BXBX NOVEL Chapter 42: Villain Simulator, Ch 42
Chapter 42: Villain Simulator, Ch 42
In the two years that had passed, though Barbara\'s public persona had remained unchanged, her appearance and figure had matured considerably. Her golden hair cascaded down, and her once-childish features had become much more refined.
He had to admit—Barbara and Jean were indeed sisters.
In the game, the difference in their ages and outfits made the two seem quite distinct. But now, as Barbara stood before him, Lucas could clearly see the resemblance to Jean, especially in a certain... striking feature they shared, emblematic of the Gunnhildr family.
Lucas was confident that when their mother gave birth to the two sisters, both were certainly delivered naturally.
"Mai," Barbara smiled softly as her towel slipped down. "What do you think of my new outfit?"
Raiden Mai was taken aback. Beneath the towel was a mature ensemble, a stark contrast to Barbara\'s usual innocent idol image, yet it exuded a strange allure.
"It looks... pretty good, Barbara," Raiden Mai responded awkwardly, nodding. "Why the sudden change in style?"
"This is for the President," Barbara said without hesitation. "Do you think he\'ll like it?"
For me? Lucas thought, surprised. Barbara\'s trying to please me?
He had always assumed that Barbara\'s "compliance" up until now was merely an act.
"The President already likes you a lot," Raiden Mai smiled uneasily. "Whether it\'s as an idol or... something else, you\'re his number one."
"That\'s not enough," Barbara said, sitting gracefully on the bed, her eyes dark and serious. "I want to be the only one in his eyes. So, Mai, will you help me practice?"
"Practice? Practice what?" Raiden Mai had a sinking feeling about this.
"Practice making sure the President can\'t leave me," Barbara said earnestly. "Mai, you\'re experienced, aren\'t you?"
Well, as a man, yes, that\'s true, Lucas thought.
"For a girl, that\'s not exactly a compliment," Raiden Mai replied helplessly. "Even if you say that, I\'m still a girl. How could I help you practice?"
"It\'s okay. I... bought some things in private," Barbara gestured to a bulging bag in the corner of the room. "Mai, only you can help me."
Raiden Mai hesitated for a moment, but then, thinking that Barbara\'s "training" would ultimately benefit him, he reluctantly agreed. "Alright, since... we\'re best friends."
And so, Raiden Mai had no choice but to become Barbara\'s "practice dummy."
Technically, as a "doll," Raiden Mai shouldn\'t have felt anything at all, but the sensations were surprisingly real throughout the process.
As a doll, Raiden Mai experienced sensation through the feedback of his consciousness. In essence, because the doll had fingers, his mind generated a sense of touch. Because the doll had eyes, his mind produced sight.
So, when additional "attachments" were added to the doll, the consciousness automatically "installed drivers" that adapted and created corresponding sensations.
Hours later.
"Thank you so much, Mai," Barbara lay beside Raiden Mai, full of gratitude. "You were so cooperative; it was like... it was real."
No kidding—it was real!
"R-Right..." Raiden Mai sighed, exhausted. "After all, an idol\'s primary job is to perform. And besides, we\'re... best friends."
"Good thing you\'ve cut ties with the President," Barbara said with a serene, angelic smile, her eyes narrowing. "Otherwise... even if you were Mai, I wouldn\'t let you off."
For some reason, Barbara\'s angelic smile sent a shiver down Raiden Mai\'s spine.
Over the past two years, Barbara had changed in ways that even she might not have noticed.
On stage, she was still the bright, innocent 18-year-old nun idol. But in reality, her once-pure soul had long since been stained with colors that Lucas had painted upon her.
---
[The popularity of "Dandelion Song" continued to soar. Not only that, but Raiden Mai, who had initially held the center position, now shared that spotlight with Barbara.]
[Oddly enough, Venti, who never cared about fame, was also rapidly gaining popularity, especially among female fans, which was quite different from Barbara and Raiden Mai, whose fanbases were predominantly male.]
[Meanwhile, Lilina\'s popularity remained lukewarm. Though her "clumsy cat-girl" persona attracted some attention, many felt her performance was too rehearsed. Additionally, some old scandals had resurfaced, and compared to the other three members, any small advantage she once had had completely disappeared.]
