Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads

Chapter 426: Chapter-426

Seeing that look of absolute, chilling indifference in his mother’s eyes, the last remaining shred of the Marquis’s pride shattered into a million irreparable pieces.

His mother had always been his absolute shield against his father’s terrifying wrath. Even when he was a disappointment, even when he failed his martial arts exams, she had always protected him. But now, that shield was completely gone. He had crossed the one line he could never uncross: he had threatened the only thing in the world she currently valued.

The Marquis completely collapsed onto the cobblestones. He didn’t dare to look up, didn’t dare to speak, and didn’t dare to defend the bleeding Fourth Groom still whimpering on the ground nearby. He simply pressed his forehead against the cold stone, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.

Heena looked down at the pathetic display. The deep, spiteful rage that had been boiling inside Seera’s memories finally felt a profound, soothing wave of satisfaction.

’Look at them, Seera,’ Heena thought, a dark, victorious smile ghosting over her lips. ’The father who locked you away to freeze, and the groom who starved you for his own pride. They are nothing but worms in the dirt now.’

But as satisfying as the psychological execution was, the physical toll on Heena’s body was rapidly catching up to her. Another sharp wave of dizziness hit her, making her vision swim.

She swayed, just a fraction of an inch.

Instantly, Samuel’s massive, warm hand was squarely on the small of her back, supporting her weight completely invisibly beneath the folds of her long dress. He didn’t say a word, but his grip was like a steel vise, grounding her to reality.

"Grandfather, Grandmother," Heena spoke up, her voice flawlessly soft and weary, perfectly masking her internal vindictiveness. "I think the excitement of the duel has finally caught up to me. I am feeling quite tired."

The terrifying, suffocating aura of the god of war instantly vanished, evaporating into the thin air as if it had never existed at all.

The Old Marquis spun around, his bloodthirsty scowl instantly morphing into the bright, panicked expression of a doting grandfather.

"Oh, my poor baby!" the Grandfather fretted, hovering his massive hands around her without actually touching her, terrified he might break her. "Of course, of course! You have exerted yourself too much! Beating out the trash is hard work for a delicate lady! Guard! Escort my granddaughter back to her chambers immediately! Walk slowly! If she trips over a single pebble, I will have your head!"

"Understood, My Lord," Samuel replied smoothly, bowing his head.

The Grand Madam stepped forward, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Heena’s ear. "Go rest, my brilliant girl. Do not worry about a single thing out here. Your grandfather and I are going to do some... ’heavy spring cleaning’."

She shot a terrifying, side-long glance at her son and the grooms on the ground. The promise of absolute hellfire was written plainly in her eyes.

"Thank you, Grandma," Heena smiled sweetly.

With Samuel firmly by her side, Heena turned her back on the courtyard. She didn’t spare a single glance for her trembling father or the bleeding Soram. They were no longer players on the board; they had officially been demoted to the absolute bottom of the estate’s food chain.

As they walked down the long, quiet corridors toward her private pavilion, the heavy silence was finally broken by a sharp, digital ’PING’ in Heena’s mind.

The little holographic lion popped into existence, floating right in front of her face. It looked incredibly nervous, its digital tail tucked firmly between its legs.

’’"Host..."’’ the System squeaked.

’What now?’ Heena sighed internally. ’Did you send the message to headquarters like I told you?’

’’"I did, Host! Word for word, exactly as you commanded!"’’ the System replied, practically vibrating with anxiety. ’’"And... well... Headquarters replied."’’

Heena raised an eyebrow. She had expected an automated warning or a generic rejection letter from the Central Administration. ’And? What did those cheapskates say?’

The System pulled up a glowing blue holographic screen.

’’[PRIORITY MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION]’’

’’To: Senior Host Heena (Black Lotus Division)’’

’Message: Your refusal to engage in the overarching ’World-Saving/Regressor’ quest has been noted. However, given your elite status and flawless track record, the Administration refuses to deploy a secondary Host to your sector. We have absolute faith in you and know you can do it.’

’Oh, and also, thank you so much for your ’thoughts’ about us. To show our appreciation, we are actively removing any and all other Hosts from your current world to ensure you do not get ’disturbed’ while doing your job.’

Heena stared at the screen in absolute, unadulterated shock.

’Disbelief.’ Pure, world-shattering disbelief.

What the heck was this nonsense?! Normally, when a Host formally requested backup or flagged a world-ending anomaly like a Regressor, the Administration would immediately dispatch an emergency task force. Even if they were understaffed, they would send ’someone’. But this? This wasn’t a denial of assistance. This was a deliberate, targeted quarantine! They were actively pulling everyone out just to leave her entirely stranded with the mess!

What was wrong with them?!

Heena read the letter again. Then, with a slow, mechanical turn of her head, she looked at the little floating lion.

’System,’ Heena asked, her internal voice dangerously quiet. ’What exactly did you mean when you said you gave them my thoughts? What, specifically, did you write in that letter?’

’’"I just wrote it word for word, exactly as you said!"’’ the System replied cheerfully, its digital tail wagging.

Heena’s eye twitched violently. ’Wait. What? Word for word?’

’’"Yes! Just as you instructed me, Host!"’’ the System beamed, completely oblivious to the impending disaster. ’’"I wrote it all down—the part about you not being a ’trash collector’, the part about the Administration being cheap, the ’unpaid nonsense’ bit. All of it! And you know what? When I went to submit it to the Central Network, the instructor at the front desk was so happy!"’’

Heena stopped breathing. ’She was... happy?’

’’"Oh, absolutely!"’’ the System continued, entirely unaware of the psychological damage he was inflicting on his Host. ’’"When she first read the ticket, her face completely changed. She smiled so wide! Then, she immediately called all her friends and colleagues over to her desk. They all huddled around and read it together! The instructor asked me exactly who wrote it, and I proudly told her it was you. She gave me this incredibly huge, bright smile and said, ’I will definitely remember such a nice line.’"’’

Heena stared at the System.

Her soul genuinely left her body.

’This damn System,’ Heena thought, completely paralyzed. She looked at the holographic lion with dead, lifeless eyes. ’Do you hate me so much that you want to kill me?’

’’"Why would I want to kill you, Host?!"’’ the System gasped, deeply offended.

Heena literally grabbed her head. This time, the dizziness wasn’t just coming from Seera’s weak body—it was a literal, internal, psychological collapse. Her vision went black around the edges. Her knees buckled under the sheer, crushing weight of corporate suicide.

She felt like she was going to face-plant right into the stone walkway.

Instantly, Samuel’s massive arms wrapped around her, catching her before she could fall. He pulled her securely against his solid chest, completely stabilizing her.