent his mornings with his mother, Duchess Liliana. Their "lessons" were not what he expected. They didn't involve swords or magic. They involved people.
"Tell me about Lord Valerius," she would say, her violet eyes piercing.
And Victor, using his system-enhanced mind, would analyze everything he could learn. "He is deeply in debt to the Merchant Guild, but his pride will never let him admit it. He fears being seen as common. His desire is for the respect he feels he has lost."
"Correct," she would reply, a flicker of approval in her gaze. "And how would you use that?"
"I would offer him a loan, but I would call it an 'investment in his noble legacy'. He would accept because it feeds his pride, and I would own his loyalty."
She would smile, that same dangerous, beautiful smile, and nod. "You are learning."
She was testing him, shaping him. And he was letting her, because every moment with her made his own [Dominion of Desire] stronger. He could feel the desires of others more clearly now, like faint whispers on the edge of his hearing.
On the third day, the estate was buzzing with activity. The Phoenix heir had arrived.
Victor stood in the main hall, a cavernous room of stone and banners. His father, the Duke, was there, a stern man with a gray beard and eyes that held only duty. His two older brothers were there as well, looking like identical statues of arrogance in their polished armor.
And then, the doors opened, and he walked in.
Leon Phoenix was every bit the hero the stories made him out to be. Golden hair that shone even in the dim light, a square jaw, and bright blue eyes that seemed to radiate sincerity. He wore simple, practical armor that was well-maintained but not ornate. He looked honest. He looked good.
Victor hated him on sight.
"Lord Vaelstrom," Leon said, his voice clear and strong as he bowed to the Duke. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Sir Phoenix," the Duke grunted in reply. "We welcome you to our home."
The formalities were a bore. Victor's brothers, Marcus and Valerius, sneered at the hero, their contempt obvious. They were the original plot's reason for Victor's attempted assassination—jealousy and pride.
Then, Leon's eyes found him.
"And you must be Victor," Leon said, his smile friendly and disarming.
*Here we go,* Victor thought. He put on his best face, the one he had practiced in the mirror. Not arrogant. Not scared. Just… quiet. He gave a small nod. "Sir Phoenix."
"I have heard much about your family's prowess," Leon continued, his gaze open and honest. "It is an honor to meet the sons of the man who held the Dragon's Pass."
It was a perfect, noble thing to say. The kind of thing that would make the original Victor burn with envy.
But Victor wasn't the original Victor.
He looked Leon directly in the eyes and pushed his [Dominion of Desire] with all his might. He didn't try to control anything. He just *listened*. And for the first time, he heard it clearly. Beneath the shining heroism, beneath the honor and the duty, there was a deep, pulsing core of… *fear*.
It was a fear of failure. A fear of not being enough. A fear of letting everyone down. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and he was terrified he would drop it.
"It is my father who is honored, not I," Victor said, his voice quiet but carrying in the vast hall. He looked down, as if in humility. "I am… just his third son. I have done nothing to be proud of."
The change in the room was immediate. His brothers looked at him with disgust. His father grunted, annoyed by his weakness. But Leon… Leon's expression softened.
"Nonsense," the hero said, taking a step closer. "Every man has his own path to forge. Do not be so hard on yourself."
*He's hooking himself,* Victor realized, suppressing a triumphant grin. *The hero can't help himself. He has to save the sad, pathetic little noble.*
"I suppose," Victor mumbled, still not looking at him. "It is just… difficult. Being in the shadow of brothers like Marcus and Valerius. And of a hero like you."
He laid it on thick. It was cheesy, it was manipulative, and it was working perfectly. He could feel Leon's desire to comfort him, to prove he was a good man, swelling like a tide.
Later that evening, during a grand dinner, Victor made his move. He "accidentally" bumped into Leon in a quiet corridor away from the main hall.
"Oh! Sir Phoenix, my apologies," Victor stammered, feigning clumsiness.
"It is quite alright, Victor," Leon said with a warm chuckle. "No harm done."
"I… I wanted to thank you," Victor said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "For what you said earlier. No one has ever spoken to me like that."
Leon's blue eyes were full of sympathy. "They should. You seem like a good young man."
Victor looked around, as if afraid of being seen. "Can I tell you something? In confidence?"
"Of course."
"My brothers… they plan to challenge you tomorrow," Victor lied, weaving the story from the original plot. "They think you have disrespected our family. They want to… make an example of you. I tried to talk them out of it, but they will not listen."
He watched Leon's face. The hero's jaw tightened. His sympathetic look hardened into one of grim resolve.
"I see," Leon said, his voice losing its warmth. "Thank you for the warning, Victor. I will handle it."
Victor bowed his head. "I just do not want to see anyone get hurt."
As he walked away, he felt the system screen flicker.
[ **Quest Update: The Wolf in the Garden** ]
[ **Objective:** The hero of the realm, Leon Phoenix, will be visiting the Vaelstrom estate in three days. He is scheduled to kill you. You must turn this meeting to your advantage. Do not die. ]
[ **Status:** The Trap is Sprung. The hero now sees your brothers as the enemy and you as an ally. ]
[ **Warning:** Your brothers will not take kindly to being humiliated. Their enmity is now yours to bear. ]
Victor smiled to himself. He hadn't just avoided his own death. He had redirected it. Leon wouldn't be coming for him tomorrow. He would be coming for his brothers. And Victor would be there to watch the hero burn the bridges of his own noble reputation, all while thinking he was doing the right thing.
The game was not just on. He was winning.