The main hall of the Nighthollow mansion was exactly as Marek expected.
The ceilings were high, and there was dark wood furniture that probably cost more than an average house.
Four figures awaited him in the center of the room, arranged in two clearly distinct pairs.
To the right were his parents, or rather, the parents of the body he now occupied.
Rowan Nighthollow was a middle-aged man, with black hair streaked with gray and blue eyes that examined him with a mix of surprise and caution.
At his side stood Leonora Nighthollow, who stood out for her mature beauty, with delicate features framed by her jet-black hair and an expression that tried, without much success, to hide her bewilderment.
Her figure was striking despite her age, with enormous breasts pressing against her dress, emphasizing an hourglass shape.
To the left of the two stood the Blackwell couple, who presented an interesting contrast.
Godwin Blackwell was a burly man with an easy smile on his face and calculating eyes that gleamed with interest.
At his side, his wife Rosalind Blackwell maintained a neutral expression, although the slight tension in her shoulders was noticeable. Clearly, she was not particularly pleased with the outcome of the duel.
Behind each couple stood a maid who remained on her feet.
The one accompanying the Nighthollows was a woman in her thirties, with blonde hair tied up in a bun.
Whose uniform failed to hide her generous figure, one that any man would easily notice. Especially due to the provocative shape of her chest.
The Blackwells' maid was just as eye-catching, with black hair and a voluptuous body, with wide hips that her discreet uniform barely contained.
They were the head maids.
The first to speak was Rowan, who stepped forward with an expression caught between disbelief and pride.
"Marek," he said in a deep voice, "I must admit that what we witnessed was… completely unexpected."
Leonora nodded alongside her husband, bringing a hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture that seemed rehearsed.
"My son, where did you learn to move like that? All these years we thought that…"
"That I was useless?" Marek finished in a flat tone.
At the comment, both parents tensed slightly.
"It doesn't matter what you thought before. The result speaks for itself," Marek finished.
An uncomfortable silence settled among the Nighthollows, but before they could respond, Godwin stepped forward with a wide smile.
"Splendid! Absolutely splendid!" he exclaimed as he extended his hand toward Marek with enthusiasm.
"I must admit I had my suspicions about the engagement, young Nighthollow. The rumors about your… situation… were quite discouraging. But this changes everything."
Marek simply looked at him without saying anything.
'The gleam in his eyes is identical to the politicians and businessmen from my world… they all have that look on their faces when they smell an opportunity to gain more power.'
"I'm glad to know you weren't entirely useless as they said," Godwin continued without losing his smile.
"The union of our families will be beneficial for both parties. My daughter…" his gaze briefly shifted toward the door, "will be an excellent addition to the Nighthollow house."
Marek looked at the man's outstretched hand for a moment. This man in front of him did not see his daughter as such, but as a bargaining chip.
'Extremely pathetic… but a man like this is easy to manipulate.'
At the thought, Marek accepted the handshake.
"Your daughter's hand is an acceptable gift," Marek replied.
The man's smile widened, clearly satisfied with the response.
At that very moment, the doors to the hall burst open, drawing the attention of everyone present, except Marek, who kept his eyes fixed on Godwin for a second before turning.
It was Seraphine, who had entered with stiff steps, her hair now tied into a high ponytail that left her neck exposed.
She had changed outfits, now wearing a formal dress that accentuated her figure.
Without saying a word, she walked directly to her mother, positioning herself at her side with her head lowered.
With her fists clenched at her sides and the tension in her jaw, she revealed what her lips did not say.
Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, in a gesture that could be considered either comfort or warning.
- - - -
Half an hour later, Marek was in a smaller room, watching as the four patriarchs reviewed some documents on the table.
'All of this is… ridiculously sudden,' Marek thought, reflecting on the situation as he shifted his gaze to Seraphine, who remained standing by the window with her arms crossed.
He then returned his gaze forward, acknowledging that he had only won that fight because she had been careless.
If she had fought even a little more seriously, she would have won.
But he couldn't blame her entirely for that arrogance. After all, her opponent was completely different from the one she knew.
Marek looked at his hands, clenching his fists several times. 'Even so, this body…'
His current height had to be around one meter eighty-three, quite a bit less than the nearly two meters he had before.
And his current physique… was deplorable.
His muscles were atrophied from years of inactivity, and he could feel that his stamina was minimal. He could guarantee that he would end up panting after climbing a simple flight of stairs.
'I'll have to work on that.'
At that moment, the system screen appeared before his eyes with a new message.
[Mission Available!]
[Sign the engagement with the first villainess of "Destined to End the SSS Villainesses"]
[Reward]
[Status Panel unlocked.]
[Body Memories.]
'I was going to do it anyway…' Marek thought as a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.
'Though I have to admit… attractive women have always been one of my weaknesses. And this particular villainess…'
His gaze shifted toward Seraphine, scanning every part of her body. 'She's definitely not bad at all.'
"The documents are ready," Rowan announced, interrupting Marek's thoughts. "All that's left is for the engaged pair to sign them, to make the engagement official."
Marek, without wasting time, approached the table. Seraphine did the same from the other side, and for a moment their gazes met.
Her eyes burned with resentment, while his remained as cold and indifferent as ever.
A maid offered each of them a pen. Marek took his without much interest, but he noticed how Seraphine gripped the pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her hand trembled slightly over the paper, resisting signing a document that would seal her fate.
The seconds passed uncomfortably until, finally, she signed the document in a way that looked like she was stabbing the paper.
Marek, on his part, signed the document with the same indifference as before.
"Excellent!" Godwin clapped enthusiastically, stepping forward to shake Rowan's hand. "This alliance will strengthen both families. My daughter will move to the Nighthollow mansion immediately to fulfill her role as the main wife."
At that last part, Seraphine couldn't help but lift her head abruptly, her eyes wide open in horror.
But before she could protest, her father's warning glance quickly silenced her.
Marek simply watched the exchange without any expression, though internally he found the whole situation somewhat amusing.
'A villainess as a wife. This will be… interesting.'