POV: Priam Lockhart
The first thing I noticed was the smell—roses, ink, and the faint metallic tang of blood.
My head throbbed as I blinked at the ornate ceiling above me, its gold-leaf patterns swirling like vipers. A woman's voice cut through the haze, sharp as a guillotine. "If you're going to faint at the sight of a little discipline, perhaps I should sell you to the slavers after all."
I turned my head and saw her.
Lady Seraphine de Valois—the villainess of Noble Hearts: Crimson Academy, a dating sim notorious for its sadistic routes and even crueler heroine. Her silver hair cascaded over blood-red robes, her violet eyes gleaming with the warmth of a winter storm. In the game, she'd been my least favorite character: a noble so ruthless she'd orchestrated the deaths of two love interests and the protagonist herself.
And now I was her butler.
Fantastic.
"Apologies, my lady," I rasped, pushing myself off the marble floor. My new body ached—a lanky teenager in a tailored black uniform, hands calloused from years of servitude. Memories flooded in: Priam Lockhart, 17, orphaned commoner indentured to House Valois. His life had been a cycle of humiliation and beatings… until he'd collapsed mid-whipping yesterday.
Hence my arrival.
Seraphine tilted her chin, her jeweled gloves tightening around a silver-tipped riding crop. "You've wasted enough time. My carriage leaves for the academy in twenty minutes. Fail again, and I'll let the hounds finish what the whip started."
She swept out, leaving me alone in the opulent parlor. Sunlight streamed through stained glass, casting kaleidoscopic shadows over portraits of sneering ancestors.
Alright, let's assess.
Game Knowledge Activated:
World: Erathia, a magic-driven empire where nobles wield power through "Arcane Crests." Commoners? Disposable.
Current Timeline: The academy year's start—when the game's heroine, Liana, arrives and triggers Seraphine's downfall.
Key Mechanics: Social reputation systems, duel challenges, and a very unforgiving "Favor" meter with the villainess.
My stomach churned. In the game, Seraphine's butler died midway, devoured by her pet wyvern after a failed task. But this wasn't a screen anymore. The ache in my shoulders from yesterday's lashing proved that.
Survival first. Panic later.
I rushed to the courtyard, where a black-and-gold carriage waited, pulled by two horned steeds. Seraphine sat inside, tapping her crop against the window. "You're late," she said as I climbed into the driver's seat.
"Apologies. I'll endeavor to die faster next time."
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Sarcasm—my old coping mechanism.
A beat of silence. Then, the carriage jolted forward as Seraphine's laugh echoed behind me—cold, melodic, and utterly terrifying.
Crimson Imperial Academy loomed ahead, a Gothic monstrosity of spires and enchanted bridges. Nobles in jewel-toned uniforms strutted past commoner servants hauling luggage. I spotted familiar faces:
Duke Roland Vayne, the game's "Knight" love interest, polishing his sword with a hero complex brighter than his blonde hair.
Lady Clarisse D'Argent, the "Sweet Saintess" heroine's future rival, giggling with a clique of sycophants.
And then her—Liana Hart, the protagonist. Dressed in a patched gray dress, she tripped on the cobblestones, spilling books. Her rose-gold hair and doe eyes marked her as the textbook "innocent commoner"… who'd later frame Seraphine for treason.
"Lockhart." Seraphine's voice snapped me back. "Escort me to the Hall of Crests. And stop gawking at peasants."
As we walked, nobles parted like sharks before a killer whale. Seraphine's reputation preceded her: a prodigy in dark magic, heir to the Valois fortune, and the future wife of Crown Prince Cedric (though in the game, he'd dump her for Liana).
The Hall of Crests buzzed with first-years undergoing the "Crimson Oath"—a ritual where students pledge loyalty to their noble houses. Seraphine strode to the Valois sigil, a twisted obsidian tree, and turned to me. "Kneel."
Ah, right. In this world, servants reaffirm their bonds through public submission. My jaw clenched as I dropped to one knee, the stone floor biting through my trousers.
"Repeat after me," she purred, pressing her crop under my chin. "I pledge my flesh, my will, and my silence to House Valois. May my blood nourish its roots, and my soul—"
A commotion interrupted.
Liana stood at the center of the hall, tears streaming as a noble sneered, "Filthy commoner! You think you can touch a Crest without permission?!" He raised his hand, magic crackling—
Game Knowledge: Lord Edric Renault. Minor antagonist. Fire magic affinity. Weakness: Water.
Before I could think, I moved.
Seraphine's crop slashed the air as I stood. "Where do you think you're—?"
"Saving your reputation," I muttered.
In the game, Seraphine ignored Liana's plight here, earning the heroine's lifelong hatred. But if I intervened…
I stepped between Liana and Renault. "Lord Edric," I said, bowing just deeply enough to avoid disrespect. "The Headmaster's watching."
He froze. Across the hall, the academy's ancient leader observed silently, his owl familiar glaring.
"A commoner defiled our sacred space!" Edric hissed.
"And you're defiling the Crimson Oath with petty theatrics." I kept my voice low, smirking. "Unless you'd like the entire court to hear how you failed last year's alchemy exams? Twice?"
His face paled. Thank you, game walkthrough memories.
Edric stormed off. Liana stared up at me, trembling. "Th-thank you, sir…"
"Save the gratitude. Next time, watch where you're walking." I turned before her protagonist aura could activate.
Seraphine waited, her smile venomous. "How… creative of you." She leaned close, her whisper a blade at my throat. "But humiliate me again, and I'll carve out your tongue."
Yet as we walked away, I noticed it—a flicker in her Favor Meter.
Seraphine de Valois' Favor: -50 → -49.
Progress.
That night, in the servants' quarters, I unraveled my plan:
Survive Seraphine's Wrath by nudging her toward less murderous choices.
Counter the Heroine by preventing Liana's key alliances.
Exploit Noble Politics to dismantle the system from within.
But as I stared at the moonlit spire outside my window, a new notification flashed:
Hidden Quest Unlocked: [The Villainess' Heart]
Objective: ???
Reward: ???
I groaned. Of course. Nothing's ever simple.
End of Chapter 1