Xerxes walked fast. Actually, he was power-walking. If dignity wasn't an issue for a noble of his station, he would be sprinting.
He had just dropped a bomb—financially and metaphorically—in the banquet hall.
Alistair was probably still staring at the mana crystal, confused whether to kill Xerxes or thank him.
'I need to leave the capital,' Xerxes thought, his silk robes swishing as he navigated the garden maze. 'If I stay, the plot will try to correct itself. Alistair will find a reason to challenge me. A meteor will hit my house. Something.'
He checked his spatial ring with his mind.
[Balance: 50,000 Gold Coins.]
He was rich. Obscenely rich. He could buy a private island, hire a mercenary army to guard the beach, and spend the rest of his life drinking coconut water.
" Sniff. "
Xerxes froze.
The sound came from the rose garden ahead. It was the specific, melodic sobbing of a plot point waiting to happen.
'Don't look,' Xerxes told himself, accelerating his pace. 'Just keep walking. You are an NPC now. You see nothing. You hear nothing.'
He turned to leave, but the System—that traitorous blue screen—popped up directly in his line of sight.
[Ding!]
[Proximity Alert: Main Heroine Detected.]
[Character: Lena (The Saintess of Dawn)]
[Current Status: Despair.]
Xerxes peeked through the bushes.
There she was. Lena. The girl with silver hair and eyes like dewdrops.
'Wait. Wasn't she just clinging to Alistair in the hall?' Xerxes thought, frowning.
Then he realized what must have happened. When he dropped that mountain of gold, the entire room had erupted into chaos. Alistair was paralyzed by shock. Lena, clutching the secret debt note in her hand, must have used the confusion to slip away. She probably felt too ashamed to stand next to the "Hero" while holding a debt that could ruin him.
'Typical Saintess behavior,' Xerxes scoffed.
'Running away to cry alone so she doesn't burden the protagonist. It's almost poetic. And annoying.'
Right now, she looked like a mess. She was crying on a stone bench, holding a crumpled piece of paper.
Xerxes squinted. 'That paper... wait. I remember this.'
In the original novel, this was the start of the "Debt Arc." Lena's father, a gambling addict with zero survival instincts, owed 5,000 Gold to the Shadow Guild, the city's ruthless underworld faction.
Alistair is supposed to find her here, vow to protect her, and go fight the mafia to clear the debt. That fight is how Alistair unlocks his "Berserk Mode."
Xerxes's face paled.
'If Alistair fights the mafia, he awakens his aura. He skips right past Novice and becomes an Elite-ranked swordsman overnight.'
He couldn't let that happen. He had to stop the "Rescue Arc." He had to delete this plotline from existence.
Xerxes stepped out of the bushes.
"You're crying loud enough to wake the dead," Xerxes said, his voice dripping with aristocratic boredom.
"Stop it. It's annoying."
Lena jumped, wiping her eyes frantically.
When she saw it was Xerxes—the villainous Young Master known for kicking puppies (allegedly)—she shrank back in fear.
"L-Lord Xerxes! I... I'm sorry! I'll leave!"
"No, stay there," Xerxes commanded.
He pointed a long finger at the crumpled paper.
"That's a debt note, isn't it? How much?"
Lena trembled, clutching the paper to her chest.
"I... it's 5,000 Gold, my lord. But please, I don't have—"
"5,000?" Xerxes scoffed. "Is that all? I spend more than that on snacks."
He was lying. 5,000 Gold was a fortune. But right now, he had 50,000, and spending it was the only way to save his own neck.
He reached into his ring and pulled out a heavy sack. He didn't count it. He just dumped it onto the bench next to her. The stone cracked slightly under the weight.
"Here is 10,000 Gold," Xerxes said.
Lena stopped breathing. She stared at the bag like it was a live dragon.
"M-My lord? This is..."
"Pay your debts," Xerxes said coldly. "And with the remaining 5,000? Buy a ticket. Boat, carriage, dragon—I don't care. Just make sure it takes you far away from me."
He leaned in, his eyes narrowing menacingly.
"Leave Onyx City. Go to the border of the Iron Kingdom. Just go somewhere far, far away from here. If I see your face in this city again, I'll be very... displeased."
'There,' Xerxes thought triumphantly.
'If she leaves the country, Alistair can't save her. No romance. No power-up. I broke the plot!'
Lena looked at the gold, then up at Xerxes. Her teary eyes widened. Her lips trembled.
'Yes, fear me,' Xerxes thought.
'Run away from the bad man. Go start a bakery in another time zone.'
But Lena didn't run. A strange flush appeared on her cheeks.
[Lena's Perspective]
Lena looked at the man towering over her. The rumors said Xerxes was cruel. They said he was selfish.
But he knew.
He knew about her father's debt. That meant he had been watching her. Protecting her from the shadows?
And he gave her double the amount?
And then he told her to leave the capital?
Everyone knew the political situation in the capital was getting dangerous. The succession war was starting soon.
'He isn't banishing me,' Lena realized, her heart pounding against her ribs.
'He is sending me away to keep me safe. He is sacrificing his fortune just to ensure I don't get hurt in the crossfire.'
He was acting cruel on purpose. He wanted her to hate him so she wouldn't feel guilty about taking the money.
He was a tragic, misunderstood saint.
[Back to Xerxes]
"Lord Xerxes..." Lena whispered, clutching the gold to her chest.
"You... you're trying to save me."
"I'm trying to exile you," Xerxes corrected, turning around to walk away.
"Go. Now."
[Ding!]
[System Activation.]
[Target: Lena (Heroine)]
[Action: Paying off debt + Funding relocation.]
[Interpretation: "A selfless sacrifice disguised as villainy. He is my secret guardian."]
Xerxes stumbled mid-step. 'Wait. What?'
[Impact:
Maximum Romantic Misunderstanding.]
[Refund Multiplier: 500x]
[Reward: The Ancient Phoenix Bloodline (Consumable)]
[Bonus Reward: Soul-Binding Contract (S-Rank)]
[Notice: Due to the high value of the gift and the Target's intense gratitude, the 'Soul-Binding Contract' has automatically activated.]
Xerxes stopped. He slowly turned around.
Lena wasn't running away.
She was kneeling on the ground, a glowing golden circle forming beneath her. The gold he gave her was dissolving into light, fueling the magic.
"I, Lena, accept your protection," she said, her voice filled with a terrifying amount of determination.
"I vow to serve you, my Lord, until this debt is repaid with my life!"
[System Notification: New Harem Member Acquired (Involuntary).]
[Current Status: Bound Servant.]
Xerxes stared at the glowing girl.
He stared at the empty spot where his gold used to be.
He stared at the "Deportation Plan" that had just gone up in flames.
"No," Xerxes whispered. "I paid you to leave. Why are you glowing? Stop glowing! Go away!"
Lena looked up, her eyes shining with absolute loyalty. "I understand, my Lord. You are shy. I will not tell anyone of your kindness."
"I'm not shy! I'm trying to banish you!"
"I will pack my bags," Lena nodded, standing up and dusting off her dress.
"I will move into your manor tonight. I can cook, clean, and I will protect your secrets with my life."
"What? No! That's the opposite of banishing!"
As Lena ran off happily to pack her things, presumably to invade his house within the hour, Xerxes stood alone in the garden. He looked up at the sky.
"System," he asked quietly. "I hate you."
[Ding!]
[You're welcome.]
Author's Note:
Xerxes: "Here is money. Please get lost."
Lena: "Is this a marriage proposal?"
System: "Yes."
If you enjoyed Xerxes' suffering, leave a comment! Next chapter: The Hero finds out and... well, it's not good.