Fated Villain
Copyright© 2026 by Traverse
Chapter 23: The Heroine’s Birthday
Hearing the wave of praise erupting around him, Lucas felt completely numb.
What was happening?
Was this some kind of mistake?
Why?
He didn’t understand.
What he didn’t know was that from the moment he stepped onto the third floor, and both Sylvia and Sasha turned their attention to him, the trajectory of fate had already started to shift.
Brian had not provoked David but had instead made the first move against Lucas. That was when the flow of fate at this story’s location began to distort.
The fortune that was originally meant to belong to the male lead had been mistakenly reassigned by the system to Lucas due to the focus placed on him by the female lead and the villainess.
Adding to that, David was full of resentment, emotionally unstable, and his Insightful Eye technique was still unrefined. That was why he failed to recognize the dragon-seed jadeite within the stone.
So now, a massive question mark hovered over Lucas’s head.
Especially when he saw everyone in the room looking at him with admiration and awe, his scalp tingled uncontrollably.
Those were supposed to be the eyes reserved for the male lead.
Unable to resist, he turned to glance at David, only to see him clenching his fists, head lowered, silent and brooding.
After a long pause, David suddenly turned and began walking away.
“Hey! David, stop right there!”
Lucas instinctively called out.
David slowly turned back, his gaze filled with more than hatred. It was the kind of animosity that could never coexist under the same sky.
“You still want something?”
Lucas didn’t really have anything to say. He just felt that this moment belonged to David. As the male lead, he shouldn’t just walk away like that.
But right now, he couldn’t get a single word out.
At that moment, Sylvia suddenly walked over and leaned against Lucas, giggling.
“Why can’t we call you just because we want to? Young Master Grey hasn’t spoken yet. Who said you could leave?”
Lucas’s neck stiffened as he looked at Sylvia. This woman ... was she trying to get him killed?
Still, her words did give him a reminder.
He was the villain.
He had to make David suffer.
So he braced himself and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! David, do you admit defeat now? I had Brian compete with you earlier because I knew I could crush a loser like you without even trying. Just admit you’ve been completely outclassed!”
David’s face turned dark, but after a long moment, he simply narrowed his eyes and gave a cold smile.
“Lucas, it’s just a piece of jade. If I wanted it, plenty of people would line up to give me one. But let me remind you: you’ve crossed the line again and again. The only reason I haven’t killed you yet is because you’re not even worth dirtying my hands. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a temper.”
Finally, here it was. The male lead couldn’t hold back any longer.
Lucas was even a little excited. Back at the engagement banquet, the male lead should’ve broken both his arms.
If he had done that, the plot wouldn’t have reached this point, and Lucas would probably already be close to going home.
But now, not only was he completely unharmed, he had even slapped the male lead in the face multiple times. If things kept going like this, his return home felt further and further away.
“Oh wow, you’re actually mad? So what if I pissed you off? What can you do to me, huh? You pathetic loser. You tried to steal my fiancée and still think you’re in the right? Let me warn you, don’t show up in front of me again. The next time I see you, you’d better run as far as you can. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you join your parents.”
[David’s biggest trigger is his parents. Just bringing them up will enrage him. If he strikes out in anger, I’m sure to get hurt. But in another sense, that’s also a kind of face-slapping.]
[Come on, I’m ready. Just take it out on me already.]
Sure enough, David’s eyes burned with a fire that had shifted.
The anger turned to hatred, and then to an explosive fury.
His fists were clenched so tightly they crackled.
Just as he took a step forward, clearly planning to teach Lucas a lesson, Sasha and Sylvia silently moved forward, stepping in front of Lucas from both sides.
Lucas: “...”
[What are you two doing? Don’t stop the male lead from venting his hatred.]
[Especially you, Sasha. What does this have to do with you? Move aside!]
Unfortunately, Sasha could hear his thoughts. Not only did she not move, she took two more steps forward.
“Mr. Fox, the stones here are all valuable. If you damage them, I won’t be able to explain things to my father.”
“Besides, the moment you raise your hand, you become an unwelcome guest. So, Mr. Fox, please, for my sake, don’t lower yourself to his level.”
Her words were polite, but the way she gently waved her palace fan carried an unmistakable sense of authority.
If David dared make a move, she would not hold back.
David knew exactly how capable she was.
If they fought, it would take at least a hundred rounds.
Not to mention Sylvia was also standing there, watching him with guarded eyes. He wasn’t even sure he could defeat the two of them in a short amount of time.
And fighting two women without quickly winning would be humiliating.
At that thought, he clenched his jaw.
“Fine. I’ll let him go this time for your sake. But Lucas, listen to me, don’t let me see you again. If you do, no one will be able to protect you.”
With those words, he turned and walked down the stairs.
Watching his retreating back, Lucas couldn’t help but click his tongue internally.
[Can’t take the loss, huh? Brian was the one who really lost today. He didn’t lose his temper, so what are you so worked up about? You still managed to cut imperial green. This is what a male lead looks like. If he’s not the best, it’s a loss. His pride is sky high, and his fate ... well, it’s pretty damn tough too.]
Just as he was lost in thought, an unexpected warmth hit his shoulder.
Sylvia leaned in close and blew gently into his ear.
“Lucas, doesn’t this dragon-seed jadeite owe a little something to me too? Don’t you think you should make a piece of jewelry and give it to me?”
Lucas almost blurted out an agreement.
He didn’t know jade, and he didn’t care about it either, so giving it to her didn’t seem like a big deal.
But right as the words were about to leave his mouth, he caught himself.
“No way! Something this good has to go to my goddess first. Who do you think you are? Move aside. Don’t cling to me. I’m going back to show off to my goddess.”
Nearby, Brian was so furious watching Lucas brush off Sylvia that he nearly exploded.
The woman he had treasured like a queen was being completely dismissed?
He was courting death.
Yet Sylvia didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she giggled and leaned in closer.
“Fine, fine. Go give it to your goddess. I don’t want it anymore. But I really did help today, so you still owe me a gift.”
Lucas was annoyed. “What do you mean you helped?”
Sylvia said with a straight face, “If it weren’t for me, my senior wouldn’t have bet with you. If he hadn’t caused trouble, you wouldn’t have cut open that jade. So technically, it’s all thanks to me.”