[{"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-242":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},1854880,2462,"Chapter 242: Curiousity","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-242",242,"\u003Cp>Chapter 242\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edith\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity. That’s all it was at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duchess’ panther. The one the rumors whispered about. The little Longear clinging to her skirts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I came to see for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what do I find?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far cuter than I expected, honestly. Her ears twitch when she startles, her eyes dart away when I look too long. There’s an innocence to her that doesn’t fit this academy—a softness that should have been crushed by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tries to hide it with her posture, with those stiff little shoulders, but it’s obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even sitting stiffly in her chair, I can see the outline of her chest beneath the uniform. Slender waist, curves that twitchy little tail doesn’t hide nearly well enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tempting in its own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still... nothing special. Not by noble standards. Not compared to the others I’ve seen clawing their way into power. She’d never stand out in a ballroom, never draw eyes in a court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duchess isn’t the type to waste her time. If she’s wrapped her claws around this one, then she’s seen something. Something the rest of us don’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilt my head, studying the bunny as she fidgets under my gaze, ears flat, cheeks flushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmmm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ultimately—none of my business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was only here to sate my curiosity. And now that I have, I can move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rise smoothly, offer the girl a noncommittal smile, and murmur a polite goodbye. She blinks at me like a startled rabbit, and I can’t help the faint chuckle that escapes as I turn away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cute. But irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My goals lie elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walk down the polished halls, my heels clicking in rhythm with the steady beat of my heart. I can already picture him—the little lion, golden and restless, bruised pride wrapped in royal silk. He’ll be easy enough to find. He always is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s where my attention belongs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not on the bunny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not on the panther.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the prize far more grand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Felix\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s voice is soft, practiced, the kind of tone she probably rehearsed in front of a mirror. Her hand slips around my arm, holding on a little too tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\" I answer without much thought, eyes fixed ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The halls are too loud today. Whispers chase me everywhere I walk—about Poppy, about the trial, about the damned panther’s return. Every set of ears twitches when I pass, every mouth bends into a whisper. It makes my jaw ache from how hard I’m grinding my teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira leans closer, her perfume cloying, sweet in a way that doesn’t suit her. \"You shouldn’t let them bother you. People love to talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Easy for her to say. She’s not the one being made a spectacle of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally glance at her, and she’s smiling up at me, lashes fluttering. It should be flattering, I guess. She’s beautiful enough, the Moonfox twins always are. But I feel nothing. Not the way I did with—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cut the thought off before it finishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there something you wanted?\" I ask flatly, pulling my arm just slightly but she clings tighter, not enough to be bold, just enough to make her intention clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just wanted to spend time with you,\" she says quickly, her tail flicking with fake innocence. \"Distract you from... everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice is sweet, practiced. Too sweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And maybe she’s not wrong. I’ve been tense, coiled tight with pressure from classes, lessons, the stares, the whispers. Maybe a distraction would help—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then I see her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking toward us, blonde hair catching the light, her green eyes sharp and alive. Edith Veyron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world narrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the murmurs in the hallway fade, the air itself goes thinner. She’s beautiful in a way that makes my chest lock up—elegant, poised, every step like she was born knowing she belongs under a spotlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I yank my arm free from Lira without a thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her little gasp of protest barely registers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I can focus on is Edith, and the curve of her lips when her gaze slides to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness.\" Edith dips into a graceful bow, her blonde hair slipping forward like liquid gold before she straightens again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Veyron,\" I reply, the words coming out steadier than I feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips curve—polite, measured—but her eyes hold mine a fraction too long, and it sends an odd heat crawling under my collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira coughs sharply, breaking the connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh—my apologies. And you are?\" Edith asks, turning her gaze toward her at last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s that supposed to mean?\" Lira snaps, tail bristling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mood sours. Why is she being unreasonable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edith only inclines her head slightly, unruffled. \"Forgive me. I’m not from the capital, and I’m still new. I haven’t yet had the time... to make proper acquaintances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her poise makes the sharpness of Lira’s tone feel childish by comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lira Moonfox,\" Lira bites out, as if the name alone should make Edith bow deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A pleasure to meet you,\" Edith says, her voice smooth, unfazed. Her green eyes flick back to me, the faintest smile curving her lips. \"Well, Your Highness, a word please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The request is gentle, but it feels more like a summons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shift, instinctively pulling away to follow, when Lira’s fingers tighten on my sleeve. A silent plea, sharp in the way her claws graze the fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glance at her, at the flush in her cheeks and the stiff lift of her chin. She’s clinging, but not boldly—just enough to remind me she’s there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edith waits. Perfectly patient. Perfectly poised. Her gaze doesn’t waver, as though she already knows which way I’ll go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension coils in my chest, suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll see you later,\" I murmur to Lira, prying her hand from my arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face flickers—hurt, frustration, anger all in one—but I turn before I can read more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One step, then another, and I’m at Edith’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guilt flickers—quick, sharp—as I think of Lira still standing there. For a heartbeat I imagine her eyes on my back, wide and wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edith shifts closer, her perfume subtle amber, green tea, something light but grounding. It makes the back of my neck heat. The feeling of guilt, fades away.\u003C\u002Fp>",1046,"2026-06-09T07:29:29.584Z",1,"novelbin.me","f584d6b4686d5955932a5b4a84e0e700bb808b32a6f0f281662a27ba6bdc203d","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-243","qt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-chapter-241",399,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fqt-i-hijacked-a-harem-system-and-now-i-m-ruining-cover.jpg"]