[Why are you acting so surprised?]
"That's..." Lathel sighed.
[You don't like her, do you?]
"A woman like that? Of course I do," Lathel said quietly. "But I'm the villain. Is it really okay for her to like me? What about the main character?"
The System let out a long, weary sigh.
[You should prioritize yourself—and this world. If the protagonist doesn't end up with Catrina, it won't cause too much chaos.]
"Heh?!" Lathel frowned. "Explain that clearly."
[In the original storyline, the protagonist Alex has over a hundred women. Even if he loses a few, it won't matter much. It won't break the script.]
[As long as Catrina reaches a satisfying conclusion to her arc, she'll be freed from the restrictions of the storyline. After that, she can act on her own, no longer bound by the script.]
Lathel blinked, a faint sense of realization dawning on him—followed immediately by suspicion.
"Wait a second! Why do I feel like you're trying to force me down the route of seducing a main heroine?"
The System's voice suddenly grew sharp.
[Because that's the best possible route! Do you really think you can escape from here? If you stay locked up forever, the next story events can't trigger—and the entire world will collapse!]
Lathel hesitated.
[For fuck's sake!] the System snapped. [What the hell are you hesitating for?!]
"I just..." Lathel muttered, scratching his neck awkwardly. "I'm afraid if I get too attached to Catrina, I won't be able to leave this world. I'll start wanting to stay here."
It was true. For a woman—a character who might not even be real—he didn't want to throw away his massive reward.
There were too many risks in following the System's advice.
Sure, maybe Catrina liked him now.
But what about later? With Alex's protagonist aura, it was only a matter of time before he captured her heart.
Lathel knew the truth: he was just a side villain. No matter how much he fought back, he couldn't defeat the main character.
And if he accepted Catrina's love now...
Then one day, when she inevitably left him for Alex, he would be the one broken beyond repair.
He was afraid.
Afraid of being hurt.
Lathel took a deep breath and said softly, "I... need some time to think."
[Ah.] The System sighed. [Fine. Do what you want. I can only suggest the best options for you.]
Then it went silent.
Lathel didn't speak either. His thoughts tangled into a storm—caught between accepting Catrina and following the preordained script.
The System once told him that "Playing out the script" and "Completing the script" were two very different things.
But deep down, Lathel knew how stories like this always ended. The "final ending" was always what every major character—especially the protagonist—desired most.
And "falling in love with the villain" was never one of those endings.
He lowered his head, lost in thought—when suddenly, the crystal orb that Catrina had left behind began to glow, flooding the room with light.
"What the—?"
Lathel stepped closer, peering into the orb.
Inside it, an image flickered to life—like a spherical television screen coming online.
The crystal orb displayed the grand living room of Catrina's mansion.
At that moment, Catrina sat gracefully on the sofa, sipping her tea. Yet her expression was nothing like her usual calm gentleness—it was cold, distant, and unreadable.
CRACK.
The sound of the door opening echoed faintly. Arina walked in, her eyes still red and glistening as if she'd just finished crying.
"Mother, you called for me?" she asked softly, voice trembling with leftover emotion.
Catrina lifted her gaze toward her daughter, eyes sharp and icy enough to make Arina's stomach drop.
It was the first time Arina had ever seen her mother look like this.
"Mother... you—"
"Arina," Catrina interrupted, tone flat and chilling. "You and Alex have been living together for two years now, haven't you?"
"Y-Yes." Arina nodded nervously, unease growing stronger.
Catrina continued calmly, "That's also how long Lathel has been pursuing you, correct?"
Arina froze. She stayed silent for a moment before nodding again. She couldn't even remember when it had started—because, to her, Lathel's existence had always been something... trivial.
"Mother... why are you bringing this up?" Arina asked, confused and anxious.
Catrina placed her teacup down with a soft clink and said coldly, "You already have a fiancé, yet you never rejected another man's advances?"
"That's not—Mother, you misunderstand!" Arina stammered in panic. "I never liked Lathel! I only thought he could be useful for our business. I—"
BAM!
Catrina slammed her palm against the table.
The sharp sound made Arina flinch violently. Her whole body trembled as she looked at her mother in shock.
"Arina," Catrina said, brows furrowing, voice sharp as a blade, "since when did you become such a selfish, greedy woman?"
Her tone grew heavier, colder with every word. "Look at yourself. You already have a fiancé, yet you let another man chase after you. Tell me, how are you any different from the girls at Spring Garden?"
