Chapter 3

Being an avid reader of novels, Clement knew that nearly every single story set in a city would feature a beautiful cop as one of the female protagonists. If that didn't happen, it only meant she got axed before the story was published.

"The Chosen One's luck is seriously off the charts. He can walk into a random bar, humiliate me, and end up meeting the female protagonist because of me?"

Clement was incredibly jealous of Ethan. With luck like that, anything he did would end up becoming a marvelous opportunity for him.

"Hello. I'm Violet Shaw, captain of Team 3 of the Chesville district," Violet greeted Clement in a professional tone.

Her brows were slightly creased as she eyed Clement with a look of disdain. Being a police captain, she'd had plenty of dealings with hedonistic scions like him, and she knew their type. They liked to throw their weight around, abusing their social standing to bully the commonfolk.

Violet deduced that Clement would soon be forcing her to arrest Ethan and come up with a bunch of false accusations to seek heavy punishment for him.

"It's nice to meet you, Captain Shaw."

He knew the old Clement must've done his share of shady things, using his status to lord over others. Therefore, he could understand Violet's frosty attitude toward him.

"These are my bodyguards who got beaten up."

"I see," Violet said, her brows furrowing when she noticed the men's broken arms and legs.

Ethan had gone a step too far. Didn't he know that Clement was the son of the Lakeworths of Grusoire?

If the Lakeworths put pressure on the police, in an attempt to appease them, the police chief would certainly demand that the Chesville branch come down hard on Ethan. Even if Violet wanted to protect Ethan, her hands would be tied.

If Clement knew what was going through Violet's mind right now, he'd feel utterly miserable. He'd done nothing at all, but Violet was already pitying Ethan instead.

Alas, such was the incredulous luck of the Chosen One.

"How would you like me to handle this situation, Mr. Lakeworth?" Violet asked.

Although she thoroughly detested Clement, she was forced to seek his opinion per her superior's instructions. She was prepared for Clement to make some kind of ridiculous demand, such as ordering her to shoot Ethan on sight or have him tossed behind bars for good.

"You shouldn't be asking me, Captain Shaw," Clement replied with a laugh. "I'm a law-abiding citizen. We'll deal with this in accordance with the law.

"You're a police officer, Captain Shaw. Ethan attacked my men and me. Feel free to handle this according to the book. I'll admit that I'm not entirely faultless in this matter, so I won't ask that you show any favoritism."

Smiling, he added, "I only seek one thing—fairness."

"Huh?"

Startled by Clement's speech, Violet eyed him doubtfully. She didn't expect him to be this honest and reasonable. He made no attempt to abuse his power to force her to act in his best interests.

"Do you not have any other requests, Mr. Lakeworth?" Violet asked disbelievingly. "For example, do you want Ethan Hunter to be given a more severe punishment?"

"What are you talking about, Captain Shaw?" Clement exclaimed, his expression tightening.

He knew this was a test for him. That damn author was setting him up.

If he tried to pressure Violet into picking on Ethan, she might feel sympathetic toward him and even develop feelings for him, eventually becoming another one of his triumphs.

How could Clement possibly stick to that plot?

"I'm a proper businessman, Captain Shaw. Why would I engage in any kind of unlawful activity? I already told you that all I want is for you to enact justice fairly," Clement declared with a stern expression.

"I admit to playing a part in the initial conflict, and I'm willing to take responsibility for that. But at the same time, I also want Ethan to be punished fairly for his actions, should they be found to be unlawful. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Lakeworth. I understand. I'll deal with him now."

Violet's gaze softened ever so slightly as she looked at Clement, her opinion of him improving somewhat. She figured she might've misjudged him. He didn't seem as deplorable as the rumors claimed.

"Go ahead."

Clement watched as Violet led her team of police officers into the bar.

"The female protagonist, Violet Shaw, has changed her opinion of you. A minor alteration in the designated plot trajectory detected. You have gained 1 luck point and 100 villain points."

"What the heck? I can earn luck and villain points by changing the female protagonist's impression of me?" Clement exclaimed, his eyes shining. "System, does this mean I'll get a ton of luck and villain points if I sleep with the female protagonist?"

"As a villain, you may steal the female protagonists away through the use of temptation, seduction, or coercion, but you may not do it through force. She must be a willing participant. Otherwise, you will suffer a backlash affecting your luck."

"Damn it! They have to do it willingly?" Clement cursed.

He thought about abducting Violet and doing it by force. After all, he was a villain. It was completely in character for him to do something like that without feeling a shred of guilty conscience!

Clement pulled up his stats again.

"Host: Clement Lakeworth"

"Physique: 60"

"Luck: 17"

"Villain Points: 400"

"Skillset: Loyalty Check (Beginner)"

"The progress is slow, but at least I'm leveling up a bit," Clement grumbled as he checked his luck and villain points. "Now, I just have to see what kind of trump card Ethan, the Chosen One, has up his sleeve."

Clement's next move against Ethan would naturally vary based on what Ethan's background was.

…

Inside the bar, a haughty Ethan was lounging in his seat while drinking booze with a seductive woman. She was his colleague, Ruth Camden, the secretary to the CEO of a major corporation.

"Ethan, the guy you just beat up is Clement Lakeworth, the heir of the Lakeworth family," Ruth said, her brows drawn tight. "He's not going to drop this matter."

"Relax." Ethan gave her a cocky little smirk and waved a hand dismissively. "However many guys he brings, I'll take them all down. You have nothing to worry about."

Confident in his abilities, he didn't bother taking Clement seriously. He was the Chosen One, and a minor villain like Clement wasn't worth his attention.

No matter what Clement did, Ethan knew that Clement would merely be another stepping stone for him. He could squash Clement like a bug!

"Maybe I should call Ms. Hanover," Ruth suggested, still feeling rather concerned. "I can ask her to talk to Clement so that we can smooth things over without it blowing up."

"There's no need for that," Ethan replied with a chuckle. "Do you not have any faith in me?"

"Well… Okay, then."

Ruth knew that Ethan was indeed incredibly strong.

Just then, the sound of footsteps rang out. Led by the manager of the bar, the intimidating Violet approached Ethan and asked, "Are you Ethan Hunter?"

"That's right."

After glancing at the incredibly attractive Violet, Ethan asked, "Care to join me for a drink, gorgeous?"