Villain Simulator

Adrian POV:

Feeling Sylvia crying in my arms, a strange satisfaction rose in my heart.

Regardless of how I really felt, though, I had to keep up the act until the end.

While rubbing the back of Sylvia’s head, I comforted her.

"You have suffered a lot."

"But, why didn’t you tell me about all of this earlier? Didn’t I say I would help you? I meant it."

When Sylvia heard my unfiltered and frank words, her body almost stopped trembling in my arms.

I noticed this gap, gently pushed Sylvia back from my arms, and looked at her as she also lifted her messy face.

As Sylvia looked up at me, her tear-stained face revealed a mix of emotions: hurt, surprise, and a sense of guilt.

Our eyes met, my composed yet concerned expression remained unchanged, and I gently took off her glasses, placing them on the table.

With a tender touch, I wiped the tears from her cheeks, and then, under her bewildered eyes, I gently cupped her face and asked.

"You didn’t trust me?"

My straightforward and blunt question hit Sylvia’s heart like a sharp arrow.

Having previously doubted my motives, she could not deny the veracity of my words.

This caused Sylvia’s previously rising heart rate to drop to rock bottom.

Truthfully, Sylvia needed me there to support her and not pass judgment on her.

But it wasn’t always necessary to show compassion and concern.

What’s more, I wasn’t the protagonist who would forgive the heroine for past wrongdoings.

I was the Villain who would pay back everything, with interest.

At the beginning, Sylvia had the upper hand, and I had to be oblivious to her disdain for me.

’But now that I’m in control and she needs me, there’s no reason for me to be ignorant of her attitude.’

On the contrary, it was time to completely crush her ego and show her that there would be repercussions for her actions.

However, push and pull had to be handled delicately to prevent the cord connecting us from being severed.

And this wasn’t the time to pull too hard.

Not long after my harsh inquiry, I could see the truth in her eyes, which were filled with guilt, fear, and regret.

Her emotions had changed.

This much was enough.

Realizing this, I decided to take a step back and give her the much needed space to process her feelings.

"Anyway, I can understand that it’s difficult to trust a stranger."

I continued, my tone softer.

"But that’s not what’s important right now. Your father—in which hospital is he? We have to go see him first."

Now that I was in charge, I turned the conversation back to the most pressing issue at hand: her father’s health.

However, Sylvia hung her head even lower at that, she had no answer to my question.

"...I don’t know."

She shook her head.

"Mother didn’t tell me."

It was as I had expected.

"Then so be it, I have my way, but let’s get out of here first."

Our actions had attracted a lot of attention.

Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the restaurant, and we had a quiet corner table.

Not to mention, I knew the restaurant’s owner was a nice old lady, and she might not have bothered us after seeing Sylvia’s predicament.

As my words brought her awareness to our location, Sylvia’s head nearly smashed the table out of shame.

In spite of this, I took her hand and stood up after putting her glasses on her nose bridge.

Then, I called Charlotte and gave her the task of locating Sylvia’s father.

Naturally, since I was the mastermind behind everything, I just pretended with Charlotte, and she joined in on the act during the call to deceive Sylvia.

When we were paying the bill, the kind old lady who noticed Sylvia crying earlier, gave her a free, refreshing drink.

But once we left, Sylvia quickly threw the drink in the garbage.

It was as if she perceived the drink as insulting, and adding salt to her wounds.

But I knew that Sylvia was just venting her frustration.

At her actions, my eyebrows almost furrowed subconsciously.

My Pride (A) and Nobility (A) flared up in conjunction with my real feelings, and I felt disgusted at her sight.

For a second, I thought there was really something wrong with her brain.

To be honest, I never wrote such a character.

These events never occurred in my novel, and the knowledge that I used up to this point was a conjuncture I reached by learning about the characters’ flaws through backward engineering their nature.

But I never anticipated such a thing coming from a heroine.

It was really disappointing.

Fortunately, my Composure (A) held me back from acting on my emotions and slapping the shit out of this bitch.

My expression remained the same, but my eyes grew colder.

Nevertheless, I maintained my composure and spoke clearly.

"Charlotte will be here in a few minutes..."

"That... I"

When she heard my words, she had a hesitant expression on her face.

To which, I asked bluntly.

"Don’t you want to go?"

"I am afraid." She replied in a low voice.

Even though her father was on the verge of death, this woman was hesitant to visit him.

Wasn’t she boasting just moments ago about how she went to the Magic Tower to keep her parents safe?

’That’s all the love you have?’

However, I was aware that criticizing her actions would only be hypocritical on my part.

Therefore, I removed the pointless thought and replied to persuade her.

"He is your father, he has sacrificed his youth to raise you up, and is working even at this age to give you a better life. So the least you can do is meet him, no matter what your mother says."

"I know."

There was a sadness on Sylvia’s face at my words, but she nodded in understanding, and agreed.

"I will go."

It was not easy to break a parent-child relationship.

Furthermore, this was not a work of fiction, and Sylvia was a Heroine.

Consequently, tearing apart her bond with her parents was no simple task.

Nonetheless, I was confident.

