They’re Her Beloveds, So What Am I"

I was the heiress to a vast fortune.

Wielding my wealth like a weapon, Id forced three impoverished college students into my service.

One fed me strawberries, one massaged my feet, and another told me stories.

As for who would stay with me at night, that was decided by drawing a card.

This evening, I was enjoying strawberries, a foot massage, and a captivating story, lost in a haze of pure contentment. Suddenly, lines of text materialized before my eyes.

[Why isn't this villainess gone yet?!]

[Don't rush, upstairs! Our protagonist is about to reunite with the male leads.]

[Though the male leads outwardly submit to the villainess, they secretly despise her. Once the protagonist arrives, they'll team up against her.]

[Spoiler alert from a lore enthusiast: The villainess ends up penniless, disowned by her wealthy family, homeless, and driven to madness, fighting dogs for scraps.]

I jolted, a strawberry catching in my throat.

"Cough stop, stop"

The three stopped obediently, their eyes downcast as they presented the familiar cards.

[The humiliation the villainess inflicts by drawing cards now, the male leads will repay every single bit of it, with interest, in the future.]

My body trembled, and I quickly withdrew my hand.

"I I won't draw anymore"

The three of them frowned slightly.

They probably thought I was just throwing one of my usual tantrums.

After all, I was incredibly demanding.

I often picked apart their service.

Strawberries had to be seven parts sweet and three parts tart. If even one wasn't to my liking, Paul had to rewash the entire batch.

Foot massages required precisely six parts pressure. If Ashtons touch was too heavy or too light, hed have to tie weights to his fingers as punishment.

Stories had to be exactly what I wanted to hear. If I didn't like the ending, Noah had to invent a new one for me.

Of course, I was often dissatisfied.

[I can't wait for the male leads to exact their revenge on the villainess! The poor boys she looked down on will transform into tech tycoons, artistic geniuses, and powerful CEOs. Just thinking about it gives me chills!]

[Tell us more, upstairs! I'm dying for every detail of the villainess's brutal downfall!]

[Okay, so the male leads already harbored resentment from her prolonged humiliation. Then, the villainess, out of jealousy, repeatedly tried to sabotage the protagonist. Finally, the protagonist and male leads joined forces and exposed everything the villainess had done at a press conference.]

[The villainess faced social ruin, was disowned by her family as a disgrace, and the male leads orchestrated it so she ended up with massive debts. Kicked out of her home, she had to live with vagrants, eventually descending into madness.]

[This ending is so satisfying! I hate those 'demure as a daisy' types. The protagonist and male leads should absolutely get their brutal revenge!]

A chill ran through me.

I sprang from the sofa.

Almost scrambling on all fours, I pushed past the three of them and bolted into the house.

Behind me, the cards lay scattered on the floor.

It was too terrifying.

Absolutely terrifying.

Back in my room, I rushed to the bathroom to shower.

Listening to the sound of the running water, I finally started to calm down.

Wrapped in my bathrobe, I emerged to find Paul standing in my room.

He held a plate of fresh strawberries.

I froze, my hand loosening, causing my bathrobe to slip a little from my shoulder.

"Ive re-selected the strawberries, and washed them thoroughly."

His expression was always cool and detached, his voice devoid of emotion.

If his Adam's apple hadn't subtly bobbed just now,

he would have looked exactly like a statue.

[Paul, despite his humble origins, is a high-IQ genius. The villainess has no idea that Paul has already used her 'charitable' one million dollars in startup capital to establish his own company.]

[During the day, the protagonist thinks he's attending classes, but he's actually at his company. However, since the company isn't stable yet, he fears leaving the villainess would lead to persecution, which is why he's enduring this humiliation.]

[The villainess couldn't possibly believe Paul genuinely enjoys feeding her strawberries every day, could she? He just obediently listens because her voice irritates him, and it's a convenient way to keep her quiet.]

[The villainess doesn't know that the reason she always sleeps so soundly whenever she picks Paul is because my Paul always washes the strawberries with sleeping pills.]

[The villainess happily eats them, thinking its a sign of Pauls affection, completely unaware that my Paul finds even touching her repulsive.]

I was stunned.

I did, indeed, love sleeping next to Paul the most.

Even though he never held me back.

But he had a comforting, crisp scent that always made me feel incredibly at ease.

Turns out what made me feel at ease was a damn sleeping pill!

[As expected of my high-IQ Paul! Even his methods of placating the villainess are so clever!]

[And it's Paul who ultimately engineers the villainesss massive debts! My Paul, a man of action, not words!]

