Transmigrated into Eroge as the Simp, but I Refuse This Fate-Chapter 16: System ? (2)

[Status Window Loading...]

...

[System Error: Unable to load the Status Window.]

'Tch.'

The sharp message flickered in my vision, a stark, cold confirmation of my worst suspicion—this system was a fucking mess.

I exhaled through my nose, my fingers digging into my knee as irritation flared in my chest. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. Of course, the one thing that could give me an actual advantage in this hellhole had to be broken.

'Fucking figures.'

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. Getting pissed off wouldn't change anything. The system existed—I had proof of that much. It just wasn't working properly. And if there was one thing I knew about broken systems, it was that they could be fixed.

But how?

As if responding to my thoughts, another message scrawled across my vision.

[System Repair Initiating...]

[Estimated Repair Time: 20 minutes.]

My breath hitched slightly.

It was fixing itself?

I narrowed my eyes, my fingers tapping against my knee. Twenty minutes wasn't a long time, but it was enough to make me wary. What exactly was broken? What was being repaired? More importantly, what would happen once it was done?

Questions, fucking questions.

I gritted my teeth, inhaling deeply as I leaned back into the seat. There was nothing I could do about it right now. Whether I liked it or not, I had to wait.

The low hum of the car's engine filled the silence, the neon-lit cityscape blurring past as I stared out the window. I could still feel the driver's occasional glances through the rearview mirror, his suspicion evident in the way his grip tightened on the steering wheel every time our eyes met.

But I ignored him.

Right now, I had bigger problems.

'Twenty minutes, huh...'

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, steadying my breath.

Fine.

I could wait.

But once that timer hit zero...

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

I was going to find out exactly what kind of bullshit I was dealing with.

*******

Ten minutes passed in silence.

The steady rhythm of the car against the asphalt, the distant hum of the city fading away. My mind kept circling the same thoughts, the same questions, but no answers came. Just that persistent, gnawing anticipation clawing at my patience.

Then, the car slowed.

My eyes flickered open just as the vehicle pulled through a set of towering iron gates, their intricate patterns twisting into symbols I didn't recognize. Beyond them, a long, paved driveway stretched forward, lined with perfectly manicured hedges and glowing lanterns that cast long shadows against the stone path.

And at the end of it all—

A mansion.

'Not bad.'

I let out a low whistle as I stepped out of the car, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Damn. Not bad."

The mansion loomed ahead, all towering windows and pristine stonework, the kind of place that screamed wealth without needing to say a word. Warm lantern lights traced the path leading up to the entrance, casting long, shifting shadows across the neatly trimmed hedges. The whole place practically oozed prestige.

But, of course, it did.

There was a reason Damien Elford could afford this kind of lifestyle.

The Elford family wasn't just rich—they were legacy-rich. Generations of power, influence, and money stacked so high it would take a disaster of biblical proportions to wipe them out.

And I? Well, I wasn't exactly on their level, but I'd learned early that money made life a hell of a lot easier.

I gave a lazy stretch, rolling my shoulders as I took in the sheer size of the estate. This was a different world, one built on old money and ruthless ambition. A world where everything had a price and everyone knew their place.

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"Yeah... not bad at all."

For all the mess I'd been thrown into, at least it came with a damn good view.

I walked toward the mansion, each step slow, deliberate. The night air was crisp against my skin, carrying the faint scent of rain and freshly cut grass. I'd seen this place before—on a screen, in a game. But standing in front of it now, seeing the way the lanterns cast shifting shadows across the pristine stone, feeling the weight of the structure looming over me...

Yeah. It was better in real life.

The towering windows, the intricate iron gates, the sheer fucking scale of it—this was wealth. Not the cheap, disposable kind, but the kind that stayed. The kind built over generations, ingrained into every brick and polished surface.

I let out a low whistle.

The massive doors opened before I even reached them, soundless and smooth, like the house itself was inviting me in.

And inside—

Maids.

Dozens of them, all dressed in crisp black-and-white uniforms, moving with quiet efficiency. Some were polishing the marble floors, others tending to silverware, arranging dishes I'd probably ignore. The kind of routine that kept a place like this running.

The moment I stepped inside, the air shifted. Not in the way I expected—not the quiet, fearful tension I was used to. No hushed whispers, no uneasy glances.

No.

This was different.

Their eyes were on me. Cold. Distant. Unimpressed.

Disrespectful.

A maid polishing a railing barely spared me a glance before turning back to her work, like I wasn't even worth the effort. Another, adjusting a vase on a polished table, let her gaze linger for half a second—long enough for me to catch the look in her eyes.

Contempt.

I frowned.

Tch.

The Elford name should have been enough to command obedience, if not respect. But the way they looked at me—like I was a pathetic, useless thing taking up space—pissed me off in a way I couldn't quite place.

And yet—

'Why does it feel like this body is getting nervous?'

The thought hit me before I could stop it.

My fingers twitched at my sides. My shoulders were tense, my breath coming just a little too shallow. A ridiculous, involuntary reaction, something weak, something pathetic.

And worst of all—it wasn't mine.

This body.

This body was reacting on its own.

I clenched my jaw, forcing my posture to stay relaxed, shoving my hands into my pockets like I didn't give a damn. But deep down, something twisted in my gut.

Even a mere maid dared to look at me like this.

And the worst part?

Somewhere, buried in the very bones of this body—

It expected it.

I exhaled sharply through my nose, pushing the thought aside.

The fuck was that?

It didn't matter.

I wasn't about to stand here getting caught up in whatever lingering instincts this body had. My body. That was all it was—some leftover trash buried in its muscles, a habit that needed breaking.

That was all.

I rolled my shoulders, shaking off the tension, forcing my smirk back into place. Sure, these maids needed to be put in their place. Sure, the way they looked at me—like I was nothing—itched under my skin like a slow-burning wound.

But now wasn't the time.

I had at most five minutes left.

Five minutes before that system finished repairing itself.

And I wasn't about to waste a single second of it dealing with a bunch of nobodies.

So, I turned on my heel, walking deeper into the mansion. Past the rows of maids, past the glares, past the weight of this body's pathetic instincts trying to drag me down.