Jae Woon stared at Mochi, unblinkingly.
"Really? You will help me changing my hideous appearance? And, you will not charge me with anything?"Mochi nodded its head in enthusiasm.(Of course, host. I'm a mighty system. I already guided more than a hundred hosts, and all of them managed to complete their mission in flying colors. Just leave it to me, host!)Jae Woon's eyes once again are brimming with tears. He is suddenly started to cry and the system is flustered by its host's reaction.Why? Did I say the wrong thing to him? Mochi mentally said. Why did he cry? Aigoo...This is the first time this system is meeting such a peculiar host like him. Despite having a power that could topple the entire continent in a blink of an eye, my host is actually a pure man, with a tender maiden[?] heart. I got myself a very kindhearted host.Mochi stretched out its hand and gently rubbing Jae Woon's back. This simple gesture of Mochi might not change anything, but, for the miserable Jae Woon, he felt a rush of a warm and soothing feeling calming down his tense nerve. He enjoyed Mochi's touch very much as the turbulence in his heart died down.(There, there, host. I'm here. You're not alone. Don't lose hope. Didn't the human has this famous saying, hmm...what is the saying...there's always light at the end of the tunnels? Right! So, don't be discourage and held your head up. You should look forward, not downward, host.) Mochi said wisely."Thank you, Mochi...hic..."Jae Woon gratefully replied as he wiped his snort and tears away. "I'm not a strong person. I cannot keep up with any sudden change very well. I'm afraid to challenge myself. I reached the pinnacle of my successful life because of my two friends...hic...They always stayed by my sides, encouraging me to move forward and silently supported me from behind. If not because of them, I will wallowing myself in the bad influences of our society and might turn into someone with a terrible personality."Mochi nodded its head in understanding.
(Since you're now feeling alright, host, let's me explain your role here. But host, who is Mochi?) The system scanned its surroundings with a wrinkled forehead, searching for this 'Mochi' its host mentioned."That's your name. Mochi." Jae Woon chuckles when he saw Mochi's confused expression. "Isn't the name befit your appearance very well, Mochi?"Mochi stared at its host dumbly. Because of his cheerful and innocent smile, Mochi didn't have the heart nor courage to refuse the name that Jae Woon bestowed to this system. Mochi could only sigh due to this dilemma.(Up to you, host. As long as you like the name, I don't have any reason to refuse your kind offer.)Jae Woon laughed. Mochi must dislike the name very much, and rather than arguing with each other over a silly matter, Mochi decided to go along with his suggestion." You said something about my role here in this world. What kind of role I had?"(Well, host, my employer choose you because you possessed the rare qualification we desperately need. We requested for you to save the poor male lead from the twisted and terrible fate that he was forced into. In these last few hundred years, a dark and sinister force keeps invading any worlds available out there and overturned the fate of the beloved son of the worlds. The male leads are gradually losing their protagonist halo effect. Some even lose their lives at the beginning of the story and causing those worlds to collapse early. That's why Danial Vermillion is left alone in this sorry state.)"Wait! This ugly piggy is the male lead of this world? Are you kidding me?" Jae Woon is surprised when he heard such a revelation from Mochi.(Yes, he is supposed to own a total of seven sets of different elements. But, during the night of his birth, a mishap happened and his mother, Queen Carina is died due to severe blood loss. She is the most powerful light magic user in this world, and the beloved mother of this empire, but, because of her son, the queen died. This is the reason why these people despised Danial so much. Not only that, there is a strange oracle going around at that time. An ill-bringer of fate will be born, he will be taking his beloved people straight to death and plummet the empire's prosperity to doom. People blamed Danial for taking away their queen, and his appearance when he first greeted the world is ugly. They believed the oracle is describing Danial.)"Poor this young lad. He had so much going around on his plate, and yet, I called him ugly, and worthless human being. I'm sorry." Jae Woon felt sympathetic to Danial's terrible life, that his eyes are filled with unshed tears again.
