Chapter 1: My Fiancée Is the Victim

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“Guy, I regret to inform you that the count’s domain has fallen to us. And your beloved fiancée, the count’s daughter, Sera, is now under our control.”

“Tsk tsk, look at you now—where’s the confident young man you once were...”

A cold, mocking female voice echoed through the icy prison.

Wang Xi leaned against the wall, raising his head toward the voice.

Backlit by the torchlight, the woman’s face was shrouded in shadows. Only the gleam of her heavy, polished armor, the blue-embroidered cloak, and her strikingly full figure—barely restrained—were visible.

‘Food grade,’ Wang Xi’s old habit of internal commentary kicked in.

Though he couldn’t see her expression clearly, he could guess she was wearing a smug smile.

“Teacher, why are you doing this?” Wang Xi asked calmly.

He shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, easing the soreness in his backside. The shackles on his hands and feet clanked against the chains.

“You’re Sera’s cousin and the Knight Commander of Lendor. I can’t understand why you would betray the count and collude with the Northerners…”

“Why?” The woman chuckled coldly, the curved iron plate on her chest jingling in a way that caught the eye.

Wang Xi admired it briefly before his vision darkened.

The woman stepped forward, knelt on one knee, grabbed Wang Xi’s chin, and forced his face up.

Drawing near, Wang Xi could clearly see her delicate features, especially those resolute pale green eyes.

“You’ve studied with me since childhood, but aside from swordsmanship, you’ve made no progress—especially in your mind,” she mocked.

Then her tone shifted to one of regret:

“I’m bound here, Guy. In Lendor and throughout the entire Kingdom of Stag, a woman without powerful backing can hardly rise… Only the North offers me a place to spread my wings—and you all will be my stepping stones.”

“What do you plan to do next?” Wang Xi asked softly, unable to break free from her strong grip and tilting his head back.

“Kill me? Kill Sera and the count too?”

“No,” she smiled faintly, a trace of charm flickering between her brows.

“Killing you all would ruin any chance of negotiation. You’re valuable bargaining chips. Besides, how could I bear to kill you, Guy?”

Without warning, she grabbed Wang Xi’s collar and yanked hard.

Ripping—

A chill ran down Wang Xi’s spine.

His coarse linen robe was torn to shreds with ease.

“Do you know, Guy? I watched you grow—from a naive boy into this valiant man… I envy Sera. She got you so easily! She got the count’s domain!”

By the end, her voice was gritted with bitterness.

Wang Xi took a deep breath. He knew what was about to come, and lifted his eyelids to meet her fiery gaze unflinchingly.

Then, as if overwhelmed, he resigned himself and closed his eyes, like a lamb surrendering to a long-restrained lioness.

Wendy chuckled triumphantly, her laughter growing louder and more brazen.

“…”

Wang Xi sighed inwardly.

Forget it.

For a grown man, this wasn’t too humiliating. Besides, Wendy was neither old nor ugly—rather mature and beautiful.

Since he couldn’t resist, he might as well enjoy it.

Wang Xi mocked himself silently.

In his past life, he had toyed with countless girls’ feelings; this was probably his comeuppance.

At that moment, Wendy’s voice rang out again:

“Guy, I got something good from the Northerners…”

Wang Xi opened his eyes to see Wendy holding a small black vial about the size of a palm. It sloshed with liquid inside.

She giggled:

“This is a wizard’s potion called ‘Kiss of Abundance.’ Once you take it, your accuracy will increase dramatically… but there’s a side effect—you might lose this ability forever afterward.”

“The sole heir of the Farrell family will be our child, who will grow up in the North with me, then return as a kingly heir.”

“Come, drink.”

“I won’t!”

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Wang Xi jerked, resisting fiercely.

“No! I don’t want to drink it!!”

The side effects were too harsh. While it could temporarily turn him into a “Valiant Sharpshooter,” the cost was permanent loss of that ability after one shot.

Wendy was slender but surprisingly strong. With one hand, she easily forced Wang Xi to the ground, then laughed as she poured the potion into his mouth.

“No—gulp!”

“Don’t—gulp!”

“Stop—ugh!”

Clang!

The empty vial hit the floor, rolling aside.

Wang Xi lay sprawled, vomiting bitter brown liquid, nearly choking up his bile, yet some potion had been forced down his throat.

He tasted the bitterness in his mouth.

His face turned ashen.

“Next, teacher will give you the final lesson.”

Wendy smiled, her tone tinged with long-suppressed anticipation and excitement.

“I even invited a special spectator to watch this important lesson.”

She began removing her armor, turning sideways.

The firelight shone on Wang Xi’s face.

