MTLNOVEL Chapter 17: chapter 17
The moment Ciara's bedroom door slammed shut, the fragile porcelain mask she had worn for years shattered into pieces. Her fingers trembled as she clutched her dress, knuckles turning bone-white. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, suffocated by waves of humiliation and rage.
She had stood there—utterly invisible—as Vittorio handed down the Bellani family's most precious heirlooms to Summer. Artifacts symbolizing legitimacy. Bloodline. Power. Not just trinkets. Not just jewelry. They were a statement. A slap in Ciara's face that screamed: "You will never belong here."
A guttural scream tore from her throat as her hands swept across her vanity. Bottles of perfume and jewelry clattered, shattering against the marble floor. The deafening crash echoed through the room but did nothing to quiet the madness brewing in her mind.
"WHY?!" Her voice cracked, her vision swimming with tears—not of sorrow, but of pure, corrosive hate.
Her knees buckled as she collapsed onto the floor, fingernails clawing at her scalp. "I did everything right… Everything!" she rasped. "I smiled. I played the good daughter. I acted sweet... I swallowed every insult. I endured their looks. But still... STILL—"
Her gaze drifted to a cracked photograph on the floor—the Bellani family lined up perfectly at some charity gala. Vittorio standing proud. The brothers effortlessly elegant. Summer at the center, radiant. And Ciara… off to the side, half-shadowed, as if the universe itself refused to fully acknowledge her existence.
Her lips trembled as she slowly picked up the shattered frame. With shaking hands, she traced Summer's smiling face with the edge of a broken glass shard.
"If not for you... I could've had it all..."
Snap.
Her restraint broke entirely.
She stood, throwing the frame against the wall with all her strength. It splintered into dust. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, a scream clawing to escape her throat—but before she could release it—
> [System scanning...]
[Detected intense resentment, jealousy, inferiority, and hatred. Host qualifications met.]
[Initiating White Lotus Character System...]
A sterile, mechanical female voice echoed in her mind. A glowing screen materialized mid-air in front of her.
Her wide eyes reflected the words floating in neon white text:
> [Welcome, Host. You have been selected by the White Lotus Character System.]
[Mission: Perfect the art of manipulation through victimhood. Climb the social ladder by evoking sympathy, playing innocent, and destroying opponents with moral pressure.]
[Initial Task Generated: Frame Target (Summer Bellani) for arrogance, bullying, and public misconduct.]
Reward: 10 Lotus Points + Unlock Skill [Tearful Aura Lv1]
Failure Penalty: Emotional Pain Amplification x2
Her heartbeat stopped for a split second. Was this real? Was she hallucinating?
But then... the smallest, most broken laugh escaped her lips. Her bloodshot eyes shimmered with unshed tears—tears of insanity mixed with glee.
> "Heh... Hehe... If the world insists on seeing me as the outsider, the pitiful one... Then fine. I'll play it so well... that it suffocates her."
Ciara wiped the smeared mascara from her cheeks, straightened her back, and faced the screen with eerie calmness.
"Accept," she whispered.
The screen pulsed.
> [Task Accepted.]
[Skill Unlocked: Tearful Aura Lv1 — Increase others' subconscious sympathy toward Host by 50% in public disputes.]
[Auto-generating strategy suggestions...]
A second, smaller window popped up with a task breakdown:
> • Step 1: Leak rumors in college and fashion circles that Summer bullied a rising designer over a dress.
• Step 2: Hire a 'victim'—a classmate with financial troubles—to publicly accuse Summer of sabotage.
• Step 3: Manufacture fake chats, screenshots, and audio clips.
• Step 4: Stage a confrontation in a high-traffic area to draw attention.
As Ciara scanned through the steps, a sinister calm settled over her. Her fingers stopped trembling. Her sobs ceased. Her tears dried completely.
"So easy..." Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Summer... Let's see how you handle this."
---
Summer lounged lazily on a velvet couch in her room, twirling an iced coffee in her hand while scrolling through her stock trading app. Sham Sham's mechanical voice popped up casually in her mind:
> [Ding~ Host, BTC just hit your target sell price. You've made a neat 80k euros in profit. Good job, precious.]
Summer yawned, stretching her arms. "Well, look at that. Even my money works harder than some people." She lazily glanced at the investment news feed.
> [Ding~ New minor task available.]
[Warning: Malicious plot detected. Host is about to become the target of a reputation-damaging scheme.]
[Task: Reverse the frame-up within 72 hours. Reward: Unlock Hidden Skill — Bellani Private PR Team + 5000 trading points.]
Summer blinked. Her relaxed expression shifted into one of mild annoyance. "Tch. Who's trying to play games with me this early?"
---
Late that evening, Ciara sat inside a quiet café near campus. Her gaze was fixed on the girl sitting nervously across from her—Marina, a timid girl from the acting department known for being in debt after a family crisis.
> "...I'll pay off your debts." Ciara's voice was sugar-sweet, but her eyes were icy. "All you need to do... is cry a little. Tell everyone how Summer Bellani bullied you out of the casting for the school's stage production. Simple, right?"
Marina gulped, her hands shaking. "B-But... Summer... she's..."
"Are you saying no?" Ciara tilted her head, fingers tapping the cup rhythmically. "That's unfortunate. You see... if you say no, I wonder how your mother's hospital bills will get paid this month."
Silence.
Then—Marina's lips trembled as she nodded. "I-I'll do it..."
A smile spread slowly across Ciara's face. "Good girl."
---
As the Night Deepens...
> [Ding~ Step 1 completed. Rumors initiated.]
[Step 2 underway.]
Ciara stood by her window that night, gazing at the estate glowing under the moonlight.
Her manicured fingers trailed down the glass as she whispered to no one but herself—and the system listening.
"Summer... Let's see how long your perfect little world lasts."