The commotion within the Flenqi family gradually subsided, and before long, the moon hung high in the sky.

Ten miles west of the royal city lay the old district. 

Pale silver light bathed the earth, fragmented into patches of gray and black by the weathered, desolate walls.

In this seldom-trodden realm of crumbling ruins, three cloaked figures moved silently along the base of the walls, one bearing a heavy sack upon his shoulder.

At a certain spot, they halted abruptly, and tossed the sack to the ground. Out tumbled a dirt-smeared, middle-aged ruffian.

This man, a black market dealer clad in ragged woolen garments, had beady eyes hidden beneath his hair, which were darting about nervously.

Seeing the black-robed individuals standing rigidly before him, he didn't bother to question his situation. Instead, he immediately knelt to plead for mercy, looking panicked.

"Please, sirs! Spare me!"

A finely crafted boot appeared, mere inches from his nose.

Trembling, he looked up to see a young man silhouetted against the moonlight, holding a pill-sized beetle between his fingers, bringing it close to the dealer's face.

"Is this one of yours?"

The man sniffed cautiously, then glanced up at the noble youth with horror.

Under the cold moonlight, Felix's dark brown hair seemed to glow with a faint halo. His sapphire-like eyes resembled deep ocean whirlpools, unfathomable in their depth.

The black market dealer stared at his pale face, squinting as he recalled a transaction from a few days prior. Back then, under the bright sun, this young master had appeared warm and approachable, a stark contrast to his current emotionless face.

Silence fell.

The dealer's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He forced a flattering smile. "Yes, yes indeed. What can I do for you this time, sir?"

"Your Obedience Beetle is useless. You said that feeding it my blood would turn anyone who ingests it into a mindless puppet. I did exactly that, but the person still wouldn't listen to me. Why?"

The ruffian's throat quivered as he protested, "Impossible! I got this from a reliable source; there's no way it's useless! Ask around—Gray Rat's got a solid reputation. Nothing I've sold has ever failed!"

Felix sighed softly, "It's unfortunate that the first failure landed in my hands. Just my luck."

"No—" The dealer attempted to argue further but was abruptly silenced as the young man seized his jaw, swiftly shoving the obedience beetle into his mouth.

"Cough... cough!" Terrified, he collapsed to the ground.  He scratched at his throat with dirty fingers, but he couldn't expel the beetle.

"Now you can prove yourself," Felix murmured, his voice frozed the dealer's soul.

"Dash that way as quickly as you can." he commanded, pointing to a partially collapsed wall nearby.

The black market dealer's pupils contracted. After a few wails, he suddenly grinned foolishly, twirling on tiptoe like a ballet dancer before dashing headfirst into the wall.

In the stillness of the night, a dull thud echoed, startling a few birds from the bushes.

One of the black-robed figures approached the wall to examine the dealer's lifeless body. Seasoned in killing, he knew the man was dead. He turned back, nodding to Felix.

It seemed the obedience beetle was indeed functional.

Felix lowered his gaze in contemplation. His mind was clouded with confusion darker than the night.

Where had it all gone wrong?

***

Day 2 after transmigration, Li Hua—or, considering his current identity, "Miss Loewen Flenqi"—had roughly grasped his situation.

This was a fantastical world where magic flourished.

The Flenqi family, to which he now belonged, ranked among the top ten most powerful magical families in the Golden Rose Kingdom. The family amassed wealth through mining magic ores in the northern regions.

Loewen was the second son of the Flenqi household, having reached the age to attend a magic academy.

Unfortunately, due to a childhood accident, he lost his gift for magic, rendering him a talentless wastrel.

Since the emergence of magic a millennium ago, the Flenqi family had been renowned as an old noble lineage, deeply rooted and formidable.

The previous patriarch, Loewen's grandfather, couldn't accept harboring a grandson incapable of magic, fearing ridicule and suppression from other nobles, and dreading the silent judgment of ancestral portraits lining the walls.

Thus, when Loewen was young, he decreed that the child be raised as a girl.

This grandfather possessed extraordinary foresight and unconventional thinking...

In his view, raising a useless granddaughter differed significantly from raising a useless grandson.

After all, granddaughters eventually marry out, and then have nothing to do with the family.

A Flenqi granddaughter, even a useless one, wouldn't lack suitors, especially since the grandfather had boasted that upon "her" marriage, he'd bestow an entire mine as dowry!

This was indeed remarkable...

Thanks to him, tales of the "useless girl with a lavish dowry" spread swiftly across the land.

Initially, many dismissed it as a joke, but as Loewen matured, noble families began expressing interest, with suitors increasing year by year.

Loewen had been pampered since childhood. He was sheltered in the mansion, rarely going out or appearing at formal events. Accustomed to yielding to circumstances, he seemed to have accepted whatever the future held.

However, Li Hua was not the original owner of this body...

When Lady Flenqi vividly described the happy married life that awaited the "amnesiac" Loewen, she was abruptly interrupted by him.

"Wait, wait, wait! Mother! You still plan to arrange a marriage for me?" Loewen's face twisted, looking as if he were constipated.

Lady Flenqi, however, looked at him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, her answer unspoken but clear.

"It's fine if you don't like that boy from the Shillman family; he's just trying to climb the social ladder. There will be more suitable suitors for you to choose from in the future."

"No! I'm a man!" Loewen exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

Lady Flenqi casually responded with a couple of "mm"s.

She tapped her fan against her chin thoughtfully as she continued, seemingly to herself, "It doesn't matter if you don't fancy that boy. He was merely aiming for your status. There will be more suitable matches for you to choose from."

"No! I'm a man!" Loewen interrupted again, growing frustrated as he tugged at his hair.

It was just too hard for him to communicate with her.

"How can you marry a man off to another family? Isn't that fraud?" He emphasized, hoping to awaken some moral sense in her, even if just a little bit.

Lady Flenqi glanced at him, fanning herself carelessly with an indifferent look.

"Indeed, you're a man, so what? You're pretty and wealthy. Any man who marries you would be fortunate. Moreover, with your powerful family background, even if the truth comes out on the wedding day, your husband will keep quiet and continue to pamper you."

Loewen was speechless, inwardly marveling at how she could speak so calmly and recklessly.

Lady Flenqi seemed to recall some sorrowful memory, and quietly took out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

"Fortunately, you're beautiful and not too strong, barely passable as a girl for marriage. Otherwise, you'd be of no use to the family, and your heartless grandfather would surely remove your name from the family and cast you out. If that happens, you'd have to beg on the streets. As your mother, how could I bear that? Boohoo..."

Loewen also felt sorrowful for himself. His brows nearly knitted together.

"But don't worry," Lady Flenqi suddenly leaned over, gently placing her soft, fair hand on his. She patted his hand reassuringly. Her made-up face showed tenderness and affection.

"No matter what, I'll find you a good family to marry into, so you can live a life where you don't have to lift a finger. Just leave everything to me."

Loewen understood.

The original owner of this body had evidently been spoiled, and now they intended to bind him to a big fool as a long-term meal ticket.

Loewen's face darkened. He began to realize the difficulties of his current situation.

His future was likely to be as precarious as walking on thin ice.