Wait, My Overpowered Skill is Just… Love?!-Chapter 4 - 3: The System’s Cruel Joke

The night air was crisp and cool as the birthday celebration finally wound down. The grand ballroom, once filled with laughter and music, was now clearing as nobles and guests slowly took their leave. Servants busied themselves with cleaning up the remains of the extravagant feast, while Cecilia stood near the entrance, mentally exhausted from the entire ordeal.

She had smiled, nodded, and endured an endless barrage of praises, compliments, and unwanted attention. But none of that compared to the true disaster of the night—

The System Activation.

Her first soulmate.

And the worst part?

It was her older sister.

Or, well... adopted older sister.

That didn't make it any better!

Cecilia bit back a groan, her fingers twitching at her sides as she glanced toward Selene, who was preparing to leave the ballroom. The tall, raven-haired knight had remained quiet throughout most of the event, standing off to the side like a guardian rather than a guest.

She was serious, disciplined, and completely unreadable.

But something had changed when they touched hands earlier.

That strange electric feeling between them—Cecilia had felt it immediately. And judging by the way Selene had tensed, she had felt it too.

And now...

Cecilia had no choice but to acknowledge her as her first soulmate.

Her life was ruined.

Cecilia clutched the small wooden box Selene had given her earlier. Inside was a pendant of enchanted silver, intricate and beautiful, meant for protection.

But before Selene could leave, Cecilia forced herself to push aside her internal suffering and approached her.

"Selene," she called, keeping her voice soft.

The knight turned her head slightly, her violet eye locking onto Cecilia's smaller form.

Cecilia hesitated only for a second before she gave a polite, graceful bow—just as her mother had taught her.

"Thank you for the gift," she said, lifting the small wooden box she had received. "I... appreciate it."

Her voice was warm, but her smile was hesitant. She wasn't used to interacting with Selene yet, and honestly, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to treat her now that the system had marked her.

For a moment, Selene said nothing.

Her sharp, intimidating gaze remained locked onto Cecilia's soft blue eyes, unmoving.

Then—

Something unexpected happened.

Selene's face turned slightly pink.

Her gaze flickered to the side, her expression tightening as if she were forcing herself to maintain composure.

'So cute'

The thought came unbidden into Selene's mind before she could stop it.

Cecilia, with her delicate features, big shimmering eyes, and soft smile, was dangerously adorable.

And the way she had shyly thanked her just now—

Selene felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through her chest.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her body stiffening in response.

She had never experienced this feeling before.

And she had no idea what to do with it.

So, instead of responding with words, she simply nodded stiffly and turned away.

Without another glance, she disappeared into the hallway, leaving a confused Cecilia behind.

---

[Soulmate Meter Updated]

Selene von Aetheria – The Distant Blade

Affection Meter: 15/100

---

Cecilia blinked as a faint golden notification flashed before her eyes.

Her affection meter went up?

For what?!

Just because I thanked her?!

Cecilia buried her face in her hands.

This system was going to be the death of her.

---

Cecilia desperately wanted to go to her bedroom.

The moment Selene left the ballroom, she had the strongest urge to bolt to her room—but that would have drawn too much attention.

And so, she remained trapped, surrounded by noble guests, still playing the part of the graceful noble daughter.

"Cecilia, darling, your birthday celebration was simply splendid," a noblewoman gushed, sipping delicately from a crystal glass.

"It's all thanks to my mother's hard work," Cecilia said with a polite smile, internally screaming.

"Oh, but you were wonderful as well!" Another noble chimed in. "So elegant, so poised—why, you carry yourself with such refinement! Truly a young lady worthy of the Aetheria name!"

Cecilia's smile twitched.

Yes. Of course. The perfect, adorable noble daughter.

Her entire existence had been reduced to cuteness.

God curse had been working since birth.

She needed to get out of here.

She turned to her mother, who was positively glowing from the compliments her daughter was receiving.

"Mother," Cecilia said sweetly, "I feel a bit tired from all the excitement. May I be excused?"

Elara blinked, then immediately cupped Cecilia's face, her expression filled with concern.

"Oh, my dear, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing serious," Cecilia assured her. "I just need some rest."

Reinhardt, standing nearby, frowned. "Should we call a doctor?"

"No, Father, really—"

"Prepare a full medical evaluation," Reinhardt commanded a nearby butler.

What?!

Cecilia grabbed her father's sleeve, panicking.

"Father, I'm not sick! I just need to rest!"

Reinhardt studied her closely, as if trying to determine if she was secretly dying.

After a tense moment, he sighed.

"Fine. But if you feel even the slightest discomfort, tell me immediately."

"Of course," Cecilia nodded quickly before he could change his mind.

Finally, she was free.

With a final bow to the guests, she hurriedly left the ballroom, practically speed-walking toward her room.

She ignored the greetings of passing servants, ignored the maids offering to help her change, ignored the fact that her life had just been completely ruined

---

Cecilia rushed to her bedroom quickly, locking the door behind her.

