The Villainess Returns with a System

Hello, friends. It's Don here, author of "Dragonborn Saga" and "The Unholy Mage".

This is the third novel I write and the second original of my books. I started this sometime around 2019 and since I am currently having a hiatus with the other stories, I find myself energetically writing a lot of chapters here. So, why not finally publish this one?

Unlike my previous two, this story features a Female main character and unlike most other stories, it is set in a fantasy Industrial/Colonial era world. I will lean more towards Drama and Intrigue rather than pure Action and Fantasy while not completely abandoning them either.

It is also the sister story of The Unholy Mage, and without further ado, let's start this first chapter and Enjoy!

————————————————————

My name is Nadia. Once upon a time, I used to work as a thief with the legendary Black Cobra unit, whose leader was my friend Shady. [MC of Relife System: The Unholy Mage]

Always the face of success in our organization, the Medjay, we caused a huge stir in the world due to the incredible heists we pulled off together.

In the end, I've come to like Shady but sadly, he was more interested in 2D girls. If the world knew that the man who caused many governments to chew fingers in agony was a Dating-Sims degenerate otaku then the whole planet would facepalm in unison.

As my senpai never noticed me because of his harem of 2D waifus, I took the advice to try and appeal to him as approachable as possible and so I made up some stories about how experienced I am to get his attention, but somehow I still lost to the charms of the 2D girls.

Funny thing is... I too started playing Otome Games and quite frankly enjoyed them.

Unfortunately, those days didn't continue and it all went down on the day we were doing the heist of the century.

We received intel that an Ancient Egyptian Artifact was going to be sold under the supervision of the UN. That artifact was rumored to be the most priceless thing ever discovered due to the strange nature of its location and power. It was said that it contained a strange energy that may cause the world to see things from a whole new perspective regarding nuclear applications and such. Moreover, its discoverer was forced to sell it in an International Auction.

And we succeeded… but we were betrayed.

An old friend of ours who went off the grid for some time returned with enemies surrounding our hideout.

The whole team was threatened and we had to escape but someone had to stay and hold the enemies back. Shady took that upon himself.

As my superior, I was to follow his orders and evacuate the team out but as everyone was out safe and ready to run, something stopped me. I returned to find him confronted by agents from all nations at gunpoint.

The situation escalated too fast when I tried to save him and we both were gunned together, however, Shady had no plans to escape from the beginning. As we fell, I could see him falling lifelessly with something falling from his hands.

A detonator!

The idiot... he... he wired the place.

He wanted to end his legend in a blaze of glory after pulling off his biggest achievement and I was taken with him.

Good grief!

Still, I remember dying after the explosion and the feeling was shockingly scary but somehow, I came here.

Where is "here"?

The place looked like the gigantic fancy classic chambers of an aristocratic lady. My eyes moved around to see nothing but expensive furniture and antiques.

There was a mirror on the side so I started moving my numb body to it and what I saw was a pretty face reflected instead of mine. Black straight hair, violet evil eyes, tall lean figure, slender arms and legs, fair healthy skin.

"Who is this babe?"

Move left, move right, dumb face, ugly face... yep, that's my reflection alright.

Am I... the babe?

Look at that skin... so flawless like a supermodel.

My afterlife is so blessed!

I know, I know, most people should realize they got transmigrated by that time, yet I am a bit dumb and kept checking the gains I was so suddenly blessed with.

This raven-black long hair, these strong beautiful violet eyes, these perfect full lips on a beautiful face. And those… I'm such a simp, I know!

« Warning! You are being Poisoned! »

"What? People can get poisoned in Heaven?"

« The Poisoned Status is disturbing your memories. As a transmigration disturbing emergency, the item 'Antidote' will be granted. »

"How very thoughtful... Hold on! Transmigration?"

I was still realizing what kind of mess I am in but a strange small flask appeared in front of me floating in a faint aura of light. I want to believe I am still in heaven though I was mystified at first but I couldn't help but take the flask.

« Common Universal Antidote - Counteracts all Common Poisons - Exclusive to the Host »

"All poisons? You're kidding me, right?"

Each poison has its own antidote but that thing just ignores the effects and expels any kind of poison just like that? Isn't it too good to be true?

I would normally be suspicious but I am currently poisoned judging by how numb my body is as if I overdosed some painkillers.

"Well, here goes nothing."

I could only swallow the bitter antidote and hope for the best. Sitting on a chair in front of the mirror, it felt like I was regaining parts of my head.

Was I that tired?

It felt like my senses were being regained one by one and the numb reality around me became more vivid and sensible.

"I am alive?"

Of course I am. Why am I asking this...

Wait!

Was it me asking?

Was it Nadia or... was it Vivian?

***

Once upon a time, a little commoner girl lived in Great Elgard with her loving family in a bustling city. On her tenth birthday, the family was informed by the Temple of Saints that the girl carries a talent to the Holy Arts and the Temple will pay for her education in the most esteemed academy in the kingdom, Elgard's First Royal Academy.

As the girl turned sixteen, she was accompanied by a Temple Mentor to the Academy and was registered as a student in the Magic Department.

She was trained in the Temple's Holy Arts before entering the Academy and had the financial backing of the Temple so she wasn't in any position lower than the aristocratic students in terms of anything except social status.

Also, most girls were not allowed to practice Magic Arts or Martial Arts by ancient tradition, so her application in the Magic Arts put her above most of the females in the Academy.

