At the Hawk Family’s engagement banquet, Two sisters with white hair and gray eyes, each with a different expression, stared intently at the head seat—one’s face tinged with restrained anger, the other as calm as still water, as if no outcome could ever shake her heart.
Elder sister Isabena, and younger sister Isabella.
Isabena, dressed in a blue evening gown, and Isabella, in a white formal dress, sat with dignity across from Lin Yue, looking almost like goods chosen at random.
Meanwhile, the young man at the head seat—black-haired, brown-eyed—gazed down at the two sisters with an indifferent expression, as if he couldn’t care less about the result.
The Hawk Family’s eldest legitimate son, Lin Yue Hawk, lounged in his chair, swirling his wine glass, embodying a complete wastrel.
He shot the two a sideways glance, thought for a moment, then revealed a faint smile and said: “Choose one?”
He smiled, a trace of wicked charm appearing on his face.
“Why choose just one?”
Isabena and Isabella froze, ceasing their argument, looking at him in confusion.
“The two young ladies of the Valiana Family are both so ‘excellent.’”
Lin Yue’s gaze swept across them, and he spoke each word clearly, his voice carrying through the entire hall: “I want both.”
Lin Yue’s words rang out like a thunderclap, exploding in the silent banquet hall.
The sisters were left paralyzed by his declaration.
Isabena opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a sound, looking at Lin Yue as if he’d gone mad.
Isabella also covered her mouth in disbelief, her former calm shattered by that outrageous statement.
Meanwhile, the culprit, Lin Yue, wore a facade of confidence, but under the table, he gripped the chair armrest so tightly his knuckles whitened, desperately hoping neither of them would accept his proposal…
Because he was no longer the original scoundrel, but an extremely unlucky soul who had suddenly transmigrated at this critical moment.
…
How did things come to this?
Was it from staying up all night gaming?
Or from flopping into bed without brushing his teeth?
In any case, Lin Yue had no choice but to accept one reality.
He had transmigrated—into the game he’d been playing a mere second before.
And, worse, he’d become a minor villain who barely even appeared in the story.
The original character had relied on his noble status, bullying the weak, neglecting training, squandering resources… In short, a total scumbag.
What’s more, this damn guy’s name was identical to his own.
Except for the added “Hawk” surname, everything else matched.
Lin Yue squinted, scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror and sighed helplessly.
This guy… did look rather pleasing.
Just a bit more handsome, a little taller, better built, and with longer hair than he was in real life.
The black hair and brown eyes in the mirror were reminiscent of his own, yet exceeded him in every aspect.
Were there really such people in this Western fantasy world?
The game he’d transmigrated into was a classic RPG action game set in a Western fantasy world.
Level grinding, clearing dungeons, and boss fights—that was the game’s core.
He had crossed over one month before the main plot began, landing right at a life-or-death turning point for this character: a political marriage.
Fortunately, after four playthroughs, he was well-versed in the game’s main storyline and all the choices that could affect the ending.
As long as he didn’t blunder, he could find a chance to return to reality.
Because, in the finale, a teleportation array would appear at Avelina Academy, and the game’s description was: “Where the heart yearns, there you’ll arrive in an instant.”
Meaning, if you imagined where you wanted to go, you could teleport there with one hundred percent accuracy.
It was also the only way for multi-playthrough players to travel across the continent.
Note: not every ending opens the teleportation portal.
Make a wrong move at a key point or fail to reach the true ending—trigger the “early retirement in the countryside” ending—and you’re doomed.
The protagonist’s power, [Blade of Law], was essential for the true ending and defeating the final boss.
If he didn’t grow strong enough, it was game over—for everyone.
So, he had to follow the original plot, step by step, supervising the protagonist’s growth, or he might never make it home.
Whenever he thought of his own family and the crushing sense of guilt he couldn’t shake, he grew desperate to return to the real world.
Who knew how time passed here versus reality?
If he delayed too long, his parents’ remains might have grown cold by the time he got back.
Just as Lin Yue was fretting, a knock sounded at the door.
“Master Lin Yue… please prepare yourself for the banquet hall.”
He hadn’t been here long—had just figured out the situation—when he was told he’d be betrothed to one of the Valiana Family’s two young ladies.
He had no choice but to brace himself and go.
Or rather, he still hadn’t figured out what to do…
One step at a time.
In the banquet hall, Lin Yue took his seat slowly, glanced below, and saw the Valiana Family’s steward and the two young ladies.
