The sun trickled through the overgrown ivy arches.
Same place. Same table. Same girl.
But not the same me.
Not today.
I didn't greet her.
Didn't flash a smile or ask how her studies were going.
I just read.
Or at least pretended to — the book she gave me lay open in my lap, pages fluttering softly in the breeze, completely ignored.
Across from me, Nia sat.
Her usual nervous fiddling was quieter today.
But her eyes?
They were loud.
They watched me, trying to understand. Searching my face like a code she used to know the answer to… and didn't anymore.
Let her wonder.
Let the silence stretch.
Let it hurt.
[Affection: 72% → 73%]
Emotional Ping Detected: Uncertainty
Target is attempting to reconcile emotional shift.
I shifted slightly in my seat, turning one page too slowly.
Her lips parted.
"...d-did… y-you… l-like the b-book…?"
I didn't look at her.
"Mm," I hummed. "It was fine."
That was it.
Nothing more.
The silence that followed wasn't comfortable anymore. It wasn't scholarly or serene. It clung to her.
She nodded quickly, then dropped her gaze to her lap like it had betrayed her.
Good.
[Affection: 73% → 74%]
Emotional Condition Update: Validation Craving
Subject now associates emotional safety with your responses.
Damn.
Her affection keeps rising.
And all I'm doing is starving her of the very attention she used to drown in.
I'm not even being charming.
I shut the book with a quiet snap and stood.
Her eyes widened.
"Y-you're… l-leaving…?"
"Just errands," I said, flicking imaginary dust from my sleeve. "Try not to wait."
Then I walked away.
Didn't look back.
But I didn't need to.
The system whispered like a demon in prayer:
[Affection: 74% → 75%]
Subconscious Distress Detected. Guilt Layer: Germinating.
Market Lane
The Rosemire Merchant Walk was awash in soft chatter and the smell of roasted almonds. Nobles passed in clusters, voices syrup-thick with politics and power plays.
I ignored them all.
"System," I said quietly.
The interface bloomed open like a blood-colored flower.
[Mission Board]
Available Side Quests:
Mission: "Poise and Poison"
Objective: Plant subtle paranoia in a noble about Raelar's 'hidden side.'
Reward: +60 System Points
Bonus: Target must bring it up in public.
Mission: "Accidental Intimacy"
Objective: Let Nia catch a soft, unguarded expression — then immediately shut her out.
Reward: +75 System Points
Bonus: Cause emotional confusion.
Mission: "Echoes of Her"
Objective: Whisper something Nia once said to someone else — without her hearing — and let it get back to her.
Reward: +60 System Points
Bonus: Subject begins to believe her words matter more to you than she thought.
I selected all three.
Let's turn whispers into blades.
Dining Hall – Poise and Poison
Target: Galven Veyra — noble brat, lightning user, thick as noble-blooded soup.
He was leaning back with his usual entourage, talking loudly, exaggerating a story where he totally "outsped" a second-year during sparring. Idiot.
I passed behind him casually. No pause. Just one quiet, perfectly pitched line as I walked past:
"…odd how Raelar never mentions his father's exile. Almost like he's ashamed of the truth."
Didn't glance back. Didn't need to.
I felt his smirk vanish.
The silence among his little group cracked like eggshell.
[Mission "Poise and Poison" – Progress: 40%]
Bonus Tracker: Influence Web Growing
Current Rumor Trajectory: Reaching Dorms by Evening.
Theo's Room – Nightfall
I returned to my room just before sunset.
The book Nia gave me still sat on the desk.
Unread.
But perfectly visible.
Its presence was deliberate — a silent threat of attention, or lack thereof.
I lit a single candle. Then let it burn without purpose.
[System Notice: Mission "Accidental Intimacy" – Trigger Opportunity Nearby]
Suggestion: Position self by window in thoughtful posture. Subject proximity: Near hallway.
Of course.
I sat by the window, chin on hand, face soft — no smugness, no mask. Just blank reflection.
And waited.
Right on cue:
Her footsteps. Slow. Hesitant.
I heard her pause outside.
Saw her reflection, just faintly, in the glass — staring at me through the barely open doorframe.
Then, a beat too late, I stood up sharply, drew the curtain closed, and muttered:
"Not now."
Just loud enough.
Just harsh enough.
She scurried away.
[Mission "Accidental Intimacy" – Complete]
+75 System Points
Bonus Achieved: Emotional Confusion Status: Subject unsure if moment was real.
She doesn't know if that was a moment of vulnerability… or rejection.
Perfect.
Confusion is a cage with velvet bars.
Scene: Outer Fountain – Echoes of Her
Later, I found myself near the moonlit fountain where Nia once confessed her love for frost-formed geometry.
And two lower nobles stood nearby — first-years.
I leaned near them just briefly and muttered as though lost in thought:
"…when you freeze wind with intent, it doesn't crack… it sings."
Then walked away.
They blinked, one whispering: "What?"
But they'd remember it.
And someone would repeat it.
And eventually… it would reach her.
[Mission "Echoes of Her" – Complete]
+60 System Points
Bonus Achieved: Emotional Displacement Activated — Subject will overthink perceived importance.
She'll chew on those words.
Try to place their origin.
Wonder if I meant it.
She'll imagine me thinking of her.
And she won't know if she's right.
Which is exactly what makes it powerful.
Scene: Theo's Room – Later That Night
A knock.
Soft.
"…c-c-can I… t-talk to you…?"
Her voice.
Small. Raw.
"…i-if I d-did s-something… I'm sorry…"
A pause.
"…y-you d-don't h-have to… s-speak… I-I j-just…"
Something pressed against the door.
Then footsteps. Retreating.
I waited.
Opened it after ten seconds.
A pressed flower and a folded paper note.
"I-I'm sorry I was n-noisy today. I-I'll b-be better."
I closed the door slowly.
The system flickered.
[Affection: 75% → 78%]
Emotional Status: Self-Guilt Loop (Phase One)
Trait Progression: Guilt-Bond Developing
Risk: Subject may begin self-repression to maintain connection.
System Note: Target's emotional rhythm now syncs with your mood.
This…
This is how you break a heart without shattering it.
Slow, precise slices.
Let it bleed just enough to need you.
Scene: Raelar's Dorm
Raelar sat alone.
His sword untouched beside him.
Lightning flickered across his hand, but his mind was elsewhere.
She hadn't come to the training yard. Again.
He stood, walked to the window, and looked out toward the garden path.
No sign of her.
A strange ache twisted in his chest.
"…She always watched," he muttered.
But not anymore.
Scene: Theo's Desk – Final
I stared at the flower in my hand.
Soft. Fragile. A symbol of surrender.
And it had come to me willingly.
[System Points Earned: +195]
New Total: 470 Points
New Title Acquired: "Soft Sadism"
You've mastered emotional domination without ever raising your voice.
I leaned back in my chair.
Smiling faintly.
No blades. No blood. No raised voices.
Just silence.
And it was killing her perfectly.
Damn... I've really turned into a villain, haven't I?