[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl":3,"chapter-system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]",{"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},1690913,2159,"Chapter 23: Liar!","system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>Blake swallowed, unable to tear his eyes away from the menacing red dot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What the hell is he doing there?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed himself up from the bed and began pacing, his mind racing through every possible explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing worth seeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing worth stealing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But maybe that wasn’t such bad news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s a crazy bastard,\" Blake muttered under his breath. \"That’s no secret.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a heavy sigh, he bent forward, rubbing his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t call him. If I do... who knows how he’ll react.\" He paused, jaw tightening. \"It’d be too much of a coincidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened slowly, the dull throb in his temples getting stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all the weeks of reckless interactions, he had finally dragged Myles’s favorability up to 0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever that meant to Myles’ feelings, it didn’t matter because distance was the fastest way to destroy it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake glanced again at the red dot on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right on top of his house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Of all places,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Myles was there, and the tracker had never been wrong before, then maintaining a careful distance from him would be the worst possible move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Myles was about to bombard his apartment complex or this mansion, there was no use in being careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence created space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Space created doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And doubt... well, Myles had never been particularly stable to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake had learned that the hard way, favorability decayed when contact faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant he had to keep the line alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just, how the hell do I keep it casual when I know he’s literally inside my house? This is just insane.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough presence to keep the number from slipping back into the negatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake exhaled slowly and picked up his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Don’t overthink it. Earlier he was nice enough to speak with me on the phone. On the phone! That has never happened before, he won’t dislike me again.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thing is, if he sounded too eager, Myles would notice. If he sounded distant, the meter would start dropping again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened the chat window and stared at the empty text field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers hovered over the keyboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Normal. Just be normal...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he typed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did you get home safely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake stared at the message for a few seconds longer than necessary before hitting send.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The screen returned to the chat log, the small delivered mark appearing almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze drifted back to the map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dot hadn’t moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still inside his house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake leaned back in the chair, a tight knot forming in his stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a ding followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, isn’t he the perfect liar...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake stared at the message for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake had experienced many unpleasant weeks before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one, however, was special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere he went, people stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not openly, his family was far too refined for that, but the glances were quite unnerving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father’s gaze lingered half a second too long during breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His half-brother paused mid-sentence while speaking to someone else, eyes flicking toward Blake with an unreadable expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Calliope, normally rude enough to make him cringe, had looked at him strangely during dinner two nights ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like he had grown horns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or committed some unforgivable sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake didn’t ask, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they weren’t telling him something, it probably meant they didn’t think he deserved to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake was, after all, the illegitimate child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the chest pain had started around the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t as sharp or painful, but he truly couldn’t help but find it annoying annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint squeeze behind the sternum that appeared whenever he spent too long around his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake suspected stress, not death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe indigestion. He ate like a pig, since the food looked delicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, it wasn’t serious enough to bother with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff, however, were a different story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the maid came to clean his room two days ago, she had nearly dropped the laundry basket when he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, one of the younger house attendants had visibly flinched when he walked past in the hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the butler avoided eye contact entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake also decided he didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were uncomfortable around him, that was their problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which brought him to today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake yawned loudly, rolling onto his side on the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight filtered through the tall curtains, casting warm gold across the polished floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clock on the nightstand read 8:57 AM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far too early for whatever nonsense the family had planned today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calliope’s birthday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake stared blankly at the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Family celebrations probably never involved him beyond the bare minimum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would show up, stand somewhere out of the way, say \"Happy Birthday,\" and leave once social obligations were fulfilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is, if I’m lucky... how did he even deal with this bullshit, ugh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock. Knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right on time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened, and two staff members stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One carried a garment bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other held a neatly folded set of accessories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning, young master.\" the older attendant said politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake sat up, stretching his arms above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The garment bag was unzipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside hung a tailored outfit clearly chosen for an upscale event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, we’re doing that kind of party?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither staff member responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They simply went to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake stood still while they dressed him with efficient professionalism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First the shirt, crisp white, smooth cotton, fitted but comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the trousers, dark charcoal, perfectly pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over that came a tailored jacket the color of deep midnight blue, subtle but elegant. The cut fit his not-so-tall frame well, emphasizing his shoulders without looking too stiff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a narrow black tie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the attendants stepped back to examine him critically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake caught his reflection in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blonde hair, slightly messy no matter how much they tried to tame it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brown eyes that always looked a little too tired for someone his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outfit itself looked expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ridiculously so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake tilted his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’...Overkill for a birthday party.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff member handed him polished black shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake slipped them on, uncomfortably so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I bet my feet are going to hurt...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By 9:20 AM, Blake was being escorted down the grand staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion was already busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staff moving quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drivers preparing vehicles outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family had already gathered near the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake slowed slightly, bracing himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father glanced at him with that same strange expression again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake’s half-brother looked away immediately after making eye contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calliope herself stood near their mother, dressed in a stunning pastel dress, already surrounded by attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t look at Blake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the same way, he didn’t approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he stepped quietly toward the side entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A staff member opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your car is ready, young master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...My car?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked past the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family was climbing into a large luxury vehicle along with the rest of the family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, a separate black sedan waited nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Separate transportation wasn’t exactly unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped into the sedan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ride, as expected, was particularly uneventful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I expected some sort of family drama, for some reason.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, within this week, he had learnt a few useful things about his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example that he didn’t even have his father’s last name, Anlorta, which sounded fairly rich company to Ashford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brand you half-brother’s name is Alexander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his step-mother, Arabella, had a weird hobby of stealing glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If only they weren’t so damn weird...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint ache in his chest pulsed again. He pressed a hand against his sternum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only them, of course, there was also Myles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from the fact that, at least, his favorability didn’t change because of Blake’s efforts, he just continued to go to Blake’s place for hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just you wait, I’ll never invite you again after this...!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the car eventually slowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the scenery changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wider roads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of blue water stretching into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake opened one eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were approaching a massive lakeside estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was huge and elegant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White stone reflecting sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expansive gardens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terraces overlooking the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Decorations were already visible even from the driveway, banners, flowers, arrangements clearly prepared for a large celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake let out a quiet whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just, how many mansions do they own?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was nothing short of impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sedan rolled forward slowly before stopping near the front steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake opened the door himself and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cool lake air brushed against his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guests were already arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staff moved everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Music faintly drifted from somewhere inside the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake shoved his hands casually into his pockets and looked up at the enormous building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then toward the lake beyond it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then back at the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His stomach twisted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not from nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More like... instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that told him something unpleasant was waiting just around the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blake sighed quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened his jacket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then started walking toward the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I wonder what kind of trouble is waiting for me this time.’\u003C\u002Fp>",1553,"2026-06-06T13:58:10.266Z",1,"novelbin.me","d8d5b707fc8a0fb947aedc9585d63ad13b819f6ef34705636c404b9c668aac5a","system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-chapter-24","system-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-chapter-22",121,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsystem-mission-seduce-the-final-boss-bl-cover.jpg"]