Chapter 2: Dating Me.

【Flora】
【Strength: 14】
【Endurance: 11】
【Intelligence: 14】
【Charm: 8】
【Mana: 137】
【Favorability: -78】
【Obedience: 16】
【Value Assessment: 70 Gold Coins】
【Trait 1: Alchemist (A-)】
【This unit has a strong interest in alchemical principles and enjoys various mathematical and scientific knowledge.】
【Trait 2: Devout Believer (S+)】
【This unit possesses exceptional theological talent. A favored child of the gods, a natural devout believer.】
【Trait 3: Precision Work (D-)】
【Assigning this unit to a handicraft workshop or atelier grants additional bonuses.】
【Trait 4: Arcane Mage (C-)】
【This unit’s magical talent is superior to that of ordinary people.】
【攻略 Tasks Available】
【Task 1: Confirm a romantic relationship with “Flora.” (0/1)】
【Task 2: Train “Flora” in any chosen profession until she passes the corresponding professional association examination. (0/1)】
【Task 3: Extract value from “Flora” and accumulate a net profit of 30 gold coins. (0/30)】
【Hint: As the first contracted nurturing target, the “Human Resource Management” function has been unlocked.】

Looking at the panel before her, Lu Wei fell silent.

Although she had made the game herself and had been mentally prepared…

Seeing such an abstract panel appear right in front of her still left her somewhat shaken.

Anyone who saw it would probably ask, “What kind of UI is this? Isn’t this supposed to be a romance game?”

In truth, this was all thanks to Lu Wei’s big boss—

A pig riding the wind, a dog of Wall Street, yet a genuine capitalist through and through.

With a grand wave of his hand, he overruled all objections and completely changed the entire game beyond recognition. Within a week of release, it harvested countless curses.

【New title from a well-known game company, wearing the skin of a romance nurturing game, heavy pay-to-win elements, ordinary players have virtually no enjoyable experience…】

【The game’s economic system has collapsed, its values are distorted, seemingly using sugarcoating to package capitalism…】

【I’m here to play a damn game, not to work for you!!】

The big boss had a sudden inspiration, and the planners were sent straight to the guillotine.

Whether the game was playable or not was unknown, but Lu Wei nearly got hung from a lamppost by the furious mob.

People came to experience romance, yet the painstakingly nurtured targets ended up categorized under 【Human Resource Management】.

At the same time, the introduction of 【Assets】 and 【Forces】 allowed players to engage in farming and development, inflate prices, act as capitalists, plunder resources from other players, and squeeze out newcomers…

The gameplay experience was terrible, with extremely high negative feedback. Some even said playing this game was worse than looking in the mirror.

As the planner, Lu Wei could only be nailed to the pillar of shame, shedding tears while staring at the driftwood in the sky.

To atone, she didn’t hesitate to sell her own body, having the project team turn her into the villainous evil lady and insert her into the game…

In short, although this game wasn’t made for people to actually play, Lu Wei could play it.

After all, she had filled in the numbers herself, and she had painstakingly designed the gameplay.

Nurture beautiful girls, treat them as employees, accumulate nurturing resources by snowballing, then nurture even more beautiful girls—

This was the true way to play this game!

“So the思路 is very clear…”

Lu Wei murmured.

As the first female lead of this work, the one who would take revenge on her in a month—Flora—

There was no way Lu Wei would ever nurture her.

Therefore, she had to find other nurturing targets.

Looking at the uneasy Flora before her, Lu Wei sat down on the edge of the bed and absentmindedly swung her slender legs.

Flora’s攻略 tasks could still be advanced. The rewards were generous, and the completion conditions were simple—essentially free resources.

For example, the first one… confirming a romantic relationship.

Speaking of which, for a romance game, wasn’t the攻略 threshold of “confirming a romantic relationship” a bit too straightforward?

Thinking this, Lu Wei began to undo her own clothes…

……

“Your Highness?”

Flora stood timidly to the side, looking at Lu Wei with confusion and helplessness.

“Help me change.”

The girl’s cool, clear voice rang out, as pleasant as a mountain spring, yet carrying a faint chill.

Today’s Highness Lu Wei was very different…

Normally, whenever she appeared before Her Highness, she would only receive scolding and beatings.

But for some reason, at last night’s banquet, even though she had made such a huge blunder that even the Duke’s eyes showed disappointment,

Her Highness Lu Wei had surprisingly not erupted. She had merely punished her by making her act as her personal maid…

Her Highness’s personality was as fickle as a stray kitten by the roadside—perhaps rubbing affectionately against one’s leg one second, only to bare her claws and leave marks the next.

