Capítulo 26: Villain Simulator, Ch 26
"What?" La Signora was slightly startled. "What do you mean by weekly follow-ups? Isn't my condition already cured?"
"I've already told you, it's not an illness. It's a special physiological reaction due to your unique constitution," Lucas spread his hands. "Your internal fire will continue to accumulate over time. This condition can only be alleviated, not cured."
"So... so what you're saying is..." La Signora instinctively clenched her fingers and murmured, "You and I will have to… keep doing this?"
"To be precise, yes, again and again..." Lucas had a matter-of-fact expression on his face. "But I should be thanking you. After all, we're 'helping each other.' With you around, I won't need to look for other women."
"Other women..." La Signora suddenly recalled something, her expression shifting slightly. "Did you just call out someone else's name? Was it... Rosalyne?"
Because her memory had been sealed, La Signora didn't know that this was her own name. Yet, for some reason, hearing it gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
"That's right," Lucas nodded without hesitation. "Rosalyne… was the woman I loved the most."
"Hmph..." La Signora sneered coldly. "You claim to have loved another woman, yet here you are, doing this with me. You really are scum."
"I don't think she would mind," Lucas said, staring at La Signora's face with a bitter smile. "After all, she's already passed away."
Indeed, the moment "La Signora" was born, Rosalyne had died.
From then on, the world only knew the Eighth Fatui Harbinger, and the girl who used to sing in Mondstadt's square no longer existed.
"What's the matter?" A fleeting melancholy crossed Lucas's eyes before he quickly returned to his usual smile. "Jealous because I called out another woman's name?"
"Jealous? Ridiculous!" La Signora immediately retorted. "You mean nothing to me. You can call out whatever name you want, and I couldn't care less!"
"Don't worry," Lucas shook his head. "Next time, I won't... call her name again."
"Hmph, as if there's going to be a next time..." La Signora half-spoke, then suddenly stomped her foot in frustration. "Who said there'd be a next time with you?"
She quickly put on her clothes, preparing to leave. But before exiting, she made sure to warn him, "This matter stays between us. If you dare let anyone else know… you'll end up as ice shards!"
As Lucas watched her leave, he let out a long sigh.
Every time he entered the "immersive mode," he felt like his words, actions, and even personality started to blend with the simulated version of himself.
If this kept happening, he worried that one day he might end up with split personalities.
Strangely, after finishing La Signora's "treatment," Lucas hadn't immediately exited the immersive mode.
But he didn't mind. He simply dressed and walked out.
Outside, he was met with a city both foreign and familiar—Snezhnaya.
Unlike the peaceful freedom of Mondstadt or the bustling prosperity of Liyue, Snezhnaya felt like a colossal iron beast. Towering, orderly buildings, factory chimneys belching thick black smoke in the distance, and a sky so dark it felt like the bottom of a cauldron—all of it created a palpable sense of oppression.
It was already late at night, and Snezhnaya enforced a strict curfew. The streets were patrolled only by soldiers, with the occasional "Debt Collector" slipping through alleys, executing tasks that could only be done under the cover of darkness.
Of course, as the Third Harbinger, "The Doctor," Lucas received respectful bows from every soldier he passed.
The lab wasn't far from the Doctor's residence, and as soon as Lucas entered the house, he spotted a girl in a nightgown, sitting in a chair by the door and yawning softly.
When she noticed him, she immediately perked up and used a quick-step movement to appear right in front of him, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you back so late today?"
This girl was none other than Scaramouche.
Though, as a doll, Scaramouche technically shouldn't feel tired, her design was intricate enough to allow her to "sleep" as a way to automatically recharge her energy.
Seeing the suspicion on Scaramouche's face, Lucas awkwardly replied, "Well... of course, I was working late. You know, the Fatui are preparing a special ops team composed of undead, so there's a lot of extra work."
"Really?" Scaramouche squinted her eyes, moving even closer until her small face was pressed against Lucas, lightly sniffing his clothes.
Her expression changed immediately. "Why do you smell like perfume?"
Crap!
Lucas's heart skipped a beat.
As a doll, Scaramouche had not only exceptional combat skills but also enhanced sensory functions—including heightened smell.
Even the faintest unusual scent wouldn't escape her nose.
"This scent... it's a rare and expensive perfume—'Queen's Kiss,'" Scaramouche remarked with a strange look. "As far as I know, only Her Majesty the Tsaritsa and that annoying woman use it. So… did you meet with her today?"
The "annoying woman" referred to La Signora. Perhaps due to her dislike of the Doctor or the longstanding tension between Scaramouche and La Signora, the two Fatui Harbingers couldn't stand each other.
