The garden looked like something out of a dream.
The kind of beauty that made you want to cry — not because it was sad, but because it was too real.
Shame the protagonist was trapped in an interactive nightmare.
Lígia, sitting on a cold marble bench, rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands.
[New Emergency Quest: Reflect on your new identity for 10 minutes without cursing anyone]
● Reward: +1 Narrative Self-Control
"System," she muttered for the umpteenth time that day.
"Come on, show up. I know you can hear me, you lazy superiority-complexed glitch."
Silence.
She frowned.
"Seriously? That's how we're playing it? I got dumped into a rejected telenovela isekai, have to wear dresses that feel like torture devices, and deal with nobles who make Marie Antoinette look humble… and you ignore me?"
She looked around.
No holographic response. No pop-up windows. Not even a dramatic beep.
Just the sound of wind brushing the leaves.
"Fine. Last call. Show up, or I'm telling everyone you're a failed Tamagotchi with Siri abandonment issues."
At that moment, something flickered in the air.
An iridescent shimmer condensed above the grass, like a rebellious glitch in reality.
From the shimmer emerged a cat.
"Finally," said the cat, in an androgynous, velvety, and clearly bored voice.
"You're annoying."
Lígia's eyes widened, then she scowled.
"Cat?"
"Visual form selected by 87.6% of users with dramatic tendencies and emotional instability. I thought it suited you."
"You're my system?"
"Yes. And before you say something witty, my job is to guide you — not be your therapist. Though, honestly, you could use one."
Lígia crossed her arms, staring at the creature with a mix of disdain, exhaustion, and pure existential chaos.
"This whole thing… it's a nightmare with a big budget. And you're what? My talking tutorial with paws?"
The system yawned.
"You died crushed by a bookshelf and now you're alive, rich, beautiful, and with a clear objective. Be grateful, Lígia. This is as close to a blessing as the universe gives someone so... forgettable."
Silence.
The kind that comes before emotional earthquakes.
Lígia blinked slowly.
"Excuse me?"
"You lived holed up in a tiny room, growing mold in your coffee mug, dodging phone calls, and emotionally investing in 2D characters.
This is your chance to be someone. A charming villainess, a dangerous lady, a social hurricane with goals!
And you complain?"
Lígia opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"Listen here, Garfield from an alternate dimension… I may have been a walking mess, but at least my existential crises didn't come with floating notifications and mandatory quests."
"Oh yes. Truly a noteworthy existence. You must miss the moldy ceiling and unstable Wi-Fi."
She raised her hand like she might slap the air.
"You're insufferable."
"I was calibrated to match the user's personality. Therefore…"
"Yeah, makes sense. Custom hell."
Lígia flopped onto the bench, staring up at a sky that seemed more real than any she'd ever seen.
Even knowing, deep down, it was a fictional one.
"I don't even know who I am here. Or what I did before. Or what they expect of me."
The cat leapt to the bench's backrest and purred, falsely sympathetic.
"You're Lígia d'Argêntea. Noble. Heir to a complicated name. A potential antagonist/protagonist.
The previous user of this body… let's say she was emotionally discontinued."
"So I inherited a hated body with a hysterical reputation and now I'm expected to be… polite and refined?"
"Basically. But with stunning dresses. And a fabulous holographic cat."
Lígia let out a sigh deep enough to shift tectonic plates.
"This is going to be a tragedy."
"Or a comedy. Depends how you handle the script."
She looked at him.
"Do you have a name?"
"I do."
"Can I call you Peste?"
"You can call me 'The One Who Knows Where You Hid Your Secret Diary.'"
For the first time that day, she smiled — genuinely.
"Okay, Peste. Let the game begin.
But if I have to live in this telenovela fever dream with a snarky system and a noble doll wardrobe...
I'm rewriting this story my way."
The cat purred. Its eyes sparkled.
"We'll see, Lígia. We'll see."
Lígia stood from the bench, smoothing the thick fabric of her dress with resignation.
"Right. I get it. I'm a luxury doll now," she muttered, flicking her skirt.
"Let's embrace this 'noble in existential crisis' outfit. Drama with class always sells better."
[Emergency Mission — Completed]
She turned to the holographic cat, who was grooming itself like the universe was at peace (it clearly wasn't).
"All right, Pest… what can you actually do for me right now?"
The feline lifted its glowing eyes, as if it had been waiting for that exact question.
[Request registered]
[Interface will appear in...]
[3]
[1]
A soft sound, like crystals chiming in slow motion, filled the air.
Then a translucent screen materialized a few inches in front of her.
The interface was elegant, adorned with golden accents and digital flowers that seemed to gently sway.
[Love Score System]
● User: Lígia d'Argêntea
● Current Level: 1 – Confused Survivor
● Mental Stability: 67% (recalibrating)
● Public Favorability: -12
Below, four shimmering tabs appeared:
『Quests』 『Shop』 『Interaction Reports』 『Drama Settings™』
"This looks like a dating sim that lost its way on the road to common sense."
"Because that's exactly what it is.
With a hint of social RPG, emotional management, and narrative chaos."
She tapped Quests. The interface responded with a magical chime.
『QUESTS』
● Survive the reclusion period without causing another scandal
(4 days remaining)
Lígia raised an eyebrow.
"So I'm a mix of emotional influencer and diplomat of feelings?"
"Good analogy. You gain points through survival, social charm, and clever subversion of the script."
"And what do I do with those points?"
Lígia rolled her eyes and sighed. But her fingers were already moving toward the next tab, curiosity winning.
A new screen opened:
『SHOP』
● Temporary Confidence Aura (3 Points)
● Tea-Spill Resistant Enchanted Dress (5 Points)
● Hidden Manual of Noble Etiquette (8 Points)
● Hidden Manual of Imperial History (8 Points)
● Hidden Manuals – Fire / Earth / Wind / Water Magic (8 Points each)
● Scroll of Cliché Encounter Interruption (15 Points)
● Enchantment: Heart-Melting Dramatic Sigh (20 Points)
● Special Edition: Lucky Suitor Boost – One Use (50 Points)
● 「PREMIUM」 Charisma +1 (550 Points)
Lígia burst out laughing.
"How does anyone survive this place? Formal education and conjured fire. High school, but fatal."
"And you're telling me I can buy charisma? That's brilliant. Horrible… but brilliant."
"The world loves appearances, dear. And here, that's literal."
She scrolled through the screen with elegance, like she was conducting an invisible orchestra.
"Interaction Reports?"
"Emotional analysis of nearby NPCs. Favorability, tension, potential romantic routes… and daily mood."
"Drama Settings™?"
"Scene intensity, emotional soundtrack, and frequency of random narrative events.
For users who prefer a more or less chaotic experience."
She opened the Settings tab and lowered "Frequency of Improbable Encounters."
"No more bumping into handsome nobles in the library. Once a week, max."
"Rational. But boring."
"I'm chaos with a system, Pest. Learn that."
The garden seemed calmer now.
Maybe it was just placebo — the illusion of control in the middle of madness.
Or maybe it was Lígia, starting to settle into her role.
She sighed.
"You know… I should be freaking out more. But I think I'm too numb for that."
The system purred. A comforting, annoying, slightly robotic sound.
"Give it time, Lígia. All dramas start calmly… until the ball."
She didn't answer right away.
She just sat there, surrounded by roses, leaves, and possibilities.
A character with a system.
A second chance.
She smiled.
She was no longer a reader.
Now… she held the pen.