But here where things turned exciting for the girl. In the Academy, there were Seven Charming Princes from all the Great Houses of Elgard. Each one of them was a possible love interest to that girl, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were certain "obstacles" between the girl and the seven young men and these were the Three Villainesses.

Obviously, three of the young men were engaged to the three villainesses while another three were their siblings and an extra target for the sake of number seven. It meant that one of the three villainesses will have three destruction routes while the other two only have two for each.

To make things even worse, there is a hidden 8th love interest which also will be dumped on that certain villainess making 4 out of 8 chances to end with her destruction.

That villainess is Vivian Moore, fiancee to the Crown Prince, daughter of the wealthiest house in Elgard, the House of Moore.

Her four destruction paths are as follows…

The Prince's Route: Poisoning herself for getting her engagement broken and for being forced to on another shameful engagement to a son of a Baron from the countryside.

The Brother's Route: Getting assassinated by her brother after putting all efforts into preventing her family's heir from marrying a commoner.

The Friend's Route: Being imprisoned for acquiring sensitive information about the country by using her relationship with a member of the Prince's entourage.

The Secret Route: a DLC story that got leaked online but I avoided most of the Spoilers. All I know is the Target is too strong and Vivian will release something very dark in the kingdom then get killed in the end.

Of course, this is all just a game that I miraculously got transmigrated in.

My name is Vivian Moore and also Nadia. I am two people in one as far as I can tell right now.

How is it possible? Don't ask me.

I was a secret agent in my previous life and a pampered child with astonishing beauty in this one. Both lives ended and somehow I got a second chance in one body resulting in a new version of me armed with the skillset of a secret agent and the beauty of an angel.

Or I am just the third screw up in line... probably.

Anyway, Nadia and Vivian... I'll treasure the chance I was given and do my best to keep this beautiful face on those shoulders…

Seriously, I should stop simping.

Now to the meat and potatoes of things.

The world I am in right now is a magical one but it has advanced to the Industrial/Colonial Era from what I can tell. As well as swords and magic, there are firearms, cannons, war ships, and even steam engines in their early phases, as well as some applications of electricity.

As for my transmigration, it came after the first destruction route with the Crown Prince. Right now, my engagement was broken and the Royal Family decided to beat the dead dog and forcibly arrange a new engagement for me with a son of a Baron from a rural town. It was a disgraceful banishment as no one can retort to an engagement arranged by the Royal Family, not even my father.

This is a problem that must be solved.

From what I know, Vivian swallowed poison after meeting her new fiancee, who is an ugly swine of a man with no talent, right to inheritance, or even a reputation. Someone who is doomed to be demoted to a commoner once his father's title is inherited.

The Royal Family was officially wedding a pig to a swan just to avenge a commoner girl, who was told off by an angry fiancée.

It is as if the world has lost its sense and the fiancée, who tried to protect her future marriage, became a bad person in comparison to someone who has middled between the future most important couple in the Kingdom.

Even though I, as Nadia, played the game myself, I, as Vivian, am infuriated by the lack of sense in this whole ordeal, and now I, as their successor, have to deal with this.

« The Poison was fully detoxified »

« The System is fully functional »

« New Trait: [Common Mithridatism] »

« New Quest: [Avoid the Forced Marriage] »

And there is this System thing.

It is as mysterious as my transmigration but as it helped me expel the poison, so it is a welcome addition.

"What can I do with you, System?"

==========

⟨ Menu ⟩

Profile

Quests

Shop

==========

Hmmm! Now that I look at it, this system looks awfully similar to the one from the game.

I remember the game being a Dating Sim RPG with a cute turn-based combat system. Sometimes, the Heroine would do quests, help people, practice holy magic, and hunt pesky mobs with her party of friends to advance further in the main quest.

I am not sure how things happened in reality but I am the one with the Game System now. Let's see, Profile...

====================

Name: Vivian Moore

Race: Human

Level: N/A

Age: 18

SP: 100

Social: Daughter of House Moore (Noble)

——————————

< Traits >

Common Mithridatism

Adept Diplomat

Adept Scholar

<Dormant Records>

====================

As expected, nothing different from the game and even the SP, the in-game currency. These traits, on the other hand, are interesting. Adept Diplomat and Scholar are straight out of the game and are mostly there because of Vivian's refined attitude and education. But Common Mithridatism and <Dormant Records> are new.

Next is the Quests...

====================

⟨ Quests ⟩

Avoid Forced Marriage: Avoid the Forced Marriage by any means necessary.

— Time Limit: 10 Hours

— Reward: SP (Depending on your Method) + Random Reward

— Fail: System Termination

====================

I am glad to see the System is so worried to the point where it will kill itself if I fail.

Also the reward is delicious but this Time Limit is quite demanding.

====================

⟨ Shop ⟩

< Weapons - Apparels - (Consumable) - Gadgets - Miscellaneous >

- [Common Antidote] 500 SP

- [Common Panacea] 300 SP

- [Common En....

...

..

.

====================

That's just a big list!

After skimming through it, I found mostly everything a girl needs from weapons to clothing to medicine to even books and food. Everything is appealing and all but all items are "Common-Grade" and set as "Exclusive to Host".

Putting all that aside. Now, what should I do regarding my issue?

*knock knock knock*

And the door knocks.

"... Yes?" I reluctantly answered.

"My lady, you have been hiding in your chambers for an hour now. The Master wants you down at once."

This voice... the Head Maid.

I guess it is time to face my fate then.

————————————————————

Please show some Love ❤️, Comment 💬, and Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can also read the early chapters on P🅰️treon & Join Discord! 🔗 https://linktr.ee/donovel