OO8.

Chapter 8

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I GRIPPED my dress tightly, frustration boiling within me as I carefully tried to stand up. The system was back, and now I couldn't speak. Again.

I wandered my eyes around and saw the people surrounding me acting normally now. The Emperor, who was walking towards me, had a hideous smile on his face.

"Happy Birthday, my lady," he said, handing me a small box. His eyes glinted with a malicious satisfaction as he presented the gift, his movements deliberate and slow, as if relishing the moment.

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Bow to the Emperor when you receive your gift, and say: Thank you for your benevolence, your Imperial Majesty.

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I paused when I realized there were no choices I could pick. What? I thought I would have choices!

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Punishment for trying to act on your own is starting now.

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I furrowed my brow as I stared at the holograph in front of me. What is it talking about? Is the system trying to control me now?!

"Thank you for your benevolence, your Imperial Majesty," I said, taking his gift in hand while bowing deeply before him. My body moved on its own accord. What the heck is happening now? First the first mission?! And now... I sighed deeply, trying to relax. You'll find a way out of this.

"Oh, this is nothing, Lady Loughsin!" Emperor Reynald laughed heartily, tapping my shoulders twice. "Now..." His demeanor shifted abruptly, a smirk barely concealed. "I need to speak with the Grand Duke. May I excuse myself?" he muttered, his smile not reaching his eyes as he turned and walked away with his knight. Wait... that knight looks familiar.

I narrowed my eyes into slits. Is that Zacharias? I thought, staring at him intently. But why? He is a royal knight, sworn to the Crown Prince! What's happening?

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The character Arthemice is deep in thought as she gazes at the royal knight accompanying the Emperor.

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I was startled when the holograph suddenly appeared in front of me. What the heck?

I just shook my head. Wait. I need to figure out what kind of mission I'm in right now. The prize is significant, so I need to be more careful.

I glanced to my right, noticing the holograph that refused to fade away.

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A new predicament has emerged!

The Grand Duke's Toxic Chalice!

Reward: A 20% boost in life restoration and a rise in reputation.

Failure: A 20% loss in life and drop in reputation.

Decide your course with great caution!

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'Haa...' I held my temple and massaged it, feeling the frustration bubbling up inside me. What a way to start the game. Well, the Villainess' coming-of-age ceremony is the beginning of the game, so I might as well go through with it.

"Greetings, Lady Cecelia!" I glanced at Sebastian, who greeted Cecelia as she finished dancing with the Crown Prince. She looked exhausted, but she managed to smile at him, her expression strained but sincere.

"May I take your hand for this dance?" he asked, extending his hand towards her. Oh, this scene is familiar, and I know there's a man walking towards me right now...

"Oh, how's the little brat feeling about her birthday?" Darious, Arthemice's brother, smirked maliciously at me, holding a glass of wine in his left hand. His eyes gleamed with contempt, and his posture radiated arrogance.

I rolled my eyes as I heard him. Wait... This is not the behavior I want to show off!

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Argue with your brother: Well, the little brat is now enjoying her birthday.

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"Well, the little brat is now enjoying her birthday." I tried to cover my mouth, but to my surprise, I couldn't lift my hands. Fuck!

"Then... did you enjoy watching the Crown Prince and Lady Hezekiah dancing together?" Darious taunted, hiding his smirk behind the glass of wine he was holding. His eyes gleamed with malice. "Oh! Your personal knight is also dancing with—" He didn't finish speaking as a palm landed sharply on his cheek.

Somehow, my heart felt heavy. I clenched my fists, anger boiling inside me as I looked at Cecelia, who was smiling brightly at the two male leads of this game. So, this is how Arthemice felt when she saw the one she loved and her personal knight slowly falling for someone else? I understood her anger, but seeing Arthemice's body being provoked like this infuriated me. That slap was well-deserved.

"Shut up," I replied, glaring at him. "Nice try, but I'm not your puppet anymore, Darious," I added, savoring the look of shock on his face as he held his cheek.

Suddenly, I saw him glitch for a second, and then a painfully sharp sound pierced my ears, like nails on a chalkboard. The noise was excruciating, and I winced, my face contorting in pain as I clutched my ears tightly, trying to block it out.

'Fuck!' I cursed in my thoughts, feeling the relentless pain throb through my head.

