The Villains Must Win

"Hey system, who am I supposed to be?" I asked, glancing down at the worn, humble uniform I was wearing.

The system's voice echoed in my mind, casual and almost amused. "Isn't it obvious from your getup?"

I stared at the plain attire—an old servant's uniform. My name in this world was Xue Li, a commoner's daughter serving in the mansion of Han Feng.

I was nothing more than an insignificant background character, a mere NPC with no real importance. I could be erased from the story, and no one would even notice.

But I wasn't fazed. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "System, you've got a weird sense of humor."

With no power, status, or influence—just my body and good looks—things were bound to get . . . interesting.

"Wait . . . how do I win again?" I asked aloud, hoping for some clarity.

The system responded, its voice light, almost mocking. "Make the villain win, obviously."

My brow furrowed at the words. Win? How was I supposed to make the villain win? I could barely even get close enough to meet him. I wasn't a princess or some high-born lady who could waltz into the emperor's court—no, I was just a servant, a mere shadow in his vast, opulent world.

"Win—does that mean I have to destroy the Liang country? Tear it all down in chaos and ruin? Give her Rui Hua?"

But then, the system's voice cut through my thoughts, laced with mild amusement. "Host, not all villains are bent on destroying the world. Some simply seek fulfillment in their own way—to carve out a life that satisfies them.

"Maybe they're just looking for a bit of happiness, something more than destruction. It's not always about chaos or ruin. Sometimes, it's about personal peace and contentment—even for someone who might be considered a villain."

A slow smile spread across my face as the idea clicked. Personal peace and contentment. I could work with that.

I grinned to myself, my lips curling into a confident smirk. "That's it? Sounds easy enough. I like a good challenge."

The voice grew distant, almost fading, as if preparing to vanish for good. "You're a transmigrator in this world, Host, so you have an advantage. Good luck, Host. Remember . . . the villains must win."

I cracked my fingers, the sharp sound breaking the silence of the room. The world may have already decided its path, but I wasn't going to let it go on unchanged.

I would rewrite the story—one where the villain didn't meet his end in destruction, but found happiness that no one saw coming.

I wasn't just going to play my role. I was going to change the entire game.

Han Feng, the so-called villain, deserved a happy ending just as much as anyone else. If I had to turn the entire world upside down to give him that—if I had to shatter the story to make it happen—then so be it.

I took a deep breath and smirked at my reflection.

"Watch out, yo.' I've played so many Otome games, I'm basically a pro at this point. All I gotta' do is conquer this villain and pour a little happiness into his gloomy world. How hard could it be?"

===🖤===

Days passed since that conversation, and still, Xue Li hadn't met the villain.

She wasn't surprised—being a lowly servant meant it would be nothing short of a miracle if she ever crossed paths with the emperor himself.

But she wasn't worried. She had seen the future.

At this point in the timeline, the male lead—Liang Wei—hadn't even met Rui Hua yet. That meant she still had time, a precious six months, to capture Han Feng before Rui Hua was brought here.

Xue Li smirked as she carried out her duties, knowing her chance would come that night, under the full moon.

She glanced up at the sky, her gaze fixed on cloud covered horizon, and muttered to herself, "Well then . . . time to get into character."