As long as there was a crack, it was enough for me to dig in and take advantage.

Therefore, it was crucial that she go to the hospital.

Otherwise, how would I enlarge the rift in their relationship and eventually destroy it?

In addition, the female lead’s family situation had often been a double-edged sword that the protagonist used to win her over.

’The stronger it is, the sooner it crumbles.’

And Sylvia’s earlier action had only made me more confident in my plans.

"Hmm."

I nodded, didn’t say more, and just looked at the sky.

Unbeknownst to us, it was already evening when I viewed the red sky and saw that the sun had sunk halfway below the horizon.

"I..."

Sylvia started to speak, but was cut off by the loud rumble of approaching cars that were moving quickly toward us.

Vroom! Vroom!

There was no need for me to even check to see who these people were.

"Master!!!"

The loud shout of my silly Shadow was recognizable even with my eyes closed.

"Charlotte, did you find where he is?"

"Yes, in the City Hospital."

"Then what are we waiting for? Come, let’s go."

*

There was this thing I had figured out over the years.

If a mother were to upset her child so much that he refused to eat, the child would eventually feel hungry.

Thus, even if left alone, he would still return to his mother.

’Of course, these things rarely happen, because mothers can’t bear to see their children go hungry.’

’So they usually give in to their children’s demands and bring them treats when they cry for food.’

But what if the mother ruthlessly cut off the relationship with the child, leaving him alone when he was most vulnerable.

Dashing his hopes and making him feel as though his every sacrifice was in vain.

And at that time, what if the child found another source of food, protection, love, and security?

Would the child still go back?

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to know the answer because, not long later, this was precisely what happened in front of me.

....

"Mother! Let me go!"

"I said you’re not allowed, just go away!"

The commotion between Sylvia and her mother attracted a lot of attention at City Hospital, a public hospital, as its name suggested.

"Why can’t I go? I want to see him, he’s my father!"

"Not anymore!"

Despite Sylvia’s best efforts, her mother stood like a wall in her way, coldly rejecting her.

"Don’t you get what I said? I no longer have a daughter. So leave and don’t dare to ever come back."

It was one thing to hear it on the phone and another to hear it face-to-face.

Sylvia felt as if her heart had been shredded into a million pieces.

Exhausted and frustrated, Sylvia tried to rush without saying anything this time.

However, her mother pushed her back with full strength before she could get by.

Thump!

Caught off guard, Sylvia fell backwards on the floor.

Since Sylvia was a player, the fall didn’t hurt her.

But it made her furious.

She stood up immediately, pointed her finger at her mother, and yelled.

"You, bitch! How dare—"

But before Sylvia could even finish her words,

Smack!

Her mother gave her a brutal slap, and screamed at her.

"GO AWAY!!!"

Sylvia’s glasses went flying off her face, and five red palm prints appeared on her cheek.

Shocked, Sylvia touched her cheek with her palm, her face pale.

As if the world had collapsed on her, Sylvia was frozen in shock.

It was also at that time that a nurse finally appeared after hearing the commotion, and interjected in between.

"Madam, please resolve your issues outside the hospital, it’s affecting other patients."

"Nurse, it’s this girl, her presence will only worsen my husband’s health. Please just tell her to leave.

The elderly nurse agreed and went to Sylvia, giving her a stern warning.

"Miss., please leave for now, and resolve this issue later, or else we will be forced to call the police."

The nurse’s voice was cold because she came late and only heard Sylvia cursing her mother.

Hence, in her eyes, Sylvia’s image had already hit rock bottom.

Sylvia finally came out of her shock at those words.

Her mother’s words and that slap, were the last ruthless push, that made Sylvia face the harsh truth.

Tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably.

Crying and heartbroken, Sylvia turned around and ran away at full speed, without looking back.

Unfortunately, Sylvia failed to see her mother’s deteriorating mental state and physical weakness as she finally collapsed after Sylvia had left.

"Madam!!"

This situation immediately alerted the nurse, and the hallway became chaotic.

Taking advantage of the situation, Charlotte and I emerged from the corner, and I picked up Sylvia’s broken glasses.

"It seems like this is the end of the drama."

"Yes master!"

Charlotte replied cheerfully to my words with a wide grin.

Then we turned around and walked back to the exit, where Sylvia ran out, as I asked.

"Tell me, Charlotte."

"Hmn?" Charlotte tilted her head cutely.

"Do you think Sylvia’s mother wouldn’t tell her in secret that she had been blackmailed?"

To my words that were like both, a test, and a casual inquiry, Charlotte shook her head and replied confidently.

"You can rest assured, Master, there won’t be a problem for a few days, and later, what if she tells."

The corner of my lips almost curled upward as I nodded.

"Indeed! So what if she tells?"

"Master, I am beginning to enjoy this game more and more, hehehe.’

"Me too, Charlotte."

We both turned to each other as our eyes met, and Charlotte broke out in laughter.

"Hahahaha"

Even though I looked calm, I too was laughing inwardly.

’Hehe, now there’s only one loose end left to this play.’

As I thought about it, a sinister and ruthless light flashed in my eyes.

’KHE KHE KHE’