"Veil, you're going too far! Planting spies around me and sending people to tail me—just how despicable can you be?!"
"Our engagement was arranged by our families, but let me make this clear: I, Lisa, have absolutely no feelings for you. In fact, I despise you!"
"Don't ever bother me again!"
Veyport City, Windsor International.
Inside the CEO's office, Lisa, clad in a sharp black business suit, stood with her arms crossed, her gaze cold and piercing as she glared at Veil, who was pretending to be oblivious. Her words were sharp and unforgiving.
Yet Veil remained indifferent.
He sat stiffly on the sofa, his mind struggling to process the flood of information in his head. His lips twitched.
Had he… transmigrated?
And not just into any world, but into a novel he had read before?
The ridiculous part? He wasn't the protagonist surrounded by beautiful women—he was the infamous villain who got trampled on and humiliated!
Veil Lancaster.
The legitimate heir of the Lancaster family from Luxhaven City. The sole successor. His grandfather was a titan of power, a man of great achievements.
His father still held an influential position—one stomp of his foot could shake the entire Trasidia.
His mother was a business mogul, holding significant shares in multiple major corporations.
Everyone he interacted with was either rich or powerful.
He was the real deal—born into wealth and privilege.
Yet despite his golden start, the original Veil had squandered it all.
He had degraded himself to a pathetic lapdog, desperately chasing after his fiancée, Lisa.
He had tried to eliminate Lisa's "shield"—the man she brought in to reject his advances. He had planted spies around her. There was no line he hadn't crossed.
In the end, he even raised a blade against Lisa's protector—Roy, the protagonist of this world—only to suffer a brutal downfall at his hands.
And the Lancaster family, once a beacon of power, became nothing more than Roy's stepping stone to greatness.
Roy's meteoric rise? It had all been built on Veil's destruction.
Just thinking about it was depressing.
A simpering lapdog, only to end up with nothing?
But that was the foolishness of the past. Now, a new soul had taken over. Everything was about to change.
"Ding! Host identity confirmed. Villain System binding in progress..."
As a seasoned reader, Veil knew exactly what this meant.
His cheat had finally arrived.
The Villain System.
A tool designed to support him in his role as the villain—crushing protagonists, seizing fate's blessings, and becoming stronger in the process.
By stealing the protagonist's fortuitous encounters, he could accumulate Villain Points, which could then be exchanged for rewards or used in lotteries to enhance his abilities.
After familiarizing himself with the system's mechanics, Veil was quite satisfied.
Why pretend to be noble? Being a villain was way more fun!
Lisa, meanwhile, was trembling with rage as she glared at Veil. If her bodyguard hadn't discovered the hidden listening device in her office, she wouldn't have even realized that her private life was being spied on!
Yet this bastard still had the audacity to smile?!
"Veil, you still have the nerve to laugh?! I want to break off this engagement! I demand a cancellation!"
Veil, who had just finished testing out the system, lifted his head and replied indifferently, "Sure."
"???"
Lisa was stunned.
He agreed?
Just a short while ago, Veil had been shamelessly clinging to her, even going so far as to bug her office. His obsession was completely out of control.
Was the sun rising from the west today?
Had she finally escaped this nightmare of an engagement?!
Veil lazily leaned back on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. He picked up a cup of tea and took a sip before speaking nonchalantly.
"You want to break off the engagement? I don't oppose it. Just go talk to the Windsor family and have them bring it up first."
"You—!" Lisa clenched her fists, her frustration evident. "You're being unreasonable!"
Veil chuckled. "Unreasonable? Shouldn't we talk about how your Windsor family is the greedy one? And you, Lisa Windsor, don't flatter yourself. Do you really think I'm beneath you?"
"If it weren't for my Lancaster family, the Windsor family would have been torn apart ten years ago!"
A decade ago, Lisa's father had been a close friend of Veil's father. But after a tragic accident took his life, the Windsor family was thrown into chaos. Countless predators circled, ready to tear them apart.
It was Veil's father who had stepped in and stabilized the family.
Out of gratitude, Lisa's mother had taken the initiative to arrange this engagement.
In other words, Lisa's engagement to Veil was not some noble decision—it was a desperate plea for protection!