She took a deep breath, staring at the ornate ceiling of her lavish room.

"Alright," she muttered. "Let's see just how bad this gets."

With hesitation, she willed the system to open.

Immediately, a glowing golden screen manifested before her eyes.

---

[Status Panel]

Name: Cecilia von Aetheria

Race: Human (?)

Age: 10

Title: Soulbound Heroine

Current Location: Aetheria Estate

---

Cecilia frowned. "Soulbound Heroine? What kind of title is that?"

She tapped on the title, hoping for an explanation.

---

[Soulbound Heroine]

The chosen bearer of the Soulmate System. Destined to forge deep bonds with fated partners to fulfill an unknown purpose. Strengthened through love and connection.

---

'Damn this system'

She groaned, flopping back onto the bed. "Destined? Unknown purpose? This is worse than I thought."

The question mark next to "Human" bothered her.

She shook off the thought and moved to the next section.

After bracing herself for another dose of absurdity, Cecilia summoned the next feature.

---

[Stats]

Charm: 30/100

Charisma: 25/100

Dexterity: 15/100

---

Cecilia stared.

Why were there only three stats?!

Most RPG systems had things like strength, intelligence, agility, or magic.

But this?

This was just Charm, Charisma, and Dexterity.

Suspicion bubbled in her chest.

She tapped on each one for clarification.

---

Charm: Measures physical attractiveness and appeal. Higher charm makes others more likely to admire or adore you.

Charisma: Measures social influence and leadership. Higher charisma makes it easier to persuade or inspire others.

Dexterity: Increases flexibility, agility, and endurance for prolonged activities. Especially useful in moments of deep intimacy

---

Cecilia's entire body froze.

Her face slowly turned red.

Her hands trembled as she closed the stat window immediately.

I. Hate. This. System.

She moved on. Quickly.

---

[Soulmate Meter]

Soulmate Detected: Selene von Aetheria – The Distant Blade

Affection Meter: 15/100

Description:

A warrior forged in solitude, Selene von Aetheria walks a path of steel and duty, never allowing herself the luxury of weakness. From the moment she took up the sword, she swore to forsake attachments, believing love to be a burden that warriors cannot afford.

Bound by discipline and hardened by battle, she keeps others at arm's length, her heart locked behind an unbreakable wall. To her, power is protection, and emotions are a vulnerability she refuses to indulge. Even as she stands beside those she calls allies, there is always a distance—an emptiness that no one has dared to cross.

But deep within, buried beneath the cold exterior and rigid self-control, a longing lingers—a silent yearning for something more, for a bond strong enough to break the chains she has placed upon herself.

For now, she watches from afar, uncertain and wary. Will you be the one to shatter the barriers around her heart, or will she remain forever out of reach?

---

Cecilia let out a long, suffering sigh.

She didn't want to know what would happen when the affection meter got higher.

The last section was the skills tab.

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With dread, she opened it.

---

[Skills]

✦ 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.

---

Cecilia stared at the glowing screen, her hands trembling as she read over the skills section again.

Maybe—maybe she read it wrong.

She rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and read it one more time.

A long, suffocating silence that make the very air cold.

Then—

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Cecilia shot up from her bed, gripping her hair in absolute horror.

"What—why—HOW IS THIS EVEN A SKILL?!"

She paced back and forth, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"Pregnancy?! I THOUGH ITS WAS A JOKE?! WHY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A BREEDING MECHANIC FROM A POORLY MADE PORN GAME?!"

She collapsed onto the bed, kicking her legs violently like a child throwing a tantrum.

"This isn't a cheat skill! This is a curse! Who in their right mind would even WANT this?!"

Her eyes darted back to the second skill.

Irresistible Cuteness.

Her face darkened.

"...So you're telling me, this entire time, my stupidly cute face was a skill?"

Her entire life made sense now.

The excessive doting, the suffocating affection, the way people always melted when she so much as frowned.

It wasn't her noble upbringing.

It was the system.

"I WAS BORN WITH A CHEAT THAT MADE ME A DAMN MOE CHARACTER?!"

Cecilia screamed into her pillow.

She had spent ten years trying to be as normal as possible.

Now?

Her first soulmate had appeared. Her stats were weirdly specific. And she was stuck with two abilities that made her existence an isekai protagonist's worst nightmare.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes—not from sadness, but from sheer existential crisis.

"...I need a drink," she muttered.

She was ten. She couldn't drink.

She slammed her pillow against the bed in frustration.

"SCREW YOU, GOD! I HOPE PILE OF PAPERWORK RAIN ON YOU!"

Somewhere in the heavens, a certain bureaucratically incompetent god sneezed.

She slammed her face into a pillow.

She had spent ten years living as normally as possible. Avoiding anything that could trigger the system.

And now, in just one day, everything had fallen apart.

She wanted to scream.

Instead, she groaned into the pillow

Tomorrow, she would pretend none of this existed.

Maybe if she ignored it long enough, it would go away.

(...It wouldn't.)

---

A/N: 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 ;)