That meant if the Doctor had come into contact with "Queen's Kiss," and it wasn't the Tsaritsa, the only option left was La Signora.
Seeing no way to deny it further, Lucas reluctantly nodded. "Yes, La Signora… did come to see me at the lab."
"Tch, so it was her after all," Scaramouche seemed relieved, waving her hand dismissively. "That's fine then."
"What do you mean, 'that's fine?'" Lucas asked, a bit puzzled. "La Signora and I met late at night. Don't you think something might've happened between us?"
"You and La Signora?" Scaramouche smirked. "Not a chance! You've seen the way she looks at you—like you're trash. Honestly, you claiming to have met with the Tsaritsa secretly would be more believable."
Thankfully, no spies were present in the Doctor's residence, or Scaramouche's last comment might've earned her a death sentence for disrespecting the Tsaritsa.
"I'm guessing she came to see you for work-related reasons," Scaramouche crossed her arms, confident. "Even though that woman is annoying, she's quite skilled. No way you'd be able to overpower her."
In truth, Lucas's strength had long surpassed that of both La Signora and Scaramouche. But since he kept his abilities hidden, even Scaramouche, who was close to him, had no idea of his true power.
"Well… you're not wrong," Lucas smiled, deciding to play along. "We were just... discussing some work-related matters. No choice—there are things that only I can handle, even if she dislikes me."
Of course, Scaramouche had no idea that what Lucas meant by "things" was entirely different from what she was thinking.
"So… you haven't been with any other women recently?" Scaramouche asked shyly, "Don't you… feel uncomfortable?"
In this dimension, Lucas had lived for over 500 years, becoming a master at reading people's intentions. Although most of his time had been spent in dark, isolated basements, his ability to observe and understand others was well-developed.
Naturally, he could tell what Scaramouche was hinting at.
In fact, this wasn't the first time Scaramouche had dropped these kinds of "hints" toward him.
Despite Lucas making it clear on numerous occasions—especially to her—that she was off-limits, Scaramouche seemed unwilling to give up, constantly giving him subtle signs.
It wasn't because she lacked charm. On the contrary, Lucas was quite fond of the "tomboy" type. However, he still believed it was best to maintain their current relationship.
After all, if they crossed that line, there would be no turning back.
"I haven't done anything," Lucas said with a stretch, smiling faintly. "Work's been too busy lately. I haven't had time for anything else. When things calm down a bit, maybe I'll have some time to relax. But for now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
Watching Lucas walk away to his room, Scaramouche bit her lip in frustration. The edge of her loose nightgown revealed a sliver of black lace hidden underneath.
"Ugh..." she muttered under her breath. "I even went through the trouble of putting on new clothes for this..."
[Exiting Immersive Mode]
[Entering Text Mode]
[Age 535: Throughout the next year, you maintained your special 'doctor-patient relationship' with La Signora. Sometimes it was two or three times a week; other times, just once every couple of weeks.]
[Of course, you knew well that clearing the internal fire within her body only required a monthly session. However, you weren't about to point this out. Your relationship was simple: the laboratory was your 'treatment room,' and each session lasted one to two hours.]
[As for the exact timing, you and La Signora had a unique signal: whenever she didn't wear perfume, that was the night for treatment. After all, too much contact with her perfume might arouse Scaramouche's suspicions.]
[The amusing part was that no matter how passionate La Signora seemed during the process, the moment it was over, she would revert to her usual cold self, pull up her skirt, and leave without so much as a word of affection. At those moments, you almost wondered if you were the one being used.]
[You understood, though, that this was for the best. La Signora's face was identical to Rosalyne's. If she ever showed even a sliver of warmth, you feared you wouldn't be able to control your emotions.]
[One of the key rules for a Fatui Harbinger is that they cannot marry or have children. Harbingers cannot afford to have weaknesses, especially romantic ones with fellow Harbingers. This was likely the primary reason the Tsaritsa demanded that Rosalyne become a Harbinger—to sever any chance of rekindling your relationship.]
[So, the "secret" between you and La Signora had to remain just that. The enmity between you was so pronounced that no one would ever suspect what was truly going on beneath the surface.]
[Age 536: The Fatui welcomed the Ninth Harbinger, "Puppet."]
[Age 537: Thanks to your undead army, Snezhnaya's military strength continued to grow. However, this caused internal tensions as resources were stretched to support the ever-growing army. To divert attention and relieve pressure, Snezhnaya pointed its sights at the land of fire, Natlan.]
[Natlan was the weakest of the seven nations, known for its fierce, warlike people, yet lagging behind in terms of economic and technological development. It lacked strong ties with other nations, making it the perfect target for invasion.]