Thinking back, Veil couldn't help but sneer at the original owner's stupidity.
The guy had been handed a royal flush but still insisted on playing like a fool.
Did he really not understand that in a woman's heart, a lapdog was even lower than a backup plan?
Veil smirked. "You have another choice. Just pretend the engagement is still in place—for now. Of course, there's a time limit. When I feel like it, I might just dump you myself."
A heroine.
A walking bundle of luck.
How could he let her go before draining every last drop of benefit?
Lisa gritted her teeth, her sharp gaze filled with defiance. "No way! And what if you go too far? What then?!"
Veil shook his head in mock disappointment. "Tsk, such a dirty mind. I was only suggesting that we maintain appearances for the sake of outsiders."
"If you really can't accept it, then feel free to go back to the Windsor family and have them break off the engagement. But I can't guarantee what will happen after that."
Did she really think she could just take the Lancaster family's benefits without giving anything in return?
Was she out of her mind? Nothing in this world came for free.
Lisa fell silent, her brows furrowed in deep contemplation.
She knew exactly what would happen if her family made the request instead.
If Veil was the one calling off the engagement, it would just be a loss of face for Windsor. But if she initiated it?
That would be a slap in the face to the Lancaster family.
Veil was their sole heir. Their future.
If she humiliated him like that, not only would Windsor lose their protection, but they'd probably suffer Lancaster's wrath as well.
She loathed the idea of being tied to Veil, but if she refused this compromise, she would have no way out.
"Fine! I agree! But you must keep your word about ending the engagement!" Lisa took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes brimming with determination.
"Ding! Plot deviation detected. Congratulations, Host! Villain Points +1000."
Veil didn't respond. Instead, he stood up and grabbed Lisa's slender hand, leading her outside.
She instinctively tried to resist, but his next words cut her off.
"What, don't you want me to break off the engagement? Are you saying a couple can't even hold hands?"
Fine.
Lisa clenched her jaw, fuming.
She would just endure it—as if being scratched by a dog.
"Ding! Female lead Lisa has experienced emotional turmoil. Villain Points +300."
Veil ignored whatever thoughts she was having and let his gaze drift over her alluring figure. With a mischievous grin, he teased, "A beautiful woman like you shouldn't wear such tight clothes—it'll attract trouble. Just last night, I had to stalk two guys for you."
"Lisa's beautiful eyes flickered with discomfort.
She didn't get the reference. She had only heard of Veil's notorious reputation, and all she felt toward him was displeasure.
As the office door swung open, Lisa's female bodyguard spotted the two walking out hand in hand. Suspicion flashed across her face. "Miss… what's going on here?"
Veil took things a step further, wrapping an arm around Lisa's slender waist. "Is it really so shocking for a couple to be a little intimate?"
Lisa's body trembled violently. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to think of it as just being pounced on by a dog and acted as if nothing had happened.
Ding! The female lead Lisa has experienced intense emotional turmoil. Congratulations, Host! Villain Points +600.
For the next half a day, Veil walked through the company with Lisa in his arms, parading her around the entire office.
Not only did he take full advantage of the situation, but he also racked up a total of 6,800 Villain Points.
After an entire afternoon of exploiting Lisa for benefits, the day finally concluded with dinner.
Standing in front of Windsor International, Veil pulled Lisa into a farewell hug. Blushing furiously, she hurriedly fled the scene. Watching her retreating figure, Veil turned and stepped into his Bentley. The luxury car, flanked by four AMG Mercedes-Benz vehicles, formed a grand procession as it set off toward his family's estate.
Seated in the back, Veil let out a quiet sigh.
Lisa's hatred for the original Veil wasn't just surface-level—it ran deep. She was sharp, calculating. While he had managed to take small advantages, pushing things any further was simply out of the question for now.
Would she really be shy enough to run away?
Would she be so easily convinced?
Of course not. She was faking it—deliberately putting on a show to create the illusion that they had reconciled.
But Veil wasn't in a hurry. There was no need to rush.
As the female lead of the original novel, Lisa held an incredibly high status.
Naturally, she was also a crucial piece in his grand scheme.
