Transmigration: The Stupid Canon Fodder Falls for the Villain Duke

She had bumped into Levi, the one and only crown prince of Arderla.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little dreamer. Have you finally accepted that your fantasies will remain just that?"

The prince smiled, leaning towards Ivy, and she shifted back.

She was still the same stupid Duchess who loved him, but Ivy shifted before his hand could touch her as he tried reaching out. 

What was going on? The prince was confused.

Ivy forced a smile, looking at the prince. "I'm not sure what you mean, Your Highness. I've moved on."

She kept her chest stable, trying to act like the original Ivy, because drawing any suspicions in this situation wasn't a good idea.

Furthermore, her heart couldn't stop racing. She only wanted to disappear from here. 

In a single day, she had met the hero and heroine.

"Moved on? Is that what you call it? Last I checked, you were still nursing a foolish heart, hoping for a prince to sweep you off your feet." Levi laughed lightly, his hand on his chest as if he actually found what Ivy said funny.

"It's quite brave of you to mock me, considering how many hearts you've broken yourself." Ivy retorted, furrowing her brow slightly.

 Her tone sounded more like the former Ivy, like she had wanted, just slightly different. Her words were not screaming "I'm infatuated with you, prince."

"Oh, Ivy! You misunderstand me. I'm not mocking; I'm merely pointing out the truth. You thought I would ever reciprocate your... affections? How quaint!" The prince cackled. He believed there was no way Ivy had stopped loving him. 

He believed she was in the garden backyard grieving over him, or maybe she had been keeping a vigilant eye on him. How sweet.

Ivy smiled politely. "Perhaps it is quaint, but I prefer to be realistic now rather than chasing after shadows like some lovesick fool."

Her words sounded polite, but only the system knew how her blood was boiling inside.

 She wasn't the real Ivy, but the prince was cocky, and she hated cocky people. She controlled herself so badly from punching him.

Levi did not believe any of her words. He leaned close, their proximity quite intimate. "Realistic? Tell me then, how does it feel to know that all your dreams are nothing but illusions? To think you could capture my heart... how naïve!"

Levi felt that his words may be hurting Ivy on the inside.

Ivy pushed him away. He should keep his distance. 

She didn't want any more drama coming her way.

"Naïve or not, I refuse to wallow in self-pity over someone who clearly delights in belittling others."

Ivy was done having any conversation with the prince. 

She begged the system in her heart to teleport her before she did anything stupid.

"And yet here you are, standing before me—proving my point perfectly! Tell me, do you really believe you're over me?" The prince wasn't giving up. 

He pulled on a smirk and raised his brow in amusement.

It was as if Ivy was a clown, and everything that she had said, he hadn't heard a single word of it!

God knows Ivy would have pulled the man's hair out if she could peer into his thoughts.

"Yes, I do. But please—if taunting is all you have left to offer, perhaps it's best if we part ways." It was as if her patience had run out. Ivy forced a smile and bowed to him.

"Part ways? But where's the fun in that? Watching you squirm is far more entertaining than any royal ball could ever be!" Levi cornered her, whispering in her ear. Ivy felt goosebumps.

Disgusting!

"You may find amusement in cruelty, Your Highness, but I am done being your entertainment," she said, taking a step back. She was absolutely fed up with the creepy prince!

Luckily, this time the prince didn't stop her, and when she was about to go, she stopped in her steps and turned.

"In fact... enjoy your game while it lasts. One day, you'll find yourself alone—trapped by the very arrogance that blinds you."

She knew her reasons for saying those last words to the prince, and the reasons she would never tell anyone.

[A/N: not even you]

Unknown to Ivy, as she had left, she did not see the pain on his face as he watched her poised figure walk away.

Back inside the party full of glam, Ivy found a comfy seat aside, her hands resting on her chin, staring indifferently at the nobles from different clans mingling.

"I can't believe I almost had to endure another moment with him. If only I could have broken his face right then and there!" She sighed, her face twisted in frustration, complaining to the system.

