Chapter 5: An Insult to Villainy
⚠ Rule of the Chapter:
"A villain who does not know her place is a fool. And I am no fool."
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Eleanor stormed into her estate, slamming the doors behind her. The heavy oak panels rattled, but she paid them no mind.
She was livid.
The day's absurdities had been piling up one after the other, and her patience was stretched thinner than the silk of her gown.
She rounded on the system, eyes like twin shards of ice.
"Start explaining," she demanded. "From the beginning. And don't leave anything out."
🟢 "Define 'beginning.'"
Her jaw tightened. "Lucas. Explain Lucas."
🟢 "Ah. Very well. Lucas Carter—your newest complication—is Alexander's elder half-brother, the son of Alexander's father and his first wife."
Eleanor's fingers drummed against her armrest as she sank into a plush chair, eyes narrowed. "Go on."
🟢 "Lucas's mother died young, and Alexander's father remarried his first love—the woman who became Alexander's mother. However, Lucas was already an established presence in the Carter family by then."
She arched a brow. "An established presence? What does that mean? Did he seize the estate by force as a child?"
🟢 "No, but considering his personality, it wouldn't have been impossible."
That... piqued her curiosity.
"Continue."
🟢 "Alexander's parents' marriage was not just for love but also for power. They strengthened their control over the Carter business empire, while Lucas—despite being the legitimate firstborn—was quietly pushed aside."
Eleanor scoffed. "Tsk. How tragic. And what does this sad family drama have to do with me?"
Then came the bombshell.
🟢 "Lucas is the novel's true villain."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Eleanor stilled, blinking once. Twice.
Then—
"What?"
🟢 "Lucas is the main antagonist of the original story."
She rose to her feet in one fluid motion, her fury a tangible force.
"Excuse me?!" she seethed. "I am the villain. Me. I am not some pathetic side character playing second fiddle to a brooding, angsty heir with a tragic backstory!"
🟢 "Technically, in the novel, you're a minor villain—"
She grabbed the nearest object—a decorative golden apple from the table—and hurled it at the wall.
It shattered into gleaming shards.
"A minor villain?" Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "A minor villain?"
She inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring. "This is unacceptable. If I am to be a villain, I will be the villain."
The system hesitated.
🟢 "Well… if it makes you feel any better, in the novel, you actually team up with Lucas to bring down Alexander."
That paused her rampage.
Slowly, Eleanor turned. "...Come again?"
🟢 "You and Lucas join forces to destroy Alexander's power base."
She folded her arms. "You're explaining this bit by bit. Let me just read the novel myself."
🟢 "You sure? I mean, you've already read plenty of books in the last twenty-four hours—"
She held out her hand. "The novel. Now."
🟢 "...Fine."
A golden screen flickered into existence before her, pages unfolding in midair.
Eleanor skimmed through the text, her expression shifting from curiosity to disgust.
Then to rage.
"This... This fool is not me."
She gritted her teeth, flipping through more pages.
"This Eleanor Carter—" she spat the name like a curse. "—is an absolute love-brain."
🟢 "Well... yes."
She slammed the book shut.
"In what twisted reality would I, Eleanor, be reduced to this?"
🟢 "It's just a novel. Doesn't mean you have to follow it—"
She flung the book aside.
"She had a PhD in business accounting, for heaven's sake! And she wasted it—wasted it all on running after some man!, though if I'm being honest , in what would a piece of paper determine someone's worth."
🟢 "In this world, degrees hold significant merit—"
"Oh, please," she sneered. "A piece of paper determining someone's worth? I could burn it and still hold more power than half this continent."
She crossed her arms, deep in thought.
"...Still, the background isn't entirely terrible," she muttered. "She was born into wealth, status, had every advantage..."
Her lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"...If this version of Eleanor couldn't properly use her resources, then I'll just have to fix that myself."
🟢 "By 'fix,' you mean—"
"First, I'll deal with Alexander."
🟢 "...Oh dear."
"Then I'll handle Lucas."
🟢 "Double oh dear."
"And then..." Eleanor tilted her head, eyes gleaming with unholy amusement.
"Then I'll decide who deserves to be the real villain of this world."
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🎭 INTERMISSION: A Letter from Lucas Carter
A piece of heavy parchment rests atop a mahogany desk. The ink is dark, the handwriting elegant.
To Whom It May Concern,
It seems the game has taken an unexpected turn.
Eleanor Carter is... intriguing.
She does not simper. She does not beg. She does not falter.
Unlike the original, this Eleanor is no fool.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone finally challenged me.
How delightful.
Sincerely,
Lucas Carter