Ethan staggered to the mirror, half hoping what he felt was just a dream. But the reflection staring back confirmed the worst, he wasn't in his old body anymore.
A delicate young man blinked back at him. His skin was porcelain pale, almost translucent, as if it would flush with the lightest touch. Large green eyes glistened with unintentional innocence, framed by soft lashes. His lips were naturally pink and slightly pouty, and his light brown hair curled gently around his face.
He looked like a porcelain doll. Ethereal. Beautiful in a way that didn't feel real.
Ethan stared at himself, blinking, as if the mirror had suddenly become some cruel joke. Beautiful… too beautiful. Honestly, even he had to admit: this body could make most ladies feel self-conscious. If he stood next to any girl in town, they'd probably crumble under comparison.
He staggered back, pressing his hands to his face, feeling the smooth skin under his fingers. "No. No, no, no!" he shouted, panic rising. "This isn't me! I want my face back! My manly face!"
"System!" he cried, voice cracking. "Take me back! I didn't agree to this!"
The thought of being thrust into BL worlds—and in this fragile, sissy body of all things—made him want to scream.
He was a straight man, for heaven's sake!
Back in his original world, he had even managed to date a beautiful girl once. Sure, the relationship hadn't lasted—she eventually dumped him, calling him boring and hopeless—but still, it had happened! The most they'd done was hold hands. He had never kissed a woman, let alone experienced anything beyond that.
And now? These deceitful goddesses had tossed him into a BL world as a pregnant shou?! What kind of cosmic joke was this?
"You can't return until you complete all your missions, host~!" Xixi's cheerful voice rang out, floating beside him like an overexcited balloon.
Ethan's face darkened. "I'm leaving."
He stomped toward the door with all the pride and defiance of a man betrayed by fate itself. There was no way he was staying here—pregnant, in a strange world, and expected to play house with a male lead who didn't even like him.
"I'm not doing this! No thanks!"
"You can't just leave!" Xixi zipped after him, flapping her little wings in panic.
Ethan reached for the door, grabbed the handle, and twisted.
Click.
It didn't budge. Why is it locked?!
Ethan slammed his palm against the door in frustration, his chest heaving. "This has to be a dream. A really messed up dream."
But the dull throb in his lower back and the weight in his belly said otherwise.
Xixi floated around nervously, her little wings flapping faster than usual. "Well... the original owner of this body wasn't exactly stable. He, um, tried to end his own life once. So the Luciano family decided it would be safer to keep you under tight watch. For the baby's protection, of course."
So he was being held prisoner.
He glanced around the room—luxurious, yes. But the windows didn't open, and the door only worked from the outside. There were no sharp objects in sight. Even the cutlery they served him food with was made of wood.
It looked less like a bedroom and more like a velvet-wrapped prison.
"They're not imprisoning you," Xixi said carefully. "They're… ensuring your health."
Ethan gave her a look. "Right. And calling it 'healthcare' makes it less creepy?"
She offered a sheepish smile. "You are a very valuable asset right now, host."
Asset. Not person.
That word rang loud in Ethan's head.
He sighed deeply and slumped onto the edge of the bed. So not only was he stuck in this world, trapped in a body that wasn't his, he was also under 24/7 surveillance like some rare, delicate animal.
But Ethan wasn't the kind of guy to just sit around and wait for death.
According to the world script, he had exactly seven days left. In seven days, the male lead—his supposed "husband"—would try to kill him. And according to the fluffy little rabbit system, if he died here, it wasn't just game over. He'd really die. Soul gone. No reset. No second chances.
That was the cruel reality of being a side character. They were born to suffer, used as stepping stones, and killed off early to move the plot forward.
And the male lead? Oh, don't get him started. That guy was ruthless! He didn't even blink before plotting some "accident" to squash Xia Lan like a bug. A two-for-one deal too— Xia Lan and the unborn child, gone in one neat little package, all to please his delicate little moonlight, the MC of this world.
He was just a ticking bomb no one wanted around.
Ethan clenched his jaw. "Like hell I'm dying for someone else's love story."
Just as Ethan was about to start planning his escape, a soft click echoed through the room.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing a young maid dressed in a neat black and white uniform.
"Young Master Xian," she said with a small bow, her voice quiet and respectful. "The evening meal has been prepared. Your presence is being requested in the dining hall."
Ethan blinked.
"Please freshen up and follow me when ready," the maid added, still avoiding eye contact. There was something nervous in the way she shifted on her feet—like she didn't want to be there either.
There was no way out of this… right?
After forcing himself to look halfway decent—hair combed, clothes straightened, Ethan took a deep breath and followed the maid.
The Luciano estate was absurdly massive. The ceilings arched high above his head like cathedral vaults, the polished marble floors so clean they reflected his anxious steps. Every few meters stood another painting, another ancient family portrait glaring down like they already disapproved of him.
Ethan's lips twitched. Honestly, it felt less like he was walking through a hallway and more like he'd been dragged onto the set of one of those cliché dramas—where the pitiful side character always ended up slapped across the face by some wealthy madam holding a wine glass.
Finally, they stopped in front of two towering doors. The maid pushed them open with a bow.
The moment the doors creaked open, Ethan was nearly blinded by the warm glow pouring out. The room was grand. Almost too grand. A single long table stretched nearly the length of the room, set with polished silverware, crystal glasses, and steaming plates of high-class cuisine that probably cost more than his old apartment rent.
But the food wasn't what stole his breath.
It was the people.
The entire Luciano family was already seated, and the weight of their gazes hit him the moment he stepped inside. There were at least ten of them, men and women draped in sleek suits and elegant gowns, each looking like they had been carved out of money, power, and arrogance.
Their movements were refined, their smiles practiced, but Ethan knew the truth. These people weren't noble. They were wolves dressed in silk—scheming, power-hungry, and vicious to the bone.
And then his eyes landed on the man seated at the far end of the table.
Damien Luciano.
The male lead of this twisted world. Dark-haired, sharp-jawed, exuding quiet authority with a face as cold as a marble statue. He didn't say a word. He didn't even blink. He just stared, gaze unreadable.
And the most ironic part?
The only empty seat… was right next to him.
And then… his eyes landed on the man at the far end of the table.