Thinking of this,

Some unpleasant rumors about Lu Wei flashed through Flora’s mind… but she quickly pushed them aside.

Perhaps it was just an unintentional act by Her Highness. It probably wasn’t for any other reason…?

Flora lowered her eyes and stopped thinking about it.

She took out the luxurious formal dress she had prepared long ago,

then gently removed the nightgown from Lu Wei’s body.

The fair skin was as delicate as fresh snow, tinged with faint rosy hues. Her eyes were lightly closed, her face expressionless. This docile, manipulable appearance reminded Flora of the porcelain doll her mother had given her as a child.

She wasn’t tall, her figure was petite, and her face still carried a trace of lingering childishness…

Even with her eyes closed, Her Highness was quite adorable… The thought that flashed through her mind surprised even Flora herself.

However, no longer having to endure those piercing, thorn-like gazes also made her feel somewhat relieved.

The rustling of fabric mingled with their breathing. She couldn’t help but carefully observe the completely defenseless Lu Wei before her.

Although she had shed all her thorns without reservation, Her Highness’s temperament remained as cold and sharp as a proud snow plum blossom in winter.

If only her personality could be a little gentler…

Before seeking refuge with the Caris family, Flora had already prepared herself mentally as much as possible.

She had tried her best to show goodwill… yet she still couldn’t avoid Lu Wei’s hostility.

The Duke actually sided with Flora regarding Lu Wei’s targeting.

But the more the Duke spoke up for her, the deeper the resentment in Her Highness Lu Wei’s heart grew.

“Click.”

As Flora fastened the last button on Lu Wei’s top, a thought suddenly rose in her mind…

Making her become her personal maid—

Could this unusual action be a sign that Her Highness was willing to reconcile?

If she could use this opportunity to change her…

Flora picked up a pair of white silk stockings that reached above the knee. The uniquely cool and smooth texture of the silk made her feel slightly dazed.

She looked at Lu Wei’s raised calf, swaying gently in mid-air. The small foot was dainty enough to hold in one hand, as white and lustrous as jade, adorned with a faint touch of pink…

“Pardon me…”

Flora bowed slightly, grasped her ankle, and gently slipped the silk stocking onto her foot.

But the next second,

That small foot suddenly broke free from Flora’s hand and pressed against her chin…?

“Y-Your Highness?”

Caught off guard, Flora looked somewhat flustered.

Yet when she raised her head, she met Lu Wei’s cold, dark eyes directly.

“Hmph, sure enough, I’m still very unhappy…”

“You spilled fruit wine on me and made me lose face in front of so many nobles.”

“I’ve been too lenient with you, haven’t I?”

The face that had repeatedly appeared in her nightmares now wore a terrifying expression as it spoke.

“I’m truly sorry! Your Highness…”

Flora immediately knelt on the floor and bowed deeply in apology.

The next second, she felt a heavy pressure on her head… Lu Wei ruthlessly stepped on it.

“By the way, you must have heard some rumors about me, right?”

“I didn’t punish you even after you made such a huge mistake. Don’t you find that strange?”

Lu Wei said with a cold smile.

Hearing these words, a chill rose involuntarily in Flora’s heart.

“…”

Of course she knew—

The rumors said that the spoiled and willful duke’s daughter had a strange temperament and enjoyed tormenting young maidens.

It was just that she didn’t want to think in that direction…

“You are the esteemed daughter of the Duke, while I… I am just a wild girl…”

Flora’s eyes gradually misted over, tears sparkling in her sockets.

“You can dispose of me… however you wish…”

……

On the bed, Lu Wei propped up her cheek with some dissatisfaction.

Her goal was already very clear: maintain the evil woman persona while minimizing the “revenge” from the original plot as much as possible.

Yet looking at the golden-haired girl before her, whose face was covered in tears like pear blossoms in the rain, she could only sigh softly.

At least resist a little, won’t you?

Don’t you have the Duke backing you? What’s with this unconditional obedience?

Where did your 14 points in Strength go? That’s a full seven times higher than mine!

She was starting to suspect that this girl was deliberately enduring everything, holding it in so she could deliver a massive blow a month later.

“Alright, I’ll give you two choices.”

Lu Wei reached under the pillow and pulled out a collar engraved with complex runes.

This was a prop that the “villainess Lu Wei” had prepared in advance,

precisely to control Flora, whose Strength and Mana far exceeded her own.

“The first option is to become my toy…”

“Once I get tired of playing with you, I’ll let you go.”

Lu Wei patted her shoulder and displayed the collar that symbolized enslavement.

The girl’s trembling transmitted through her palm, making her feel as if she were stroking a frightened rabbit.

“As for the second option…”

Lu Wei spoke word by word.

“Fall in love with me.”