Being compared to the very women she despised most made Arina's face burn with anger. Tears welled up as she shouted, "Mother, what are you saying?! Everything I did was for the sake of our business!"
"If we don't have anyone supporting us, how are we supposed to survive in this market?!"
"If people believe that Lathel—the son of a Duchess—is courting me, his status alone will make the Elders back off!"
SLAP!
The sharp crack of a slap rang through the room.
Arina's head snapped to the side. A bright red handprint slowly appeared on her pale cheek, glowing hotter and darker by the second.
She looked at Catrina, eyes wide, unable to believe what had just happened.
Catrina's expression was stern, voice low and trembling with anger.
"I never thought you'd turn into this kind of woman, Arina. I never once asked you to interfere in my business, yet you came back from the Magic Academy on your own accord."
"You abandoned your magical studies, and now you act like a common whore. Arina... you truly disappoint me."
Arina's lips trembled. "Mother... you..."
Catrina sighed deeply and said in a softer but no less commanding tone, "From this moment on, you will sever all ties with Lathel. One week from now, I will host an engagement banquet for you and Alex to officially announce your betrothal."
"What?!" Arina gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mother! You can't do this! You—you wouldn't force me to marry someone I don't love, would you?"
"Then tell me," Catrina asked coldly, brow furrowing. "Who do you love?"
Arina froze. Her lips trembled, but not a single word came out.
Catrina sighed softly. "Arina, you said you wanted to help me restore our family's business, didn't you? Then marrying Alex is the best way to do that."
"Alex was chosen by the Grand Elder himself. If you marry him, the Grand Elder will stop suppressing us. And since he personally picked Alex as your fiancé, there must be a reason for it."
Arina stared at her mother in disbelief.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she was looking at a stranger—someone wearing Catrina's face, but with none of her warmth.
The woman before her was cold, unrecognizable... terrifying.
"Mother! You—you can't treat me like this, I—"
"Ah!" Catrina's tone cut like ice. "So I can't treat you this way, but you can treat Lathel however you please? Is that it?"
"I—I didn't mean—"
Catrina's expression darkened. Her voice, steady and sharp, carried through the room.
"Arina, do you remember the carriage you use every day? The enchantments, the materials—everything on that carriage was crafted by Royal Magi. Duchess Valoria had it made for Lathel to ensure his safety."
"But he gave it to you."
"And how did you respond? Not with gratitude—but irritation. You couldn't even manage a simple thank you."
Catrina paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.
"Do you remember the rare resources that helped you break through your rank? Lathel spent months traveling across four neighboring kingdoms to collect them for you."
"And when you finally succeeded—who did you run to? The vice dean of the magic academy. You left Lathel standing in the rain, got into the very carriage he gifted you, and rushed off just to hear a meaningless compliment from that man."
Her voice grew quieter, but somehow more devastating.
"There are many more things I could mention, but you know them better than anyone. Arina, if you don't love him, then free him. I'm the best friend of Lathel's mother—I see him as my own son."
"When he suffers, I suffer. When he despairs, I despair. Arina, stop torturing him like this."
"You can keep the things he gave you, but let him go. From this moment on, you have two choices—either marry Alex, or return to the magic academy and chase after that man you adore, the one who doesn't care about you, the one you wag your tail for like a loyal dog."
"Choose, Arina."
Each word from Catrina struck harder than the last. Arina's chest tightened painfully; her lips trembled as she looked up through a blur of tears.
But what greeted her was only her mother's indifferent, frigid stare—dark and cold enough to drain all hope from her heart.
"Mother... I—"
"If you won't choose," Catrina interrupted, "then go back to the magic academy. Go be with that vice dean you secretly admire."
She sighed heavily, disappointment clouding her beautiful face.
Arina's eyes widened slightly, as if grasping a faint glimmer of hope. "Mother... please, give me some time. I—I'll make it right with Lathel. I promise I'll fix everything."
"Enough!" Catrina snapped, shaking her head. "Arina, why? If you don't love him, then let him go! Why keep holding on like this?"
Arina bit her lip until blood welled up, tears spilling endlessly down her cheeks. She clenched her fists, as if trying to squeeze out the strength to speak—but when she finally did, her voice cracked into a whisper, raw and broken:
"I'm sorry, Mother... I... I can't tell you the reason."