Villain Transmigration: Author Transformation

Nathalie shook her head, flipping her hair as she strutted towards the coffee table, and placed the manuscript for Jonathan to read.

His stern gaze shifted to a squint when there was a stack of paper in front of him.

[That's the one you've sneaked through, right?]

"... Yes," he muttered under his breath. After which, his hands reached for it, flipping through the pages of it. "Not only I read a glimpse of it, but read through and through." 

[You could've told me about that though.]

"I couldn't; I'd only be such a disappointment to you, after convincing me a few times to give it a read and all…" He placed the manuscript, sighing. "Plus, you would give me another paperback copy with your signature in it after it's edited and published."

[I did…]

"Which you said was right around the corner… But, I couldn't wait no more."

[So, are you telling me you've been wanting to give it a read, even though a form of a draft?] She raised her eyebrows as she mused.

"Yes."

While Jonathan wasn't a man who lived his life for reading a lot of books, he made an exception when it came to Nathalie, and never did it cross his mind how boring the book got, from one chapter onto the next.

Then again, she never shared the context to him, unlike she had with her best friend for the matter. 

Nathalie took a seat, right across from him.

[How will I know if you tell me?]

"You have a point there."

[I should've let you, at least you'd be a beta-reader in private.] 

Nathalie then pondered whether he might've been an asset whatever feedback and insight he had for the upcoming sequel of her novel. But then, he remembered how Tyler had already set arrangements for an audience of beta readers and critique partners in the editing phase of her book. 

Still, that doesn't mean she couldn't do it without him knowing.

"Don't you think so highly of me? I don't think I'd help that much; I just love to read, after all."

[Well, no harm with that. I appreciate it.] Nathalie smiled before she scribbled again, [What do you think about now?]

His eyes beheld reverence until it became too soft and subtle for her concern. "It's sad, so much now that you're Mystique." 

A piteous smile now formed her lips as it was left unspoken upon the future that awaited the villainess, as per the sequel's ending.

Tyler reasoned before that potentially showing it to the rest other than what he arranged would've posed a few problems in the future: one of which happened to be leakages and spoiler alerts.

Back then, she thought it was a form of him controlling and she signed a contract, and all the more how her book rose to fame.

Though, it might not be the case now.

[With that being said, it reminded me of someone who let out heavy spoilers on the internet and it became headlines, causing rifts and wildfires on the fan base.]

"If I didn't get to read the manuscript beforehand, then I thought it was just a prank that time. Even Daisy told me about it. I got worried. It was a lot—and I mean the accuracy was too insane not to take it with a grain of salt."

[Same… However, that got me thinking—have a look at this.]

After which, she then pulled out a book in her pouch, akin to a grimoire of hers—leather-bound and its soft leaves rather had beige parchments compiled compared to the pearly white of the bond paper of the manuscript.

Jonathan blinked a few times as he trailed off his voice, "This is?"

[I decided to copy the contents of this book from the manuscript here, word for word.] Then, she pushed the book, sliding against the table with a rustle. [Take a look.]

"Which part?"

[You'll see…]

Thereafter, his eyes gleamed after he opened the book. Then, the pages began to rustle once more as they fluttered every after a few seconds. His head went left to right—several times. 

He skimmed through; soon after, he closed the book with a subtle thud, and put the book on the table as he said, "I think it's the same as I've read from the manuscript, as far as I could remember."

However, Nathalie shook her head slowly, and this immediately cracked his face into confusion.

"W—What do you mean?"

[Read it again…]

Without further complaints, he read it again. This time, he did take his time, thrice at that before he dropped it and replied the same thing with confidence.

[Well, why don't you read the manuscript again.] She then gestured her hands, and this time, he did the same thing earlier.

Later on, she found furrowed lines on his forehead as he kept going through it until the latest chapter that happened.

But not even halfway to the story, his eyes widened when he realized something was off this time around.

He ended up mumbling almost inaudibly if not for the serenity inside her bed-chamber. 

"... The 'Hymnic Conch' would lose its power halfway to the ritual… And as a compensation to avoid a massacre, half of the participants... must offer their lives to the…" 

His eyes snapped wide open, arching his neck and faced her reaction.

[I'm floored by what I've read for the first time…]

"What? Wait… But, since—" Hands of Jonathan trembled ever-so-slightly as he gazed downwards—too few several lines found on the page he was in. "Have you edited this ever since?"

[No, I did nothing; it wouldn't warrant me doing anything. Doing it wouldn't make any differences—]

For someone like them, who knew the outcome of the future if the progression of the story continued to follow the same format, then they could've used the same advantage.

Except for this moment. 

Jonathan went back to the book; his finger now slid through the page, comparing the manuscript. 

The one in the leather-bound book was what he had known for so long.

"When was this?"

[Probably days ago? I went through it again for future preparations. I might've mixed, but then this happened.]

He sucked in a cold breath; he placed both the manuscript and the book from the sudden wait that took a toll on his trembling arms. 

Jonathan started to freak out.

"How did this happen?!" he breathed as he leaned away from it.