THE PERFECT VILLAIN: Another chance with a system
Chapter 21: Perfect Portion

Chapter 21: Perfect Portion

Claire: I see. We’re taking out the smarter pieces.

No, that’s not it. Being smart isn’t the problem on its own—it’s the fact that she’s a love interest. Which means she’s much closer to the old Niel, and that closeness, paired with her intelligence, is the real problem.

It wouldn’t be much trouble keeping up with a smart person on their own. But she’s too close.

Claire: Oh. I see.

Niel lay back in his bed, staring at the white moon through his bedroom window. He’d learned nothing about the statue, and now he had one person quietly suspecting him.

He finally understood that the Demon Realm had been easier, in its way—power was absolute law there. The human world would be harder. Every death would need better logic, a better explanation, because power wasn’t humanity’s currency of choice.

Niel closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

---

Morning arrived with birds chirping brightly outside, sunlight pouring into his room.

Niel got up and headed to the main floor. He found Luna in the kitchen making breakfast. She turned to him with a warm smile. "Good morning, Niel. I hope you slept well."

"Morning, Luna. I did sleep well. Thanks for yesterday." He stopped a few feet from her. "It smells nice. What are you making?"

"Oh, pork meat soup. My grandma’s secret recipe," she said, stirring the pot gently.

Claire: Noted. New skill acquired—unique skill: Perfect Portion.

What? She has a unique skill? What does it do?

Claire: Perfect Portion lets the user shape the taste or effect of a portion however they choose.

So she could make it taste however she wants.

Claire: Yes, and to whoever she wants. Simply put, one meal can taste entirely different to each person eating from the same pot.

I see. That explains why I could taste the spices in her cooking. Unique, but seemingly harmless. Wouldn’t do much in a fight.

Claire: Not quite. Perfect Portion could also shape things like poison, medicine, food, and drink—altering their taste, effect, and potency at will.

Niel’s brow lifted in surprise.

Okay, that’s bad. In the wrong hands, that could be deadly.

Claire: Certainly. So how do we kill her?

I think this calls for a change of plan.

Claire: Huh?

Niel walked out toward the table. Shortly after, Mira emerged and Dan stumbled out of his room, yawning loud enough to wake the whole building.

"Keep it down!" Mira snapped, and Dan froze, hands lifting in surrender.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry!" Dan replied.

She scoffed and moved to the table, setting it as she went.

"Good morning, everyone!" Anna and Mia rushed out, buzzing with excitement, and dropped into their seats.

"You two seem oddly excited this morning," Niel said, glancing at them.

"Yeah!" Mia replied. "We’re going to see Lady Amira."

"Yeah, she tells stories about her adventures every time she visits, and I want to hear them," Anna added.

At that moment, Luna set a bowl of pork soup on the table and took her own seat, serving everyone in turn.

Soon they’d finished eating, and everyone but Niel and Luna left to go see the hero. Luna stayed behind to clean up, promising to catch up with the others later.

"I’ll head over with Luna later," Niel told them smoothly, offering a casual smile. "I’ll help her clear out the place first."

It was a convincing enough cover, though his focus had already moved elsewhere.

Joining Luna, they settled into the easy rhythm of cleaning—sweeping away dust, straightening cluttered shelves, resetting furniture. The work moved along with light chatter and quiet laughter, creating a deceptively warm atmosphere. Exactly the kind of unguarded moment Niel needed.

Pausing as he stacked a set of heavy wooden chairs, Niel glanced over at her. "You know, that meal you made earlier? I’m pretty sure it’s going to sit in my stomach for as long as that statue in the square has been standing."

Luna paused, wiping her brow with the back of her wrist, and let out a light laugh. "Oh, stop exaggerating! No meal stays in anyone’s gut for four whole months."

Four months.

Niel caught the number instantly, tucking it away like a piece of a puzzle finally falling into place. The monument had gone up exactly four months ago.

"Maybe," he conceded with a light shrug, stepping closer to hand her a rag. "Still, you’ve got a good heart, Luna. Kind, but steady—reminds me of whoever gave the order to build that memorial in the first place."

Luna took the rag, looking up at him with a mix of amusement and mild skepticism. "What an absurd comparison—a statue?" She shook her head, though a faint, thoughtful smile touched her lips. "I’ll take the compliment on kindness, but I’m certainly not as strong as Lady Amira."

Lady Amira.

There it was. The final piece.

Amira’s visit four months ago hadn’t been some passing diplomatic gesture. She had personally overseen the construction of the monument herself.

The realization didn’t bring clarity—it brought a fresh wave of unsettling questions. Amira was the sole architect of his downfall, the reason he’d lost his legacy, his standing, everything he’d held dear. Why would the woman who destroyed his life turn around and build a monument to him afterward?

Niel turned back to the shelves, his eyes darkening as the quiet image of Amira’s face surfaced in his mind—not cold, not victorious, but carrying that strangely hollow, sorrowful look he’d caught a glimpse of before.

He needed to know what had changed. And more than that, why.

---

Soon they were done, and both headed out of the building. Niel stopped outside and looked at her.

"Could we talk? I’d like to show you something."

Luna hesitated for a brief moment. Niel could sense it clearly—she wasn’t fully convinced yet. The stay had helped soften her, but her guard had never fully come down.

"Okay," she said, her voice uncertain.

As they began walking toward the open field, he reached gently for her hand without a word. She glanced down at it, then up at his face; something lit up in her expression for a moment before it faded just as quickly.

The journey there began in silence. As they walked, Niel called out to Claire.

Claire?

Claire: How may I help you, Lord Vael?

My poison skill—can I dose it low enough to knock someone out briefly without doing real damage to their health?

Claire: No, not on its own. But paired with Perfect Portion, you could achieve exactly that. Do you intend to kill her, or stall?

Stall, for now. Let’s do it—just enough to knock her out for about half an hour.

Claire: Noted.

The poison activated the moment their hands touched. He led her across the open field, toward the tree where he’d left the real Niel’s body, the same place he’d dropped Dan and Mira after the demon attack.

She sat down on the earth spike jutting from the ground, studying it with a puzzled look, their hands still joined.

"This looks odd. I don’t think rock forms like this, especially not this close to a tree."

That’s the problem. Your intuition is always going to be a problem.

Niel thought, but answered with something else entirely.

"Yeah, it is strange, isn’t it? Maybe someone fought here."

"Yeah, mayb—" her voice cut off as her vision began to blur. "What—what’s happening?"

"Are you alright?" Niel asked, his voice laced with concern.

She tried to stand, but her legs had gone numb, and Niel caught her before she hit the ground.

"Luna! Luna! Can you hear me? Luna?!"

His voice faded into darkness as the world around her went dark.

Niel lifted her gently and set her against the rock, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead before straightening up.

By the time you wake up, Luna, it’ll all be over.

Niel turned and headed toward the village, and halfway across the field, he shifted into Luna.