NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: This Is Survival!
The dining room felt like a scene from a royal banquet, with golden chandeliers casting a warm glow on the polished wood floors and walls lined with expensive artwork.
The table stretched long enough to seat a dozen guests comfortably, yet James's focus wasn't on the grandeur of the room—or even the food.
His attention was glued to the maid clearing plates at the far end of the table.
Her dress hugged her curves in a way that seemed… deliberate. Deliberately dangerous.
The dress seemed barely capable of containing her assets, the neckline stretching as if it had signed a peace treaty with gravity and was now rethinking its terms.
Her breasts were practically spilling out of the seams. It was a dazzling sight.
James's gaze flicked back to his plate, but not before noting the bounce of her breasts that defied logic. Heat rose in his face and he gulped.
He tried to look anywhere else, but his eyes betrayed him. 'How is that dress even staying on? Did it come with invisible reinforcements? Also, why is she even wearing something like that? Did this body have anything to do with this choice?'
The other maids he had seen weren't dressed this way, so there had to be a reason for her wearing such a tempting maid outfit.
Then, like a slap to the forehead, it hit him. The subtle clues. The disgusted look on his younger sister's face when she'd muttered something about him being a "sex freak."
The comment now made sense. Combined with the knowing glance the maid had thrown his way earlier, followed by a shy smile, it painted a very vivid picture.
This wasn't the life of some innocent young master from a respectable family. No, this body had a reputation.
'Oh, Wow. This guy was a walking cliché—a lecherous young master straight out of a trashy romance novel.'
James sighed internally. He'd checked his reflection in the mirror earlier and honestly, this body was trouble on two legs.
He was shockingly handsome.
His sharp jawline, perfectly messy dark hair, and piercing green eyes gave him a dangerously charming look.
It was like someone had custom ordered him from the "handsome rake" catalogue. Girls probably fell for this face without him lifting a finger.
If his previous self—the awkward, bland police officer—had looked as good and badass as this, maybe his life wouldn't have been so boring.
'Lucky for me,' he thought. His death mission from the system would be a whole lot harder if he was ugly. A handsome face definitely made things easier.
'So, what now?' James thought, staring at the maid as she leaned forward, her dress straining against her figure.
He could feel his brain going into overdrive. 'Do I… lean into this whole 'player' thing? I mean, I do have a literal death mission hanging over my head. Maybe… just maybe… this is how I start completing it.'
If he wanted to live, he needed every advantage, every edge—especially the kind that came with becoming an absolute pro at flirting.
But then reality slapped him again. It wasn't that simple. Back in his first life, James hadn't even been able to flirt properly.
His only experience with women involved awkward conversations and being ghosted after two dates.
Yes, he wasn't a newbie at human interaction and was even somewhat talented at reading body language, but still.
How was he supposed to pull off being a smooth talking young master when he had zero skills? If he messed up and embarrassed himself, there was no coming back.
What if he botched it? What if this maid slapped him so hard he left a dent in the timeline?
'But what if… what if it worked?'
His thoughts were cut short as his father's deep voice pulled him back to the present. "Kaelan, why don't you join me in the study after dinner? There are matters we need to discuss."
James stiffened. 'The study? What for? What does he want from me? Is this one of those family politics moments? Am I supposed to know something important? Oh, crap, this is where I blow it.'
Panic bubbled inside him, but James forced a polite smile onto his face. "Thank you, Father, but I'm still feeling a little weak. I think it's best if I rest for now."
His father raised an eyebrow, his piercing green eyes studying James, but eventually nodded. "Very well. We'll talk later."
James released the breath he'd been holding. He stood slowly, brushing imaginary crumbs from his clothes, and glanced toward the maid.
She was now standing near the door, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. Summoning every ounce of courage he had, James spoke with a straight face. "Could you assist me back to my room?"
Her cheeks turned a soft pink, and she quickly bowed her head. "Of course, Young Master."
James kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was in turmoil. 'Was that smooth? No, wait, don't overthink it. Just go with it.'
But as he turned to leave, his younger sister's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Unbelievable. Absolutely shameless."
He didn't look back, but he could feel her eyes burning into his back. James clenched his fists, keeping his head held high.
'Shameless? You think this is about pride? No, this is survival, little sister. I've got 90 days to figure this out.'
As the maid walked ahead of him, James followed, trying to keep his focus on anything but the sway of her hips. His mind raced with possibilities.
He needed to act carefully, but if he was going to make progress on the system's death mission, he might have to start playing the part of this so-called "player" young master.
And yet, there was one major problem: he had no idea what he was doing.
Being a villain was definitely not easy!
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Power stone Goal!
20 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
50 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
100 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.