"The situation has improved quite a bit. At the very least, I've shed that pathetic lapdog image. But I need to keep pushing forward." Veil sighed and silently commanded the system to bring up his status panel.
[Character]: Veil Lancaster
[Age]: 25
[Physique]: 5 (Weak constitution)
[Charisma]: 85
[Villain Points]: 6,800
[Skills]: None
[Shop]: Locked
[Lottery Center]: Unlocked (Each draw consumes 100 Villain Points)
Veil scowled as he read his status. "System, this is ridiculous! Weak constitution? As a transmigrator, am I really supposed to accept such an unfair disadvantage? Shouldn't you fix this bug?!"
The system's mechanical voice chimed in, devoid of any emotion. "You are a transmigrator. Your body has no connection to the original villain's physique. The host's weak constitution may stem from various factors, including but not limited to underdevelopment, excessive fatigue—"
"Enough! Stop right there. Just give me the starter pack." Veil cut the system off immediately, not wanting to hear any more of its merciless analysis.
Ding! The starter pack is ready. Would you like to claim it?
"Yes!"
Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained:
Affinity Lv1 (+10 group favorability. Requires 100 Villain Points to upgrade to Lv2. Upgrade cost doubles each level.)
Physique Enhancement Pills x10 (Each pill increases physique by 1.)
Charisma +13
Veil's eyes lit up. These were all great items! With the Affinity skill, wouldn't he essentially have a passive charm buff everywhere he went?
Without hesitation, he spent 3,100 Villain Points to upgrade Affinity to Lv6.
Then, he swallowed all ten Physique Enhancement Pills, raising his physique by ten points. A normal person's physique was around 10, meaning that with 15, he had completely bid farewell to his previous weakness.
As for Charisma?
That was an invisible boost to his appearance.
With a 98 in Charisma, was there any man in the world who could compare? Perhaps only that one guy—lounging on his bed, one leg casually draped over the other, smirking at his phone screen.
With a 98 in Charisma, Veil's upcoming plans would unfold much more smoothly.
"Alright, time for a 10x Lottery Draw! Use up the rest of my Villain Points!"
Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained:
Physique +1
Basic Piano Skills
Intermediate Piano Skills
Black Stockings
By the time his Villain Points were completely depleted, Veil's status panel had undergone a dramatic transformation.
[Character]: Veil Lancaster
[Age]: 25
[Physique]: 25
[Charisma]: 98
[Villain Points]: 0
[Skills]: Affinity Lv6 (+60 group favorability), Advanced Piano Skills
[Shop]: Locked
[Lottery Center]: Unlocked (Each draw consumes 100 Villain Points)
[Inventory]: Black Stockings, Breeze Brand Tissues x3...
Not bad. Apart from a few… questionable items, the rest were genuinely useful.
Closing the status panel, Veil turned to his driver and bodyguard, Kai. "When we get back, there are a few people and events I need you to keep an eye on."
Veil issued a series of detailed instructions. Knowing the plot was one thing, but some events were time-sensitive. He needed real-time updates.
"Understood!" Kai responded confidently, his face reflected in the rearview mirror. "Young Master, don't worry. Surveillance and tailing people? That's my specialty!"
In the past, Kai wouldn't have dared to joke with Veil like this. The young master had always been moody—unpredictable, even.
But today was different. Even as a fellow man, Kai had to admit—Veil looked stunningly handsome now. And there was something else about him… something inexplicably charming.
"Glad to hear it." Veil didn't refute him.
He had finally transmigrated into this familiar world, and there was still some time before the Mercenary King, Roy, returned.
Before Roy arrived, Veil needed to establish his connections and secure every opportunity he knew about.
Killing Roy outright wasn't feasible—protagonists don't die that easily.
Even if you shot him in the heart and threw him off a cliff, some random female NPC would probably save him, leading to a touching love story.
Until he gained immunity to the protagonist's plot armor, the only way to defeat Roy was to steal his fortuitous encounters.
As the Bentley convoy merged onto the highway, a dark smirk curled on Veil's lips.
"The Mercenary King, leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corps?"
"Heh… I wonder just how many Villain Points you'll be worth to me."
"I'm really looking forward to our first meeting…"