Wait, My Overpowered Skill is Just… Love?!-Chapter 16 - 15: Curse the Stats, Curse the Gods

The door clicked shut behind me with a soft thud, and I didn't even bother walking with grace this time.

Instead, I stomped.

Stomped right across the polished marble floor, tore off the tight formal sash around my waist, and collapsed face-first onto the plush mountain of silken pillows lining my bed.

And then—

"Aaaaaaaaaaargh!" I screamed into the covers.

Muffled. Cathartic. Full of frustration and mounting existential dread.

I kicked my feet for good measure, the heavy skirts of my noble attire tangled around my legs like binding chains. After all this time, after two full years of behaving, of restraining myself, of nodding politely at the annoying aristocrats and smiling like a proper noble lady should—I deserved this tantrum.

I screamed again, voice cracking.

"Stupid god... stupid world... stupid glowing orb with its stupid Origin system!"

I rolled onto my back with all the grace of a flailing frog, arms splayed wide. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to count all the miniature flowers carved into the molding. I lost count at six.

That's how I knew I was still rattled.

"Love," I muttered bitterly. "Of all the ridiculous things to be born under, my Origin had to be love."

The word tasted sour in my mouth.

I was a man in my previous life. A man! Not some wide-eyed, blushing princess waiting for her knight in shining armor. Not some heroine destined to sweep people off their feet with sparkling eyes and charming smiles. No. I was a relatively average high school boy who enjoyed games, coffee, and being left alone.

And now?

Now, I was a thirteen-year-old girl, growing up in a noble house with a divine system stapled to my soul that had turned my very existence into a matchmaking side quest.

Love.

Ugh.

With a growl, I sat up and snapped my fingers. The system responded with a soft chime.

[Status Panel]

Name: Cecilia von Aetheria

Age: 12

Title: Noble Daughter

Origin: Love (Partially Locked)

Elemental Affinity: Light

---

[Skills]

✦ Magic Chanting (Novice)

Allows basic verbal spellcasting when paired with affinity. Potency limited by precision, experience, and attunement.

✦ Unbreakable Oath (Passive)

A warrior bound by love is stronger than steel.

Selene's presence creates an aura of deterrence, making weaker opponents hesitate or retreat in fear. If Cecilia is harmed, Selene gains temporary strength, speed, and precision. The closer she is to Cecilia, the stronger she becomes. Distance breeds longing. Longing breeds hunger. And hunger breeds violence.

✦ Divine Essence Fusion (Passive)

Allows pregnancy with female soulmates by merging life essence during intimacy.

Stronger bonds = stronger children.

Cannot be removed.

✦ Irresistible Cuteness (Passive)

Automatically boosts charm and charisma when interacting with others.

Makes people more protective, affectionate, and weak to her expressions.

Cannot be removed.

---

[Stats]

Charm: 67

Charisma: 35

Dexterity: 25

---

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

[Soulmate Meter]

Selene von Aetheria – The Blade's Devotion

Phase 2 – 40/100

---

I stared at the charm stat.

"Sixty-seven?!"

"WHY!" I muttered, dragging out the word like a curse. "WHY IS THIS MY LIFE?"

The number glared back at me like it was proud of itself. I had been twenty-two when I arrived in this world. My charm had been something like... what? Twenty? Twenty-five? Now, it was pushing upper noble lady levels, and I hadn't done a thing to earn it.

It was that skill. I just knew it.

"Irresistible Cuteness." Even the name made me gag.

That's not charm. That's blackmail bait. No wonder people blushed when I spoke. No wonder I couldn't get through tea parties without someone commenting on how adorably poised I was. I could punch someone and they'd probably thank me.

This was the system's fault. No—this was that god's fault.

I tapped the Origin tab again, hoping—praying—it would somehow change.

---

[Origin: Love]

The foundation of selfless connection, devotion, and emotional resonance. Those with this Origin are drawn to bonds that transcend logic—an instinctive need to protect, nurture, and unite.

