[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining":3,"chapter-qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-197":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","QT: I hijacked a harem system and now I'm ruining every plot(GL)",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1854935,2462,"Chapter 197: Visitation rights","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-197",197,"\u003Cp>197 –\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daphne POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a genuine surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon actually won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over Prince Gallant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess it really was true love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a wedding invitation on my desk. Scented, enchanted, and possibly self-aware—it keeps scooting to the center every time I push it aside. Gilded with little embossed roses. The RSVP line is sparkling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Princess Floribella & Sir Drake, Defender of Hearts, Cordially Invite You to Their Union.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sir Drake. Of course he got knighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sip my tea and stare at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a hundred days of competitive courting—ballads, duels, magical gift baskets, and an unfortunate skywriting incident involving glitter—Princess Floribella chose the seven-foot fire-breathing poetry-writing dragon over the golden-haired prince who probably moisturizes with moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Gallant did not take it well. He cried. Then yelled. Then tried to sword fight Drake in a moment of desperation and singed his eyebrows off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s now been gently redirected to \"quest sabbatical.\" I hear he’s currently in a cave trying to romance a cursed sword. Best of luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I take a sip of tea, lean back in my teacup chair, and—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WEEEOOOO—WEEEOOOO—WEEEOOOO—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Code red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My cup clinks against the saucer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhale through my nose. That’s never good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wand on my desk lights up, glowing crimson. A notification chimes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ALERT: Narrative Collapse Imminent – Category: War.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I open a portal and step through it without even finishing my tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salt hits my face instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m on a beach. A beautiful one—golden sand, turquoise waves, shimmering sunlight—and somehow the vibes are tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side, the humans are fully armored and fully fuming, weapons drawn and egos bruised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other, the merfolk are just as furious, tridents raised and fins twitching like they’re ready to riot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, okay. That’s enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raise my wand and send a bolt of lightning into the sky—loud, bright, dramatic. It works like a charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides freeze. One guy even drops his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty minutes later, I’m seated in what appears to be a tent—if you can call it that. It’s made of translucent fabric stretched between beach rocks, partially in the water, partially on land. Very symbolic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the water side: a stunning red-haired woman with sea-glass green eyes (clearly the famous mermaid), and beside her, a regal older merman with long white hair, a trident, and a crown made of coral. Definitely the Sea King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the land side: a tall, dark-haired man with noble features (probably the Prince), sitting beside a striking, silver-haired human Queen with cheekbones sharp enough to slice through tension—and there’s a lot of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m flipping through my enchanted ledger, mentally asking the system why I’m here and wondering when this became a custody war instead of a fairy tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened to the happy ending?\" I mutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" I begin, voice flat, eyes tired, \"why are both your kingdoms on the verge of war?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince practically growls, \"Askthem. They took my daughter away from me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired mermaid (yes, that mermaid—singing voice, dinglehopper collection, the works) sighs\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>. \"It’s not my fault. My daughterchosethe ocean.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She was brainwashed!\" the human queen hisses, every syllable sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will not speak about to daughter like that,\" the Sea King cuts in, voice rumbling like a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And asmygranddaughter, shebelongsto the sea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It delves into an argument. A loud, messy, chaotic, absolutely soap-operatic argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turns out, this isn’t just a diplomatic dispute. Oh no. This is a full-on, barnacle-clinging, kraken-sized divorce between the beloved fairytale prince and his formerly-singing mermaid bride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watch the four royals screech over one another like banshees on caffeine, and I do what any rational therapist-lawyer-cop-magical-interventionist would do:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raise a hand, and zap the grandma and mer-grandpa out of the tent with a flick of my wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" I say, calm, steely, and deeply, deeply exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s try this again—with just the two of you. The ex-lovebirds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence doesn’t last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t you two go through, I don’t know,trialsandtribulationsto be together?\" I ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened tohappily ever after?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mermaid princess scoffs and dramatically flips her crimson hair as she hoists herself out of the water and perches on a rock. Her tail flops behind her, sparkling like someone dunked a disco ball in seawater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The splash hits the prince right in the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wipes it off like it’s acid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wasyoung,\" she says icily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naive. I had a dream. Now I haveeyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, so everything’s my fault now?