'I'm the Villain, But the System Made Me OP'-Chapter 32: Falling Houses

Breakfast got fucked up real fast.

The crystal on the table started glowing red. Someone yelling through it. The scared woman advisor.

"—BRENNAN’S DEAD—SUICIDE—FOUND HIM THIS MORNING—"

Duke Valerius grabbed it. "Slow down. What the hell happened?"

"Lord Brennan. He’s dead. Hung himself last night. In his study." She was talking so fast. Out of breath. "Servants found him. He left a note. Said he did everything. The fraud. The bribes. All of it."

Nobody said anything.

Draven just stopped eating. *Clink.* Fork hit the plate. "He killed himself?"

"Couldn’t deal with it I guess," the advisor said. "Going bankrupt. Criminal charges coming. His family left him yesterday. Wife took the kids. He was alone."

"Fuck," Seraphina said.

Elise’s hand grabbed Draven’s thigh under the table. *Squeeze.* Not sexy. Just... holding on. Keeping him there.

"The note," Valerius said. "What’d it say?"

"Says he stole taxes for six years. Names everyone he paid off. Says sorry to the kingdom. Then—" papers rustling. "—says he can’t live with the shame. That his death should be a warning or whatever."

"Still being dramatic even when he’s dead," one of the guards said. Quiet.

"Aldric’s gonna use this," Draven said. Just thinking out loud. "He’s gonna make it about bad nobles. Make himself look like the guy who’s cleaning things up."

"He didn’t clean up shit," Seraphina said. "We’re the ones who leaked everything."

"Doesn’t matter. He’ll take credit anyway." Valerius stood up fast. *Scrape.* Chair moving. "There’s gonna be a Royal Court thing today. Bet on it. They’ll do a memorial. Speeches. Aldric’s gonna use it to look good again."

"Can we stop it?" the advisor asked.

"Not unless we wanna admit we leaked everything." Valerius rubbed his face. "Fuck. We wanted to destroy his house. Not... not this."

Nobody talked.

They’d fucked up House Brennan on purpose. Wanted to hurt Aldric.

Now some guy was dead.

[System]: *Uh*

*So*

*This got dark*

*Didn’t plan on suicide*

*This is what happens in war tho*

*You okay?*

Was he?

Draven didn’t feel bad. Couldn’t. The Abyss Core took that away. But he felt... something. Couldn’t name it. Just knew that breaking someone’s life could make them do this.

"We didn’t kill him," Draven said. To everyone. To himself. "He stole money. He cheated. We just showed everyone. That’s it."

"And he killed himself instead of dealing with it," Elise said. Her voice was quiet. Sad. "That’s his choice. Not ours."

"Still feels like shit," Seraphina said.

"Yeah. It does." Valerius looked at her. At Draven. "But we’re fighting a war. Political war but still war. People die. Even if they do it themselves."

The advisor came back through the crystal. "Sir, what do we do?"

"Go to the memorial. Look sad. Don’t say anything." Valerius was already thinking about next moves. "Get ready for Aldric to use this. He’s gonna make himself look like the good guy fighting bad nobles. We need to be ready to hit back."

"Working on it," another voice said. The old advisor maybe. "Getting stuff ready now."

The crystal went dark. *Fzzz.*

They started eating again. Nobody was hungry though.

---

Three hours later they had the memorial.

Royal Court throne room. Packed full. Every noble in the city showed up. Everyone wearing black. Sad faces. Whispering.

Draven stood with the Valerius people. Elise right next to him. Close. Her arm touching his. Looked like an accident but it wasn’t.

"You okay?" she whispered. Super quiet.

"Yeah."

"Liar."

"Yeah."

She grabbed his hand. Fast. Hidden by their robes. "Later. We’ll talk later."

What that meant: Later she’d fuck him till he forgot about the stress. Their thing. Sex made everything better. It worked.

The ceremony started.

Chancellor guy talking forever about Brennan’s "sad ending" and "what happens when nobles go bad." Aldric up front. Looking all serious and respectful.

Fake as hell.

Then Aldric talked.

"Lord Brennan dying shows us the kingdom’s got problems inside." His voice was loud. Practiced. "Not just enemies outside. But corruption. Greed. Noble houses that forgot they’re supposed to serve everyone."

People nodded. Agreed with him.

"I’m Crown Prince. I promise to find all the corruption. Make every noble follow the law." He looked right at Duke Valerius. "Nobody’s too important to investigate. No family gets a free pass."

Total threat. Super obvious.

