The Art of Taming the Villain

The pale pink canopy fluttered lightly, and the dim candlelight swayed in the cool breeze. When Xe opened their eyes, they frowned slightly, feeling a bit disoriented. Before opening their eyes, Xe had already accepted the plot and the memories; knowing the situation in advance, Xe hadn’t dared to open them recklessly. “Princess is awake?” A man’s cold voice came from beside the bed, delivered with detached indifference as soon as Xe’s eyes met his. “Ah!” Xe looked up, startled by the sudden sight of the man, and instinctively clutched the blanket, shrinking into the corner of the bed. At the same time, Xe prodded 029 in their mind. “Seriously, I can’t skip this mission, can I?” Whether in the Dragon Lord male lead group or now in the mission to save the villain, Xe had never once played a fool. Xe was smart, clever—how could Xe possibly act the fool without any experience? “Nope.” 029 replied, helplessly. “Ah well, then I guess your host will just have to show their true acting skills,” Xe said, a mixture of resignation and a faint thrill creeping into their tone. Facing a role they’d never played before, Xe couldn’t help but feel a little excited. “…So you actually like this mission, don’t you?” 029 muttered, finally catching on. Asking if it could be skipped was pointless—they weren’t a newcomer to soul-travel missions; skipping wasn’t an option. Silly 029 for answering so naively. Hmph. Seraphel’s sharp gaze fell on the youth in a silk nightgown, who had already shrunk into the corner of the bed. He couldn’t help but smirk silently. Hah, this fool. And yet, this very fool was extraordinarily lucky—born into the royal family, the sole surviving child of the late emperor, and now sitting on the highest throne. “Come over.” “I-I dare not…” Xe clutched the blanket tightly, as if it were their last refuge, their only protection. “I, by my order, command you to come here!” Startled by the weight of Seraphel’s aura, Xe shivered and scrambled toward the edge of the bed, still wrapped in the blanket. Seraphel’s expression softened slightly, his tone almost gentle as he said, “I, too, do not wish to disturb the princess at this late hour.” Yet his words of “princess” were still wrapped in the imperious tone of a command. Before Xe could speak, Seraphel tilted his head slightly. “It’s just… today I happened to receive some news. The late emperor secretly trained a Golden Armored Guard, loyal only to you.” Seraphel, the current duke, was infamous for his cruel methods and ruthless mind. Even the civil and military officials, fearful of his tyranny, privately called him a hidden calamity. But to Xe, he was the one they were here to save—the tragic, beautiful, and strong individual. Xe, inhabiting the princess, realized something. The original princess wasn’t naturally foolish. She had been clever from a young age, aware of the deadly intrigues among her siblings and had feigned stupidity to avoid danger—an act she maintained for over a decade. Ironically, her scheming siblings, embroiled in mutual assassinations, eventually all perished, leaving only two. Those remaining two, in a frenzy during the emperor’s final year, killed openly, and one even fell victim to a slow-acting poison before he could claim the throne. Thus, the “foolish” one survived. Xe shook their head, understanding that the original princess hadn’t only been playing dumb—she had secretly participated in the palace schemes. The slow poison that killed one of the siblings was her doing, though the victim never realized it. But the palace intrigue didn’t end. The original princess never truly secured the throne because Seraphel, previously considered a “casual duke,” had been quietly raising an army and plotting power. On the day the princess ascended, about to reveal her cunning, Seraphel slipped a poison into her system, truly rendering her a fool, while he gained control as duke—not as emperor. He didn’t seek the crown itself, only the supreme power, the satisfaction of manipulating even the sovereign. Xe wasn’t sure whether Seraphel knew the original princess had been pretending, but the fact that he further poisoned her suggested he at least suspected it. “029, add an anti-poison skill for me.” Xe suspected Seraphel’s harm wasn’t limited to the poison pill. For three years, the princess had been weak, mentally hazy, and perpetually fatigued. Xe recalled every detail carefully and suspected the culprit could be the scented incense the servants changed daily. But rather than waste time testing, the simplest solution was to use mission points to avoid all possible poisoning. “Wh-what’s that smell?” Xe asked, eyes full of confusion. Seraphel leaned slightly closer, voice low. “Golden Armored Guard. You don’t need to understand. Just tell me: did your late father give you a golden plaque engraved with a dragon pattern, and where is it?” Xe thought hard, shaking their head. “…I don’t