Phenom1

In a world where nobles wield magic like weapons and commoners are little more than pawns, Priam Lockhart—a sarcastic, pragmatic anti-hero—finds himself reincarnated as the butler to Seraphine de Valois, the ruthless villainess of a dating sim game. Tasked with navigating a treacherous academy filled with scheming nobles, jealous love interests, and a system rigged against him, Priam must use his wit, game knowledge, and hidden talents to survive.

But when he crosses paths with Liana Hart, the game’s kind-hearted heroine with a dangerous secret, Priam’s plans for a quiet life unravel. As he works to change Seraphine’s fate and protect Liana from those who would exploit her, he finds himself entangled in a web of political intrigue, betrayal, and romance.

With a harem of powerful women vying for his loyalty and a kingdom on the brink of chaos, Priam must decide: will he play the game, or rewrite the rules entirely?

Themes:

A reluctant hero in a world of villains.

Slow-burn romance with a touch of harem politics.

High-stakes magic, political intrigue, and epic duels.

A witty, overpowered MC who just wants a peaceful life (but never gets it).

Perfect for fans of:

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

The Eminence in Shadow

Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs

My Life as the Villainess’s Butler

The Academy's Last Stand

The sky wept ash as the Voidspawn Horde descended, their jagged wings blotting out the sun. Priam Lockhart parried a serrated claw, his borrowed sword shuddering under the force. Beside him, Liana Hart stood as a storm of contradictions—light and void swirling around her fingertips, her starlit eyes wide with terror and power.

"Left flank!" Seraphine's voice sliced through the cacophony from the ramparts, where she hurled dark magic with lethal precision. "Archers, aim for the eyes!"

A Voidspawn lunged at Liana, its maw dripping ichor. She raised a trembling hand, and a beam of fractured light tore through it, reducing the creature to smoke. But the victory was fleeting. The shard in her chest pulsed, and she staggered, veins blackening like ink spreading under her skin.

"Stay with me," Priam growled, hauling her behind a shattered pillar. "Don't let it take you."

"It's everywhere," she whispered. "The Sovereign—it's not just coming. It's already here."

Rebels at the Gates

The academy gates exploded. Lord Garrick's rebels poured through the breach, their banners emblazoned with a phoenix rising from chains.

"Traitors!" Roland roared, cutting down a rebel soldier. "We're under siege by the Void, you fools!"

Garrick rode forward, his armor polished to a mocking gleam. "And whose fault is that? Surrender Seraphine, and we'll save what's left of Erathia!"

Seraphine's laughter rang cold. "You'll burn with the rest of us."

Priam dragged Liana into the shadow of the gatehouse. "We need to end this. Now."

"End it how?" she asked, her voice hollow. "The Sovereign feeds on my resonance. I'm a beacon."

Above them, Lucien materialized on the battlements, twirling a voidsteel dagger. "Such melodrama. Did you really think the Sovereign would send its horde without a guide?"

He pointed to the horizon. The sky rippled, a colossal shadow coalescing—a horned titan with galaxies swirling in its chest.

The Sovereign's Avatar:

Status: Manifesting.

In the war room, now littered with maps and blood, Lucien dropped a frayed scroll onto the table. "The Hartwells bound the Sovereign once. Their blood can do it again."

Seraphine's gaze snapped to Liana. "How?"

"A ritual," Lucien said. "Channel her resonance into the shard. It'll act as an anchor… if she survives."

"No," Priam snarled. "We're not using her as fodder."

Liana stepped forward, her void-streaked hair casting eerie shadows. "What if I want to?"

"I'm the reason it's here," she said quietly. "Let me end this."

Priam's fists clenched. "There's another way."

"Is there?" Seraphine's voice was ice. "Or are you just afraid to lose her?"

The Edge of the Abyss

They gathered in the scorched courtyard, the Sovereign's shadow swallowing the sky. Liana stood at the ritual's center, the shard in her chest blazing. Priam gripped his sword, uselessness clawing at his throat.

"Ready?" Lucien asked, etching void-runes into the earth.

The ritual began. Light and void erupted, a maelstrom tearing at the fabric of reality. The Sovereign roared, its avatar reaching down—

And then Garrick's arrow struck Lucien in the shoulder.

"No more schemes, Blackthorn!" Garrick shouted, rebels advancing.

Chaos erupted. Seraphine's magic clashed with rebel steel. Roland dueled Garrick, their swords ringing. And the Sovereign's hand closed around Liana.

"Priam!" she screamed, her body dissolving into starlight.

He lunged, but the world fractured.

Cliffhanger: The Sovereign's Gambit

The courtyard vanished. Priam stood in the void, Liana suspended before the Sovereign's true form—a cosmic serpent coiled around a dying star.

"Join her," it whispered, its voice a symphony of despair. "Or watch her soul devoured."

Liana's eyes met his, pleading. "Don't."

But Priam reached for the serpent's offered fang.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 16: Vanguard of the Void