(That's why you're here, host. You will save him from his cursed fate!) Mochi exclaimed dramatically. (First and foremost, you will gather your ally. Every male lead had their own pair. So, you will need the female lead's help in this situation. Grab her attention before your enemy snatches her away!)Jae Woon released a heavy sigh. He grudgingly standing up from his crouching position and approached the basin of clear water on top of a broken shelf. He gripped his knuckles tightly as he braces himself to look at his reflection on the water surface. The hideous face full of pimples with bruised and puffy brown eyes is staring back at him. His nose is definitely broken and dried blood smeared all over his face, adding the gruesome sight of a monstrous appearance."I don't think she will find me appealing in her eyes, Mochi. She might scream in fear when we crossed upon each other." He said solemnly. "With this kind of face...even if it me..."(Tsk...tsk...host. Of course, not like this. But, don't underestimate the female lead's undying love towards you, host. She might not be showing this, but, you should know, there are connections and attraction between the two of you. Let's meet her secretly, and I will explain the plots to you along our way there.) Mochi reassured its host.--------The people in this world is adoring the existence of the goddess Athena, the goddess of war. They believe that magic is bestowed by Her Grace as a gift for her followers to survive the harsh wars in the past. Athena’s statue is built in the middle of the busy plaza of the most famous and secure town in the whole continent, Snowflake Town. This town is where the king and his royal lineage reside. The castle is situated on top of a mountain, 13 km away from the main entrance of Snowflake Town and surrounded by a long stream of a beautiful river. Trees and flowers were planted on the riverside, and people love to spend their blissful time beneath those trees together with their beloved ones. Whether during the day or night, these places are overcrowding with people and hawkers stalls. &nb
"I..." As Seiran tried to counter Danial's words, her brothers' worried voices are then heard, calling for her attention. "Ran! Ran, where are you?! Ran!" Arthur, Sean, and Julian screamed their little sister's name in panic. Danial's eyes widen in shock. Ran? This girl is Seiran Knight, the only daughter of the scary Duke Knight? This is bad! If her brothers saw him with her here, they might misunderstand the whole situation and he will end up dead. Danial turned around and ran away in haste. He ignored Seiran's desperate pleading for him to stop. In a flash, Danial's back no longer visible for Seiran to look at. Seiran clutched her left chest. Without her realizes, a drop of tear is rolling down on her flushed, pink cheek. A surge feeling of sadness and d
Seiran is walking beside Danial. She gets her long-forgotten wish to walk alone with him without any interruption of her nosy brothers, but, she is too nervous to comfortably talk with him. After the incident that happened in the past, she tried to find Danial and she even requests her father to visit Danial in the palace. But, her request is denied. She vividly remembers the conversation she had that day with her family, about the shocking secret of Duke Knight Mansion and her identity. "You cannot meet him, not until you are strong enough to protect him, Ran." Her mother, Lady Liliane, a woman with black, and long wavy hair, with a pair of beautiful ocean-like orbs, is gently caressing her tears-stricken cheeks. "You are his protector, his support, and his soulmate. If you showed your true self in front of other people, your enemy might know the first prince's real identity. We need to protect him in silence, not endanger him."
"Oh, My Mighty Goddess, please hear my humble prayer and help this poor soul. Lift the curse that had been bounded him and save him from this damnation cycle. May you bless his life with your grace." Seiran muttered a prayer whilst closing her eyes in concentration. A bead of sweat is rolling down from her forehead as she is using a large amount of her inner energy to conjure a high-level healing spell, to counter the ancient curse in Jae Woon's body. At the same time, Jae Woon reluctantly swallowed the pill inside his mouth. As soon as the pill is dissolved, a chain of reactions is taking place. Hazy, black smoke is seeping out from his body along with a thick, foul odor. A rotten stench is wafting in the air, that it's almost making Jae Woon vomit on the spot. He managed to hold his
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The antique hanging watch on the wall is reverberating when the time hits ten o'clock in the morning. The ticking sound of the clock is not deafening enough, however, it's disrupted the tranquility state of the living room. Lady Liliane fiddled with her fingers. She had no qualms in continuing her silly lie to the prince. They have been sitting in the living room in silence for almost fifteen minutes. She is subconsciously holding her breath and greedily exhaled a relief sigh once she heard the sound interruption from the clock. Nevertheless, the longer the time is dragging by, the more nervous and fidgety she felt about the situation on her hands. She apprehensively glances at the handsome male in front of her. "What will you do aft