Once awakened, they cannot act against their Origin's nature. It is not choice, but truth.

---

I hissed.

"No choice? Oh, sure! Let's just engrave it on my soul that I'm destined to fall in love and live happily ever after with a magical yuri harem! What could possibly go wrong?"

I threw a pillow at the mirror.

It hit the wall with a soft plop and flopped to the floor harmlessly. I scowled at it anyway.

Love wasn't something I ever wanted to define me. Love was complicated. Dangerous. Vulnerable.

I didn't want someone to love me unconditionally. I didn't want to nurture bonds. I wanted to be normal, or as normal as possible for someone reincarnated with a cheat system.

That old man. That damned god.

"This is your fault," I muttered at the ceiling. "You and your damn rock."

Somewhere—far above in a celestial dimension—a certain god sneezed violently, dropped his teacup, and muttered, "Someone's talking about me again."

Back in the mortal realm, if I could find him—just once—just once, I'd punch him in the face. No hesitation. No regrets. One good right hook for every ridiculous skill he slapped onto my soul.

And the pregnancy one?! What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

My face went red just thinking about it.

"This isn't a cheat skill. This is divine trolling!"

I clenched my fists because of how ridiculous my situation is.

"No," I whispered. "I won't let this define me. I won't become a puppet of some divine matchmaking system."

"I'll be stronger than this."

Then a knock on the door. Three times soft and measured.

I froze.

That knock was familiar.

"Go away, Selene!" I called, not bothering to sound polite.

A second passed.

Then, the door opened anyway.

Of course.

She stepped inside with her usual calm grace, her black hair tied neatly behind her back. The dark uniform of her station hugged her frame—sharp shoulders, polished buttons, that ever-present long coat that made her look more like a dignitary than a knight.

And her face—serene. Emotionless. Watching me with eyes that always made me feel like a deer in a snare.

"You didn't answer politely," she said.

"I said go away."

"That's not how nobles speak to their knights."

I threw a pillow at her.

She caught it effortlessly and placed it on my vanity.

"Don't you knock for formality?" I snapped. "What part of 'don't come in' makes you think you're allowed to stroll in like you own the place?"

Her lips curved slightly. "This place is yours. I protect it. Therefore, I have every right."

That was nonsense logic, and we both knew it.

I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

She stepped closer, ignoring the way I edged back onto the bed to keep distance. She didn't try to touch me this time, which I appreciated. But she also didn't leave.

"I came to deliver a letter," she said, pulling out a crisp envelope stamped with gold wax.

I frowned and took it from her hand.

"From the Imperial Palace?" I muttered, eyes narrowing at the crest.

She nodded once. "You are invited to the 14th birthday celebration of Her Highness, the Imperial Princess."

My mouth fell slightly open.

"Wait—the Princess? The one who doesn't attend public events?"

"The same," Selene confirmed. "And it seems you're expected to attend as the young heir of House Aetheria."

I stared at the letter.

This wasn't just tea and cakes. This was the kind of party where nobles whispered in shadows and court alliances were born or ruined in a single conversation.

And I was expected to show up looking adorable and pure, while pretending I wasn't cursed with a divine soulmate system and an Origin that screamed true love awaits.

I groaned.

Selene tilted her head, her eyes never leaving me. "You look troubled."

"You're just happy I have to wear something frilly again."

She didn't deny it.

I collapsed backward onto the bed once more.

And the gods laughed somewhere above me.

---

The morning of the celebration arrived with no mercy.

Before the sun had even fully risen over the hills of Aetheria, I was surrounded by fabric. Silk, chiffon, velvet—every draped material known to mankind—and none of them could save me from this nightmare.

"Please hold still, Lady Cecilia," one of the maids pleaded as she tightened a golden ribbon around my waist. Another fluffed the outer layer of my skirt, while a third worked intricate braids into my hair.