I trembled even more violently.

Id always thought Paul was just cold-faced.

But he was even more ruthless than I imagined!

That heartless jerk!

I gave him a million dollars in startup capital and often gave him spending money!

"Ophelia?"

Paul frowned slightly.

I instinctively took a step back, knocking over the plate.

Strawberries tumbled across the floor.

Sure enough, a flicker of almost imperceptible impatience crossed Paul's face.

As if he were trying to suppress something.

"Still not satisfied with this plate?

"Then Ill wash them again."

"I I suddenly don't feel like eating strawberries today!"

I clutched my bathrobe tighter, my voice trembling.

"You you don't need to wash them again. Get some rest!"

Having said that, I didn't dare look at his expression.

I bolted out the door.

I fled to the living room.

On the way, I checked my bank balance on my phone five times.

Then I silently repeated ten times that I only had savings, no debts.

Only then did my heart gradually settle.

But I hadn't expected to find Ashton in the living room.

Seeing me, he smiled faintly.

"Ophelia, I knew you'd come down."

He took off the weights hanging from his fingers and knelt.

"I didn't control the pressure well just now, so I punished myself. Come here, I'll massage them again for you."

Oh, his voice was so gentle.

My heartwarming little puppy, I really appreciated it.

So what if Paul was cold?

I didn't only have him.

Feeling a little lightheaded, I started to walk towards him.

[Ashton, the most cunning artistic genius. The villainess merely secured his entry into an art competition, then exploited that favor by forcing him to paint 100 portraits of her and made his hands, meant for creating timeless art, massage her feet every day.]

[What a waste of talent! My heart aches for Ashtons beautiful, nimble hands!]

[Don't worry, everyone, Ashton will soon gain recognition from a master and become a globally renowned art star. After the villainess is kicked out, it's Ashton who will plot her mental breakdown.]

My feet stopped abruptly.

[Upstairs, spill the details quickly!]

[After the villainess is kicked out, it's my Ashton who hires a bunch of vagrants to relentlessly torment her. What goes around comes around: she forced Ashton to paint so many pictures, so she'll have to massage the feet of that many vagrants, until she's driven mad.]

I quickly pulled back my feet.

Id always thought Ashton was the gentlest one

But it turns out hes a damn black-hearted schemer!

Seeing those beautiful, slender hands reaching for my feet, I practically leaped up on instinct.

"I don't want a massage!"

Ashton froze.

He looked up, his beautiful eyes gazing at me with a haunting intensity.

Before I could even react, he stood, those handsome, long fingers gently entwining with mine.

I was terrified, but found I couldn't break free.

"Why not a massage?"

He breathed into my ear, "I was also thinking of showing you my new painting, Ophelia

"This one depicts you sleeping, it's very beautiful"

[Haha, that's not sleeping, that's clearly dead.]

[You can tell how much Ashton hates the protagonist, he even paints her deceased.]

[Doing the cruelest things with the gentlest demeanor, I adore Ashton like this.]

A chill went through me entirely.

I had a distinct feeling I was actually dead.

"Ophelia?"

Ashtons gentle voice whispered into my ear again.

"No!"

Survival instinct made me blurt it out, and I violently yanked my hand away from his.

Ashton froze.

"No?"

"Uh, how many paintings have you done for me already?" I stammered, stepping back.

He thought for a moment, then looked up with a smile.

"Seventy-eight."

Seventy-eight!!!

I nearly fainted.

Why was he painting so diligently?!!

Didn't this mean that even if I stopped now, hed still force me to massage the feet of 78 vagrants later?!

I claimed I needed to sleep and quickly escaped the living room.

However, as I reached the turn in the staircase on the second floor of the mansion, I saw Noah looking down at me with a somber expression.

Noah was actually the most hot-headed of the bunch.

If he hadn't been genuinely broke, he wouldn't have stooped to my service.

"What's wrong with you tonight?" He crossed his arms. "Yesterday you were still insisting on hearing about the 'chasing wife, crematorium' trope, and now you don't like it anymore?"

[When will our Noahs birth parents show up?]

[They'll be here soon! Noah was discovered by the Jensen family during a basketball game. Hell turn out to be the Jensen familys long-lost son, inheriting their massive commercial empire, becoming the Jensen family's crown prince overnight!]

[Handsome CEO, I love it!]

[The villainess originally took a liking to our Noahs looks and physique. Because she liked the sound of his voice, she made Noah tell her stories every day, completely unaware that Noah would disgustedly gargle every time he finished telling her a story.]