"Big words," Valerius said. Too quiet for anyone else. "From the guy who tried to kidnap a kid three days ago."

Aldric kept going. "Brennan’s confession showed a whole network. Tax guys. Guild people. Even some people in this room." He pulled out papers. "I’m starting investigations right now on everyone he named. Trials gonna be fast. Justice gonna be real."

More nodding. Everyone loved this. Aldric making himself look like he’s cleaning up corruption. Looking strong.

"Fuck he’s good," Seraphina whispered. "He’s turning our attack into his win."

She was right.

They destroyed Brennan to hurt Aldric. Now Aldric was using Brennan’s death to make himself look good. Making himself the guy who fights corruption.

Fucking perfect move.

[System]: *He’s REALLY good*

*Crown Prince isn’t dumb*

*He’s actually skilled*

*This is bad for us*

The ceremony ended. Nobles left. Everyone whispering. Talking. Aldric’s speech worked. People liked him more now.

Outside—Aldric’s people already spreading the story. "Crown Prince finds corruption." "He’s gonna reform everything." "Justice for everyone."

"We gotta counter this," Seraphina said. Fast. Urgent. "Right now. Before everyone believes his story."

"How?" Draven asked. "We can’t say we leaked Brennan’s stuff. That makes us the bad guys."

"Then we leak more shit." Seraphina’s eyes went sharp. Thinking. "House Thorne’s still under investigation. We speed that up. Drop more proof. Show everyone Aldric’s friends are ALL corrupt. Breaks his whole story."

"That’s—" one advisor started.

"Risky but it’ll work," Valerius finished. "Do it. Thorne stuff. Today. Make it look natural. Not us."

The advisors ran off. *Tap tap tap.* Already working on it.

Draven felt Elise’s hand on his back. Low. Hidden by people. Light touch. Making him feel better.

"You’re all tense," she said. Quiet. Just for him.

"Politics is fucking exhausting."

"I know." Her hand moved lower. Grabbed his ass quick. *Squeeze.* Then gone. "Tonight. My room. I’ll make you feel better."

Heat went through him. "You’re bad."

"I’m nice." She smiled. All innocent. Like she didn’t just grab him in public. "Very nice."

[Elise Desire: 92/100]

[Planning tonight already]

[Can’t get enough]

---

Back at the estate.

War room. Again. Draven was so tired of this room.

"House Thorne update," the old advisor said. Reading papers. *Rustle rustle.* "New stuff dropped to the Guild this morning. Workers talking. Sixteen deaths in those illegal dungeons. Safety problems. Bribe records. Everything."

"What are people saying?" Valerius asked.

"*Chronicle’s* putting it on the front page tomorrow. Other papers following. People are pissed. Really pissed. Protests outside Thorne’s houses. Everyone wants arrests." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Good." Valerius looked happy about it. "What about Aldric’s story? All that reform shit?"

"Falling apart." The scared woman pulled up more papers. "Everyone sees Thorne as another corrupt house. Same as Brennan. All Aldric’s friends getting investigated for being criminals. His whole ’I’m cleaning things up’ thing looks fake when his guys are all bad."

"Keep going," Valerius said. "Next week—House Kastel. The affair thing. Time it with Thorne’s trial. Bury Aldric under so many scandals nobody cares about his story."

"Sir," the young nervous advisor said. Careful. "About Brennan dying. Are we... worried? If people find out we leaked—"

"They won’t." Valerius’s voice went cold. "We used sources nobody can trace. Far as anyone knows, some rival house exposed Brennan. Not us."

"But is it right—"

"Right?" Valerius laughed. Mean. "This is politics. There’s no right or wrong. Just winning and losing. Brennan chose to die instead of deal with shame. That’s his choice. Not our problem."

Quiet.

Draven agreed. Made sense. But the nervous advisor looked uncomfortable.

"Anyone got doubts?" Valerius asked. Looking around. "Say it now."

Nobody said anything.

"Good. We’re in this now. Aldric tried to kill Lord Arclight. Twice. Tried to grab him illegally. He’s getting worse. So we get worse back. Destroy everyone supporting him till he’s got nothing."

"Then what?" Seraphina asked.

"Then he’s weak. Alone. And we finish him." Valerius looked like stone. "Legal way or not."

[System]: *DARK*

*Duke’s playing for keeps*

*This is real war*

*More people gonna die*

*Probably*

*You ready?*

Draven looked at Elise. She was watching him. Worried.

