System Glitch: My Mate from “Love” to “Hate” Chapter 04

System Glitch: My Mate from “Love” to “Hate” Chapter 04 Cold Polite Veneer of Sorrow

1 parted my lips, my throat stuffed tight as if packed with cotton, “Caspian, let me explain–it’s not what you think.”

“What do I think?” Caspian snapped, jabbing a finger toward Simon beside us. His eye sockets blazed crimson, as if blood might spill from them at any moment, “Black hair, gold–rimmed glasses, a shirt buttoned all the way to the top. Yvaine, who were you really seeing when you looked at me all this time?

“You forced me to settle down and study ancient wolf scrolls, ordered me to write neatly, and made me train myself to speak in soft, quiet tones.

“I thought you truly had my best interests at heart.

“But all along, you just wanted to mold me into his copy?” Every word struck like a heavy hammer, leaving me dizzy and lightheaded.

The System was screeching in my head: [We’re cooked! So cooked! This misunderstanding is fatal! Host, data check–stories with this ‘substitute‘ trope always end with the ML snapping and locking you in a dungeon! Or just straight–up murder! The death flags are off the charts!]

Tears welled up in my eyes from panic, “Caspian, it’s not like that at all! Simon’s only a childhood friend, we’re just-”

“Enough.” Caspian cut me off, drawing a deep breath as he forced down the turbulent wolf instincts raging inside him, barely holding himself back from shifting right there.

He stared deep into my eyes. His wolf eyes, once bright and unruly, brimmed with tangled emotion–disappointment, self–mockery, despair, and a flicker of love already fading to embers.

“Yvaine, I hate nothing more than being made a fool of!

“If you like him that much, I’ll step aside and let you have him.”

With that, he turned and left.

His departure was final, sharp, without a single lingering hesitation.

Only his tall, straight figure stood stark and desolate beneath the streetlamp.

“Caspian!” I instinctively moved to chase after him, but Simon caught my arm.

“Yvaine, he’s far too volatile right now. You’ll get hurt if you go to him.” Simon looked at me with worry, “Let’s head inside first. You can explain once he’s calmed down tomorrow.”

I watched Caspian’s figure vanish into the dark, and a sharp vice clamped around my heart, the pain stealing my breath away.

The System spoke up weakly: [Host, good news–the irritation points have vanished.]

I froze, barely having time to feel relief.

The System went on: [Bad news: corruption Points have activated. Current progress: One Hundred Percent.]

[Worse news still: Mission status is about to be marked Failed.]

I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, replaying the unyielding look in Caspian’s eyes as he left over and over in my head.

When I stepped into the wolf pack school the next morning, the atmosphere in the classroom hung thick enough to freeze solid, heavy oppressive alpha aura filling every corner of the room.

The empty back corner that had always belonged to him was occupied at last.

It was Caspian.

Yet he looked entirely unrecognizable.

His bold, eye–catching silver–grey mane was gone, replaced by sleek, perfectly groomed jet–black hair. A delicate pair of gold–rimmed plain glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. His uniform was immaculate, the zipper pulled all the way up to his throat, and every leather cuff fastener secured tight, not a single detail out of place.

He sat quietly, poring over an ancient scroll in his hands, a perfect carbon copy of Simon.

With his naturally sharper, fiercer facial features, this refined look made him even colder and more ascetic than Simon, an overwhelming sense of distance rolling off him in waves.

I stiffly walked over.

“Cas… Caspian?” I called out tentatively.

“Did you need something?” His voice was soft and mild, his tone even, the rough gravel that had always marked his speech deliberately masked away.

He was imitating Simon. Flawlessly, down to every detail.

A cold chill washed over my whole body. I turned to face him, “Why… why are you dressed like this?”

Caspian lifted his head, and a polished, courteous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.