My immobility didn't last. It ended as abruptly as it began, leaving me sprawled on the cold marble floor for what felt like an eternity but must have been only a few hours. The agonizing tension in my muscles simply released, allowing me to draw in a deep, shaky breath. The world returned from its grayscale stasis, my body becoming my own again. I felt every ache and cramp from being a human statue, but with it came the sweet, simple luxury of movement. I could clench my fists, wiggle my toes, and sit up. The System had released its chokehold, but the message was clear: my very existence was a privilege it could revoke at will.
My brilliant, cunning plan had been a childish mistake. I had treated the System like a sentient being I could reason with or outsmart with a clever lie. But it wasn't a person; it was a program. A rigid, unfeeling, and merciless code. It didn't care about my intentions, only about my actions and how they aligned with the hard-coded parameters of "villainy." My polite request for tea, an act of diplomacy in a human world, was an act of treason in the System's world. It wasn't about the result (getting the tea), but the method (not being a selfish, scheming villainess to get it).
I got to my feet, my legs still trembling, and looked out the window. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet. The world outside looked beautiful and free, a stark contrast to the cage I was in. I had to learn its language. If I couldn't beat the System, I had to learn how to speak its tongue, to trick it not with clever lies, but with meticulous, technical manipulation. I wasn't just a protagonist anymore; I was an ethical hacker, trying to exploit the weaknesses in a monstrous, digital code.
The silence that followed my punishment lasted for what felt like an eternity. I used the time to my advantage, meticulously reviewing the manhwa plot in my memory. I dissected every one of Selena's villainous acts, not for their emotional impact, but for their mechanical purpose. What was the core action? What was the intended emotional response? Was it a verbal jab? A physical prank? A social manipulation?
The System finally broke its silence, and I was ready.
"Task: Attend the evening ball. Publicly humiliate the female lead, Iris, by exposing her humble origins. Reward: 100 points."
This was a classic villainess move. Selena was supposed to reveal that Iris, believed to be a minor noble's daughter, was actually the illegitimate child of a servant. This would cause a scandal, cement her reputation as an unfeeling snob, and make Duke Cedric rush to Iris's defense, strengthening their bond.
My new strategy began immediately. I knew I couldn't refuse. I had to perform the action. But how? My mind, now acting like a computer, began running through algorithms. The core requirement was "exposing her humble origins." The method was "publicly." The punishment for deviation was severe and unpredictable.
I dressed for the ball, my movements precise and deliberate. Lily, still looking at me with worried eyes, chose a magnificent scarlet dress, a vibrant color that screamed confidence and danger—perfect for a villainess. The dress was designed to make a statement, and I intended to use it to send a very different message.
At the ball, the air was thick with perfume, music, and the low murmur of gossip. I found Iris almost immediately, standing near a towering ice sculpture of a swan. She looked radiant in a simple, elegant gown, and Duke Cedric was already standing close by, his gaze fixed on her. The scene was perfectly set.
"Task Progress: 25%. Female lead located. Proceed with task."
I took a deep breath. My first test of my theory. Instead of a direct, vicious accusation, I decided to be subtle. I walked up to a group of ladies surrounding Iris and, in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear, I said, "My dear Iris, you look so lovely. That shade of green perfectly complements your… simple beauty. It's a wonderful nod to your upbringing, isn't it?"
The words were a direct quote from the manhwa's script, but I delivered them with a saccharine-sweet smile that made them sound almost like a compliment. I watched the holographic screen in my vision, my heart pounding. Would the System see this as a failure?
"Plot Deviation Detected. User's tone is inconsistent with assigned role. Penalty initiated."
A sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my hand, causing me to gasp. It wasn't a crippling punishment, just a warning, a sharp prick of a needle. I bit my lip, forcing the smile back on my face. The System was too smart for my theatrical acting. It understood the difference between true cruelty and a fake smile. My first attempt had failed. The pain was its way of saying, "Don't try to fool me, User."
I had to be more direct. I approached Iris again, this time with a more severe expression. "You're a servant's daughter, aren't you?" I asked, my voice cold and hard, a perfect imitation of Selena's personality. "It's a disgrace to even be in this room."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Duke Cedric's hand instinctively went to his sword hilt, his eyes burning with a murderous intent. Iris recoiled, her face pale. I felt a pang of intense guilt, but I had to see this through. I had to complete the task.
