The Villainess Returns with a System

Esmeralda’s shot sent shivers not only through the foundations of a building that collapsed over a bunch of Blackguards but into the very structure of Prince Liam’s faction. The Bloody Swan was no longer a simple chess piece between the powers that be; she was a rogue card, a joker whose dance sent ripples through the stagnant waters. She had risen to be the very soul of conflict among the two factions at war: one fighting for an old world that must be preserved, and another fighting to destroy the old and build the new.

It was difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, even for those involved. Prince Liam’s faction and the Royal Guard now see the Bloody Swan as the symbol of the insurgency, the wings that must be clipped, and the mouth that must be gagged. On the other hand, the Kabal did not know what to do in this situation; they had never expected the Swan to be someone from their ranks, and the Court of Sages all pleaded ignorance regarding the Swan’s identity.

Within the Kabal, it was expected to hide the identities of one’s underlings, as each Familia managed by a Sage had its own secrets and confidentiality. Still, the Bloody Swan was too big of a deal, and all eyes were focused on Woodman, thinking that she was a member of his Familia.

On the other hand, Woodman was as shocked as the rest of them, but he had his own suspicions. What he saw that night from Vivian Moore suggested that she was no simple young lady—not that she ever was—but she was far greater of a surprise than what everyone anticipated.

The guns, the ruthlessness, the willingness to kill, and how wildly she acted and reacted. In his mind, he was painting an image where Vivian Moore and the Bloody Swan stood side by side, or rather, were one and the same.

It is natural for House Moore to possess this kind of talent. The House of Industry is surely great enough to survive with talents like these in a world where magic reigns supreme, but the simple notion of Vivian being the Bloody Swan was unacceptable by today’s standards; thus, the idea of the Swan being Vivian’s bodyguard that night was a more predominant opinion.

Woodman wasn’t sure how to act from that point onward. On one hand, he might actually be able to extort Vivian Moore, but on the other, she was already knee-deep in the conspiracy, and it was unwise to make an enemy of a potential ally who was known for her relentlessness against the Royal Faction.

Also, she had the Automaton, which she took as a guarantee for them not to blackmail her with her spellring, and now this big, juicy secret.

Under his mask, Woodman found himself grinning. Finally, another Moore who could play the game right.

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