\" the prince fires back, indignant. \"I didn’tforceyou to marry me. You chose this life!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, well, false advertising, sweetie. You kissed well at seventeen and turned into a royal disappointment at twenty-five.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is why teens shouldn’t get married, look at them, I shake my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ocean brat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Land cockroach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sip my tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I should’ve known when I literally lost my voice and you almost married a sea witch! That was sign number one!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She looked like you! I was confused!\" the prince shouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She had raven hair andoctopuslegs! We look nothing alike!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You both sing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shestolemy voice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were quieter back then!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, bite me, Tristan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another screaming match ensues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turns out he’s cheated on her. Several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you nobles throw themselves at me—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was stuck in a castle with no sea, no friends, no job! Your mother wouldn’t even let me host a luncheon! I was supposed to smile, sing, and breed, apparently!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh please, you hadmaids! You hadjewelry! I built you apond!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A pond! I am royalty! I had to share it with fucking swans!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were imported!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were rude!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, she had no real duties in the court. He kept her locked away under the guise of protection. His mother constantly insulted her kelp-based skincare routine. The kingdom’s chefs refused to cook her seaweed dishes because it was \"too ocean-y.\" They fought about furniture (she wanted coral; he wanted gold). Parenting beliefs. Holiday traditions. Whether or not swimming counted as exercise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you know what, I should’ve listened to my dad. Humans are a disappointment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And mine said I was an idiot for marrying afish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He says the word like it’s a slur. I flinch. So does she.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze sharpens like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow,\" she breathes. \"And there it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stare each other down. Murder in their eyes. Saltwater in the air. And a century’s worth of mutual resentment hanging so thick, I could carve it into a chair and still have enough leftovers for a full dining set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I... sip my tea. Again. Rose hibiscus with a hint of lemon balm. Calming. Grounding. Magical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because at this point, what else can I do? Honestly, I don’t think they’ll ever get along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I set my teacup down with a graceful clink and clasp my hands neatly in my lap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" I say brightly, in the same tone one might use to suggest a walk after dinner. \"Now that we’ve gotten the emotions out of our systems—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I haven’t—\" she starts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wasn’t done—\" he snaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—Let’s talk about visitation rights,\" I continue smoothly, with the firm smile of a woman one syllable away from casting a muting spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They both shut up. Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It takes forty-two minutes, three emotional outbursts, two threats of magical combat, and one moment where I genuinely thought the prince was about to throw a seashell at her—before we even get to the negotiation table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it’s like pulling teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wet, sparkly, emotionally unstable teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Convincing the mermaid princess that—despite the fact that her baby daddy is an emotionally stunted, surface-world racist with the maturity of a barnacle—he is still her child’s father? Practically a war crime in itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t understand, Resolutionist,\" she fumes, scales flashing indignantly. \"He taught her that mermaid songs are ’aggressive shrieking.’ Aggressive shrieking!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince, lounging with all the grace of a disgruntled peacock, shrugs. \"I mean, it is high-pitched and weaponized—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"LIKE YOUR MOTHER’S OPINIONS?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At least she has taste—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You slept with her!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"THAT’S A RUMOR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, I’m very calmly fantasizing about turning them both into kelp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince isn’t helping, by the way. Actively sabotaging every inch of progress I try to make. Every time I ask him to consider compromise, he just starts listing reasons why the sea is \"emotionally unstable\" and why land-based parenting produces \"stronger calves.\" (Yes. He said calves. As if their daughter is livestock.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But eventually—eventually—we come to an agreement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weekdays underwater, with magical breathing charms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weekends on land, with mandatory etiquette training and no condescending songs about fish hygiene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One neutral third-party transport turtle to handle pickups and drop-offs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child, thank the gods, is ecstatic. She apparently just wanted to spend time with both parents and ride her pony across the shallows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children really do deserve better than their parents sometimes.\u003C\u002Fp>",1475,"2026-06-09T07:29:29.584Z",1,"novelbin.me","56dfa267b096a4f3245630184e9b200652832a0c1fd37ee07a50fbf75bc2969c","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-198","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-196",399,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fqt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-cover.jpg"]