The system appeared before her, bouncing with its chibi body excitedly. "Yes! Yes! You should have! But remember, he is the prince—so dashing yet so infuriating!"

"Dashing? More like infuriating! Ugh, I've been trying so hard to speak like the original Ivy. It's exhausting!" Ivy rolled her eyes, thinking of the prince.

He was so, so annoying to her, totally not her type. The villain was her type.

"But you're doing great! Just keep channeling that inner confidence!" The system bounced, skipping around, resting on Ivy's shoulder as it cheered her on.

Talking to the system, her mind was at peace. Finally, she was in the mood to keep note of her environment, then she saw a little girl, more beautiful than any child she had ever seen.

 Her eyes were pure and chiseled, her skin flushed pink, and a cute, flushed, pointed nose.

Ivy couldn't contain her urge. "Hey there! You're really beautiful. What shifter are you?" She asked the little girl, shifting closer towards her.

The little girl smiled. "I'm a dolphin from the Aqua Clan!" She said.

Ivy's expression falters as she processes this revelation.

The little girl was a dolphin... Ivy's brain stopped working for a moment and her eyes trailed down to the plate of fish in the girl's hand.

"Wait… you're a fish? And you're eating fish? Isn't that... weird?" She voiced her thoughts, the confusion on her face not fading.

"Not at all! It's sweet and delicious!" The little girl giggled at her question and munched more on her fish without caring about Ivy's concerns.

"Is it normal for her to eat her own kind? That seems... concerning," Ivy panicked in her heart to the system. Her worldview was changing.

"Who knows? Maybe she has a unique taste!" the system said with a nonchalant tone. Ivy's face cracked further.

"Attention, everyone! It's time for the big dance!" The announcement came, bringing everyone out of their thoughts.

_______

"Oh dear, Ivy, where's your partner? I mean, your husband."

Before Ivy could absorb the announcement that followed, Seraphina came beside her, her hands folded over her chest, her pretty face wearing a smug smile, and her eyes glaring at Ivy.

"Has the Duke finally abandoned you because of the poor display you showed last time?" Seraphina wasn't done talking. She added her intentions to provoke Ivy, getting her riled up, but Ivy only gave her a slight frown, which she quickly erased before it could linger.

"System, is this the last face of their drama? What worse should I expect from this?" Ivy complained to the system in her heart. She was very stable on the outside, but inside, she wasn't. Her body was as stable as a still, composed and elegant as she carried herself.

"Host, be patient. I feel that this is just minor taunting," the system comforted her, very different from its usual routine of compelling her to get into a fight.

"Oh dear ladies, you see her husband isn't here," Seraphina declared.

Lady Seraphina laughed, walking to the other noble ladies while holding their hands dramatically. Her laughter was also dramatic.

"Ahhh!" The noble ladies laughed along with her, turning their heads towards Ivy and giving her mocking, trailing glances.

Ivy's expression didn't crack in that moment. Being unbothered spelled her mood; the mockery all belonged to the original Ivy, and she wasn't it. Instead of being annoyed, she simply imagined them as a group of monkeys, with herself as a ripe banana that they were all attracted to.

"Let the dance begin!" In a while, Seraphina announced, giving Ivy a final smile before walking into the crowd, the noble ladies tagging along with her.

"Birdy, look at the hero and heroine dance," Ivy said to the system, glancing at the dance floor as it lit up with couples moving around, and the heroine and male lead standing in the spotlight.

"She gave me a bad eye," Ivy said, as her gaze clashed with the heroine's, who was staring at her purposefully and alarmingly. Ivy didn't know why, but she felt like the villain was taunting her, reminding her that she was dancing with the man that Ivy wanted. Of course, it was the former Ivy who desired the male lead, not her.

"Ignore her, host," the system urged.

"Birdy, I'm trying to," Ivy frowned and nodded her head. She decided to listen to the system and stay calm.

"Host, I hope you are aware that if you fail this mission, you know what it would cost you," the system's last short words went unheard by Ivy when the lights suddenly went out.