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This is the punishment for acting on your own again.

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I glared at the holograph in front of me. What the heck is wrong with the system right now?! They could just make me mute for the whole game when there are no choices!

"Why not just mute me when I'm being a hassle to your system?" I shouted, looking up, enduring the pain surging through me.

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The system does not understand what you are saying.

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"Ugh!" I groaned in frustration while messing my own hair. What am I supposed to do here?!

I darted a cold look at the person in front of me. He looked at me in awe, probably thinking I was mentally unstable.

"I am leaving now, crazy sister," Darious said, walking away as if nothing had happened. It was a good thing we were in a secluded area where no one could see us. Because if they did, there would definitely be gossipers whispering right now.

"When will it start?" I looked up again as I asked that.

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You need extra life to look for the clue.

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I read the holograph and sighed deeply.

"How much life?" I asked, already dreading the answer.

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5% of your current life will be reduced if you want the clue.

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My life is now at 22%. Would it be a pain in my ass to reduce it to 17%? I clenched my fists in frustration.

I shrugged my shoulders. Well, it's now or never.

"Yes, I'm asking for a clue in this predicament," I muttered, gritting my teeth.

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Success. 5% of your life is now reduced for looking for the clue.

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Huh. How convenient. Tsk. I rolled my eyes.

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Updating character details...

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Character Profile

Eiliyah Arthemice Loughsin

Title: The Ruthless Villainess

Current Life: 17%

Reputation: 2%

Power Level: Unknown

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I rolled my eyes again when I saw the update. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Tsk.

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The wine will be served by the servant named Stella.

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Is that it? Well, at least I know when it will be served, because right now, I saw Stella carrying a tray of wine.

I hastily went to her and grabbed her shoulder. She looked horrified when she saw my face.

"Y-Yes, my lady?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with fear as she gripped the tray of wine tightly, her knuckles white.

"Where are you going to serve this?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the wine. My eyes squinted as I saw three bottles of wine in front of me. What the heck?!

"The young Duke asked me to serve this to His Grace and His Imperial Majesty," she replied, her hands trembling.

I laughed out of frustration and disbelief at her reaction. Curse the system! Now, how can I identify which glass is poisoned?!

Should I slap her? And throw the glasses of wine? Huh. That would be a mess.

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The intuition activated. Slap your maid and pour the three glasses of wine on her.

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I paused when I read the holograph. What?! What the heck is the system babbling about?!

My hands moved on their own as I raised one to slap her. I tried my best to keep myself from moving an inch, but I couldn't do it. My hand... no, my body. I couldn't control it. Rage boiled within me, but I was powerless against the system's control.

Stella's eyes filled with terror as my hand approached her. My heart pounded in my chest, my anger and frustration reaching a fever pitch. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but the system had me in its grip.

"My lady!" I was stunned when I felt someone grab my hand. The restraint faded as I saw Zacharias holding my hand tightly.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his face twisted with anger and disgust as he tightened his grip on my wrist. The pain shot through me like a bolt of electricity, but I couldn't react.

"What is this all about?" The Grand Duke's voice boomed as he approached with a dark aura, his eyes blazing with anger. Zacharias immediately released my hand and dropped to one knee before the Grand Duke.

"My apologies, Your Grace. But your daughter might have caused a commotion in front of His Imperial Majesty without my intervention," Zacharias explained, his face stern and unyielding.

"It's okay, Zach, let me just talk to my friend about this," the Emperor said with a calm smile, though his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement and curiosity. His demeanor was relaxed, yet there was an underlying tension that made the atmosphere heavy.

The guests' eyes were all on us, their whispers buzzing like angry bees. I couldn't hear their words, but I knew they were judging me, spreading malicious gossip.

I needed to intervene before it was too late, but I couldn't move my body an inch. The system's grip on me was ironclad.

"Are you okay, my dear?" The Grand Duke asked, his face etched with worry. He gently held my chin, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of injury or distress. His fingers trembled slightly, betraying his concern.

"I-I," I stammered, trying to pull myself together. I thought the restraint had faded. I clenched my fists tightly, feeling the nails dig into my palms. I need to do something.

They were all waiting for me to respond. I couldn't let myself be controlled by this damned system. My mind raged against the invisible chains, every fiber of my being straining to break free.