[Poor Noah, a 61 sunny basketball player, forced by the villainess to become a romance writer.]

[But in the end, it was also Noah who pressured the Sterling family, threatening them with bankruptcy if they didn't kick the villainess out of the house. It's a fitting revenge for past grievances.]

Pressure

Kicked out of the house

My legs went weak, and I nearly fell.

I was just a spoiled heiress with no skills.

I knew nothing but how to enjoy life.

If I were kicked out, Id have nothing.

Noah, seeing my lack of response, took a step forward.

"Still not satisfied with the ending of this story? The protagonist and male lead didn't die this time, it's a happy ending. Still not good enough?

"Fine, I knew you were picky and demanding. Ive already written a new one"

"I won't listen!"

My voice was trembling.

Noah was always warm, sleeping with him was like having a human hot water bottle.

Especially comfortable in winter.

Not to mention his strong arms and eight-pack abs

But now, I wanted to slap myself.

You and your obsession with looks!

You and your obsession with voices!

You and your obsession with warmth!

"Won't listen?" Noah's eyes darkened rapidly.

But I couldnt worry about that.

I quickly fled back to my bedroom.

Good, good.

Paul was already gone.

After a moment's thought, I locked the door, pulled a large polar bear plush from the closet, and finally lay down with it.

I didn't sleep well all night.

I don't know why there were so many sleepless night owls, but the comments kept flashing across the screen.

From their excited discussions, I learned that today, during the day, the poor and resilient little white flower protagonist would meet the three male leads.

I would then, out of jealousy, desperately try to sabotage her.

And it would be her encouragement that solidified their resolve to take revenge on me.

The next day, I went downstairs with dark circles under my eyes.

I immediately saw the three of them sitting at the dining table, eating.

The three of them looked up at me in unison.

I pretended not to notice the flicker of displeasure in their eyes.

The comments were right.

They hated me.

Before, I had been too foolish, not even noticing such obvious resentment.

"Ophelia, come sit." Ashton smiled gently at me, pulling out the seat between himself and Noah.

Before, I would have happily run over.

I might even have playfully asked Paul to feed me, Ashton to massage my shoulders, and Noah to say some auspicious words or sing a song.

Perhaps I would have gone even further and tossed a card.

To decide who would stay with me for a nap.

But today, before he even finished speaking, I decisively moved to the opposite side, far from them.

I didn't have that much nerve now.

"You guys are almost done eating. I'll just sit here, so I don't bother you, okay?"

Ashton's smile faltered.

Paul's eyes remained flat.

Noah frowned.

I ate my meal with my head down.

Feeling a little guilty, for some reason.

"Miss, your arrangements are complete."

The butler handed me a notebook.

I took it, secretly glancing at the three across from me.

"Uh, today, could I ask the three of you for a small favor?"

The three of them looked confused.

After all, I usually barked orders at them.

No one responded.

I quickly added:

"There'll be payment, not free labor! One hundred thousand each!"

I gave Paul an insider's ticket to a cutting-edge technology symposium. From my research, his company wasn't yet qualified to attend such a high-level conference.

Then I gave Ashton a ticket to a lecture by the renowned artist Master Lee. This ticket had sold out a month ago, and I had paid two hundred thousand to a scalper to get it.

Finally, I gave Noah a meet-and-greet ticket for a famous basketball star. I knew that was his favorite player.

These were temptations they couldn't refuse.

The three of them took the tickets, an unreadable emotion flickering in their eyes.

"What does this mean?" Noah was the first to ask.

"The family gave these to me, telling me to go to the tech symposium to learn, and to the art lecture and basketball star meet-and-greet for culture and sports. You know how lazy I am, so could you all go in my place? Make sure to stay the whole day, please."

"What about you?" Paul suddenly asked.

I froze, "Huh?"

"What are you doing today?"

I let out two forced laughs. "I have other plans, other plans."

"What other plans?" Ashton asked.

I was speechless.

"It's just"

"Tell us," Noah said.

It was something I couldn't tell them.

I summoned my usual imperiousness, deliberately sounding fierce: "What? What I do? Do I have to report to you?!"

This tactic still worked.

The three of them indeed stopped talking.

There was, of course, a reason I couldn't tell them.

I'd spent all night thinking, and Id come up with a wicked plan.

I was going to replace them and win over the protagonist.

Actually, there was a Plan B.

According to the comments, they hadn't yet become formidable.

I could easily find a way to crush Paul's company, hinder Ashton from becoming a master and winning awards, get Noah removed from the basketball team, and prevent him from reconnecting with his family.

