The main hall of the Nighthollow mansion was exactly as Lyan expected.
The ceilings were high, and there was dark wooden furniture that probably cost more than an average house.
Four figures awaited him in the center of the hall, arranged in two clearly distinct pairs.
On the right were his parents, or rather, the parents of the body he now occupied.
Rowan Nighthollow was a middle-aged man, with black hair streaked with gray and blue eyes that examined him with a mixture of surprise and caution.
At his side stood Leonora Nighthollow, who stood out for her mature beauty, with delicate features framed by her jet-black hair and an expression that tried, without much success, to hide her bewilderment.
Her figure was striking despite her age, with enormous breasts pressing against her dress, accentuating an hourglass figure.
To the left of these two stood the Blackwell couple, who presented an interesting contrast.
Godwin Blackwell was a burly man with an easy smile on his face and calculating eyes that gleamed with interest.
At his side, his wife Rosalind Blackwell, for her part, maintained a neutral expression, although the slight tension in her shoulders revealed what she felt. She was clearly not particularly pleased with the outcome of the duel.
Behind each pair stood a maid.
The one accompanying the Nighthollows was a woman in her thirties, with blonde hair tied up in a bun.
Whose uniform failed to conceal her generous figure, something any man would easily notice. Especially due to the provocative shape of her chest.
The Blackwells' maid was equally eye-catching, with black hair and a voluptuous body, with wide hips that her discreet uniform could barely contain.
They were the head maids.
The first to speak was Rowan, who stepped forward with an expression between disbelief and pride.
"Lyan," he said in a deep voice, "I must admit that what we witnessed was… completely unexpected."
Leonora nodded beside her husband, placing a hand over her chest with a dramatic gesture that seemed rehearsed.
"My son, where did you learn to move like that? All these years we thought that…"
"That I was useless?" Lyan finished in a flat tone.
At the comment, both parents tensed slightly.
"It doesn't matter what you thought before. The result speaks for itself." Lyan finished.
An awkward silence settled among the Nighthollows, but before they could respond, Godwin stepped forward with a wide smile.
"Splendid! Absolutely splendid!" he exclaimed as he extended his hand toward Lyan enthusiastically.
"I must admit I had my doubts about the engagement, young Nighthollow. The rumors about your… situation… were quite discouraging. But this changes everything."
Lyan simply looked at him without saying anything.
'The gleam in his eyes is identical to the politicians and businessmen in my world… they all have that expression when they smell an opportunity to gain more power.'
"I'm glad to know you weren't entirely useless as they said," Godwin continued without losing his smile.
"The union of our families will be beneficial for both parties. My daughter…" his gaze briefly shifted toward the door, "will be an excellent addition to the Nighthollow household."
Lyan looked at the man's outstretched hand for a moment. This man in front of him did not see his daughter as such, but as a bargaining chip.
'Extremely pathetic… but a man like this is easy to manipulate.'
At the thought, Lyan accepted the handshake.
"Your daughter's hand is an acceptable offering," Lyan replied.
The man's smile widened, clearly satisfied with the response.
At that very moment, the hall doors burst open, drawing the attention of everyone present, except for Lyan, who kept his eyes fixed on Godwin for a second before turning.
It was Seraphine, who had entered with stiff steps, her hair now tied into a high ponytail that left her neck exposed.
She had changed outfits, now wearing a formal dress that accentuated her figure.
Without saying a word, she walked directly toward her mother, positioning herself at her side with her head lowered.
With her fists clenched at her sides and the tension in her jaw, she revealed what her lips did not say.
Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, in a gesture that could be considered either comfort or warning.
- - - -
Half an hour later, Lyan was in a smaller room, watching as the four patriarchs reviewed some documents on the table.
'All of this is… ridiculously sudden.' Lyan thought, reflecting on the situation, as his gaze shifted to Seraphine, who remained standing by the window with her arms crossed.
Then he returned his gaze forward, acknowledging that he had won that fight only because she had let her guard down.
If she had fought even a little more seriously, she would have won.
But he couldn't entirely blame her for that arrogance. After all, her opponent was completely different from the one she knew.
Lyan looked at his hands, clenching his fists several times. 'Even so, this body…'
His current height must have been around one meter eighty-three, considerably less than the nearly two meters he had before.
And his current physique… was deplorable.
His muscles were atrophied from years of inactivity, and he could feel that his stamina was minimal; he could be certain he would end up panting after climbing a simple set of stairs.
'I'll have to work on that.'
At that moment, the system screen appeared before his eyes with a new message.
[Mission Available!]
[Sign the engagement with the first villainess of "Destined to End the Villainesses SSS"]
[Reward]
[Status Panel Unlocked.]
[Body Memories.]
'I was going to do it anyway…' Lyan thought as a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.
'Though I must admit… attractive women were always one of my weaknesses. And this particular villainess…'
His gaze shifted toward Seraphine, scanning every part of her body. 'She's definitely not bad at all.'
"The documents are ready," Rowan announced, interrupting Lyan's thoughts. "All that's left is for the betrothed to sign them, to make the engagement official."
Without wasting time, Lyan approached the table. Seraphine did the same from the other side, and for a moment their gazes met.
Her eyes burned with resentment, while his remained as cold and indifferent as ever.
A maid offered each of them a pen. Lyan took his without much interest, but noticed how Seraphine gripped hers so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her hand trembled slightly over the paper, resisting signing a document that would seal her fate.
The seconds passed uncomfortably until finally, she signed the document in a way that looked like she was stabbing the paper.
Lyan, for his part, signed the document with the same indifference as before.
"Excellent!" Godwin clapped enthusiastically, stepping forward to shake Rowan's hand. "This alliance will strengthen both families. My daughter will move into the Nighthollow mansion immediately to fulfill her role as the main wife."
At that last statement, Seraphine couldn't help but lift her head abruptly, her eyes wide with horror.
But before she could protest, her father's warning glance quickly silenced her.
Lyan simply watched the exchange without any expression, though internally he found some amusement in everything that had happened.
'A villainess as a wife. This will be… interesting.'