The Butler smiles again, with a snapped of his finger 4-5 books appeared in the thin air and landed on the table.
"Who the heck reads this?" It didn't look like a novel, more like somebody who wrote a thesis and is aiming for Nobel Prize.
She was not a bookworm like her friends but rather someone who would watch a movie instead. Of course, she reads books, sometimes. The thickness of the book couldn't be compared to any book she had read so far, she could even feel the weight and the hardness of the book cover.
"Never mind." She quickly interrupts herself and the butler who had just closed back his lips.
It didn't took a second when she flipped the blurb. Whenever she flips the pages, she gets it, and before she knew it, she had closed the book with a deep breath. No, she hasn't finished.
Aera stares down at the book and flips it open again on the middle page. The butler has just recently filled her tea and has placed it beside her. She reaches out for her cup and generously pours it onto the book.
"Ahh!! What are you doing?"
The butler quickly grabs the book before Aera destroys it. He could see she wasn't done and was throwing all her hatred into the book.
The one thing she hates about watching a movie or reading a book was the so-called 'harem'. She could never understand why it was so fun to have a collection of concubines who were interested in a particular person. 'Just pick a freaking person and stop flirting with the rest.'
"Which character was I basically when I woke up?" She sends a lifeless look toward the butler.
"Since you were chosen even when you haven't died yet, you were given the privilege to be the main protagonist." The butler delightfully explains with contentment and pride.
She gazed back at the book with an indifferent expression. "Does that mean, I can choose any character I want?"
"Well," the butler was in paused. Just as he was about to respond that it was a 'No', he received a transmission that she could freely pick any character she wanted. "You are free to pick any character after you've read the entire book." He points at the oxford dictionary-sized book laid on the table.
Aera was silent, gazing at the books and, back at the butler, and continued in a calm voice. "I don't think I could continue reading. Can you just put all the information into my head?" She points the book and back to her head. Reading this much book was a 'No' for her.
The butler didn't questioned, "sure." Once again, he snaps his finger and walla, everything was inside her head.
A headache grew inside her, leaning her elbow on the table while her hand supported her head. 'This isn't happening.' Too much information, lots of twists and turn and it were full of dramas and one thing she just realized was that it has mature content.
"I choose to be the main villain."
Even before the butler could asked her opinion, Aera quickly responded. He continued after a moment. "I don't see how being a villain is going to help, being the main protagonist has many benefits–"
"Don't let me repeat, I'm in a bad mood. I was taken here without my consent when I'm about to make my dream come true. Secondly, I can't even be sent back and if I do, my dream will be crashing down I have built my entire life and finally, I get not to choose who I want to be when you've given me options?"
Everyone, practically everyone would love to be the main protagonist no matter where it may be. To be loved by the gorgeous male protagonist and other side characters fawning over you just to grab your attention. It's everyone's dream. Probably some.
Aera would have been okay choosing the female protagonist but when she read the blurb, she understood. The female lead was loved and courted by 7 gorgeous men and she lives like a harem, unable to choose either one of them. And there is the male lead, who is the emperor and has many consorts fawning over him but ends up being with the only lady he loves who becomes his empress.
Apart from that, the female protagonist was bullied by the antagonist to the point of sending someone to assault her and even assassinate her. She couldn't handle that much drama. And when she read about the antagonist, there was nothing much. She gave up in the end and disappeared never to be returned.
"Okay," he responded. "Is this your final respond?" He questioned again to be sure that Aera doesn't regret her choices.
"Yes, I am certain." Nor did Aera hesitate her answers.
"It is done. You are the main Antagonist. Congratulation." The butler lightly claps his hands and it only made her more annoyed.
"Now, you've gained all the information, thanks to me. Shall we proceed?"
The butler doesn't seem to bother nor like it was important.
"All I have to do is finish the mission and I'm done, right?" She raises her head and sees his questioning look at her. Of course, there was some struggle she had to bear being the antagonist regardless of that, she can endured it. However, she didn't like that confused expression of the butler that tells there_is_more face.
"Of course, finishing the mission is your number one priority if you want to come back but," she clicks her tongue when she hears the word 'but'. "You need to survive if you want to come back."
