I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

Ludivine allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. But it froze the moment she lowered her gaze.

From her vantage point in the tree, she spotted someone leaning casually against a tree trunk below. A lone figure, completely at ease, as if he had no care in the world.

Leon Cromwell.

It was really him.

Though his eyes were closed, it was impossible to discern if he was truly asleep or merely feigning rest.

Yet, for reasons she couldn't quite articulate, Ludivine felt something like tension gripping her.

'It's like before…'

Her instincts screamed at her to be wary, as though a part of her recognized danger in his presence. But why?

At first glance, there was nothing outwardly threatening about him. He lay there, unmoving, seemingly unaware of her scrutiny. By all accounts, she should have felt safe—he was at a reasonable distance and appeared entirely at ease. Yet, she couldn't shake the unease prickling at her nerves.

It was almost as if she was... afraid of him.

But perhaps there was merit to her caution. After all he was currently the first ranked.

And there he was, lying peacefully. No effort to guard himself, no signs of vigilance. Could someone of his standing truly afford to be so careless? It didn't add up. Anyone else in his position—Ludivine included—would have been constantly pushing, striving to maintain their lead over the competition.

He was strange.

That much was undeniable from Ludivine's perspective.

Truly strange.

She stood frozen, torn between her instincts and curiosity as she tried to decide what to do next.

Finally, she stepped forward.

Silently and carefully.

As she crept closer, the sound of his measured breathing grew clearer. Still, there was no reaction from him. He remained as still as a statue, further convincing her that he was simply asleep.

It was then she noticed something unexpected.

Ivan's usual scowl, the one that seemed etched permanently into his face, was gone. In its place was an expression of tranquility. He looked… peaceful.

She found herself studying his features more closely. He wasn't classically handsome—not in the polished, striking way Lucas or Travis were—but there was something compelling about him. Something different.

'He's much better to look at when he's silent and still,' she mused inwardly.

Her gaze drifted downward, catching a glimpse of something barely visible beneath his shirt. A pendant? No, not just that—something dark dangled alongside it, hidden partially by the fabric.

She frowned. It seemed… familiar somehow.

'It can't be…'

Curiosity got the better of her, and she reached out, her hand hovering hesitantly for a moment before moving closer. But before her fingers could make contact, her wrist was seized in a firm grip.

"Ah…" She gasped softly, her body stiffening in surprise as her gaze shot upward.

Ivan's eyes were open now, fixed intently on hers. Dark brown, yet somehow deeper and more intense than she remembered.

"Had enough?" Ivan's voice was really cold.

"Y–yes…" Ludivine stammered, fumbling over her words in embarrassment. Being caught in the act was bad enough, but the intensity of his gaze made it even worse.

Ivan, however, was more annoyed than anything else. Her intrusion had disrupted his thoughts, snapping him out of a rare moment of nostalgic reminiscence. Worse, she had come dangerously close to discovering his Black Cross.

It was always there, hidden beneath his clothing. It was more than a keepsake—it was a constant, a part of him he refused to relinquish no matter the situation. Wearing it made him feel closer to her, to the divine entity he prayed.

There were limits to how much he could compromise in his disguise. If his cover was blown, and all his plans for a less annoying solution were spoiled, so be it. He'd fall back on the methods he knew best—the brutal ones. After all, his knowledge of the novel was an advantage, not a necessity.

"Can you let go of my hand?" Ludivine's voice broke through his thoughts. There was a hint of discomfort in her tone now, her wrist still trapped in his iron grip.

Ivan didn't release her immediately. It was strong enough that she couldn't help but imagine the worst. A small, irrational part of her believed he might actually break her wrist if she made a single wrong move. His cold eyes certainly didn't suggest otherwise.

"What are you doing here?" Ivan asked ignoring her demand.

"What am I doing here? I'm taking the exam like everyone else," Ludivine shot back with a groan, trying unsuccessfully to wriggle her wrist free. "Now let me go already…"

Her irritation only grew as she realized the futility of her struggles. Though she was within the D-Rank range in strength—more than capable of overpowering most people—her efforts against him felt laughably ineffective. He didn't budge an inch.

