The letter bearing the emblem of a black snake coiled around a broken sword felt cold in my palm.
The mark of the Shadow Syndicate.
An underground organization that was supposed to appear much later in the original novel's plot. Their premature arrival proved one thing: the flow of this world was completely shattered, and the collapse began the moment I altered the fate of Rosel von Arcadelt.
"Lady Rosel...?"
Chloe's soft voice shattered my gloomy thoughts. The girl stared at me with her clear emerald eyes, yet a mysterious glint crept behind her innocent gaze. A faint dark aura briefly fluctuated around her before evaporating into thin air.
I let out a long sigh, attempting to maintain the icy demeanor unique to this body.
"Return to the dorms, Chloe. Do not discuss the contents of this letter with anyone. Not even with Prince Leo or Adrian," I said in a firm, non-negotiable tone.
Chloe blinked. Her lips curved into a sweet smile—a smile that felt far too perfect to be real.
"If that is Lady Rosel's command, then I shall obey. However..." Chloe brought her face closer, locking her eyes directly onto mine. "If those people try to harm you again, I cannot promise to stay quiet."
Without waiting for my answer, Chloe bowed politely, picked up her small basket, and walked away from the gazebo. Her every step was calm, as though she were not the same girl who had nearly slaughtered an assassin with lethal wind magic last night.
On my screen, the floating comment window lit up bright again.
[User_YuriSimp]: "LOOK AT THE WAY SHE STARES AT ROSEL! CHLOE IS DEFINITELY DOWN BAD!"
[User_LocalObserver]: "Honestly though, Chloe's character shift from an innocent heroine to a yandere is totally unexpected."
[User_OrangeCat]: "Bro, the letter! Open the letter now! Don't ignore the main quest!"
"Can you all be quiet?" I muttered under my breath to the floating system box.
I broke the black wax seal on the envelope. Inside was a sheet of thick parchment written in immaculate handwriting using dark red ink.
*‘To the Noble Lady of Arcadelt,*
*Last night's failure was merely a greeting. A contract has been made, and payment has been received. We will not stop until the Villainess's head is severed from her body.*
*However, if you wish to know who paid us a thousand gold coins—come to the Underground District tonight. Alone.’*
At the bottom of the parchment was a signed set of initials: *H.N.*
I clenched my fist until the parchment slightly creaked.
*H.N.? Holy Night?*
The name suddenly flashed across my memory. In the original world of this novel, 'Holy Night' was the epithet of an S-rank Hero who was immensely famous throughout the Kingdom. A man praised by the public as a model of virtue. He possessed handsome looks, an impressive physique, and light magic recognized by every noble.
Or so the world believed, in reality.
As someone who had read this novel to its absolute end in my previous life, I knew the filthy truth hidden behind that hero's mask.
Holy Night was the true villain who would embarrass most actual villains.
Extortion. Verbal abuse. Covert prostitution. Sexual assault. The charges against him were simply too many to list. A piece of garbage generated once in a generation who did not deserve the title of a hero in the slightest.
The incredible thing was that not a single soul in this kingdom knew his true nature. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, he moved seamlessly behind the shadow of grandeur.
"So... that fake hero hired the Shadow Syndicate to eliminate Rosel?" I whispered to myself.
Why? Because in the original novel's timeline, Rosel von Arcadelt had once rejected a business alliance from that hero's family in a deeply humiliating manner. But in this altered timeline, he seemed eager to dispose of Rosel before she could uncover his dark secrets.
The corner of my mouth twisted into something strange. A cold smile rarely displayed by the soul of a 24-year-old man residing inside this body.
For the record, I am a man who harbors an extreme and profound hatred toward scum who ruin women's lives for their own personal gratification.
Furthermore... that fake hero had tried to touch Chloe by force in a previous novel chapter before the main story even began.
Touching the protagonist past the line, in my opinion, was a fatal mistake. They claimed he only drugged her and touched her feet slightly as a business temptation. But even that was more than enough to guarantee the death penalty.
Late that night, in the Underground District.
The damp, sticky stench immediately assaulted my nose the moment I stepped down the gloomy stone stairs. I had replaced Rosel's grand noble gown with a thick black cloak that concealed my entire body, hiding even my silver hair from view.
My footsteps echoed softly through the narrow corridors shrouded in darkness.
"You came."
A voice sounded from behind the shadow of a stone pillar.
A man stepped forward. He wore light silver armor plated with gold, with a long sword strapped to his waist. His handsome appearance was indeed unmatched, and a warm smile constantly rested on his lips.
Holy Night. The S-Rank Hero.
"You asked me to come, didn't you?" I answered coldly beneath my hood. "I was threatened with an assassin, so did you expect me not to show up?"
"Regardless, here you are." Holy Night smiled lazily. His smile appeared exceptionally friendly to an ordinary observer, but to me, it was a sickening defense mechanism.
Unlike other villains who bared their fangs, this man was entirely unreadable.
"What were you thinking when you survived last night's attack, Lady Rosel?" Holy Night asked softly. "I'm not sure how a spoiled lady like you managed to survive three assassins from the Shadow Syndicate."
"Does that matter?" I glared at him through the gloom of my hood. "Or are you simply disappointed that your thousand gold coins went to waste?"
Holy Night chuckled quietly. A laugh that sounded remarkably polite and melodic.
"Let's say—it piques my interest. Isn't it hilarious? Someone known as a cruel villainess suddenly pretending to be a hero protecting a scholarship student?" The man placed a hand over his chest with a dramatic facial expression. "Witnessing that, I found myself so touched by the sadness of it all that tears almost blurred my vision."
"..."
Tears. Did this bastard even possess such a thing?
"Is that the only reason you summoned me here?" I asked flatly.
"I want to watch," Holy Night replied, his eyes gleaming with a disgusting, overwhelming obsession. "I want to watch a woman like you struggle frantically to achieve her dream of survival. And just when you are almost at the very top... I want to push you right off the cliff."
This guy was completely insane. He wasn't just evil; he suffered from a severe psychological defect.
"Oh, is that so?" I took one step forward. "However, I think your plan is about to hit a slight obstacle."
Holy Night raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
*Thud.*
A heavy object was thrown from the darkness above the corridor, landing squarely between the two of us.
It was the body of a high-ranking member of the Shadow Syndicate, bound tightly, unconscious with a gag in his mouth. And standing atop the stone pillar behind the hero, an elegant shadow gazed down at Holy Night with eyes glowing blood-red in the dark.
Chloe.
She stood there holding a small dagger dripping with dark blood, wearing an exceptionally sweet smile.
"Lady Rosel..." Chloe's voice echoed faintly from the darkness. "This person... is he the one making you anxious all day? Should I skin his handsome face right now?"
Her casual yet horrifying way of speaking instantly froze the air in the underground corridor.
Holy Night, who had always maintained a calm smile until now, showed a change in his expression for the very first time. His face stiffened in an instant.
[System Notification!]
[Main Quest Updated: 'Eliminate the Holy Night'!]
[Progress: 15%]
I formed a subtle smile beneath my cloak. This fake hero who thought himself superior had no idea... that he had just provoked two monsters at the exact same time.