"Survive?" Her mind got flogged. "What do you mean? You don't mean that I'm gonna die or something?"
"You chose to be the villain and of course, you chose the worst villain of all." He tilted his head, delighted to share his thoughts. She didn't even like it a bit. "The emperor beheads you in the end."
Her face went pale. "What? It wasn't written there?" She points to all the books on the table.
"Oh!"
He exclaims. "I think I forgot the 2nd volume."
"There is 2nd VOLUME?"
He snapped his fingers and another 3 dictionary size books appeared. "Sorry, my bad." And he snapped his finger again, every information was inside her head again. Should she strangle him to death right now? She was sure those books were heavy enough to bring injuries.
"Since you killed the unborn child of the emperor and the empress, you will either be executed in public or be beheaded by the emperor or you commits suicide in the end." He was grinning as though it was the most exciting part of the book.
Her survival chances out of 100% were down to 50%. But she could still do something and stir things up and escaped death, right? "And yes." The butler continues. "The emperor is reborn."
"Re–what?"
"The world that is created by the book exists magic and the emperor made a sacrificing wish, to be re-born again and again to save his lover and child. So far, he has been reborn for the 20th-30th time and has not yet been able to save either one." The butler continues flipping the book in his hand. Whereas Aera was motionless, with no words to described her emotion.
"So, he treats the villain hideously and humiliates her publicly even to the point of sexually abusing her until she dies. She died without having anyone to mourn for her. He burns her body along with the mansion where her body lay." He closed the book with a relief expression. "So far, none of the chosen ones have succeeded in changing their fate or making him fall in love."
"H...how many?"
She questioned. Her throat went dry and needed a drink to quenched her drying throat.
"I guess it was 30...no..45...?" He was counting his fingers but it didn't matter to her. No one has survived and come back alive. Her survival chance decreases to 1% out of 100%. She couldn't hear what he was saying, all she felt was her soul leaving her body.
It felt like everything was a lie, to make herself sure he wasn't faking it. She stood up and snatched the book from his hand and began to flipped through by herself.
Every page she read made her pull the strain of her hair. Hoping that there was something better in the end for the antagonist. However, when she flips the last book at the end of the pages, it was blank.
"WHY IS IT BLANK? THERE IS NOTHING WRITTEN HERE?" She yells with tears almost dripping. Anger and frustration were filling inside her.
"Umm!!" He thought for a moment with his fingers rubbing across his chin. "I think the author went for hiatus."
Her eyes raged with vines all across her eyeballs, "THAN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE EVEN MAKING THIS INTO REALITY WHEN IT'S NOT DONE WRITTEN YET?"
"Like I've said," the butler calmly answered, unfazed by her outraged. "It was the wish of a dying human who–"
"I DON'T CARE. I AM NOT DEAD!!" She yells again at the top of her voice and plops down on the chair.
"Take me back."
"What?"
"I said take me back." This was the worst decision she had ever made. There was no way she was going to survived at this rate. It's like she was thrown into a lion dungeon with no exit. Let alone playing death, she'll still be eaten even then.
"You just want to let this opportunity slide away when you have the chance to change your dreadful future?" A sudden question suddenly flinches Aera's thought.
"The hell? I rather go back and enjoy my 2 years of happiness before it crashes down. I rather die than live like that in suffering and torment." She blurted out. The emperor was reborn and he knows everything. He hates her from the beginning and it was just the beginning.
"And, this is your fault. You should have shown me the 2nd volume." She argued back.
The butler stood silent before he continued, "instead of dying, it's better to take part in this world and," he paused a little. "The only thing you've to do is stay away from him and survive." He ignores the part he was blamed for.
Her finger clenches hard on the book as he continues. "Don't you want to take revenge on the person who dragged you down to the dirt?"
He was provoking her, pushing her to the edged and she knows but, but she couldn't let him stop for it was true. For, she wanted to hear, somebody to give her a tiny push and to see what decision she makes for herself. "Don't you want to remove that ugly mask of your so-called crush and see for yourself that you could as well stand and fight?"
