Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain
Chapter 103: The Change in The System

Chapter 103: The Change in The System

"Quiet... Do not interrupt me," she said coldly. The chill in her voice sent shivers down the judge’s spine, silencing him instantly.

However, the score didn’t appear in the air like it had with the previous judges. This meant the system had determined that Atherna was too biased.

Seeing this, Atherna’s face showed clear irritation. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath.

After calming herself, Atherna slowly turned her gaze to the remaining judge. She gracefully took her seat, her posture prim and proper, like a queen.

It was a side of Atherna that Maximilian never imagined he’d witness from his usually goofy girlfriend.

"Mr. Graham, despite not being a professional butler, has done his best to learn what he could in a short period of time," Atherna began. Her voice reverberated through the hall, and her commanding tone left no room for argument.

The two judges remained silent, as if in the presence of a long-reigning monarch.

"Even so, his skills are still lacking, and his experience as a butler is seriously insufficient. But considering all of his movements, his interaction with the guests, the personal touch he showed toward me, and his sheer determination... I grant him 8 out of 10," she said with a poised smile.

After a brief pause, the score of 8 slowly appeared in the air above the hall.

Now, Maximilian had a total of 12 points.

As for the final judge, he gave Maximilian a standard critique before awarding a passing score of 5 and calling it a day.

Now, it was the trial master’s turn to be judged.

Atherna began first.

"Hundred Face... I don’t like you. You’ll get only 5 from me for all the skills you’ve displayed. Are you going to accept it or not?" she stated bluntly, caring little for maintaining a judge’s image.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I accept. Thank you for your grace," Hundred Face said with a bow, not daring to argue.

Maximilian, upon hearing Hundred Face address Atherna that way, was visibly confused.

Your Majesty?

Does this mean Atherna is royalty in this world? No, that shouldn’t be possible. All the countries in this world had long since been dissolved, only city-states remained.

There might be cultural heritage due to ethnic groups and local traditions, but there were no actual nations involved anymore.

So... where does this royal title come from? Maximilian wondered.

"Hmph!" Atherna snorted, then glared deathly at the two judges.

But that was all she could do—stare. She couldn’t say anything that might influence the other judges’ decisions.

The judges all gulped nervously under her gaze. In the end, they gave Hundred Face scores of 8 and 7.

He had won.

Maximilian received a total of 17 points, while Hundred Face ended with 20.

Just as Maximilian had predicted, he lost, of course.

Seeing her beloved lose, Atherna’s temper flared. The judges, along with Hundred Face, quickly exited the mind space to avoid Atherna’s wrath.

Yes, the system’s existence had bound Atherna and protected them during the judging, but outside of that? Nothing could stop her. So they did the smart thing—run from the silver-haired woman’s fury. _{f.r(e)e\webn.ovel.co\m}

Now, in this mind space, only Maximilian and Atherna remained.

"I’m sorry, Max. I couldn’t help you more than this," Atherna said, her eyes downcast, full of regret.

Maximilian felt a wave of nostalgia. Atherna’s words, her expression, her posture—everything matched his memories.

Before he realized it, he had already stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. He held her firmly as if afraid she might disappear again.

In this mind space, he could touch her—smell her, feel her presence.

Atherna was briefly startled but then gently returned the hug, her arms slowly wrapping around him.

"I love you... Don’t ever go anywhere again, okay?" Maximilian said, his voice trembling with all the feelings he had suppressed for over ten years. He inhaled her scent, breathing in the familiar fragrance from her silver hair.

He remembered this scent—the smooth, silky texture of her hair. Even though its color had changed to pure silver, to him, it was the most beautiful color in the world.

"I love you too... and don’t worry... I won’t go anywhere," Atherna reassured him softly, hugging him tightly.

The two shared a kiss, deep and passionate, born from their longing for each other’s presence. The kiss lasted several minutes before they finally pulled away.

About ten minutes later, Maximilian gently released Atherna, and the two of them sat down together, talking side by side.

They spoke about all kinds of things—everyday life, lighthearted topics, and jokes.

Of course, they had been talking to each other every day through the link, but this was different. Now they could see each other, talk face-to-face, touch, and hold hands.

The feeling was completely different from communicating through the mental link.

"Athel, I remember that the space usually closes quickly after the trial is finished. Why is it taking so long this time?" he asked.

"It’s because I’m here. I can extend this session for as long as we want. Do you want to leave?" she asked.

"Not yet. Instead, I want to ask you something," said Maximilian.

"Oh? What do you want to ask?"

"The two judges—who are they? Are they just entities created by the trial, or something else?" Maximilian asked.

He remembered that Atherna had told him the trial master could request a single helper to hunt him down or interfere. But what he saw were two entities serving as judges.

Hearing this, Atherna understood what Maximilian was getting at.

"They are... two of the villain souls within the system. They came because of a special request and a rule the trial master added," she explained.

"Wait, isn’t the rule supposed to allow only one helper? I saw two of them," Maximilian said with a frown.

"They’re judges, not helpers. Besides, I was also here to help you, so it balances out the trial," Atherna clarified.

"I see," Maximilian nodded in understanding. Then... it dawned on him.

"Wait... if they’re villain souls within the system... you mean they can interact with each other?" he asked.

"Not at first... but I don’t know what changed that allowed the system to let them interact," Atherna replied, her brow furrowing. She made a mental note to get to the bottom of this once she got out.

"Do you want to know something else?" she asked.

Maximilian didn’t answer. He simply looked at Atherna with a meaningful smile.

At first, Atherna was confused... but then she blushed, realizing what he meant.

"No, Max... This isn’t really me, not the real me, at least. Wait until you use the ticket, okay? But... if you really can’t wait... I could..." Atherna looked up at Maximilian with soft, suggestive eyes.

Maximilian felt something stir within him, something definitely not safe for work... but he quickly suppressed it. He could only let out a wry smile.

"It’s okay... I can wait," Maximilian said, knowing full well that this space existed only within his mind.

So... if he actually went through with what Atherna just suggested...

Wouldn’t that be literally mind-blowing?

No! No! His intrusive thoughts, those bad thoughts, were at it again.

Don’t go there, Max.

"You know, Max," Atherna said with a seductive smile, "suppressing it too much isn’t good for your health." Her mischievous grin deepened as she gently touched his chest in a suggestive way.

This... this seductive little vixen!

Maximilian made a face like he was forcing himself to resist his favorite slice of pizza.

"Let’s... let’s just go out," Maximilian managed to squeeze out, clearly struggling—which only made Atherna giggle.

"Don’t laugh! Don’t let me catch you outside, you little minx!" Maximilian said begrudgingly.

Still giggling, Atherna waved her hand, sending Maximilian out of the mental space, then followed after him with a teleport.

— The Castle in the Starry Sky —

Within the vast room of the castle, where a strange machine stood, Atherna slowly woke from her slumber.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness before turning her attention to the peculiar machine in front of her.

She gazed at the screen displaying all twelve villains, two of whom had already been absorbed by Maximilian.

The third was Hundred Face, who had somehow managed to interact with the other two villains inside the system. He grasped the change before even she, the system administrator, realized it.

After Maximilian gained the "Master of Acting" skill, he unlocked the conditions that allowed him to challenge Maximilian in an area where Maximilian was lacking, namely, the skills required of a butler.

Moreover, the list of villains remained a secret even to her. Unless a trial had been conducted or a villain had chosen to reveal themselves, she wouldn’t be able to identify them.

The only way to know in advance would be to forcefully break the system apart using her power.

However, doing so would immediately kill Maximilian and possibly damage his soul, as the system had already deeply integrated with it.

She didn’t know what had happened, but this smelled very fishy to her.