"I am Sylvia, a knight of the Vermonte family, here to oversee your laps on behalf of Lord Aslan." "Huh?" "No questions. Start running!" "Huh?"

Yulia's face went blank. He did say this was a punishment, right? This was Aslan Vermonte, notorious for his cruelty, talking about punishment. And yet, all he was making them do was run laps?

Something felt off. Was he hiding something? Yulia glanced at Aslan, standing behind the knight Sylvia with his hands clasped. His expression was completely unreadable.

‘What’s his deal?’

Running ten laps? How could this possibly count as punishment?

"Huff, huff! Huff...!" "Your form is terrible. You’re not very athletic, are you?" "Damn it...!"

By the second lap, Yulia was already struggling. Her form was breaking down, and Aslan's running commentary wasn’t helping. He looked like he’d struggle even more, with his pale skin and skeletal frame, but here he was, smugly critiquing her endurance.

"Charlotte’s already on her fifth lap. It seems unlike some people, she doesn’t neglect her exercise."

Charlotte passed Yulia with ease. Yulia could hear Aslan’s annoying commentary even as he praised her. She wanted to shout, At least I’m running with sandbags on! But she kept her mouth shut.

"Ten laps. You may stop now." "Huff, huff..." "Yulia, still on lap four? Pitiful. This won’t do at all. You both need to be healthy, so you’ll be running every morning from now on." "Understood, young master." "Both of you seem quite exhausted now. Heh heh heh."

Yulia felt a shiver run down her spine as she met Aslan’s smile. Was his goal to exhaust them? Was he planning to make his move now that they were too weak to resist?

"Well, you must be hungry now. Time for a meal. Heh heh heh." "Wait, what?"

A warm meal was brought out, steaming and ready, in a dog bowl. Yulia’s mouth watered at the sight. She had sworn off eating anything they offered, yet here she was, struggling with the temptation after all that running.

"Charlotte..." "Hmm?" "Never mind. Go ahead and eat." "Mmm!"

Charlotte, already digging in, seemed unfazed. She had just eaten earlier, hadn’t she? Pushing that thought aside, Yulia picked up the warm bread. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a bite.

There was no bitter taste of poison—just warmth and flavor. It was delicious. Maybe it was just the hunger, but she couldn’t help devouring it, almost forgetting her surroundings.

"Heh heh heh. Finished with your meal?" "…!"

As soon as Aslan’s voice reached her, Yulia put down the dog bowl, trembling. She had let her guard down. He had planned this all along, hadn’t he? This was all part of his scheme.

"The stench of sweat and filth is revolting. Take them away and have them bathe." "Yes, young master." "Wait, what?"

Charlotte and Yulia were led by the maids to a large bath. Surprisingly, it was just a regular bathhouse. Nothing strange. Just an empty bath for them to use.

Hot water...

How long had it been since she’d last taken a real bath? As soon as she sank into the warm water, she felt sensations she’d almost forgotten. A relaxed sigh escaped both girls as they soaked.

When they finished their bath and stepped out, fresh pajamas, tailored to their sizes, awaited them.

It fits perfectly...

This was odd. Suspicious, even. He had taken them here to use as subjects, yet he was treating them well. What was the point of this act? She couldn’t understand his motive.

"A child should sleep early to grow. Spend the night in this dark room, where no light can reach. Heh heh heh."

The door creaked shut, plunging them into darkness. The bedding was soft and cozy, and after all the running, eating, and bathing, Yulia’s eyelids felt heavy.

"We can’t let our guard down... Charlotte?" "Hmmm?" "Already asleep. What? Could this be...?"

Was his goal to make them sleep? What was he planning to do while they slept? Before she knew it, they had entered a windowless, enclosed room without any resistance. This was no time to relax.

Despite her worries, Charlotte’s leg wrapped around her, pinning her to the bed.

"Let go, Charlotte. We can’t be this careless." "Mmm. So comfy..."

Charlotte’s sleep talk broke her resolve. When had she last felt such comfort? A warm meal, a hot bath, a soft bed... Things she hadn’t experienced since entering the orphanage.

Why was Aslan doing this for them? What could he possibly gain? She wanted to stay alert. She still didn’t know what he was up to... but her eyes kept closing.

Maybe, just this once...

"Damn it..."

She had almost drifted off when an eerie whisper pulled her back to wakefulness, leaving Yulia staring wide-eyed into the dark.

"Ugh, I can’t change this tone, can I?"

All I’d done today was feed the kids, let them bathe, give them new clothes, and send them to bed. That’s all. Yet somehow, every word out of my mouth sounded sinister, like something a mastermind would say.

[You can now access the Skill Window.]

[Skill Window]

[Villain’s Fate] [Passive Skill] [Everyone, everywhere, will always perceive you as a villain.]

What kind of worthless skill is this? And it’s passive, meaning I can’t even turn it off. Do I have any other skills?

[Innate Blockhead] [Passive Skill] [The world’s mana despises you. Greatly reduced mana sensitivity.]

[Villainous Aura] [Passive Skill] [Loved by evil gods and demons for no reason. Highly noticeable to them.]

[Evil Laughter] [Active Skill] [Laugh like a scheming mastermind.]

[Touch of Death] [Active Skill] [Emit a miasma of death around you. Affects only lowly creatures like insects.]

These are probably the most useless skills ever. If I could, I’d dump all the passives. And the active ones? They’re almost as bad. Well, maybe Touch of Death could replace a bug zapper.

This body is worthless. I’d better give up any dreams of becoming strong and focus on staying alive instead.

I’m not the protagonist. I have no impressive stats or hidden potential. My best chance is to ally with as many good guys as I can and steer clear of villains. That’s my path to survival.

It was late. I returned to the library to inspect the mess Aslan had left behind. Books scattered everywhere, ritual circles etched into the floor, strange sacrifices lying around. No wonder everyone thought he was researching black magic.

Not that I understand any of it.

I tried reading a few books, but they were incomprehensible. I couldn’t even make out the letters. Just then…

[Recalling body’s memories.]

[Syncing...]

[Sync failed.] [Sync interrupted due to unknown error.]

[Sync rate: 21%]

Words flashed across my vision, and suddenly, I felt a slight change. Aslan’s memories, or fragments of them, had come back to me. But nothing truly useful—just scattered scenes from various times. Still, 21% was enough.

I can read this.

Some of his knowledge of letters must have been included. I could now make sense of the books, even if understanding their contents would take time and repeated reading.

I’ve got time. It looks like this body is nocturnal, so staying up to read won’t be a problem.

I pulled a chair up to a desk and settled in, only to be interrupted by a strange, almost cold sensation, as though something was watching me. It wasn’t as intense as the time Kali’s gaze had fallen upon me, but it was close.

"Young Master."

"What is it?"

Sylvia, the knight, emerged from the shadows, nearly making me jump. My body didn’t flinch, though. Was it thanks to that sync?

"Young Master, may I speak frankly?" "Go on." "I’ve seen many of your depraved hobbies, but this time, you’ve crossed a line." "…" "Release the children. Before I’m forced to do it myself."

[Sylvia Aineas] [Age: 20] [Affinity: -38] [Knight bound to the Vermonte family, personally assigned as Aslan Vermonte’s bodyguard. She holds you in utter, utter, utter, utter, utter, utter contempt.]

So, she hates me. A lot. Six utters worth.