Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Chapter 396 - A Romantic Date

Sunless once wondered why the stars shone so brightly, despite being far out of reach. There was a scientific explanation out there, but he didn’t care about that. If the world wanted to spite him, he’d spite the world back.Sunny will reach for the stars, grasp them, and crush them, drowning the universe with a lightless sky.

In the Solarian Empire, people were divided by their blood. The nobles enjoyed their life in wealth, with fine wine and amazing food. They reigned supreme over the commoners. The only reason they were able to do this was that they had knowledge of the most powerful force in the world - magic. The nobles controlled their knowledge from easily going to commoners, making it harder for them to learn magic.

Leo, a young orphan in Solaria, had an incredibly powerful affinity for magic. He didn't even know about it because he could never learn magic- he was too poor to try and learn from any magic academies. He was just trying to survive the streets of Solhaven until he found the lost tome of the Arcane Emperor.

"I can beat a 7th Circle Mage."

"Wow! You must have trained for many decades. How old are you?"

"17."

"..."

The world was going to be turned upside down.

She possessed a villainess who is known and hated for her evil acts in an unpopular novel. But because of her personality, it was extremely difficult for her to play the villainess role. But not for long…

“I’ll fix your dress according to your taste this instant!”

“My request.”

“O-Of course! As per your request, there’s only one piece available in the whole Empire.”

People around me listen to me well even if I just frown and sit still. Since I don’t have to live in difficulty, I decided to just comfortably live on as a villainess.

“Father. Is it necessary for you to solve formulas in this slow and inefficient way?”

I thought it would be good to be a rich villainess, so I used all my knowledge.

“Why don’t you give me the honor of escorting the Princess?”

I have had enough of dealing with my father, so why did an unexpected character suddenly appear? What if this person disrupts my plan?

I died in my world… and woke up in someone else’s story.But not as the hero. Not as the villain. Not even as a side character who mattered. I’m… an NPC—a nobody, a background observer, invisible to everyone.At first, I thought I was powerless. But then I discovered something strange: I could leave notes, whisper hints, move objects… small nudges that subtly changed the story. Every tiny action rippled through the plot, shaping outcomes, saving lives, and altering the fate of heroines, heroes, and even villains.The catch? The story is alive. It resists interference. Push too hard, and accidents happen. Plot twists turn against me. Minor disasters loom. The more I try to influence, the more the story fights back.So I play carefully. I study. I manipulate quietly. I watch the heroines, heroes, and overlooked side characters, weaving invisible threads that guide them. I don’t fight. I don’t cheat. I survive—and maybe, just maybe, I can change the story from the shadows.From an unnoticed NPC to the hidden hand behind the world, I’ll prove that even a nobody can rewrite the story.