The morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the dark red silk curtains, creating golden patterns of light dancing across the marble floor. In the center of a vast and luxurious room lay a king-size bed with a mahogany frame carved with intricate dragon motifs. Upon it, a young man with jet-black hair slept peacefully.
His chest rose and fell regularly. His face appeared serene, as if submerged in a pleasant dream. But suddenly, his fingers moved. His eyelids trembled, then slowly opened.
A pair of ruby-red eyes stared blankly at the bedroom ceiling adorned with magnificent fresco paintings. The gaze was still blurry, confused.
"Ngh..." A soft groan escaped his lips.
The man tried to remember what had happened. But his mind felt empty. He blinked several times, trying to focus his vision.
Slowly, he rose from his lying position. His body movements felt foreign, as if he were moving these limbs for the first time. He sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the softness of the silk sheets beneath his hands.
"Where am I?" he said in a voice that sounded strange to his own ears. The voice was deeper, more mature than he remembered.
He stood unsteadily, like a small child just learning to walk. His gaze swept around the room with a confused and slightly panicked expression.
This room... too luxurious. Too large. Too foreign.
A large wardrobe made of ebony wood stood majestically in the corner of the room. A work desk with stacks of thick books and scattered parchments nearby. A long sword with a pitch-black sheath hung on the wall. In another corner, a ceiling-high bookshelf filled with thick leather-bound books.
This wasn't his room. This wasn't his small, cluttered apartment with piles of light novels and manga everywhere.
The man walked with faltering steps toward the large window. He pulled back the curtain, and the sunlight immediately blinded his eyes. He squinted, and as his vision adjusted, he saw a view that made his breath catch.
Outside the window stretched a vast garden with a large fountain in the center. Further beyond, he could see castle towers rising high with flags fluttering at their peaks. Mountains shrouded in thin mist were visible in the distance.
"Impossible..." he whispered.
Suddenly, a piercing pain tore through his head.
"ARGH!" He staggered, his hands gripping his head tightly. His knees weakened and he fell to his knees on the cold marble floor.
Pain. Extreme pain. As if thousands of needles were piercing his brain from within. As if someone were forcibly cramming a massive amount of information into his head.
Then, like a movie screen, memories began to emerge.
A small black-haired child was practicing swordsmanship in a vast courtyard. And an adult man with black hair and sharp red eyes watched him with a proud gaze.
"Zerath, you are a talented child. Someday, you will become the strongest knight in this kingdom."
A beautiful woman with long red hair and ruby-red eyes gently embraced him with warmth.
"Zerath, dear, don't push yourself too hard. Mother is worried about you."
A magnificent academy hall. Hundreds of students lined up neatly. An elderly teacher in a long robe stood at the podium.
"Welcome to Arcanum Magna Academy, the finest academy in the entire continent of Aethoria!"
A beautiful girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes smiled sweetly.
"Zerath-sama, thank you for helping me!"
A luxurious ballroom with orchestral music playing melodiously. A girl in a captivating black dress gazed at him with eyes full of affection.
"Zerath, would you dance with me?"
One by one, the memories continued to flow. Memories of someone's life named Zerath Valtherion. Son of Duke Altharion Valtherion, one of the Five Great Dukes who protected the kingdom of Aethermoor. A genius skilled in the art of swordsmanship and magic. A handsome young man who became the idol of many girls at the academy.
But behind it all, there were also darker memories. Memories of cruel competition at the academy. Memories of political intrigue. Memories of... betrayal.
After about ten minutes passed, the pain finally began to subside. The fragments of memories stopped appearing. His breathing was ragged, cold sweat drenching his forehead.
With great difficulty, he stood up. His body trembled, his legs barely able to support his own weight.
"This... This is impossible..." he whispered in a trembling voice.
"Did I... reincarnate? Or transmigrate? Into the novel I read?"
He remembered. In his previous life, he was an ordinary 22-year-old college student who worked part-time at a bookstore. His hobby was reading web novels and light novels. And one of his favorite novels was "The Hero's Harem Chronicle"—a fantasy harem novel about a naive protagonist surrounded by beautiful princesses from various kingdoms.
And Zerath Valtherion... was one of the main antagonists in that novel.
