Page 114 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

QUEST: SURVIVE THE BANQUET

Description: Tomorrow's wedding banquet will not go smoothly! A noble's daughter, secretly in love with Caspian Vanthorn, will cause a scene. Your dress will be ruined.

Objective: Survive the evening with your dignity intact.

Optional Purchase: Stain-Resistant Potion (Daily use, 24-hour cooldown. Effects last 8 hours. Prevents liquid damage to clothing.)

Cost: 250 Gold Crowns

Warning: This is a critical social event. Failure could result in permanent reputation damage.

Accept Quest? [YES] [NO]

Carol stared at the notification. "You've got to be kidding me."

"A stain-resistant potion?" Lumi said, reading the notification. "That does sound suspicious."

"It's obviously a scam," Carol said. "The system is trying to sell me protection from a problem it just told me about. That's literally extortion."

"But what if it's real?" Missy asked, her eyes gleaming as she read the quest details. "What if someone really does ruin your dress? That would be hilarious!"

"It would not be hilarious," Lumi said firmly. "This is Carol's important social debut as Duchess."

"Exactly," Carol said. "And now the system is extorting me."

Carol looked at the potion option. Two hundred and fifty gold crowns wasn't much—not compared to the thousands she'd spent on decorations and the pendant. But the principle of the thing...

"It's your choice," Lumi said. "But the system has been accurate so far, hasn't it? The death flags, the skill trees, the relationship meters..."

Carol thought about it. The system had been real. Annoyingly game-like and occasionally useless, but real.

And tomorrow was important. Tomorrow was her chance to prove to the northern nobility that she'd changed. If someone really was going to ruin her dress...

"This is ridiculous," Carol muttered. "I'm being extorted by a game system."

"So that's a yes?" Missy asked hopefully.

Carol sighed and mentally selected the purchase option.

PURCHASE CONFIRMED

Stain-Resistant Potion acquired!

Cost: 250 Gold Crowns

Item added to inventory. Apply to clothing for 8-hour protection against liquid damage. Can be used daily (24-hour cooldown between uses).

Note: Better safe than sorry! ;)

"Did it just wink at me?" Carol asked incredulously.

"The system winked at you?" Lumi asked.

"There was a winky face in the notification," Carol said. "This thing has a personality. A terrible, extortionist personality."

"I love it," Missy said gleefully. "Chaos AND capitalism!"

"You would," Carol sighed.