[In an effort to further expand the influence of "Dandelion Song," Lucas announced plans for a major idol festival in Mondstadt in two months. The festival would invite several high-profile idol groups and donate all proceeds to the city\'s reconstruction efforts.]
[Lilina approached you afterward, pleading for a chance to shine during the festival. "I know you\'re pushing Barbara right now," she said, "but considering the time we\'ve spent together, please... give me a shot!"]
[To you, Lilina was already a pawn that had outlived its usefulness. Faced with her desperate request, your response was...]
[1. "Sorry, the company doesn\'t have any extra resources to waste."]
[2. "\'We\'? Who\'s \'we\'? If you want something, fight for it."]
[3. "You? Compete with Barbara? You must be joking."]
In the past, the choices always left some room for negotiation. But this time, none of the options offered Lilina a way out.
"Let\'s go with the second one."
[You sneered and said, "\'We\'? Who\'s \'we\'? If you want something, go fight for it." You noticed the hatred in Lilina\'s eyes, but it didn\'t bother you in the least. You had dealt with countless women in similar situations, and you had never left behind any evidence.]
[You thought Lilina\'s issue had been settled, but one day, after you finished your daily rehearsal as Raiden Mai, Barbara approached you with a recording device in hand, asking you to help her record something.]
"Enter Immersive Mode."
Lucas, suspicious of what was happening, immediately activated Immersive Mode.
[Entered Immersive Mode]
As Raiden Mai, you now held a delicate recording device, hidden behind a wall, watching Barbara in the practice room. It seemed like she was waiting for someone.
Sure enough, after a while, the door opened, and Lilina entered.
You were shocked—Barbara had been waiting for Lilina?
Though they were in the same group, their relationship was distant at best. Even though they acted friendly on stage, the two rarely interacted in real life.
"Hello, Lilina," Barbara greeted her warmly, as she always did. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Hmph..." Lilina scoffed. "There\'s no need to pretend here. No one else is around."
Barbara shook her head, looking hurt. "I don\'t understand what you mean..."
"Let me make this clear—I know everything about you and Lucas," Lilina said, her cute face now twisted with anger. "If you don\'t want me to spill your secrets, you\'ll..."
"...Obey your every word, right?"
Unexpectedly, Barbara remained calm. It was as if she had taken off a mask. She smiled and said, "Lilina, it seems you still don\'t understand why you\'ve fallen so far out of favor."
"No... no one cares..." Lilina trembled with anger, muttering, "You\'re just a bit more popular than me..."
"It\'s not just a little, it\'s at least fifty to sixty times more," Barbara continued her mocking, "A woman as talentless, ugly, and old as you can\'t compare to the cute and lovely Barbara."
Hidden nearby, Raiden Mai couldn\'t help but feel shocked.
Since when had Barbara become so harsh? Not only that, but she said those cruel words with the same gentle smile, as if she were just having a casual conversation with a teammate.
"You little—!" Lilina, enraged, couldn\'t hold back anymore and slapped Barbara across the face. "If that\'s the case, I\'ll ruin that pretty face of yours!"
Barbara\'s delicate body crumpled to the ground, and in her fury, Lilina\'s nails left a faint scratch on Barbara\'s smooth cheek.
Raiden Mai momentarily forgot about the recording still running and immediately rushed out to help Barbara up, asking, "Barbara, are you alright?"
Damn!
An idol\'s face was one of their most important assets!
Luckily, the injury wasn\'t too severe. Otherwise, it might have affected the upcoming idol festival in two months.
The sudden appearance of Raiden Mai shocked Lilina, who exclaimed, "You... what are you doing here?"
"I asked Mai to be here," Barbara calmly wiped the scratch on her face and smiled. "You recorded everything, right?"
"Yes..." Raiden Mai pulled out the recording device. "Every bit of it."
Realizing what had happened, Lilina\'s face twisted in disbelief. "Barbara, you... you set me up!"
How could she have known that the seemingly innocent and naive Barbara, who always appeared to lack any scheming nature, had laid a trap for her?
"I\'m just protecting myself," Barbara said coldly. "Lilina dear, ready to say goodbye to your idol career?"
Barbara\'s transformation was so unbelievable that even Raiden Mai, watching from the side, felt conflicted.
Was she still the Barbara he once knew?
---
[A few days later, photos of Lilina slapping Barbara and injuring her face were plastered across various newspapers and magazines. Lilina quickly lost a massive number of fans. If Teyvat had social media, she would have been torn apart by online trolls.]