Ivan finally stood, his gaze fixed on her, and after a tense pause, released her wrist.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Ludivine rubbed the sore spot, shooting him a glare, but Ivan barely noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere.

'What the hell is she doing here?'

In the novel, she should have been meeting Travis by now. That was the sequence of events: she'd encounter Travis, then the two of them would face an ambush by Gehenna. It was a pivotal moment, where Travis would save her and the bond between them would begin to form.

But now… everything had shifted. She had stopped, diverged from her path, because of him.

It was one thing that she'd spotted him. That much he could tolerate. But why had she approached him instead of continuing on her way?

If she had just stuck to her path, she would have surely encountered Travis, as she was supposed to.

Ivan decided to leave the matter alone and turned on his heel, walking away without another word.

"You hurt me," Ludivine's voice called out from behind him.

He paused briefly, glancing over his shoulder. "Do you want a plaster?" He replied with biting sarcasm.

Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

He didn't just lack respect—he lacked even a shred of gentlemanly decency. From the very beginning, he'd been curt and dismissive, completely indifferent to her status as a member of the prestigious Richmont House.

"How did you come in first?" Ludivine asked, quickening her pace to keep up with him.

Ivan didn't answer, continuing forward as though she wasn't even there.

"You're just a beginner with the bow. How did you manage it?" She continued to ask. Maybe he had some kind of secret technique with the bow, a skill she could learn. The thought interested her, and she wanted to see firsthand how he handled the Demonic Entities.

Still, Ivan ignored her.

Ludivine sighed, recognizing the futility of her questions. She was beginning to understand what kind of person Ivan was—aloof, distrustful, and profoundly antisocial. At least she'd tried.

What did bother her, however, was his complete lack of remorse for hurting her. The faint marks of his fingerprints were still visible on her wrist.

Then again, maybe she owed him an apology too. She'd tried to touch something that clearly didn't belong to her, something obviously important to him.

"I apologize for my rude behavior earlier," Ludivine said finally.

Ivan slowed slightly but didn't stop walking.

She continued, "I shouldn't have tried to touch it. Whatever it was… it's clearly significant to you."

It wasn't much, but it was a start—a gesture of acknowledgment for crossing a boundary.

Unfortunately for her, Ivan was not the type to care about apologies or explanations. Whether she had tried to touch his Cross or not was irrelevant to him. What truly irritated him was how she had disrupted his thoughts, shattering the brief moment of peace he'd managed to steal.

And now he was stuck with her.

'What a miserable day.'

As if the exam's childish setup weren't bad enough, he now had to babysit Ludivine.

Her presence was, of course, no coincidence. She was heading deeper into the forest, the same direction as Ivan, because she believed that's where the strongest Artificial Demons lurked—where the highest Points could be earned. She likely assumed Ivan was going there to secure his place at the top of the leaderboard.

But she was very wrong.

Ivan had a much more selfish purpose in mind. If not for that, he might have seriously considered skipping the rest of this ridiculous test or simply resting until it ended.

Ludivine, meanwhile, had fallen into silence in resignation. It was useless to get angry at him. Ivan wasn't the type to respond, let alone care.

'I should just let it go…'

She resolved to part ways with him as soon as she could. Truthfully, she wasn't one to talk so much anyway. The only reason she'd been so insistent was her curiosity: How could someone ranked 77th in the Overall Rankings for First-Year Elites suddenly climb to First in this exam? It defied logic.

The two walked in silence for the next five minutes, the awkward atmosphere growing heavier with each passing step.

Finally, Ludivine decided she'd had enough. Without a word, she prepared to take a different path, eager to escape this stifling situation. But as she turned to leave, her gaze was drawn back to Ivan, who had stopped abruptly.

She hesitated. Continue your saga on empire

For a fleeting moment, she thought he might be about to acknowledge her earlier apology—or even offer one of his own. But that hope was dashed as she noticed his attention was focused elsewhere.

His gaze locking on a shadowy figure emerging from the underbrush.

"You saw me?"

The words sent a shiver down her spine as a cloaked figure, clad entirely in black, stepped into view.

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM