Lucian Valemont was supposed to die a dog's death.
Humiliated. Discarded. Killed by the golden protagonist like every forgettable villain.
There was just one problem: he remembered the entire damn novel. Or so he thought. As it turned out, his memory was a lot like the plot — full of holes.
Reincarnated as the bastard son of Duke Valemont, Lucian wakes up with a Villain's Path System and a destiny written in failure. His talent? Stolen by a curse that sealed 88% of his mana. His family? They'd celebrate if he dropped dead. The academy? They see him as a punchline.
But Lucian has something the protagonist doesn't.
He knows exactly what's coming.
Every plot twist. Every hidden power. Every "destined" heroine who's supposed to fall for the hero.
Seraphina Ashenblade—the proud sword goddess with a secret no one suspects.
Elira Frostveil—the ice princess hiding a bloodline that could shatter kingdoms.
Aria Lighthollow—the saintly healer with desires darker than anyone knows.
The protagonist can have his spotlight and his predictable happy ending.
Lucian will take the power, the women, and the throne the story never meant for him to have.
The novel thinks it controls his fate.
It's about to learn what happens when the villain stops playing by the rules.

A WARNING TO IMPATIENT READERS:
If you're looking for a brainless MC who gets instantly overpowered in chapter 3 and collects women like trophies, click away now. Go read something else.
For the first 45 chapters, Lucian is physically pathetic. He doesn't survive with cheat-like strength; he survives through sheer spite, psychological warfare, and gaslighting people who could crush him with two fingers.
If you have the attention span of a goldfish and drop novels because the MC can't one-shot the villain on day one, this isn't for you.
But if you're smart enough to stick around for the build-up? Chapter 55 changes everything. The payoff will absolutely shatter your mind.
Consider this a filter.

Status: Genuinely Impressed → Deep Feelings


New Thought:"I need to know Lucian more deeply... from now on, I'll stay close to him."


Hehh? Elira's affection just jumped that much? What the hell, System? Where did this come from all of a sudden?


[Oi, numbskull — every girl is wired differently. You can't charm everyone with just words like you did with Seraphina. Sometimes you have to put your life on the line to win certain girls' hearts... like what you just did with Elira.]


Lucian cursed the system internally, then glanced toward Elira.


She was resting her cheek against her hand, eyes closed, daydreaming with a small smile on her face.


Lying there, Lucian kept watching her...


She snapped out of her daydream, looking at him with blood-soaked eyes.


"You know... you're actually pretty tough."


Chapter 69 - Obsession Begins at Dawn