[Although you knew the truth, you didn\'t defend Lilina. Instead, you took advantage of the situation to officially kick her out of the group, citing "damaging the company\'s image" and fining her a hefty breach of contract fee.]
[Over the past two years, aside from "Dandelion Song," your agency had successfully launched several other idol groups. Of course, their success was built on the "corpses" of countless dream-chasing girls.]
[Those who hadn\'t yet gained fame barely survived on small stipends. And if they tried to break their contracts, they would face massive penalties. Even the more well-known idols weren\'t much better off; despite their glamorous appearances, their share of the profits was pitiful.]
[To you, the idols dazzling on stage were merely tools for accumulating wealth. You had become the "king" of the industry, your fortune rivaling even Ningguang, the Tianquan of Liyue.]
[Achievement: Billionaire]
[Talent Unlocked: Capitalist]
[Effect: You can purchase any "commercial establishment" and turn it into your asset. The system will automatically estimate the value, and you only need to pay 80% of the price. However, any purchased establishment cannot be resold for one year.]
Well, it seems I\'ve really become a capitalist.
Being able to buy properties at an 80% price is tempting, though since they can\'t be resold for a year, flipping them for profit might not work. It seems like it\'s best to focus on profitable businesses first.
Maybe I should buy Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue or the Good Hunter in Mondstadt?
Or, just like in the simulation, I could start an idol agency?
The idea was good, but even with the discount, Lucas didn\'t have enough money for such big purchases yet. For now, earning more money would be a priority.
---
[Age 28: The idol festival was held as scheduled on New Year\'s Day, attracting countless high-profile idol groups to Mondstadt. You knew that if this festival concluded successfully, your career would reach its peak.]
[Perhaps due to your excitement, just before "Dandelion Song" was set to perform, you summoned Barbara backstage for a last-minute "coaching session."]
"Enter Immersive Mode."
[Immersive Mode Activated.]
For some reason, during this session, Barbara seemed more serious and driven than ever before. In her eyes, you could see a mix of emotions—hatred, regret, reluctance...
After it ended, you lit a cigarette as usual. In reality, you couldn\'t stand the smell of smoke, but in the simulation, you had become quite the smoker.
"Do your best during the performance," you smiled. "Honestly, you\'re the real star of today\'s idol festival."
"Unfortunately..." Barbara said softly, "this will be the last time."
"What?" Lucas hadn\'t grasped the meaning behind her words.
"I know about the deal between you and Doctor Florence," Barbara said coldly, her eyes like ice. "You\'ve been keeping my sister alive just so you could keep me as your captive bird, isn\'t that right?"
"N-No! That\'s not it!" Lucas hastily explained. "I did make a deal with her, but only to keep your sister alive. I never told her not to heal Jean! Her condition is simply incurable..."
"I figured as much," Barbara\'s expression turned bitter. "Jean\'s never going to wake up. Rather than letting her live without dignity, it\'s better if she\'s gone. So, I stopped her medication. She passed away this morning."
Lucas\'s heart jolted. Before he could respond, the announcement for their performance echoed from outside.
"Don\'t worry," Barbara said as she walked out without looking back, "today\'s performance will be perfect."
Lucas had many things he wanted to say to Barbara, but the performance was the priority now. So, he shifted his consciousness back into Raiden Mai\'s body.
But something was different this time. Barbara, who usually performed in her signature white attire, had instead donned a black stage outfit, contrasting sharply with her "pure white angel" persona.
Her makeup had also changed, shifting from cute and innocent to a dark, gothic style.
Surprisingly, this sudden transformation didn\'t stir any complaints. In fact, it only seemed to heighten the audience\'s excitement.
Perhaps they weren\'t just in love with the persona Barbara had created—they loved her.
Because the audience was so large, the stage had been specially built, towering at least seven or eight meters high to give everyone a clear view of the idols.
The performance went smoothly. Barbara, almost as if pouring all her life force into this final show, gave it everything she had. And Raiden Mai, dancing beside her, was the only one who truly understood just how deeply Barbara was putting her all into this.
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Author\'s Note: Sooo I wonder whom you guys support..? Barbara or Lucas ??
Vote your endings! (stones too)
Also ik we reached 300 stones so extra chap in a while!