Seiran opened her heavy eyelids. She is stretching out on her big bed like a lazy domesticated Persian cat. Her watery eyes swept around her surroundings in wonder. Seiran no longer felt lethargic and her inner energy and magic power already rekindled to their maximum state. Although right now, she is yearning for the comfortable and cozy feeling of Danial's embrace. The familiar setting of her own room and the homely vibe she is experiencing proved that she is back in her own haven. Ah, this is my room. Seiran dazedly contemplated this in the back of her mind. Did Danial bring her home? Seiran covered her blushing face with her palms as she remembers Danial's handsome and stunning appearance. His dazzling, and enthralling
Liliane finally calmed down. She released a relieved breath. Her shoulders shagged down a lot and she suddenly felt exhausted with all this secret she is keeping. Her daughter, Seiran keeps asking about her condition, which she assured her multiple times already, that she is okay and nothing is wrong with her. Liliane curled her lips into a smile. As soon as Seiran confirmed her mother's well-being, she turned her body around and face Danial. Danial flinched as he saw the fury in her almond-like eyes. Her eyes are burning with fire. Both of her hands are on her waist, while she is throwing an accusatory look toward the prince. The prince, however, just lifted his hands in mock surrender and give her his best puppy eyes and innocent look. Seiran's tense shoulders visibly relaxed. Her eyes soften at the pitiful expr
"Queen Carina's death is not accidental nor a coincident. Her death is a joyous event for Maverick. He, for so long had set to take Carina's life. No. not her life, but, Goddess Athena's descendant's life." Liliane lifted her head, and her hooded eyes come in contact with Jae Woon's surprised look and Seiran's disbelief expression."Goddess Athena's descendant? You mean Danial is...?" Seiran almost choked on her biscuit when she heard the shocking news from her mother. "I thought, the story about Goddess Athena is only a myth. a legend of our empire, being passed down from one descendant to another for learning purposes?"" You should probably aware, legend also had a solid background story behind them, Ran," Liliane responded. "The story is passed down from one generation to another generation because they ho
The silence was unsettling. From a distance, someone can even hear the sound of dropping a pin onto the floor.The Bronze Pavilion became eerily quiet despite the palace crowding with people. The sudden drop in temperature, the unexpected coldness that froze out everything in its path, and the heavy pressure of tremendous Mana shrouded the place, all of this happened due to one person.The culprit who caused such disturbance casually leaned his body on the wall with his arms propped on the handrails. He looked at the kneeling humans, and some even groveling on the floor. Those people got denied the right to raise their heads by the oppressive force radiating from Danial's body. The piles of humans scattering before him kept groaning and whimpering in pain. They begged with their heads on the floor for the prince to let them off the hook.Danial said nothing. He neither felt pleasure nor guilty witnessing this scene.Instead, the brown pupils kept glowing, and the pair of irises turned
It took a whole hour for the chaotic situation from before to calm down completely. The injured were sent to the hospital while Princess Natasha refused her maid's help and threw an unwarranted tantrum.She kept yelling and unreasonably lashed her anger toward the innocent maid and blamed everything on her.With her mess-up appearance, she looked like a deranged person. Her beet-red face turned several times darker when her eyes which drifted towards Danial, had unfortunately aligned with his line of sight.She felt embarrassed, and she had never thought of such a humiliating situation occurring to her upon encountering this handsome stranger.Danial tilted his head and chuckled humorously. He seemed to laugh at her miserable condition.Natasha felt a pang of sadness inside her heart, albeit the giddy feeling overwhelmed her more. That by any means, the handsome stranger had noticed her presence. He would recall her face every tim
Present time.Sofia changed her outfit into a presentable one.She is completely engrossed in her gardening duty and often neglects her appearance. At the very least, when seeing Danial, she must look outwardly alright, or he might think of her as a gardener pretending to be a palace concubine.After a while, she rushed towards the Prince Pavilion, leaving behind her palace maids.She needed to deliver the thing that Carina entrusted to her. There was no way she would keep quiet any longer. Keeping a secret is a hassle and cumbersome thing. For eighteen years, she had a restless sleep and often had insomnia.That woman had not only burdened her with an unbelievable request. She also insisted on her telling him the truth. And, despite the unwillingness to do what she instructed, Sofia decided to confide everything to Danial, letting him determine his own fate.She had a feeling that Danial knew what Carina was hiding from the rest of th
"I said that my time has come." Carina calmly repeated the words. She lifted her hands, making the quote and unquoted gestures. "The ending of my life is just around the corner." A bolt of thunder seemed to strike Sofia as she stared unbelievably at Carina. She was speechless at her revelation. Did she mishear it? Seeing Sofia's dumbfounded face, Carina patted her cheek to make her soul come back to reality. "What? Could you repeat it?" Sofia blinked her eyes, her head tilted awkwardly as her round eyes stared at Carina in disbelief. She could barely hold back the snort that bubbled at the back of her throat. "I seemed to mishear your words?"
