Chapter 58: Villainess Princess × Slave (21)

Just like that, one full week passed.

During these seven days, Lyra was completely occupied with recovering from the severe neural fever that had nearly shattered her mind. Since she didn’t receive any new urgent plot missions from the System, she didn’t care about Cassian at all. In fact, she put him entirely out of her mind! She only cared about herself, lounging in her luxurious estate, sleeping in late, and enjoying endless platters of mouthwatering pastries, sweet fruit teas, and warm gourmet meals prepared by the royal chefs.

Meanwhile, on Cassian’s side, there was no noticeable movement either. On the surface, he remained quiet and obedient, fulfilling his duties as a high-ranking guard. But in secret, deep within the shadows of the royal estate, he was actively communicating with his shadow guards and gathering his loyal forces, preparing everything in absolute secrecy to execute his grand revenge plan against the empire.

On a bright, sunny afternoon, Lyra was resting peacefully in the lush royal garden, lying back on a plush armchair with a silver plate of candied cherries in her lap.

Ding!

[ HOST! ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR VACATION YET?! ]

"AHHH!" Lyra jumped in her seat, dropping a candied cherry right onto her lap. She clutched her racing heart, glaring into the empty air. "Shit! System, you scared the hell out of me! I totally forgot about you!"

A glowing blue screen materialized right in front of her face, displaying a distinctly grumpy face icon.

[ I CAN TELL! ] the System’s digital voice chimed crossly. [ Were you about to abandon the main mission entirely, Host?! You’ve been eating, sleeping, and sunbathing for seven straight days while completely ignoring the Male Lead! ]

"Hehe..." Lyra let out a sneaky, guilty little laugh, poking her two index fingers together. "Come on, don’t be like that~ I was sick! A delicate modern soul needs time to heal! Anyways... show me the current progress panel."

Ding!

[ HOST STATUS & MISSION PROGRESS PANEL ]

Main World Plot Completion: 35%

Cassian Draven’s Hatred Metric: 52% ➔ 48%

Lyra stared at the screen, her eyes blinking once, twice, three times.

"EH?!" Lyra shrieked, her voice cracking in pure disbelief. "It went down?! Why on earth is his hatred metric coming down again?! I literally haven’t even looked at his face for a whole week!"

[ BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T TORTURE HIM FOR A WHOLE WEEK, HOST! ] the System yelled back, its screen flashing yellow with frustration. [ Absence makes the heart grow fonder! When you don’t bully him, his brain automatically romanticizes your existence! ]

Lyra grabbed her head in utter despair, her jaw dropping. She quickly looked around the peaceful rose garden, scanning the pathways. "Wait... where is he right now?!"

[ You gave him a day off, remember Host? ] the System reminded her flatly. [ Three days ago, when you were half-asleep on cold medication, you waved your hand and told him to take a rest day so you wouldn’t have to look at any men. ]

Lyra slapped her own forehead with a loud SMACK!

"Tsk! I am dumb as fuck!" Lyra cursed under her breath, tossing her candied cherries onto the table and standing up from her plush chair. She put on her best arrogant stance, glaring at the two maids standing nearby. "Where is that slave?! Bring him to me right this second!"

The two young maids looked at each other nervously, fidgeting with their aprons.

"B-But, Your Highness..." one maid stammered out timidly. "You explicitly gave Cassian a day off today... He is currently resting in the guard quarters..."

Lyra looked at the maid irritably, placing her hands on her waist. "Did I ask for your opinion? It’s my choice! He doesn’t have a day off anymore! I want him standing beside me right now! Go fetch him!"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness!" the maids squeaked in terror, bowing low and rushing out of the garden as fast as their legs could carry them.

Ten minutes later, the gentle rustle of leaves echoed down the stone garden path.

Walking gracefully under the soft shade of the blooming trees was Cassian.

Instead of his usual guard armor, he was dressed in a simple, light pale blue long tunic with dark trousers. His thick, pitch-black hair was tied back casually with a simple black ribbon, leaving a few soft strands framing his sharp jawline and forehead. Even dressed in ordinary, common clothes, his tall frame, broad shoulders, and stunning, sculpted features looked utterly breathtaking. He looked less like a prisoner and more like an effortless, noble prince strolling through a meadow.

Lyra’s breath hitched in her throat the moment her eyes landed on him. She cleared her throat loudly, trying to hide her internal daze.