He looked toward the prison entrance, startled.

There, a young lady in a blue velvet gown with golden hair pinned up was being held down by two female guards, kneeling outside.

Her mouth was gagged with a cloth, silencing her. Her expression was one of shock, with beautiful turquoise eyes fixed on her cousin and fiancé inside.

“Sera?”

“Wahh!!”

Miss Sera’s pupils trembled violently as she cried out in agony and despair, shaking her head as if unable to accept the reality.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, dropping to the floor.

Wendy saw this and seemed to gain a fierce pleasure, her smug smile transforming into satisfaction.

Wang Xi was dumbfounded.

No!

This scene felt strangely familiar!

The déjà vu was so strong it momentarily made him forget his predicament.

“Useless Sera, watch closely! Your dear Guy is about to be devoured alive, heh heh heh!”

Wendy sneered continually, then bent down and squatted.

Wang Xi closed his eyes.

In his heart, he silently recited:

“Wang Xi, you’ve faced storms and feasts before—no touching the heart, no acting on impulse!”

Wendy suddenly froze, a puzzled look crossing her face.

“Hm?”

She frowned. “You took the potion, so why is there no reaction?!”

Wang Xi slowly opened his eyes, expression neutral.

He ignored Wendy’s confusion.

This was a small skill he had learned through hardship—forcing himself into calmness.

He gave this ability a unique name—

The God’s One Second!

Just one second was enough to enter his “Sage Moment,” immune to the influence of beauty and danger.

No sensory stimulus could affect him.

A sharpshooter or not—

If he didn’t raise his gun, what could they do?

“Damn it!” Wendy cursed, furious at the lifeless youth. “Get your spirits up! Do you hear me?”

Wang Xi paid no heed.

He lay lazily on the ground, indifferent to Wendy’s fussing.

Outside, Sera and the two female guards watched in shock.

After some effort, seeing Guy still unresponsive, Wendy broke into a sweat, growing more anxious. The potion was timed—once it wore off, her plan would fail.

“You…”

Panting, Wendy glared at Wang Xi.

“Are you sick or what?!”

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She could think of no other reason for the youth’s lack of reaction.

Wang Xi looked at Wendy calmly and said faintly:

“Beg me.”

“Hm?”

Wendy’s brows knit, eyes narrowing.

“What did you say? Say it again.”

“Wendy Barov,” Wang Xi glanced at her and commanded, “I want you to beg me, admit defeat.”

Hearing this, Wendy’s expression changed as if understanding something.

Then she scoffed lightly.

“Oh—I see.”

Wendy’s earlier frustration vanished, replaced by submission as she leaned close to Wang Xi.

“Guy, you’re still the same, so competitive. Even now, you want to compete with your teacher…”

“A child who never grows up.”

Wendy sighed deeply.

She leaned in, whispering by Wang Xi’s ear:

“Teacher admits defeat. Be good, Guy.”

Ding!

Wang Xi’s eyes flashed.

“Iris Knight Wendy (Scarlet/Three Stars)”

“Target defeated!”

“Capture ability ‘Wendy’?”

‘Yes, yes, yes! Hurry up!’ he urged silently.

Suddenly, a white light visible only to Wang Xi flashed. Three glowing orbs flew from the female knight into his third eye.

“‘Wendy’ card added to independent deck.”

“Insufficient energy to draw.”

Wang Xi was stunned, then furious.

‘So irritating! You really deserve to be drawn!’

He had hoped to escape using Wendy’s abilities, but now the plan was impossible.

“Now, cooperate with your teacher, won’t you?” Wendy smiled, but her eyes held a threatening glint.

“…”

Wang Xi said nothing, just shook his head.

Wendy’s gaze grew more dangerous.

“Playing me?” she suddenly drew a dagger from her belt with a cold clang, its blade gleaming sharply.

Wendy said coldly, “Looks like you either have a hidden illness or you don’t like women… Fine, if I can’t have you, no one will!”

With that, she raised the blade to strike.

There’s an old saying: why use an ox-killing knife to kill a chicken? But to Wang Xi, it was all the same.

Because whether chicken or ox, they were his good brothers!

Wang Xi’s eyelid twitched.

“Send me back!!” he shouted in his mind.

At once, a narrow slit in his mind, like a closed eye, slowly opened, radiating light.

Buzz—

The surroundings froze, then faded.

The dark, damp prison vanished, replaced by a clean, tidy bedroom.

Wang Xi lay in bed. Outside the window, tall buildings bathed in morning light brightened the room.

The square electronic clock on the bedside table read:

“May 25, 2045, 7:59 AM.”