“Young Master Hawk, may I ask which of our young ladies you intend to marry?”
“Oh… both are beauties.”
Lin Yue observed the exquisite sisters, noting their different expressions.
Each seemed to harbor her own plans.
A Sixth-Tier Grand Magus wields the primordial power of the world—the force of Law. In the original story, the Valiana Family, even without a Sixth-Tier Grand Magus, could still use the power of Law.
But without an absolute powerhouse, they were weak; the Valiana Family’s head was only a mid-level Fifth-Tier Grand Magus.
Strictly speaking, their ancestors had been powerful, but now they’d declined.
Still, a starved camel is bigger than a horse.
Currently, the Valiana Family needed the Hawk Family’s military strength as backup to pave the way for their young ladies to restore their former glory.
Meanwhile, the Hawk Family, having refused the Church’s missionaries and being so powerful as to be unmanageable, was increasingly marginalized by the Imperial Capital, sent to the borders to clean up monsters and magical beasts.
They, too, needed the Valiana Family’s power of Law to break ancient seals in their bloodline—and perhaps leverage the Valiana Family’s political influence to return to the Imperial Capital’s center of power.
Both families saw their younger generation as bargaining chips.
If Lin Yue chose Isabena as in the original plot, before he could marry her—after entering Avelina Academy—he’d be caught up in the protagonist’s awakening and crippled, ending up destitute on the streets.
Worse, after the engagement, Isabena would quit school and sit at the Hawk Family as a mere ornament, just as she’d declared.
That wouldn’t do.
Lin Yue had no intention of waiting at home while the protagonist cleared the game; he had to level up too, or else, once the power scaling exploded later, a stray magical aftershock would turn him to ash.
Even the teleportation portal required a strong body or high mana to enter.
Not to mention, he intended to do something as heaven-defying as crossing worlds.
These two sisters were key characters in the late-game plot.
Their abilities and strengths were both essential—without either, you couldn’t defeat the final boss in Act VI.
In games, characters matching boss mechanics was the norm; otherwise, what’s the point if the protagonist could just slash through everything?
But it gave Lin Yue a headache.
If he followed the original and married Isabena, she would refuse to attend Avelina Academy.
The Valiana Family would try to persuade her, but perhaps out of spite, she would never agree.
Once she was married to the Hawk Family, the matter was dropped.
Not until Lin Yue was crippled did the Valiana Family break off the engagement, and only then did Isabena enter the academy.
What if he chose Isabella?
That wasn’t a bad idea…
But the Hawk elders’ plan was to keep at least one of the sisters under Lin Yue, so neither could surpass him.
This way, it would act as a restraint.
They didn’t want both girls growing strong and kicking Lin Yue aside.
They knew full well what the original Lin Yue was like.
Poor talent, playful by nature.
Even if he worked hard, he’d reach only Third-Tier at best.
Better for him to be a soulless breeding machine.
But that clashed with Lin Yue’s own goal.
Both sisters were indispensable—without one, he couldn’t beat the final boss of Act VI.
How could he let them be weaker than him!
While Lin Yue pondered, Isabena, after sitting still for a long time, couldn’t hold back anymore.
She planted her hands on the table and stood up, discarding all etiquette.
“Mr. Hawk… no, Lin Yue, choose me. I will serve you all my life…”
Isabena took a deep breath, as if fighting an inner war.
“After marrying me, no matter how many concubines you take, I will not interfere.”
Oh ho.
“As long as you… don’t choose Bella.”
Isabena’s expression dimmed, her hands clutching her napkin so tightly her knuckles whitened, hoping her concession would make Lin Yue pick her.
In the family, younger sister Bella’s magical talent was extraordinary; before coming of age, she could already cast intermediate spells.
As for herself, while not bad, she always lagged a little behind.
Thus, for the Valiana Family, marrying off the elder sister and preserving the younger was the optimal choice…
But it all depended on Lin Yue’s decision.
“Oh?”
Not caring about concubines—this was the greatest concession a wife could make in this world.
He hadn’t expected this minor villain to have such juicy plot details he’d never seen—what a pity.
Lin Yue crossed his legs, propped his cheek on his hand, and flashed a wicked smile.
“If I marry Miss Bella, I can also take concubines. That condition is too dull for me.”
Lin Yue was still maintaining his villain persona, but at that moment, Bella, silent till now, spoke with perfect composure:
“Mr. Lin Yue, what does this engagement mean to you?”