"I feel like I'm being packaged for auction," I muttered.

One of the maids giggled, only to stop abruptly under Selene's sharp gaze from across the room.

Yes. She was here. Again. Watching. Like some silent, omnipresent force of nature who had taken it upon herself to witness every single mortifying moment of my life.

She stood with her back to the wall, arms crossed, her usual stoic expression in place. But I could feel the judgment—or worse, the amusement—radiating off her.

I tried to ignore her. It didn't work.

Especially not when the final layer of the dress was fastened. I turned to the full-length mirror and—

"Oh no," I whispered, genuinely horrified.

The dress was... beautiful. Of course it was. That was the problem.

It was a soft ivory-white with gold embroidery curling like vines along the hem. The bodice was tight but elegant, cinching my waist just enough to make me feel faintly ridiculous. The sleeves were sheer and delicate, and tiny pearls had been sewn into the neckline like droplets of morning dew.

I looked like a walking daydream.

I looked like—

"A princess," one of the maids said breathlessly.

I scowled. "Don't say that."

"She's right," came Selene's voice, cool and certain from across the room. "You look beautiful."

My entire body seized.

I didn't even have time to shout before the heat exploded across my face.

"Shut up," I snapped instantly, hands curling into fists at my sides.

Selene didn't flinch. Didn't even blink. "It's true."

My blush deepened. "You're doing that thing again. That thing where you look like you're not teasing me but you absolutely are."

"I would never," she said flatly. "I only speak what I see."

I buried my face in my hands. "Why do you even come to these things?"

"To guard you," she answered.

"Then please guard me from your compliments."

The smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips was subtle, but infuriating. She had the audacity to look amused. Amused.

I turned away, trying to focus on something—anything—else.

Like politics.

Depressing, but blessedly distracting.

The birthday party we were heading to wasn't just some cute gathering of noble children eating cake. This was the 14th birthday of Her Imperial Highness, the Princess of the Kingdom of Aetheria.

Which sounded impressive until you remembered she had almost no support.

She was the only daughter of the Emperor, born to a consort who died during childbirth. With no faction to back her and no mother to pull strings in the court, she had grown up isolated. Rumors said she rarely left the palace grounds and didn't participate in politics at all.

Some said she didn't want the throne. Others whispered she was too shy. And a few cynics—usually drunk at parties—implied she wouldn't live long enough to matter.

Because the Aetherian monarchy was polygamous.

The Emperor had four queens, and each had children vying for the throne. Princes backed by military houses, trade cartels, and religious factions.

A daughter without a faction was a liability in such a game.

Even worse, she was close in age to me.

Which meant this event was more than a party—it was a battlefield.

I had no intention of drawing attention. I would wear the dress, eat a bite of cake, smile once or twice, and return home without incident.

At least, that was the plan... until Selene stepped closer.

She leaned in beside me and whispered, "You're blushing again."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"You're imagining things."

She raised a brow. "Your ears are red."

I spun to face her. "Selene!"

"Yes?"

"Please shut up."

She tilted her head, and in a rare display of mischief, said, "Your angry face is also cute."

I made a sound. A strangled, undignified sound.

The maids wisely chose that moment to excuse themselves and flee the room.

"Why do you enjoy tormenting me?" I groaned.

"Because you're adorable when flustered," she said, deadpan.

I turned to the window and muttered something unladylike under my breath.

This was going to be a long, long day.

----

A/N: Hey hey people, SoftNWet here bringing you the latest Chapter!

Sorry for the delay—writerblock is one hell of a thing, and to make it worse, I've been swamped with a mountain of projects from that godforsaken school. Hopefully, I'll get my inspiration back soon and start cranking out Chapters faster. Thanks for sticking around!

Feel free to let me know what you think of how the stories are going and where it should go. I'm always eager to hear from you. Leave a powerstone or a comment to support me ;).