[This mission was assigned to you by the Tsaritsa. As a Harbinger, you had no choice but to comply. You had already prepared for this, though. You unveiled your latest research—Ursa the Drake.]
[A thousand years ago, Ursa the Drake wreaked havoc across Teyvat, but after battling the South Wind Lion of the Four Winds, Vennessa, the dragon fled, eventually dying from its injuries.]
[Through an unexpected discovery, you obtained the dragon's remains. Using your resurrection techniques, you created a replica of Ursa the Drake. Although not as powerful as the original, the replica still possessed considerable strength. Alongside Ursa, you also created an army of undead creatures.]
[You commanded Ursa the Drake and the undead to launch a surprise attack on Natlan, throwing the nation into chaos. Of course, even with the dragon, it would be difficult to conquer an entire nation, so you used this opportunity to march in with your army under the pretense of 'rescue,' ending this war you had orchestrated from the shadows.]
[The war decimated Natlan, forcing them into an unequal treaty with Snezhnaya. Though everyone knew this conflict was likely a chess move by Snezhnaya, Natlan had no choice but to submit to the overwhelming force.]
[This war left hundreds of thousands of innocent Natlan citizens displaced or dead. Yet, as you watched their faces filled with hatred, your heart remained untouched.]
[Demon, executioner, schemer, Tsaritsa's hound... countless titles were bestowed upon you. Your "infamy" spread not only through Natlan but also to other nations.]
[Killing one person is a crime. But killing 10,000, or even 100,000? You shattered any notion of "goodness" five hundred years ago when you razed Mondstadt. To you, "life" was no different from walking corpses.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Butcher]
[Talent Reward: Executioner]
[Effect: When killing a target, you can receive a reward proportional to the target's strength.]
Whoa, whoa!
Don't give me such terrifying abilities…
Lucas couldn't help but sweat as he read through this chapter.
In Keqing's simulator, he was just a school bully. In Shenhe's simulator, he was, at worst, a bit of a lecher. But now, he had become a mass murderer.
This jump in characterization was far too extreme!
Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that, with each passing moment, his simulated self was becoming more and more like the actual "Doctor."
[With your schemes and Snezhnaya's oppressive policies, Natlan quickly became a vassal state of Snezhnaya. This bold move caused displeasure in nations like Sumeru and Fontaine, but due to the power gap, their 'displeasure' amounted to little more than criticism in the newspapers.]
[Fontaine even tried to cut off trade with Snezhnaya as a form of protest, but that charade ended quickly. After all, without the grain imports from Snezhnaya, the so-called "romantic" nation couldn't possibly survive on love alone.]
[For Snezhnaya, a nation that values might, you returned as a war hero after conquering Natlan. While you were seen as a blood-soaked demon in other countries, to the people of Snezhnaya, you were a hero without equal.]
[However, you had no interest in fame or glory. For you, the only useful thing about this war was the fresh corpses it provided for your experiments. Ursa the Drake had performed admirably, but it still had many flaws. You needed to perfect it.]
[Upon returning home, your residence was filled with gifts and rewards. The Jester gave you a golden mask, the General gifted you a precious sword from Inazuma… but what intrigued you the most was La Signora's 'gift'—a simple white silk handkerchief laced with the scent of 'Queen's Kiss.']
[Scaramouche scoffed at La Signora's gift, but only you understood its meaning—tonight, La Signora would be waiting for you in the lab.]
[However, Scaramouche, as the Sixth Harbinger, also prepared a 'gift' for you. She personally cooked an entire feast for you.]
[Looking at the cuts on her fingers, you couldn't help but feel touched. For Scaramouche, cooking was likely a thousand times harder than killing. Unsurprisingly, the food tasted terrible. You imagined whoever created her must not have had much talent for cooking either.]
[Still, you finished everything on your plate, showing your appreciation. After all, during your time in the underground cellar, you could eat bread as hard as stone. Scaramouche's cooking was nothing in comparison.]
[Afterward, Scaramouche told you, with a sly smile, that the meal was only the gift from 'Scaramouche.' She had another gift prepared just for you, from 'Kunikuzushi,' and you had to come to her room tonight to 'collect' it.]
[You could guess what kind of 'gift' Scaramouche had in mind. Seeing the confident look in her eyes, you knew that if you entered her room tonight, you wouldn't be coming out. But on the other hand, La Signora was also waiting for you in the lab. Faced with this dilemma, you decide to…]
[1. Go to Scaramouche]
[2. Go to La Signora]
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Author's Note: Alright!! Last chapter for today
From now on we'll have regular updates of 1 chap but I could post extra If given enough powerstones!! So make sure to donate a lot of powerstones on reset and get this to ranking! Love you all >-<
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