Chapter 38: Villainess Princess × Slave (1)

Ding!

Lyra’s eyes snapped open. The familiar, blinding white void stretched out endlessly in every direction. Floating right in front of her nose was the bright, glowing blue system screen she knew all too well.

[ Mission Completed! ]

[ Soul Fragments Earned: 50 ]

Lyra’s dark eyebrows narrowed into annoyed line. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and glared at the floating blue box. "Fifty?! Why so less?! System, I literally disarmed an assassin with a silver butter knife, took a sniper bullet to the spine, and gave the male lead the most dramatic, tear-jerking heartbreak scene in web novel history! I should be getting at least a thousand!"

[ Ah... well, Host... ] the System’s digital voice chimed in nervously, hovering slightly higher in the air. [ The performance was indeed top-tier, but because the Female Lead’s personality went completely off-script and you accidentally saved both the Male Lead AND the Female Lead, the original plot logic got a bit... scrambled. ]

Lyra let out a long, heavy sigh, her shoulders dropping. "Fine. Whatever. At least I survived."

[ It’s okay, Host! Don’t be sad! ] the System cheered, flashing a warm golden light. [ Let’s just do better in our next mission and collect even more fragments! ]

Lyra nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath to clear her mind of rain, gunshots, and crazy mafia bosses. "Alright. Let’s go then."

[ Initiating World Teleportation... ]

[ Loading: 80%... 90%... 100%! ]

[ Teleportation Complete! ]

Lyra’s dark eyelashes fluttered open. This time, she wasn’t lying on a plush mattress. Cold wind whipped past her face, carrying the sharp scent of blood and wet dirt.

"Yes! Do it, Princess! Hit this disobedient slave harder!" a sharp, eager female voice urged from right beside her.

Lyra’s vision cleared, and her heart did a sudden flip inside her chest after viewing the scene infront of her.

She was standing on a high marble balcony overlooking an open stone training yard. Directly in front of her, kneeling on the freezing cobblestones, was a young man. His fine dark clothes were shredded, his broad back already covered in faint, crisscrossing streaks of fresh red blood. His long dark hair hung over his face, hiding his expression, but his broad shoulders were locked in a tense line.

Lyra slowly looked down at her own hands.

She was wearing a long elaborate gown adorned with gold embroidery, and in her right hand, she was clutching a thick whip with an iron-weighted tip.

OH NO! WHAT IS GOING ON?! SYSTEM! SYSTEM! Lyra screamed frantically in her mind, her eyes widening into panicked glance.

Nothing showed up. The air remained completely empty.

SYSTEM! WHERE ARE YOU?! DO NOT LEAVE ME HERE WITH A BLOODIED WHIP!

"Princess? Are you okay?" the head maid standing beside her asked, her voice cutting through Lyra’s internal breakdown.

The two maids standing behind Lyra exchanged a quick, confused glance. The Princess had been furiously screaming at the slave just two seconds ago, but now she was standing frozen like a statue, staring at the whip in her hand as if it were a venomous snake.

Lyra snapped her head toward the maid, instantly pulling up her top-tier acting skills to hide her absolute panic. She glared at the maid with the snappiest, most arrogant expression she could muster.

"Don’t order me what to do!" Lyra barked, her voice sharp and icy. "This heavy whip is making my hand hurt!"

Without missing a beat, Lyra shoved the dirty whip straight into the startled maid’s chest, wiping her palm on her skirt as if she had touched trash.

"Take me back to my chamber immediately," Lyra demanded, turning her heel. "I need to rest."

"Y-Yes, Princess!" the maid fumbled, completely caught off guard by the sudden change in temper. She quickly dropped to her knees, bowing low.

Lyra paused at the edge of the balcony, her dark eyes flicking back down toward the bloody courtyard.

"What about the slave?" the maid whispered nervously.

Lyra looked down at the kneeling young man. "Take him back. I no longer wanna play with him."

The very second those words left her lips, the young man on the cobblestones slowly raised his head.

His dark hair parted, revealing a breathtakingly handsome face- sharp, defined jawline, pale skin, and eyes so dark, cold, and deadly that they looked like frozen black obsidian. The moment his pitch-black gaze locked onto Lyra’s face, a sudden, terrifying chill shot straight up her spine. Every single hair on her body stood on end, and her knees went weak.

HOLY SHIT! HE WANTS TO SKIN ME ALIVE! Lyra screamed internally, her entire body shivering under her dress. HE DEFINITELY WANTS TO ROAST ME OVER AN OPEN FIRE!

Noticing the faint, unmistakable tremble in her hands, the young man’s cold lips twitched upward into a tiny, terrifying smirk before his head was roughly shoved back down by the palace guards dragging him away toward the dungeon.

