Chapter 7

🎵 "And burn your castle down, and kids, that's how Cinderella snapped." 🎵

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Rule #7 of the Villain Reformation System: A reformed villain is a villain no longer.

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I crossed my legs elegantly, swirling the ghastly excuse for wine in my glass, barely suppressing the sneer curling my lips. The accommodations in this world were… laughable. The so-called high society here wouldn't last a day in my court. They lacked poise, lacked power, lacked fear.

But there were distractions to amuse myself with.

"System," I drawled, "you still haven't explained the most critical thing."

The translucent orb hovered in the air, glowing faintly, as if reluctant. "Ah… Y-Your Majesty, I was about to get to that…"

I raised an eyebrow. The system stuttered. That was never a good sign. For it.

"Proceed."

It hesitated. "This is a villain reformation system."

I stared. Blinked. Then threw my head back and laughed. "I know that, you dim-witted spirit! What, exactly, do you mean by stating the obvious?"

The orb dimmed slightly. "W-We… exist to reform villains. To prevent them from carrying out plans that would lead to the destruction of worlds."

I stopped laughing. My expression turned ice-cold. "So, you're telling me that my purpose here is to reform?" The very word left a foul taste in my mouth.

The system made a sound that could only be described as a mechanical whimper. "Yes."

My fingers tapped idly against the armrest of my chair, nails clicking against the wood in a slow, deliberate rhythm. "And what," I said, voice silken yet laced with venom, "makes you think I care about the destruction of this world?"

"Ah—"

"Because," I continued, cutting it off, "I don't. I have razed empires to the ground for lesser offenses. What is one more world added to my list?"

The system flickered, its voice trembling. "I-I know, Y-Your Majesty."

I leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Then why are you still trying to convince me?"

The system gulped. If it had a throat. "B-Because… I won't force you to change."

I paused. That was unexpected. "Oh?"

It trembled. "Yes. I know better than to force you."

My lips curled into a smirk. "Ah, so you do learn."

"But—"

I exhaled through my nose. "Of course, there is a 'but.'"

The system sounded like it wanted to run away. "B-But, I need reformation energy to power myself. Bringing you to this world drained me, and without energy, I can't function. If you refuse to reform… then we must prevent the villain from destroying this world instead. That way, we can accumulate enough energy points for our next journey."

I tilted my head. "The original Eleanor could destroy a world?"

A pause. Then—

"No, Y-Your Majesty. Lucas did."

Silence.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

The system sighed. "Lucas caused the destruction of this world."

I sat back, intrigued now. "Hah. And here I thought he was merely an effective schemer. What did he do?"

The system's voice turned grave. "He caused a great stock market crash. It led to an economic collapse so catastrophic that it triggered an era of global despair. Society crumbled, resources became scarce, and a new age of war and destruction followed. It was a greater financial collapse than the Great Depression."

My breath hitched. Then, very slowly, a delighted smile spread across my lips.

"Oh," I purred, "now I'm impressed."

The system made a distressed noise. "T-That's not the reaction I was hoping for."

I leaned back, stretching luxuriously, reveling in the sheer audacity of Lucas's villainy. "And tell me, why would I want to stop him from accomplishing such a beautiful feat of pure destruction?"

The system scrambled. "B-Because! Because—"

I waved a hand lazily. "Spit it out."

It hesitated before saying, "If you reform Lucas, then you would be the main villain. In fact, you would be the only villain in this narrative."

I froze.

My heart pulsed.

The only villain?

A slow, wicked smile spread across my face. "System…"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I believe," I said, voice dripping with satisfaction, "we have a deal."

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Villainess Theatre

Interviewer: "Sir, can you tell us about your experience with the villainess?"

Subject (shaking): "The Shadow Empress… The Witch of Eternal Night… Her name is unknown, but we call her Nemesis."

Interviewer: "Can you describe her?"

Subject (whispers, glancing around as if she might appear): "She—She ruled with an iron fist. The court feared her. She could smile at you one second and erase your entire bloodline the next."

Interviewer: "That's… terrifying. What's the worst thing you've witnessed her do?"

Subject (sweating): "She made a king kneel before her. She set his empire ablaze while he begged for mercy. Then—" (pauses, shivering) "—then, she handed him a dagger and made him choose between his kingdom and his life. He—He chose wrong."

Interviewer: "...And if she were in another world? What's the one thing you'd want to say to the residents there?"

Subject (eyes full of horror): "Pray!."