"I sincerely hate you from the bottom of my pitless heart," Aera mutters raising her head towards him.
He slyly grins in return. "I know and you're welcome." He bows a little with one hand placed on his chest while the other hand on his back.
"Oh!!" He exclaims again in a little high-pitched tone, his face brightening up. An expression that says he has forgotten something.
"There is still more?"
The nerve of him to bring all the information at the end. She only clenches hard on the book, ready to be thrown. It wouldn't be too bad to punch him. At this very moment, she regrets not taking care of her long nails.
"He made sure the villain was reborn many times after death so that he could torture her for her crime again and again without any memories."
"What the HELL is wrong with the male lead? Is he a psychopath?" She bursted out, feeling a tight string tied around her neck.
"That's something you should be asking the author." He simply shrugged like it implied nothing to him. "But then she is no more."
"I want to kill you more than him."
He only chuckles in delight. "Be my guest."
Aera calms herself down, breathing in and out carefully making a slight puffing sound and stood up.
Her mind was still a mess. Soon enough, the butler continues noticing that she has nothing to talked about.
"Once you enter the other world, there will be no one to help you out, it will only be you. Following the plot is not important but finishing the mission is."
"W-what? What do you mean by not following the plot is not important?"
The Butler paused for a moment and continued, "you'll know once you enter. After you are done, you are free to live the life you want in that world or choose to come back. Everything will be real and not fake: the sky, the land, the air, the country, the human, the myth, and, magic exists in that world." He halts again for a moment and gave a menacing look. "If you die, you die, if one of your legs went missing considered it missing in your world as well. Anything that happens to you will be reflected in your world. So think carefully and move wisely."
"I'll send you an aid who will answer all your questions when you are in doubt." He continued. "You can only ask questions and nothing more."
She wonders if living for 2 years of happiness in her world was better or going to a parallel world in which she was about to stepped into a battlefield.
"Three..."
"What?"
The butler raised his three fingers towards her.
"You've three chances to call me when you need help from me. I'll be there anywhere and anytime. So think carefully when you need help. It's like a wish." He wasn't bluffing but seem serious. At least, he could save her from getting killed. She still has a 3% chance to survive.
"But I wouldn't be able to save you from death."
"Just go to HELL already."
"Now then, my lady." He bowed again in respect. "I hope and wish you a safe journey." And smiles as innocently as a child, his hand gestures toward the bed.
"I feel like you'll be the one who will be enjoying what I'm about to go through." She made her way to her bed.
The butler only grins more with a glowing aura and he was going to enjoy it.
As soon as she lay down on her bed another "oh!" escapes from the butler's lips.
"What NOW?"
He sheepishly grinned. "It will take 20 years to complete the mission and yes, the male lead is a mind reader. He has the ability to read each and every mind, no one knows about that."
"I swear the first thing I'm gonna do when I survive the mission is to kill you."
.
.
.
.
.
.
And woosh, she was wide awake, backed to where she was on the bed in an unknown world. She grunts adjusting her eyes to the brightness from the window.
"How are you feeling today?" And unfamiliar voice questioned.
"I–huh?"
Her eyes widen as she sits straight and stares through the lady who questioned.
"Who are you?"
The lady who had been standing still gave a weird looked. Indeed, she was a maid in her 50s and was wearing a gown that mostly resembles a uniform but something was different. She looks around and it clicks. She wasn't where she was when she woke up the first time. The room was different, the color, the curtain, including the view outside which she could somehow discern from the large opened window.
"Did your headache yesterday made you have a weird dream?"
The lady questioned, putting her hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She was quiet.
'What is going on?'
"You seem alright this morning still, I'll send your breakfast here, my lady." The lady bowed a little and goes out before instructing the two maids who were at the door to get her ready.
And before she knew , she was in the bathtub and was being taken care of by the maid, scrubbing and shampooing. However, her mind was still blank. Never in her entire adult life, she was helped to take a bath except for when she was hospitalized.
She was now set by the mirror while the two maids dried her hair with the towel. Her eyes were glued to the mirror by her image which appeared different than the last time. 'Who is she now?'