Lyra practically sprinted back to the royal wing, her heart keep pounding. Those eyes were terrifying. The moment she reached her grand bedchamber, she slammed the double doors shut and turned to her servants.

"All of you, out!" Lyra ordered frantically, waving her hands. "Leave me alone! Do not enter unless I call for you!"

"Yes, Princess!" the maids chimed in unison, bowing out quickly and pulling the doors shut.

The moment the lock clicked, Lyra collapsed against the soft cushions of her massive canopy bed, clutching a pillow to her chest.

Ding!

A bright blue translucent screen finally flickered into existence right above her head, floating happily in the air.

[ So sorry, Host! ] the System apologized, its digital icon hovering near her ear. [ I was busy fixing the world timeline and recalibrating your status metrics before coming in! It took a bit of extra time! ]

"FIRST TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Lyra shrieked in a harsh whisper, throwing a smaller pillow at the floating blue box. "WHAT IS THE PLOT HERE?!"

[ Calm down, Host! Let me load the character files! ]

[ WORLD BRIEFING: THE BLOOD RED CROWN ]

[ In this world, you are Princess Lyra, a notoriously spoiled, cruel, and selfish villainess who has been doted on by her tyrant father, the Emperor, since childhood,] the System explained smoothly. [ The Male Lead of this world is named Cassian Draven! ]

"Cassian..." Lyra repeated, her dark eyes narrowing.

[ Yes! Cassian was originally the Crown Prince of the neighboring Solis Empire! Three years ago, your tyrant father launched a surprise raid, destroyed his imperial family, abducted Cassian, and bought him as a royal slave specifically for you to play with and torture! ]

Lyra let out a shuddering breath, her soul practically leaving her body. "Ugh..." She shivered violently, pulling her knees up to her chest. "What a weird, twisted father and daughter! Why would anyone bring a literal fallen prince home as a pet toy?!"

[ Exactly, Host! ] the System agreed enthusiastically. [ Now, for the Female Lead! The Female Lead of this world is named Mabel who is currently your newly appointed personal maid! Throughout the original storyline, Cassian suffers under your cruel hand, but Mabel secretly sneaks food, medicine, and bandages to him in the dark dungeons every single night. ]

Lyra blinked, her chaotic mind instantly connecting the dots. "So he falls in love with her because she’s his only light in the dark?"

[ Bingo, Host! ] the System chirped. [ Once Cassian secretly gathers enough loyal rebel forces, he strikes at this kingdom, wiping out the entire royal bloodline in one bloody, terrifying night! He spares Mabel , carries her back to his reclaimed throne, and makes her his Empress! ]

Lyra swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. "Ahem... what about the villainess Princess? What happens to me?"

[ Oh, he doesn’t kill you right away! ] the System said cheerfully. [ Cassian keeps you alive in a dark, damp cell for three whole years, torturing you in every single way you tortured him- whippings, cold water, starvation, and solitary confinement- until you eventually perish! ]

Lyra gulped, her throat feeling as dry as bone. "H-How many days left until he strikes the kingdom...?"

The System pulled up a glowing red countdown timer.

[ TIME REMAINING UNTIL BLOODY MASSACRE: 3 MONTHS (90 DAYS) ]

"THREE MONTHS?!" Lyra shrieked, burying her face into her pillow. "I HAVE NINETY DAYS BEFORE THE FALLEN PRINCE SKINS ME ALIVE?!"

[ Don’t panic, Host! ] the System encouraged. [ You just need to survive, execute your villainess role, and make sure the Male Lead and Female Lead fall in love according to the original script! ]

Lyra sat up, her dark eyes flashing with pure survival instinct. "No way. Forget the original script! I am NOT getting tortured in a dark cell for three years! If he wants a cruel princess, I am going to be the most strangely benevolent, confusing princess this kingdom has ever seen!"

She threw off her blanket and marched over to the massive golden mirror in her chamber. Looking at her reflection, she saw a girl with long, glossy dark hair, pheonix eyes, small sharp face and a lavish gown that screamed extreme wealth and authority.

"System," Lyra murmured, a sly, chaotic grin slowly spreading across her face. "What is Cassian’s current status?"

Ding!

[ Character Status & Metrics ]

Cassian (Male Lead) - Hatred toward Host: 99%

Physical Condition: Injured / Bleeding / Starving

Current Location: Subterranean Dungeon Cell #4

"Ninety-nine percent hatred..." Lyra muttered, rubbing her temples. "Okay, Step One: We need to stop him from bleeding to death before I can even begin fixing his opinion of me!"