"Let the dance begin!" 

In a while, Seraphina announced, giving Ivy a final smile before walking into the crowd, the noble ladies tagging along with her.

"Birdy, look at the hero and heroine dance," Ivy said to the system, glancing at the dance floor as it lit up with couples swirling around, and the heroine and male lead standing in the spotlight.

"She gave me a bad eye," Irene said, her arm raised as her gaze clashed with the heroine's. The heroine was staring at her purposefully and alarmingly. Ivy didn't know why, but she felt like the villain was taunting her, reminding her that she was dancing with the man that Ivy wanted. Of course, it was the former Ivy who desired the male lead, not her.

"Ignore her, host," the system urged.

"Birdy, I'm trying to," Ivy frowned and nodded her head. She would listen to the system and just remain calm.

"Host, I hope you are aware that if you fail this mission, you know what it will cost you," the system's last short words went unheard by Ivy when the lights suddenly went out, covering the place in darkness.

Ivy stumbled on her dress in the dark. She felt a presence behind her.

"Who's that?" Her heart skipped with her question. She was afraid of the dark, and the person there wasn't putting her mind at ease.

The person in the dark made no sound, but Ivy felt their presence beside her; their breath was even.

"Keep quiet. Follow my lead, Ivy," the voice said, sounding familiar in her ears.

It was Lucien. What was he doing here?

Her questions were kept to herself because Lucien took her hand, guiding her to dance with him at his own pace.

"Ivy... system, my heart is beating. System, I feel like I'm in love!" 

Her heart beat irritably as they were so close, Lucien guiding her in the gentle light. His hand was placed gently on her waist.

Their hands clasped together, guiding her as they twirled.

"This feeling—I have never felt it in years. In all my life, like an orphan, it is the very first time I feel this happy... my heart, it is so warm inside," Ivy bit her lip, thinking in her heart.

The lights had turned on; the whole place lit up, and people stopped dancing, only looking at the Duke and Duchess dancing, unaware to Ivy and Lucien, who were lost in the moment.

The onlookers whispered among themselves, some smiling, some carrying envy.

"Look, is that the Duke and Duchess?"

"Sorry, Lady Seraphina, we didn't know that the Duke would come. No one invited him," the noble lady explained, looking down in fear. Hopefully, Lady Seraphina wouldn't punish her for messing up the plan.

"Lucien, why did you... do this to me?" 

Seraphina suddenly roared, hitting the glass window with her hand. The noble lady beside her flinched at the collision. The hall was noisy; no one heard Lady Seraphina's conversation with the noble lady, nor did they hear the sound of the glass breaking.

"New mission alert, host. Let the Duke kiss you in the presence of everyone.

In this romantic moment. Go for it, host!"

"System... curse you and your mission. This is so embarrassing; I don't want to do this. But I need to do it to survive."

Ivy stared hesitantly, her eyes drifting down to his clothing. "Lucien..." she called.

"Yes," he answered, his eyes locking with hers, the hold on her waist becoming firm.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ivy asked, staring deeply at him, her face pure, as if she had just made the most innocent request.

"What is it?" His voice sounded dry, and he asked again, wanting to hear what she wanted to say with the way she was looking at him intently. He really wanted to find out.

"Can you kiss me, Lucien?" she slowly asked, trying to keep herself calm. Her hand did not stop clasping his shoulder.

Lucien thought of what to say in that moment. "Have you gone mad, Ivy?" Those words, like a question, escaped his lips. His brow was furrowed at her request.

"Yes, I have gone mad over you. Please, kiss me, Lucien." 

Ivy shamelessly said this, a sly smile on her face. The smile on her lips tempted Lucien. The tone of his voice didn't bother her.

Before she knew it, her lips were captured in a kiss. Lucien kissed her deeply in front of everyone.

"Mission success, host. A very nice one. The mission for today has been completed... New system update coming your way..."

The system announcement came again, its tone bouncing with panic.

"Error alert, host! Prepare to keep yourself safe, host!!"