"Task Progress: 75%. Public humiliation confirmed. Proceed to conclusion of the scene."
I had fulfilled the requirement. But the System had more in store for me. It knew I hated this. It was watching my reaction. As I turned to walk away, a new screen appeared.
"Rule #2: The System's rules are absolute. Rule #3: The User must not only follow the rules, but must demonstrate a villainous mindset. You have failed to do so."
Another, more severe jolt of pain shot through my legs, causing me to stagger. My balance faltered, and I nearly fell down the small set of stairs leading to the main ballroom floor. I caught myself just in time, but the scene had been created. The humiliated villainess stumbling and nearly falling. It was a perfect, ironic twist of fate, and it was all the System's doing.
I was furious, but with my fury came a flash of insight. The System wasn't just punishing my actions; it was punishing my attitude. My hesitation, my reluctance, my desire to do good—it saw all of that as a "Plot Deviation." It wasn't just a protocol; it was a psychological torment device. The only way to survive was to not just act like a villainess, but to think like one. To detach myself emotionally from the actions.
The next morning, I woke up with a new resolve. A cold, hard wall had been built in my mind. I would be Selena. I would perform my tasks flawlessly. But I would do it my way.
The next task was simple, almost too simple.
"Task: Secure a private meeting with the Archduke. Sabotage his plans for a new trade route. Reward: 150 points."
This was a major plot point. In the original story, Selena would get the Archduke, a notoriously harsh and unforgiving man, to approve a plan that would benefit her family at the expense of his own, thus making herself a target for his wrath later on. My mind, now a machine, began working. The goal was to "sabotage his plans." The method was to "secure a private meeting."
Instead of fighting the System, I decided to lean into it. I used my family's connections to secure the meeting, and when I met with the Archduke, I didn't try to use cunning or flattery. I was brazenly, unapologetically rude, exactly as the System expected Selena to be.
"I need your approval on this trade route," I said, my voice arrogant and demanding. "I've heard you're a shrewd man, but I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work. Or perhaps you can't."
The Archduke, a man used to respect and deference, looked at me with an expression of pure astonishment. I had just verbally insulted a man who could ruin my family with a single word. My heart pounded, but my expression remained cold and unfeeling.
"Task Progress: 50%. Private meeting secured. Proceed with sabotage."
Now for the next part. In the original plot, Selena would lie to him and give him a different set of plans that would lead to his ruin. But I was not going to give him a bad plan. I was going to give him a better one. The System hadn't specified how I had to sabotage the plans, only that I had to do so. And what better way to sabotage a mediocre plan than to replace it with a brilliant one?
I slid a roll of parchment across the table. "I've included a few revisions of my own," I said, a faint smile playing on my lips. "For your consideration."
On the parchment was a plan so intricate, so brilliant, that it would not only make his trade route more profitable than ever, but it would also subtly hurt the other Marquisate families that were our rivals, thus cementing my place as a "villainess." It was a masterpiece of legal loopholes, technicalities, and ruthless efficiency. It was a plan that a true villainess would create. It was pure, distilled evil. But it would work.
The Archduke read the plans, his eyes widening in astonishment. He looked up at me, his face no longer filled with contempt, but with a new, dangerous respect. "This… this is a masterpiece," he said, his voice a low, gravelly whisper. "Where did you get this?"
"I made it myself," I said, a flicker of triumph in my eyes. The words were a lie, but a necessary one.
"Task Progress: 100%. Plot Point achieved. Reward: 150 points."
A new, unfamiliar screen appeared, this one green and vibrant. "Points earned: 150. New skill unlocked: Archducal Relations."
The pain that had become my constant companion was gone, replaced by a deep sense of relief. I had done it. I had followed the System's rules to the letter, but I had used them to my own advantage. The System had wanted me to be a villainess, so I had become the most ruthless villainess of all. A villainess who used her cunning not just to tear others down, but to build herself up, right under the System's nose. The game was no longer about survival; it was about victory. And for the first time in my second life, I felt like I had a chance to win.