Chapter 58: Don’t Be a Cliché Villain!

Will sighed deeply.

Since his past self had written additional notes, there was still hope.

He flipped the page, moving past the terrifying “Don’t Cancel the Engagement” task.

On the next page was the follow-up task, “Task 85.”

[Task 85: Identify the mastermind behind the attack. Even if the engagement is canceled, find a way to establish contact with Treya and enter the Princess Treya storyline.]

“Well, isn’t that convenient? I just identified the mastermind moments ago.”

He glanced at the bright red powder in the dish and nodded.

[Series Tasks up to 90. Reward: Treya’s exclusive swordsmanship—Demon’s Black Blade.]

Hmm… Task 90 was still far off.

If Task 85 was the entry point to Treya’s storyline, then the tasks leading up to 90 would likely involve nurturing her growth.

[Task Hint: The critical engagement storyline will trigger approximately two weeks after entering the cold storage incident. Don’t miss it. It won’t refresh.]

“Of course I know it won’t refresh!”

No wonder she was the last heroine introduced. Will could practically see his past self getting cheekier with every note. The earlier tasks and rewards didn’t have nearly as much playful commentary.

But…

A good task system connects the plot seamlessly. After flipping through a few pages and rereading the character profile, Will recalled the entire storyline.

Roughly two weeks from now, a long-scheduled engagement announcement ceremony would take place at the royal palace. It was for the youngest son of the Hysterm family and the youngest princess of the Entark royal family. Both the youngest—how fitting.

The merchants associated with the Hysterm family and the nobles connected to the Entark royal family were all aware of this event. Guess who wasn’t informed?

That’s right!

The groom himself.

In the original story, Will suddenly received a letter from his father, instructing him to arrive at the palace by a specific time to attend a banquet.

When he arrived, he discovered it was actually an engagement ceremony. Only then was he informed that his father had arranged everything, and only then did he learn that his fiancée was a royal princess. That’s when it dawned on him that he was just a pawn in a political marriage.

Having lived through this life for fourteen years, Will still couldn’t understand what his father was thinking. Maybe he just didn’t see Will as his son.

“And so, Will, you absolute idiot, you managed to hit every villain cliché by the age of fourteen!”

At the engagement ceremony, for reasons unknown, “Young Master Will” became convinced that the attack on his way to school and the bullying he faced at the academy were all due to royal family politics and his engagement to Treya. He was furious that his father had informed him so late and questioned whether Treya had the ability to protect him from the dangers she supposedly brought.

During the banquet, amidst the crowd and chatter, someone suggested that Treya demonstrate her swordsmanship to prove herself. This, they said, would reassure Will.

But…

Treya failed.

It was a simple Entark sword technique, but Treya couldn’t execute it successfully.

In a fit of rage, the original Will poured his drink over Treya’s head and, in front of merchants, dignitaries, and royal family members, announced that he was canceling the engagement.

Because the original story rarely showed events from Will’s perspective, his storyline had to be pieced together through the eyes of other characters.

From Treya’s perspective, this sequence of events was utterly baffling. She had been looking forward to meeting her fiancé, only for him to accuse her of incompetence and force her to demonstrate her skills. Despite practicing the technique countless times, she failed.

Will seized the opportunity to humiliate her publicly and cancel the engagement.

This incident left Treya with deep psychological scars.

Although she remained the same innocent child, she became even more emotionally reserved, numb to the feelings of others. She grew fearful of her status as a princess, unable to appear in public.

And…

What had initially been a way to connect with her mother—learning swordsmanship—turned into an obsessive quest for strength.

Worst of all…

Treya developed a deep hatred for Will!

She despised him!

She loathed him!

She feared him…

“Will, you’re an absolute villain!”

Staring into a mirror, Will scolded himself.

Everything else could be dealt with, but this… this was a monumental challenge.

“This is… so difficult.”

This time, forget about nurturing her into a yandere. If the engagement cancellation couldn’t be avoided, even talking to Treya would be nearly impossible—let alone earning her trust.

“Hmm… I’ll need to carefully study this and prepare the necessary tools.”

But…

Now that he knew the mastermind was Eugenie, everything started to make sense.

Eugenie had another identity.

In the original story, Eugenie Entark was the “caring” older sister who had always “looked after” her younger sister Treya. She “helpfully” taught Treya swordsmanship and encouraged her to take on adventurer commissions to build her reputation.

Treya admired, followed, and trusted her sister.

It was obvious now.

Will’s misfortunes were orchestrated by Eugenie, who calculated exactly when he would learn certain information and explode in anger.

The crowd’s instigation? That was Eugenie’s doing, ensuring Treya would embarrass herself at the banquet.

The flawed swordsmanship? That was Eugenie’s teaching, with full knowledge of its weaknesses.

In other words…

Every betrayal, every setback, every manipulation Treya faced in her life—even the humiliating defeat in front of the person she admired most—was orchestrated by Eugenie Entark.

Eugenie’s true target wasn’t Will.

It was her sister, Treya.

But if Will could figure out what Eugenie was planning… he might be able to counter her.

A confident smile spread across Will’s face.

This time, Will wouldn’t play the role of a cliché villain!

—

“Y-Young Master, good morning!”

“Yawn…”

As usual, Will had stayed up late the previous night. He yawned as he slowly descended the stairs.

“Eir, why do you sound so cautious today…? Hmm? Do we have a guest?”

He noticed someone standing in the first-floor foyer of his private residence.

It was…

Someone he was very familiar with—his father’s personal steward.

The man always wore a black butler’s uniform, complete with a hat and shiny black leather shoes that creaked against the wooden floor.

He also wore white gloves.

His hair was snow-white, a sign of his many years of service to the Hysterm family.

“Young Master Will, it’s been a while. After all, the last time I came, you didn’t open the door, so I couldn’t deliver the message.”

Will was thrilled.

He guessed that his father’s steward had come specifically to deliver that letter.

But…

“Hmph. So you’ve come to find me? What is it this time? Is that man feeling generous enough to send me pocket money again?”

—He had to keep up the act of being estranged from his father.

Only by doing so could he extract gold from his father!

Unlike before, when he could simply shout and have servants fetch money from the treasury, he now needed a stable source of income.

“No, Young Master. I believe this is good news.”

The steward’s professionalism was impeccable. Despite Will’s rude tone, he remained polite and formal, bowing deeply.

Then, he pulled a letter from his pocket.

The seal on the envelope was identical to the one Will had stared at all night.

A blue rose with a missing petal at the four o’clock position.

It was a letter from the Entark royal family, but it wasn’t just any letter. The envelope was ornately decorated, with gold embossing along the edges.

Will’s name was written in elegant script.

It looked more like an invitation than a letter, designed to showcase the Entark seal prominently.

“Young Master, please accept this letter.”

The steward smiled with the precision of a professional.

“And… the Master says you must attend.”