"Don’t you think you are spared all because this princess was sick!" Lyra declared loudly, raising her chin arrogantly as he stopped right before her chair. "You won’t get away so easily! You are my slave, and you belong right where I can see you!"

Cassian just stood there, staring down at her with his dark, pitch-black eyes.

Having lived around her unpredictable behavior for a while now, he had long used to her explosive temper and sudden outbursts. He didn’t show an ounce of anger or resentment. Instead, he took a slow step forward, his raspy voice dropping into a soft, quiet tone.

"How are you feeling now... Princess?" Cassian asked gently, his gaze searching her face with genuine concern.

THUMP!

Lyra’s breath hitched instantly!

Her heart started beating fast. The unexpected warmth and gentleness in his deep voice hit her like a sudden tidal wave, making her cheeks flush bright red! She quickly whipped her head away, staring intensely at a nearby rosebush as her face burned hot.

Tsk! Why am I getting swayed by the Male Lead?! Lyra screamed frantically in her head, her inner soul rolling around on the floor in panic. He’s supposed to hate me! Why is he asking about my health with that handsome, soft voice?! This is dangerous!

Standing right in front of her, Cassian’s sharp eyes didn’t miss a single thing. He noticed the bright pink color spreading rapidly across her delicate earlobes and the way her dark eyelashes fluttered in embarrassment. A subtle warmth flickered deep within his chest, a tiny, amused smirk almost tugging at the edge of his lips.

She really has severe mood swings... Cassian thought silently, finding her frantic attempt to look angry while blushing ridiculously cute.

Suddenly, before Lyra could even process her embarrassment-

Ding!

A bright red notification window exploded right in front of her face!

[ URGENT MAIN PLOT EVENT UNLOCKED! ]

EVENT: The Royal Evening Banquet (Tonight at 8:00 PM)!

KEY CHARACTER APPEARANCE: The Female Lead (Mabel) will attend as the chief physician’s daughter!

MANDATORY MISSION: Publicly insult and humiliate the Female Lead in front of the entire noble court!

ADDITIONAL TASK: Force the Female Lead to become your personal maid on the spot so you can torture her further!

REWARD: +100 Plot Points & Major Hatred Restoration!

Lyra snapped out of her daze instantly. The blush on her cheeks vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.

She stared at the red floating text, the reality of this world slapping her hard in the face.

Right... Lyra thought, a sharp pang of clarity washing over her mind. What am I doing getting flustered over him? He is the Male Lead. He belongs strictly to the Female Lead. In the original story, they supposed to meet today.. and I am just the evil villainess destined to be executed for standing in their way.

Her dark eyes lost their bright, expressive warmth, turning cold, distant, and indifferent once again. She folded her arms across her chest, her posture rigid as she stared straight ahead, completely ignoring Cassian’s presence beside her.

Cassian felt the sudden, drastic shift in the air immediately.

He watched as the lively pink hue on her face drained away, replaced by an icy, impenetrable wall of cold distance. The bright, chaotic warmth that had filled her dark eyes just a second ago was completely gone, leaving behind an unreadable mask.

Ding!

A soft, golden-blue screen flickered subtly in the dark corners of Cassian’s peripheral vision- a change only the world metrics recorded.

[ CASSIAN DRAVEN’S HATRED METRIC UPDATED! ]

Hatred toward Host: 48% ➔ 47%

NET CHANGE: -1 POINT!

Cassian’s eyebrows narrowed into a tight line, his pitch-black eyes fixed firmly on her cold profile.

Why did she suddenly put up such a wall? What was she thinking about that made her look so distant, as if she were preparing to push everyone away?

"Princess?" Cassian called out raspy and low, stepping closer to her chair.

Lyra didn’t look at him. She stood up gracefully from her lounge chair, her silk skirts swishing softly against the green grass as she turned her back to him.

"Prepare my red gown for tonight," Lyra commanded in an emotionless, chilly voice, her head held high as she walked toward her grand palace doors. "We have a banquet to attend."

Cassian stood alone under the warm sunlight, his gloved hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. He stared at her retreating, slender back, a dark, complex storm swirling deep within his pitch-black eyes.

What are you hiding, Princess Lyra...? Cassian thought, his heart thumping with a restless rhythm. And why... do I hate seeing you look at me with such cold eyes....?