I Really Didn't Mean It

"Just… one more!"

"Hic… I can still drink, hee hee hee…"

"Is that all you've got, Daziel? Pathetic!"

March 7th, face ablaze with a crimson flush, words blurring into happy nonsense.

Carefully, Daziel scooped March 7th into his arms and carried her to the bed, each movement deliberate and gentle, so as not to disturb her drunken slumber.

He gazed down at her as she slept. Her delicate features were painted with a charming, rosy hue thanks to the alcohol, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings against her cheeks.

Seriously, she's clearly a beautiful girl, he thought, rubbing his aching shoulders, so why does she weigh a ton? He chuckled, remembering the earlier banquet.

March 7th had barely touched the wine to her lips before she'd grabbed the bottle and started guzzling it down, clinging to it like a lifeline. Bronya and the others had watched her undignified display from the sidelines, hands flying to cover mouths as they dissolved into giggles.

"Silly girl," Daziel murmured, shaking his head with a fond smile. "How can you drink so much? You're such an embarrassment…"

He sighed, a wave of familiarity washing over him. He'd been in this world long enough now.

In his past life, he'd been just another ordinary Star Rail player, his life extinguished too soon by the relentless demands of late-night work.

Then, he'd opened his eyes to Kafka's gentle smile and Silver Wolf's impatient nudging from the side.

That's when the reality hit him: he'd transmigrated into the world of Star Rail.

Arriving at the Space Station, joining the crew of the Astral Express, setting course for Belobog as their first Trailblazing destination…

Everything unfolded precisely as it had in the Star Rail game he'd poured countless hours into in his previous life, each event mirroring his playthrough with uncanny accuracy.

At first, it had been reassuring. Knowing the story ahead of time allowed him to navigate challenges with an almost preternatural ease.

But that very predictability had gradually bred a sense of weariness within Daziel.

What joy was there in an adventure when the ending was already written? This mundane Trailblazing life felt increasingly… hollow.

Until today. Finally, his Trailblazing journey was showing signs of disruption.

With the Belobog and Xianzhou Loufu incidents resolved, the Astral Express was charting a course for Penacony.

The invitation to Penacony's Harmony Festival was still a few days away. Serendipitously, Bronya had extended an invitation to the Express crew to join Belobog's "Sunbright Festival" celebrations, and March 7th and Daziel, as representatives, had returned to Belobog.

Initially, everything had progressed smoothly. They'd reconnected with old friends, exchanged greetings with employees from the Interastral Peace Corporation, and even met Topaz for the first time.

Events were unfolding in an orderly fashion, sticking rigidly to the original script.

If nothing unforeseen were to occur, Daziel and March 7th would soon find themselves mediating negotiations between Bronya and Topaz, working to temporarily alleviate Belobog's debt crisis, ultimately resolving it peacefully.

Daziel had replayed these storylines in his mind countless times.

But tonight, the script had deviated. An unexpected twist.

At Bronya's banquet, March 7th, unable to resist the allure of the potent Belobogian wine, had snatched a bottle and proceeded to gulp down several mouthfuls in rapid succession before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Belobog, perpetually locked in winter's icy grip, relied on strong liquor to combat the biting cold. Its alcohol content was certainly not designed for the likes of March 7th.

The Astral Express remained docked in Belobog. Daziel, worried about the potential chaos a drunken March 7th might unleash, had excused them from the banquet, carrying the giggling, incoherent girl back to the Express and into her room.

As Daziel stood, ready to finally leave March 7th to sleep it off, she suddenly latched onto his shoulder, her grip surprisingly strong, refusing to release him.

"Hey… Little March, you're drunk. I need to get going! Let go!"

Daziel struggled gently, trying to disentangle himself from March 7th's tenacious hold.

But March 7th remained oblivious to his words, her face nuzzling closer.

"Come on," she mumbled, her voice thick with drink, "I said I can still drink… I want more…"

Her face was pressed intimately against Daziel's, a faint, sweet fragrance emanating from her, mingling with the sharp tang of alcohol, creating a unique and intoxicating aroma that played havoc with Daziel's senses.