Last night she made him cum twice. This morning secret touches and notes. Tonight she’d do it again.

That’s what mattered. Her. Seraphina. Everyone. His life.

Aldric wanted him dead. So fuck Aldric.

"I’m in," Draven said. "Whatever it takes."

Valerius nodded. "Then we keep going. Done here."

---

That night.

Draven went to Elise’s room. Like always.

*Knock knock.*

"Come in." Her voice. Warm.

He went in. *Click.* Door locked. Wards going up.

Elise was already on the bed. Silk nightgown. Hair down. Looking at him with those eyes that knew what he needed.

"Bad day?" she asked.

"Brennan killed himself. Aldric made it look like his win. We’re dropping more scandals to fight back. Everything’s getting worse." He sat on the bed. *Thump.* Tired as hell. "Yeah. Bad day."

"Come here then." She pulled him down. *Rustle.* Put him on his stomach. Started rubbing his shoulders. "Let me help."

Her hands worked on his muscles. Firm. She’d done this a lot.

"You’re so tight," she said. "All knotted. Relax."

"Can’t. Too much going on. Church trial in two days. Political war. People trying to kill me. Everything’s fucked."

"I know." Her hands went lower. Down his back. "But right now? Just us. Forget the rest."

She was right. This room. Right now. Just them.

Her hands hit his lower back. Then lower. *Squeeze.* Grabbed his ass through his pants.

"You’re not just massaging now," Draven said.

"Nope." She leaned down. Whispered in his ear. "Roll over."

He did. *Rustle.*

She climbed on top. Straddled him. Nightgown riding up. No underwear. Of course not.

"Better view," she said. Started opening his shirt. *Pop pop pop.* "Now. Let me take care of you."

"We did this last night."

"And we’ll do it tonight. Tomorrow night. Every night till you’re less stressed." She kissed his chest. Going down. "You’re mine. I take care of what’s mine."

Her mouth got to his stomach. Then lower. Opening his pants. *Pop.*

"Elise—"

"Shh." She pulled his cock out. Already half-hard. "Let me work."

She put him in her mouth. *Slurp.*

And yeah. This helped. Definitely helped.

[System]: *COMFORT SEX TIME*

*She KNOWS how to help*

*Best mother/girlfriend ever*

*10/10*

Draven relaxed. Let Elise do her thing. Let everything else—politics, death, war—just go away.

Just her mouth. Her hands. Her warmth.

His woman taking care of him.

Perfect.

---

Later. Way later.

They were tangled up together. Naked. Done. His cum leaking from her pussy. Normal at this point.

"Feel better?" Elise asked. Head on his chest.

"Yeah. Much better."

"Good." She traced shapes on his skin. "Wanna talk about Brennan?"

"Not really."

"Draven."

"What do you want me to say? That I feel bad? I don’t. Can’t. Abyss Core took that." He stared at the ceiling. "He was a criminal. Got caught. Chose to die. Not my fault."

"But it bothers you."

"...yeah."

"That’s good." Elise looked up. "Means you’re still human. Still care. Even if you can’t feel guilty, you know it matters."

"Doesn’t change anything. War keeps going. More people probably gonna die."

"I know." She kissed his chest. "But you’re not doing this for fun. You’re doing it to survive. Aldric tried to kill you. Multiple times. This is self-defense."

"Self-defense with political hits and scandal drops."

"Yeah." She didn’t lie about it. "Messy self-defense. But still self-defense."

Draven pulled her closer. *Thump.* "What if I turn into a monster?"

"Then I’ll love the monster." Simple. Sure. "You’re mine. Monster or man. Doesn’t matter."

[Elise Affection: 100/100]

[Loyalty: ABSOLUTE]

[Would follow you anywhere]

[Ride or die for real]

"I love you," Draven said.

"I know." She smiled. "Love you too. Now sleep. Church trial’s tomorrow. You need rest."

"Tomorrow?" He forgot what day it was.

"Tomorrow. They moved it up again. Emergency thing." Elise got serious. "Aldric’s pushing the Church hard. Wants them to convict you fast. Before his political stuff falls apart more."

"Fuck."

"Yeah." She held him tighter. "But you’ll be okay. You always are."

"How do you know?"

"Because you’re too stubborn to die. And I won’t let you." She kissed him. Deep. "Sleep. I’ll wake you early. Deal with tomorrow when it comes."

Draven closed his eyes. Her warmth. Her smell. Her.

Tomorrow the Church would try to kill him for heresy.

Tonight he had this.

Good enough.