Eighteen years ago. Two months before the tragedy happened. In the Imperial Garden, during the night. The Imperial Garden brimmed with the vitality of nature, as lush of greenness spread as far as eyes could see. Colorful flowers and plants bloomed and flourished, creating a breathtaking scene under the serenity of the night. On this night, all the living beings in the garden were very energetic with the additional help of Carina's light magic. The plants energized and exuded more fragrances, filling the air with crisp and mellow scents. Carina was not alone. The small animals willingly participate, hurdled together in an inconspicuous corner, some well-hidden and some were not, accompanying her. Their appearances add layers of
Shadow Guard number six, whose name is akin to the master of infiltration, Wind Master. His nickname is Sixth. He served the Emperor as his personal bodyguard, alongside their leader, Master Art. Sixth's duty alleviated to be the Imperial Prince's bodyguard as soon as the young prince learned to walk by himself. His coworkers teased him that the Emperor was angry with him and demoted his rank to supervise the hated and ill-bringer prince, The First Prince, Prince Danial. Initially, he also thought so. The Emperor loathed his son and unceremoniously abandoned him to the farthest place within the palace. The palace was the Cold Palace. The young prince at that time was only five years old. He knew nothing and was still green about everything, especially
Danial entered his pavilion. He casually surveyed his surrounding with an expressionless face. He strode along the magnificent hallways with the shadow guard trailed behind him. The whole place seemed to paint in white. Only the curtains, the ornaments, and decorations were in different colors. The floor beneath is made of glossy wood. The surface seemed translucent and glistened when the light reflected on them. When you stepped on them, the footstep reverberated across the peaceful residential palace. In the center, there is a pond with a beautiful fountain. The Kois swam with great vitality, splashing the water around and sometimes creating waves after waves. The pond separated the palace into two parts and sturdy black fences barricaded around it. To the left side, you will reach the Prince's residence. And, to the right side, you will be entering the princesses'. At this time
Danial arrived at the outskirt of the Main City when the sun had spread its comfortable and soothing light on the boundless horizon. He left The Knight Residence when the dawn itself was welcomed by the world. The bright sunshine shone above him with its warm light. The sky is clear, and the weather for today is as spectacular as yesterday. The beautiful ambiance is befitting for anyone to take a stroll with family or friends, leisurely spending time together. Danial strode over the bridge, walking in a steady gait while evading the rush of upcoming carriage from his front. The luxurious carriage bypassed him in a flash, and he managed to catch a glimpse of a slender hand that lifted the white curtain. The long, golden hair shimmered under the sun as a head peeked outside the carriage's window. Danial scrunched his nose, left in a daze and astounded. The remaining nostalgia feeling of the good old days hit him on t
The rest of the family forced themselves to enter their rooms under the warning glare of Seiran. Although unwilling, the sibling reluctantly dragged their feet upstairs and obediently locked their doors, including Duke Arklight. The man was forcibly half-dragged and half-walked by his wife. Lady Liliane finally lost her temper and pulled her husband's right ear. She glowered, expressing her fatigues and sleepiness, and Duke Arklight relented. He kept sending a fierce glare towards Danial, who politely nodded his head in response. Duke Arklight felt that his vein was throbbing as he was infuriated by Danial's reaction. Before he could say anything, Liliane drilled both of her knuckles on her husband's temples. "Mercy! Darling, it hurts!" He wailed.