The youthful allure of the girl was on full display, breathtakingly close. The low-backed dress, with its artful wrinkles, revealed tantalizing glimpses of March 7th's fair, delicate skin, as smooth as a babe's, the fine downy hairs shimmering softly in the lamplight.

And then there were her legs. Clad in pristine white stockings held up by suspenders, they were like sculpted masterpieces, utterly flawless.

Her elegant heels had already been removed, and her small feet shifted restlessly beneath the covers, her toes adorably rounded, the soles revealing a captivating blush of pale pink.

"Huff…"

Daziel exhaled slowly, a shaky breath, fighting to quell the sudden frantic hammering of his heart.

He knew he couldn't linger like this.

If he did… he knew he'd cross a line, do something irreversible.

That was unthinkable, not on the Astral Express…

But just as that thought solidified, a cold, emotionless, mechanical voice sliced through his inner turmoil.

[Ding! Corruption System Activated!]

[Host: Daziel]

[Scanning in progress!]

[Scanning successful!]

[Current Target: March 7th]

[Corruption Value: 0%]

[Mission: Increase March 7th's Corruption Value to 100%]

[Note: Once the Corruption Value is full, she will become your captive]

[Mission Reward: Charming Villain]

[Charming Villain: Will have a unique charm bonus to the opposite sex]

The abrupt system notification initially stunned Daziel into silence. He stared, dumbfounded, at the semi-transparent panel that had materialized before his eyes, his expression cycling rapidly from initial joyous disbelief to utter bewilderment.

After all this time!

My system, it's finally arrived!

Wait a minute… Something felt… off. This system of his felt… decidedly unorthodox.

This is definitely the proper Star Rail world, right?! He thought frantically. A 12+ rated game, not… all this messy stuff!

And this "Corruption Value" setting? Was that even… proper?

What kind of Reverse World system IS this?!

The kind of fun I wanted… definitely wasn't THIS kind of fun!

Daziel felt utterly speechless, a wave of exasperation washing over him.

He glared at the system panel, gritting his teeth as he forced a righteous tone into his voice. "It seems the system doesn't want me to be a savior at all, but wants me to embrace villainy! This… this is going to be difficult. Does the system even realize March 7th is my beloved friend, someone with whom I've faced life and death?!"

[Understood, Host, are you saying, "More money!"?]

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant at all! What I was trying to say was…"

This misunderstanding was colossal, bordering on absurd.

Daziel waved his hands frantically, desperately trying to correct the system's wildly inaccurate interpretation of his words.

The system, however, seemed to completely disregard Daziel's flustered protests, blithely generating subtitles of its own.

[Now, an additional reward is added: Big Bonk Stick]

[Big Bonk Stick: Enhanced version of the Bonk Stick, can freely control size and force]

"No! This system… how can you not understand human speech? I really don't want to do any of this, and this reward… the more I look at it, the more completely outrageous it becomes!"

Daziel was at his wit's end, utterly exasperated. This system seemed stubbornly determined to steer him down a path of ill-repute.

However, the system had apparently concluded its one-sided conversation. The semi-transparent panel abruptly vanished, leaving Daziel blinking in stunned silence.

Now, when Daziel's gaze fell once more upon March 7th's flushed, sleeping face, the hesitant, conflicted expression returned, clouding his features.

He took a deep breath, the sweet, cloying fragrance of the girl's room filling his lungs, a subtle tremor now evident in his exhale.

"No, absolutely can't do anything like this. I'm leaving Little March's room right now. Even if I have to… target someone, it definitely can't be like this."

Daziel whispered, his voice barely audible, carrying a faint but undeniable tremor.

At this moment, he was still too green, too naive, his heart weighed down by ingrained righteousness. He was still a long way from letting go of his inner moral compass.

___________________

Hey there! I'm Walnut-chan! 🌸 I'm translating this fanfic and restoring some +18 scenes that were cut from the original work—since explicit content isn't allowed in China. I went through everything carefully and reinserted the scenes while staying true to the story! Hope you enjoy it!

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