remember.” Seraphel’s brow furrowed, gripping Xe’s collar. His voice darkened. “Think carefully!” Xe flinched, face blanching. “I-I’ll try! Don’t be mad at me!” Seraphel exhaled, calming slightly. “Very well. If you remember, I’ll reward you with a tart—your favorite.” “Really?!” Xe’s eyes lit up at the mention of a tart. “Of course.” Seraphel let out a light chuckle. Hah, such a fool could be persuaded with a single pastry. He shouldn’t have been in such a hurry earlier. Xe cautiously reached out, touching Seraphel’s hand still on their collar, eyes wide and hopeful. “If there’s a tart, I’ll remember!” Seraphel’s arm stiffened slightly. He leaned down, the sharp line of his face approaching Xe. “Know this—touching my sleeve without permission warrants punishment.” Xe’s eyes widened in shock, yanking their hand back as if it had been electrocuted. “I-I won’t ever do it again! Don’t cut off my hands!” Seraphel’s lips curved in a faint smile. “Why would I ever harm the princess’s hands? I need them for massaging my shoulders, fetching water, and serving tea.” Xe: “……” 029 let out a dry chuckle. “Host, calm down.” Xe sneered internally. “I’ll remember this grudge. One day, you’ll pay. And I refuse to let you make me willingly wash your feet!” “Come here.” Seraphel released Xe’s collar. Despite the familiarity, there was an unexplainable feeling lingering from the contact. He didn’t care much, beckoning the servant who quickly bent low and scurried in. “Bring the tart.” “Yes, Duke Seraphel.” The servant hurriedly retreated. Xe sighed, realizing that in this palace, no one obeyed the princess anymore. If Xe surrendered the Golden Armored Guard token now, nothing would remain. But refusing risked Seraphel’s wrath. The most practical move was to confront Seraphel directly and secure him first. Seraphel ignored the kneeling servant, reaching for a tart. “Retrieve the plaque from under the bed. Then, I’ll give you the tart.” Xe, excited at the prospect, immediately climbed under the bed, returning with the golden plaque. “Here it is!” Seraphel’s eyes glinted, snatching the token. “Can I eat the tart now?” Xe glanced at the tray the servant still held high, disappointed—only one tart, not a whole plate! Before Xe could even reach for it, Seraphel noticed their eager face, and as Xe bit the tart with two fingers still holding it, he froze, face darkening. “Impudent!” Xe, startled, barely chewed the tart. Their cheeks puffed out, unable to understand why the duke was suddenly angry. 029: “….” It was now obvious: the host was deliberately teasing Seraphel. Xe’s teary, timid gaze met his, and Seraphel, realizing he’d overreacted, wiped his fingers on the canopy, yet the lingering sensation from earlier remained. Almost subconsciously, his eyes dropped to Xe’s lips. The fool remained oblivious, happily chewing the tart. Seraphel, snapping out of his daze, carefully held another tart, offering it to Xe. “Want more?” “Yes!” Xe’s eyes shone, greedily opening their mouth for the second tart, fingers in tow. Seraphel kept calm, letting Xe eat without withdrawing. Xe smiled inwardly—they’d succeeded in the first test. The duke, it seemed, was… teaseable. As Seraphel reached for more from the tray, he suddenly realized he almost let this fool distract him. Damned. He’d intended only one tart! How did it come to this? Hmph. A fool like this—how dare they tempt him so! “Get down!” Seraphel’s tone to the servant was sharp. “Yes, Duke Seraphel!” The servant quickly obeyed. Xe, mid-bite, saw the tray leave, eyes wide in regret, only to spot Seraphel’s suddenly dark face and obediently sit back. “Come massage my back.” Seraphel, no longer dwelling on anything, sat back in his chair, arm lazily on the armrest, commanding Xe to serve him. Xe: “……” Damn it. After all that, they were still at the mercy of the plot. This time, it was a romance storyline, but different from the previous failed male lead scenario. Seraphel was the canonical villain, the murderer of the male lead’s father. The main plot: a modern girl, Olisa, accidentally transmigrates to ancient times, meets the male lead, builds an assassin organization with him, helps him exact revenge, and eventually they become king and queen. The male lead, Sell, son of the Dell viscount, is initially blocked by his father from pursuing Olisa. Sell leaves the capital for the borderlands, Olisa builds her wealth and influence using modern knowledge, and aims to marry into nobility. Their plans are foiled when Seraphel, a powerful duke, kills Dell viscount with ease. Throughout the story, the male and female leads repeatedly face near-death encounters with Seraphel, eventually defeating him to achieve victory. Xe glanced at Seraphel, still unreadable, and sighed inwardly. They couldn’t simply ask, “Has Dell viscount been killed yet?” They’d have to wait for the morning assembly. For now, they could only tread carefully and fulfill the mission—barefoot and ready.