But how should I put it?

I still had a shred of humanity.

Until the very end, I still wanted to part ways with them peacefully, without a full-blown war.

After the three of them left, I called the butler over again and whispered:

"That other matter, is it also settled?"

The butler chuckled. "Don't worry, Miss. We offered a generous sum, and in just a few hours, about 10 male students signed up. As per your requirements, we've selected three."

I nodded in satisfaction. "Then I'll meet them later when we go to A University Library."

Since the comments said they hated and sought revenge on me because I forced them, wouldnt stopping that now be enough?

I'm so wealthy, and I'm not bad-looking.

A three-legged frog might be hard to find, but willing men? Surely, I could find them.

Even though my requirements were strict this time.

They couldn't be too handsome; presentable was fine.

They couldn't be too intelligent; average was okay.

They couldn't have any special skills; ordinary was good.

They couldn't be orphans; from a regular family was acceptable.

Eliminating any possibility of the chosen ones being male leads.

But still, many people signed up.

I happily got into the car with the butler, heading to A University.

"First, I'll interview them, then I'll meet Evelyn Sterling."

Evelyn Sterling was the protagonist mentioned in the comments.

She was currently working part-time at A University Library.

The interviews went even smoother than I expected.

The three boys looked very obedient.

Not to mention small matters like feeding strawberries, foot massages, or storytelling

Even for the "nighttime" matter

One of the male students, blushing, stood up and said to me:

"Sister, I can do anything, no matter how 'spicy' or 'mild'"

I didn't understand.

"What?"

He took small, quick steps around to stand in front of me, then leaned his head on my shoulder:

"It means, whatever Sister wants me to do, I'll do"

Good, good, good.

I was ecstatic.

But for some reason, I suddenly shivered all over.

I abruptly looked back.

No one was outside the window.

Why did it feel so chilling behind me?

As if someone were standing there with a knife.

A murderous aura.

And not just one.

But rising and falling.

Perhaps I'd been reading too many comments these past two days.

I was getting a little paranoid.

"Is the is the air conditioning too cold?"

One male student obediently replied, "Sister, the heater is on inside."

Another: "Sister is afraid of the cold, so Ill be Sister's human hot water bottle."

Oh, oh, oh.

See?

I looked from one to the other.

Extremely satisfied.

I could hardly let them go.

After telling the three to wait for my call, I was happily fantasizing about my carefree future when the butler came in.

His expression was somewhat troubled.

"Miss, that student, Miss Sterling, has declined your meeting request."

According to the butler, Evelyn Sterling refused as soon as she heard my name.

"Birds of a feather, Miss Sterling and I are not the same kind of people. There's no need to meet."

No choice, I had to go find her.

I searched all three floors of the library, my feet starting to ache faintly, before finally finding her in the ground floor lobby.

She looked at me with full vigilance.

"I know you're the Sterling family's heiress. What exactly do you want?"

I spoke gently, "I know you're in great need of money right now, and I'd really like to help you"

"So you want to buy my character with money?!"

I: "No, I want to help"

"I've seen too many people like you. You act superior just because you have some money, insulting people randomly, treating us poor folk like your toys. What, have you grown tired of your old toys and want new ones, so you've come after me?"

"No, I genuinely want to help you, without charge"

"How can there be a free lunch in this world? You just want to insult me, make me grovel before you. But my spine, Evelyn Sterling, is straight. I can kneel to heaven and earth, but I will not kneel to money or capital!"

"You've misunderstood. I don't need you to kneel. I know you're an excellent student but didn't receive the Sterling Corporation scholarship last year, so I can help you apply for a special one."

"Put away your hypocritical facade. Do you think that will buy my soul?"

I: ""

I was getting a little tired.

I cut straight to the chase, playing the emotional card: "I just want to give you money, help your seriously ill mother find a good hospital, and save you from working odd jobs so you can spend more time with your mother."

But her eyes widened:

"You actually investigated my family? You want to use my mother to control me? I'm telling you, I'll take care of my own mother, and I'll do it with the money I earn myself, honorably."

I: ""

She pulled out her phone.

"You've invaded my privacy by investigating me. I'm calling the police right now. I want to see if this world is truly fair and just!"

No.

"Let's talk this out calmly"

What kind of protagonist calls the police at the drop of a hat?!!

I quickly tried to snatch her phone, but she resisted violently. Before I even touched her, her foot slipped, and she fell heavily to the ground.

As if I had pushed her.

"Ophelia."

Three cold voices suddenly came from behind me.

"What are you doing?"