With unsteady steps, he walked toward the large mirror standing in the corner of the room. The mirror was framed with beautiful silver carvings, reflecting the luxury of this room.
He stood before the mirror, and for the first time, he saw his new face.
His breath momentarily caught.
A handsome young man stared back at him from within the mirror. Jet-black shoulder-length hair gleaming under the sunlight. Ruby-red eyes that were sharp and captivating. Facial features so perfect they seemed carved by the finest artist—a firm jawline, a straight nose, thin but proportional lips. Pale white skin contrasting with his dark hair.
He was handsome. Very handsome. Too handsome to be real.
For a moment, he was mesmerized. Awestruck. In his previous life, he didn't have a face this handsome. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary young man with a plain face.
But it didn't last long, as worry and fear slowly crept across his face.
He knew who this person was. He recognized this face very well because the web novel's illustrations depicted it in detail.
Zerath Valtherion.
The antagonist. The villain. A character who was cruel, intelligent, manipulative, and powerful. A character who became the main obstacle for the protagonist. A character who ultimately... died tragically at the hands of the protagonist after all his evil deeds were exposed.
"Damn..." he muttered, his hand gripping the edge of the table beside the mirror.
"Of all the characters, why him? Why the villain?"
He remembered the novel's plot clearly. The protagonist was a young man named Aelius Brightblade—an ordinary student who was naive, rather clueless in matters of romance, but possessed a pure heart and extraordinary hidden power. Because of that innocence, the beautiful girls at Arcanum Magna Academy—all of whom were princesses from various kingdoms and high nobility—fell in love with him one by one.
There was Aurelia Valencrest, the crown princess of the Valencrest Kingdom who was graceful and strong.
There was Celestine Argentveil, daughter of Duke Argentveil who was cold but gentle in her heart.
There was Elysia Moonwhisper, daughter of Marquess Moonwhisper who was cheerful and full of spirit.
And many more.
They all fell in love with Aelius, competing for his attention, almost triggering diplomatic conflicts between kingdoms.
That was the core of the novel "The Hero's Harem Chronicle."
And Zerath? Zerath was Aelius's main rival. A character jealous of the protagonist's fortune. A character who used various cunning methods to bring down Aelius. A character who was ultimately defeated and exiled, even killed.
However... something was strange.
He remembered the memories of Zerath he had just received. In those memories, those beautiful girls—Aurelia, Celestine, Elysia, and the others—they all looked at Zerath with gazes full of affection. They smiled at him. They competed for his attention.
Not Aelius. But Zerath.
"This doesn't make sense..." he whispered, his brow furrowing. "In the original novel, all the heroines fell in love with Aelius, the protagonist. But why in these memories... did they fall in love with Zerath? With... me?"
Was this a different world from the novel he read? Had the plot changed? Or was this an alternative version?
Before he could think about it further, a clear ringing sound echoed in his head.
DING!!!
He flinched. His eyes widened.
Suddenly, before his eyes, a transparent blue holographic screen appeared, floating in the air. The screen displayed glowing text:
[AFFECTION SURVIVAL SYSTEM]
Congratulations, the Host has been given a second chance at life in this world.
You have reincarnated into the body of Zerath Valtherion.
MAIN MISSION: Conquer the Heroines in this world to obtain Affection Points in order to survive.
FAILURE CONSEQUENCE: Death
TIME REMAINING: 8,760 Hours (1 Year)
DETAILS:
• Each Affection Point earned = +1 Hour of Lifetime
• Affection Points are obtained by increasing the Heroine's level of affection toward the Host
• Affection Levels: Stranger (0) → Acquaintance (10) → Friend (30) → Close Friend (50) → Crush (70) → Love (90) → Deep Love (100)
• Bonus: Reaching Deep Love with one Heroine = +8,000 Hours of Lifetime
WARNING:
If lifetime reaches 0, the Host will die permanently.
The System will assist the Host by providing information on the Heroines' Affection status.
Good luck, Host. Your future is in your own hands.
Silence fell.
Zerath—or more precisely, the young man now inhabiting Zerath's body—stared at the holographic screen with an expression that was hard to interpret. His eyes widened, his mouth opened slightly, and his entire body tensed.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"WHAT... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
His scream echoed throughout the luxurious room, causing several birds perched by the window to fly away in fright.