The champagne flute shattered on the marble floor. Aizen didn't drop it—technically. The glass had simply… slipped from Celestia's hand as she recoiled from his retort, her perfectly manicured fingers twitching like a startled cat's paw.
"You—!" The heroine's honeyed voice cracked, her sunflower-bright aura dimming for a heartbeat. The ballroom held its breath. Even the phantom violins faltered.
Seraphina's fan snapped shut with a sound like a guillotine blade. "How quaint," she purred, her voice silken poison. "It seems even commoners can be trained to fetch. Come, insect. We've actual nobility to attend to."
Aizen bowed, the motion stiff and overly formal, hiding the smirk threatening to crack his mob-approved poker face. Affection points? Seriously? Is this a dating sim or a corporate loyalty program?
He followed Seraphina through the crowd, hyperaware of the stares prickling his neck. Nobles parted before them like sharks avoiding a leaking nuclear sub. Clara trailed behind, her clipboard clutched to her chest like a shield.
"Mr. Aizen," she whispered, "that was incredibly reckless! Lady Celestia is the protagonist! Do you have a death wish?"
"More of a life wish," Aizen muttered. "And since when do protagonists get to monopolize all the fun?"
A holographic screen flickered in his peripheral vision—[System Notification: "Mob Camouflage" Activated. Main Character Attention Diverted.] The crowd's murmurs shifted, their focus sliding off him like rainwater. Celestia was already laughing with a new gaggle of admirers, her earlier stumble forgotten.
Convenient, Aizen thought. But how long until this cheat code glitches?
The von Eldoria carriage ride back to the manor was… tense. Moonlight bled through the window, painting Seraphina's profile in silver and shadow. She hadn't spoken since the gala, her gloved fingers drumming a war march on her seat's velvet upholstery.
Aizen sat across from her, resisting the urge to loosen his collar. The butler uniform's cravat felt like a noose. Note to self: Figure out how to invent sweatpants in a magic Victorian hellscape.
"You spoke today."
The words hung in the air, sharp as a dagger pressed to his throat.
"Apologies, my lady," Aizen said, channeling every insincere customer service apology from his past life. "I'll ensure it doesn't happen again."
Seraphina's eyes—still that unnerving violet, like poisoned wine—locked onto his. "You will not."
Aizen blinked. Wait, what?
"Celestia's simpering sycophants outnumber my allies three to one," the villainess continued, her voice low and venomous. "Today was the first time in months that wretch left an event without composing a ballad about her 'triumph.'" Her fan flicked open, hiding her mouth. "Do it again."
[Affection Points with Seraphina von Eldoria: +20 (Current: 25/1000)]
Ah. So the tsundere archetype is strong with this one.
"As you wish," Aizen said, bowing his head to hide his grin. "Shall I prepare a list of backhanded compliments for next week's garden party? 'Your hair looks like a chandelier threw up on it' has a nice ring."
The carriage hit a rut. Seraphina's fan slipped, revealing the faintest twitch of her lips. "...You're tolerable. For a peasant."
Dawn at the Arcane Academy was less "rosy-fingered" and more "clawed gauntlet of doom." Aizen stood in Seraphina's private study, squinting at a mountain of scrolls.
"These," Seraphina said, gesturing with a levitating quill, "are dossiers on every student, professor, and sentient shrub on campus. Memorize them. The von Eldoria name does not tolerate ignorance."
Aizen picked up a scroll labeled Lord Percival: Allergy to Peanuts, Secretly Writes Slushie Romance Novels. "Is this blackmail?"
"Insurance." The villainess didn't look up from her spellbook, where she was sketching a rune that made Aizen's eyes water. "The Academy's Student Council election is in three weeks. I will be victorious. You will ensure it."
A System screen materialized:
[Main Quest Activated: "The Villainess's Academic Ascension"]
[Objective: Secure Seraphina von Eldoria's election as Student Council President]
[Reward: Unlock "Shadow Manipulation" Skill, +100 Affection with Seraphina]
[Failure: Permanent "Cursed: Frog Form" Debuff]
Fantastic. Democracy, but with extra witchcraft.
Aizen opened his mouth to protest—then froze. The study's door burst open, and a girl stormed in without knocking.
She was not part of the otome game's original cast.
Wild crimson hair tied with black ribbons. A scar slashing through one eyebrow. Leather armor under her academy blazer, and a sword strapped to her back that radated menace like a starving wolf. Her golden eyes locked onto Aizen, and his System flared red:
[WARNING: Unregistered Character Detected]
[Identity: ???]
[Threat Level: S]
"Seraphina!" the girl barked, ignoring Aizen entirely. "I need your family's alchemy logs. Now."
The villainess sighed. "Must you always enter like a barbarian, Rikka?"
"And you must you always sit like a brooding porcelain doll? The logs."
Seraphina's quill pointed to a shelf. "Third ledger from the left. Touch anything else, and I'll turn your sword into a butter knife."
Rikka grabbed the book, finally glancing at Aizen. "New minion?"
"Butler."
"Same difference." The warrior leaned in, her scar twisting as she smirked. "He's cute. Can I borrow him?"
[Hidden Route Unlocked: "The Mercenary's Muse"]
[Affection Points with Rikka Volsung: +10 (Current: 10/500)]
Aizen opened his mouth—
"No," Seraphina snapped.
"You're no fun." Rikka winked at Aizen. "Find me when you're bored of playing servant. I'll show you how to really handle a blade."
The door slammed behind her.
Seraphina's quill snapped in half. "You will not fraternize with that… that battlemaniac."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Aizen said, watching the System's new affection meter flicker. Great. The harem flag hits before the tutorial's over.
Lunch brought another anomaly: the Academy cafeteria.
Aizen sat alone at a corner table, picking at a "mystery stew" that bubbled ominously. Clara had warned him that staff weren't allowed to eat with students—another of the Academy's asinine caste rules.
At least the System's quiet for once—
"Is this seat taken?"
A girl slid into the chair opposite him without waiting for an answer. Her uniform was pristine, her silver hair braided with glowing runes. But her smile was all wrong—too sharp, too knowing. Like she'd already dissected his soul and found it mildly amusing.
"You're Lady Seraphina's new pet," she said, chin propped on her palm. "The one who made Celestia drop her champagne. And talked to Rikka Volsung without wetting himself. Interesting."
[System Error: Character Mismatch]
[Identity: ???]
[Warning: Anomaly Detected]
Aizen's Mob Camouflage should've made him invisible. Yet her gaze pinned him like a butterfly to corkboard.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The girl's grin widened. "Oh, we'll get there. But first—" She flicked her wrist. The world rippled. The cafeteria noise faded. Even the stew stopped bubbling.
SkillActivated:TemporalStasisSkillActivated:TemporalStasis
"Let's talk, Transmigrator," she said, her eyes bleeding from blue to void-black. "You're not the only one here who doesn't belong."