“A family order, a boring game, and a chance for another beauty.”
For [Lin Yue Hawk], that was the truth.
Perhaps his act was too convincing, even the gentle Isabella showed a hint of displeasure.
“To me, it doesn’t matter who I choose. It all depends on my mood.”
Lin Yue acted completely indifferent, not even seeing the two sisters as people.
Isabena anxiously watched her, still gripping her skirt tightly.
“Sister.”
Isabella called softly, her tone tinged with subtle pain.
“You don’t have to make such a sacrifice for me.”
Isabena was stunned—clearly she hadn’t expected her sister to say that.
“I know how much you hate a life without freedom, so…”
She opened her mouth, wanting to object, but Isabella stopped her with a look.
“If it’s all the same who you choose…”
Isabella slowly stood up and pressed her sister back into her seat.
“Then pick me. You won’t regret it.”
“Bella, you—”
Isabena was utterly shocked.
She hadn’t imagined her sister would proactively offer herself to Lin Yue.
This was not what she wanted, nor what the family wanted.
Lin Yue was also surprised.
He’d thought Isabella would endure passively, just like in the original.
Yet her eyes held no grievance, only the look of someone making a sacrifice to protect something precious.
When negotiating, you must keep calm—otherwise, others will know your hand.
This younger sister was far more mature than her elder.
So Lin Yue thought.
“Oh?”
Lin Yue raised his eyebrows, putting away his wicked smile and sitting up straight.
“Why does Miss Bella say that? Do you think you can better satisfy my ‘interests’ than your sister?”
He took a sip of wine, heavily emphasizing the word “interests,” as if teasing Bella’s resolve.
“Whatever you want to play, as long as it doesn’t involve serving you alongside another, I can accept it.”
“Pfft…”
Lin Yue couldn’t help it, and sprayed the wine from his mouth.
Holy crap…
Girl, I didn’t even think that far, but you…
Then again, these nobles are wilder than modern folks.
For a lady of her station to have such awareness—it makes sense.
He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, wiping away the spilled wine.
He truly hadn’t expected the always gentle Isabella to say something like that.
“Bella, are you mad!”
Isabena snapped out of it, jumped up, and grabbed Isabella’s wrist, her voice trembling with suppressed pain.
Isabella didn’t look at her sister; she just gazed calmly at Lin Yue, as if what she’d said was utterly trivial.
“Sister, I am clear-headed. I’m not only doing this for the family, but so you can escape an unwanted marriage.”
“If you can’t protect what’s most important, what meaning is there in freedom?”
Seeing this, Lin Yue’s urge to tease vanished without a trace.
He wiped away all his previous nonchalance, his face growing serious for the first time.
He’d only wanted to play his role, to see how the sisters would react—he hadn’t expected things to go this far.
Isabella’s sacrifice, Isabena’s concession—he found it all rather heavy.
Sigh…
Looking at the deep bond between the sisters, Lin Yue didn’t know how to wrap things up.
Should he follow the original and marry Isabena, or take a new path and choose Isabella…
To reject them outright would be idiotic; after all, the Valiana Family had sent them here.
To go through half the matchmaking and then say, “Ah, I pity you sisters, let’s call the engagement off,” wouldn’t fly.
Forget the Valiana Family—the Hawk Family wouldn’t let him off lightly.
His family would never allow this engagement to be broken off just because Lin Yue had a sudden change of heart.
So he’d have to find another way.
Since both sisters were being forced, why not throw them a lifeline?
The butterfly effect was unavoidable, but as long as he kept things under control, it should be fine.
This way, he could help both sisters and also change Lin Yue Hawk’s ending from a roadside fate.
It might be a bit shocking, though.
He paused, his voice firmer than ever:
“This engagement means more to the Valiana Family than it does to us of the Hawk Family. Since that’s the case, I won’t waste any more time.”
Lin Yue took a deep breath and made his first major decision since transmigrating—a choice that would take him far from the original plot.
“Choose one?”
He smiled, the trace of wickedness returning to his face.
“Why choose just one?”
Isabena and Isabella both froze, ceasing their argument, looking at him in confusion.
“The two young ladies of the Valiana Family are both so ‘excellent.’”
Lin Yue’s gaze swept across them.
“One is willing to sacrifice everything for her sister, even at the expense of herself; the other is so kind it hurts, yet stubbornly adorable. With such wonderful ladies, why would I only choose one?”
He spoke each word clearly, his voice ringing through the banquet hall: “I want both.”