Move, Arthemice! Move your body for goodness' sake! I screamed internally, my thoughts a chaotic storm of anger and frustration.

Suddenly, a surge of determination coursed through me. My body trembled as I fought against the system's control, my muscles straining painfully. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I exerted every ounce of willpower I had.

"I was thirsty!" I shouted, my voice breaking free like a dam bursting. I pointed shakily to Stella. "A-And she didn't want me to drink it. That's why." I held my right shoulder, feeling the tremors subside as I looked down. Damn it. I barely made it. I didn't know what reason I would give, and I had no choice but to say that.

The Grand Duke's eyes softened slightly, though worry still lingered. The Emperor raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, while Zacharias looked at me with a mixture of suspicion and disdain.

But I had done it. I had fought back against the system, if only for a moment.

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You acted on your own again. The punishment will commence at any moment now.

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"Oh!" the Emperor laughed as he looked at me. His face lit up with joy, his eyes sparkling with amusement, and a deep blush spread across his cheeks from the hearty laughter.

"Then drink it. I'm not that thirsty at all. I will just wait for the other one, Lady Loughsin," he continued.

I was about to respond when the annoying and painful sounds reached my ears again. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Cursed the system!

I clenched my teeth, feeling the sharp, searing pain ripple through my body. It felt as if a thousand needles were stabbing into my flesh, each one more agonizing than the last. Every step towards Stella was a battle against the overwhelming torment.

She looked terrified, her eyes wide and her body trembling as she bowed to me. Her fear was palpable, almost as if she could feel my pain through the air. My hands shook uncontrollably as I tried to grab the glass of wine, the tremors making it hard to maintain my grip.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the excruciatingly annoying sounds. My head pounded, and every nerve in my body screamed in agony. I needed to endure this.

'Should I drink it all?' I wondered. 'But what if it's poisoned?' I dismissed the thought quickly.

With a deep breath, I brought the glass to my lips. The wine was bitter, its harshness matching the torment I felt inside. I forced myself to gulp it down, feeling the liquid burn its way down my throat. As I finished, I pretended to feel dizzy, swaying dramatically and knocking over the remaining glasses in the process. The guests gasped as all the glasses shattered, their fragments scattering across the floor like a shower of broken dreams. The Grand Duke quickly stepped in, his strong arms wrapping around me to keep me from falling.

"Arthemice!" he called out, his voice filled with concern.

My vision blurred, and I could barely stand. The pain was relentless, but I had to keep up the act. I clung to the Grand Duke, my body trembling and weak.

"Sister! W-What did you just do?!" I saw Darious hurrying hastily towards us. "This wine was supposed to—" The Emperor cut him off mid-sentence.

"It's okay, Lord Darious. Your sister is tired. Can you escort her?" the Emperor said. Darious looked at me, his face twisted with anger, his eyes blazing with fury. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his jaw set in a rigid line.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," he responded, bowing deeply.

"Stella—"

"No, Father, I am okay," I interrupted him, forcing a faint smile onto my face. It felt fragile, like it could shatter at any moment, but I needed to appear strong. I didn't need that woman to take care of me. He looked at me, hesitating at first, but then he sighed.

"Okay, I will take care of things here; just rest for a while," he replied, his eyes filled with worry.

The urgency of the scene was unmistakable. The Grand Duke's concerned gaze followed every move, his brow furrowed with anxiety. Around us, whispers and gossip swirled, guests exchanging shocked glances and murmuring amongst themselves.

I bid my farewell and apologized to everyone. Darious, looking furious, escorted me away, his grip on my arm tight with barely contained anger.

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The Grand Duke's Toxic Chalice is now successfully completed. Rewards recalculating!

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I heaved a distant sigh when I saw the holograph, a wave of relief washing over me. So, no one drank that poison? I'm just in pain because of the system trying to control me, not because I drank that wine. So, I didn't drink the poison, right?

I smirked, a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction on my face. What a twisted game, I thought, feeling a slight tremor of relief coursing through my veins.

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Updating character details...

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Now, the real prize awaits. I rolled my eyes, feeling a blend of anticipation and mild impatience.

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Character Profile

Eiliyah Arthemice Loughsin

Title: The Ruthless Villainess

Current Life: 37%

Reputation: 12%

Power Level: Unknown

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fin.