The betrothal to Duke Cedric was a public spectacle unlike any other. The System, in its literal-mindedness, had no choice but to accept it. Selena had fulfilled the command, but the result was a political alliance, not a romance. The nobility buzzed with speculation. Was this a genuine love match? A power grab? Or had Lady Selena, the notorious villainess, finally shown her true colors as a cunning strategist?
The day after the announcement, a new screen appeared. It was small, discreet, and had the faint, angry red glow she had come to dread.
"Warning: Plot Deviation. Final attempt to correct plot parameters. User has one last chance to fulfill assigned role. Failure will result in immediate termination."
The screen vanished, replaced by the next task, a chillingly simple command.
"Task: Publicly humiliate Lady Iris at the Royal Ball. Reward: 1,000 points."
Selena's blood ran cold. This was the final, most monstrous act of the original manhwa. The scene where Selena, in a fit of jealous rage, would publicly tear a priceless necklace from Iris's neck, not only ruining her dress but also shattering her public image and her heart. It was a vicious act of cruelty that would have led to her immediate exile.
The compulsion was a siren's call, a powerful, almost irresistible pull toward violence. The System was no longer playing games. It was forcing her hand, leaving no room for clever wordplay or subtle misdirection. She was a villain, and it wanted her to act like one.
She immediately sent a coded message to Liam. He arrived on her balcony an hour later, his face grim. "This is it," he said, his voice a low whisper. "The System is trying to force you into a specific physical act of villainy. You can't just talk your way out of this."
Selena nodded, her mind a whirlwind of fear and defiance. "I know. It wants me to tear the necklace from her neck. It wants a public, physical act of malice."
But even in the face of this impossible task, her mind, a fortress of logic and cunning, began to work. She couldn't stop the act, but she could change the motive. She couldn't stop the scene from happening, but she could ensure the consequences were entirely different.
Their plan was an act of pure narrative jujitsu. They would use the System's own rules against it. The System saw the world in terms of "tasks" and "outcomes." It didn't see the full context, the nuances, the silent battles being fought.
First, they would not destroy the necklace. They would replace it. Liam, with his network of birds, would acquire a perfectly crafted, but fake, diamond necklace. It would look identical to the real one, but it would be a subtle, crucial piece of misdirection.
Second, they would not act out of malice. They would act out of necessity.
The night of the Royal Ball, Selena was a vision in a gown of shimmering black silk, a stark contrast to the pastel colors of the other noblewomen. She carried herself with the icy grace of a queen, her eyes a mirror of cold, calculated ambition. She saw Iris across the room, a picture of innocence in a simple, elegant gown. Around her neck was a breathtaking diamond necklace, a gift from Duke Cedric.
The compulsion to act was a physical pain, a sharp, twisting sensation in her chest. Her feet began to move, a slow, deliberate march toward Iris. The crowd watched, a sea of silent observers waiting for the inevitable drama.
Just as she reached Iris, a new screen flashed in her mind, not red, but a blinding white.
"Warning: Subplot Activated. Iris's necklace is a powerful magical artifact. It is a curse. It drains her life force and will lead to her eventual demise. The curse is a plot device to bring Duke Cedric and a minor healer character closer. You are the only one who can remove it without breaking the plot."
The System, in its final, desperate act to force her hand, had revealed a secret truth. The necklace wasn't just a gift; it was a curse. It had been planted to make Iris ill, to make her a damsel in distress who needed to be saved. The original Selena, in her blind rage, would have unknowingly saved her rival by tearing the necklace off, but she would have been seen as a villain in the process.
The compulsion to tear it off intensified, a desperate, almost frantic pull. The System was trying to use a plot hole to get her to perform the villainous act. But Selena's mind, a machine of pure logic, saw another way.
She reached for the necklace, her hand moving with a speed and grace that stunned the onlookers. She didn't rip it. She didn't tear it. With a subtle, practiced motion, she unclasped it from Iris's neck, her fingers moving with the precision of a surgeon.
The crowd gasped, but Selena ignored them. She held the necklace up to the light, her eyes fixed on the diamonds. A new screen flashed in her mind, a vibrant green of victory.
"Task Progress: 100%. Humiliation Successful. Reward: 1,000 points."
The System had gotten what it wanted. She had publicly removed the necklace from Iris's neck, an act of humiliation in the eyes of the nobles. But she hadn't destroyed it. Instead, she turned to Duke Cedric, her voice ringing with cold authority.
"Duke," she said, her voice clear and strong. "This necklace is a cursed object. It is a poison disguised as a gift. It has been slowly draining Lady Iris of her life force. I had to remove it before it was too late."
The Duke's face was a mask of shock. He had not seen the truth. But Iris, now free from the curse, felt an immediate sense of relief. She swayed on her feet, the faint color returning to her cheeks. She looked at Selena not with hatred, but with a silent, profound gratitude.
The System, in its final, most brilliant attack, had created a no-win scenario. But Selena had found a way to win anyway. She had been forced to be a villain, but she had saved the day in the process. She had proven that the heart of a villain could be a weapon for good, and the most terrifying villainy of all was the kind that no one could see.