Lucien Ashborne was supposed to be a nobody — an early-game villain who existed only to be crushed by the protagonist. After provoking the wrong person, he vanished from the story without even a dramatic death scene.

When a player named James dies and wakes up in Lucien’s body, he inherits every bit of the villain’s broken reputation and zero of his privileges. Bullied, scorned, and abandoned by his own noble family, Lucien now stands at the bottom of the academy hierarchy.

To make matters worse, the world he knew as a game has no guaranteed happy ending… and the protagonist’s party treats him like a criminal.

But James isn’t the Lucien they think he is.

With fragments of meta-knowledge, a half-broken system that barely works, and a determination to avoid becoming cannon fodder, he chooses a different path.

He doesn’t seek glory.
He just refuses to disappear.

This is the story of a former villain trying to rewrite his role — not as a hero, but as someone who survives on his own terms.

"Umm… Master, there's a visitor request."


I looked up from my pillow. "A visitor? At this hour?"


I glanced at the clock. The hour hand pointed at 10 p.m.


Who in their right mind was visiting at this time?


"If Master permits," Alicia continued, "they said they can come in immediately. It's, um… Teacher Samantha."


The image of a red cape and a blazing greatsword came to mind. The woman who calmly stood between a Demon Count and death itself.


"Yes. Oh, and—Cadet Kael also requested a visit."


"No need for him. And reject anyone from the Four Ducal Houses… except Ariana."


A short while later, the door opened and Samantha Everhart entered. Alicia served warm tea and snacks, then slipped outside, closing the door behind her.


Warm tea sat between us, but the atmosphere was anything but warm.


Chapter 58 - Reward