Chapter 65: See for yourself with Your Own Two Eyes… What It Truly Means to be a Heinous Villainess!!

“Lord Cain, are you an adventurer?”

“Yes.”

Cain, visiting Ria’s villa as usual and chatting with her.

He was tirelessly defeating monsters in the Abel Forest, helping people, accumulating funds for the future, and rapidly gaining experience.

“That’s amazing…!”

“Hmph, I am rather strong.”

As befits the protagonist of the world,

He was active as a considerably skilled adventurer even in Abel Town.

Ria’s eyes sparkled at the romantic adventure stories.

Lin watched the two, who had grown remarkably close, with an uneasy gaze.

On the way back after the sick visit.

Around the time Ria’s figure was no longer visible, Lin kicked Cain squarely in the shin.

“Ugh! What was that for!?”

“You perverted gigolo! Just who do you think you’re seducing right now!?”

That’s right.

No matter how clueless a pathetic noble lady she was,

She had at least realized that the way Ria looked at Cain was far from ordinary.

It wasn’t just far from ordinary; it was as if she had already named their grandchildren.

If one couldn’t notice such a doe-eyed gaze, with hearts practically popping out, they were clearly a fool.

“What on earth do you mean, seducing?”

And,

Lin pressed her forehead at the fact that the foolish protagonist was right in front of her.

Even worse were the words that followed.

“Don’t tell me….”

‘You, like me…?’

Cain, barking up the completely wrong tree.

To that, Lin replied with an utterly dumbfounded look.

“Whew. That’s a relief.”

“……”

Lin, witnessing the foolishness of her one and only fellow possessor, thought.

‘I even told him I was a man in my past life so he wouldn’t fall for me.’

‘To think that a guy who’s supposed to be the protagonist is spouting such nonsense….’

Her tongue clicked at his unparalleled cluelessness.

‘Ria, do you really like a guy like this…?’

‘I, I really don’t understand….’

‘I’m sorry, Ria.’

‘Of course, I like everything about you, but this, this is really… hard to understand.’

I like Cain.

Solely as a protagonist, I like him.

But as a husband… well?

Is a playboy who keeps four wives worth giving my heart to?

“Really, there’s a limit to delusion. There’s no way I’d like a perverted playboy like you, is there?”

“Please. Don’t raise any unsettling flags.”

“Not even as much as a single strand of my older brother Leonard’s hair, and even more clueless and foolish than my older brother Rio? Me? Like you? I’ll give you a kimchi soup score of 500 million points.”

(TL NOTE: “Kimchi soup score” is a Korean idiom implying someone is getting ahead of themselves, like counting chickens before they hatch.)

There is no answer.

There can’t be.

Just as a noble maiden loves only one man for her entire life,

A true man must love only one woman for his entire life.

Cain, who failed to uphold this absolute truth of the world, was out of the question from the start.

I acknowledge his conviction as a protagonist, but I can never acknowledge his indecisiveness in having four women on the line.

“You… are you perhaps a bro-con?”

Meanwhile, he was spouting words only otaku would understand.

For reference, bro-con is short for brother complex, a word used to belittle and slander people like me who cherish their family—in this case, my older brother and younger brother.

“Well. Rio is a huge sis-con too.”

“How dare a commoner like you say such things about my precious younger brother…!”

“Jolt, jolt, shall I shoot? Master?”

“Shoot him immediately!”

“Finally!”

Crackle!

I electrocuted the impertinent commoner through Dinavel.

“W-Wait…! The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from when my older brother hit me with a ruler when I was young…!”

“You remember such trivial things so well.”

Cain swatted at Dinavel, who was shooting jolts of electricity, as if chasing away a fly.

Then, Dinavel, accidentally hit by his palm, stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

“Ah, sorry.”

Was it that shocking to be hit squarely, given her abilities?

Dinavel had a very confused look in her eyes.

Cain himself, as if it wasn’t an intentional attack, apologized.

Meanwhile, Exia, who had been quietly floating beside me, hurriedly flew towards Cain.

“That just now!”

“Hmm?”

“How on earth did you hit her!?”

What was there to hide?

Exia, who had never landed a single blow even when wildly swinging her sword to punish her older sister who teased her every day.

Mistaking coincidence for inevitability, she asked how he had physically disciplined her older sister.

“Masteeer…!”

“There, there.”

Dinavel, looking confused, clung to me like a child.

The rascal pointed a finger at Cain as if tattling, and burst into fake tears.

Cain’s expression upon seeing me console Dinavel, pretending I couldn’t resist, was quite a sight.

‘He’s probably thinking something along the lines of ‘he was a man in his past life’.’

‘Well, that was my real aim from the beginning, though.’

That’s right.

In this situation where even Michael has completely fallen for me,

It would be extremely troublesome if the protagonist Cain also fell for me.

However.

To tell someone not to fall for me, the cutest, most lovable,

Elegant and noble villainess in the world, is realistically impossible.

So, I went so far as to confess about my past life, which I barely remember now, to instill a strong sense of aversion.

To confess, from the time I first left the forest and returned home.

From the moment I began to perceive myself as Lin Rosegarden, memories of my past life rapidly began to evaporate naturally.

Fortunately, a considerable number of important memories about the original work remain, but the ‘me’ of my past life feels like it has been diluted and gone for a long time.

It’s a little surprising even to myself that I still remember the Dokdo song amidst all that.

Well, thanks to that, I managed to dispel that 1% of doubt.

Good things are good things, I guess!

“Anyway! Ria has to end up with Michael, so. I think it’s best if you cut down on the sick visits from now on.”

“…? Why are you suddenly talking about that?”

“Because you’re seducing Ria!!”

In the end, I couldn’t help but speak of the girl’s pure heart.

I silently offered a deep apology to Ria.

‘But Ria.’

‘This fool you’re falling for,’

‘Is the type who won’t notice unless you tell him this directly, so I couldn’t help it either….’

Cain’s eyebrows twitched in question.

His expression was as if asking what on earth I was talking about.

‘Good heavens….’

‘He still doesn’t get it even after I’ve said this much?’

“You’re the one who seduced her.”

This idiot…!

Me, a girl, being friendly with Ria, and!

You, a boy, being friendly with Ria!

Do you really think they’re the same!?

“…?”

When I said that,

Cain tilted his chin slightly to the side, as if he didn’t understand.

“More importantly, when I enter the academy… then, as a villainess noble lady, I’ll have no choice but to torment Ria, the saint. So if not now, I won’t be able to be friendly with Ria…!”

“It’s already been twisted for a long time. You can just continue to be friendly.”

“B-But…! I have a duty to become a proud villainess noble lady…!”

“…Aren’t you just trying to play a role?”

“Ugh…!”

“In the first place, you weren’t even in the original work.”

For a moment, a pain of unknown origin struck my chest.

Why?

Why does my chest suddenly hurt?

That day, I realized that one could also be struck by a hidden truth in the subconscious.

“Well. More than that.”

“More than that!? Ria might be tormented by me, yet. Why can you be so calm? You cold-blooded human…!”

“……”

“I misjudged you. To a heartless scoundrel like you, I can never hand over my Ria…!”

Cain sighed softly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, then continued.

“So, what are you going to do about your engagement to Michael?”

“……Huh?”

“Why seduce Michael of all people…. …Ha.”

“I didn’t seduce him, you know!!?”

Unlike before, a deep sigh uttered without reservation.

I momentarily flared up at the breath laden with all sorts of frustration.

But… honestly, I had nothing to say….

“H-He came on his own accord…. And suddenly gave me a jewel bouquet, calling himself my fiancé…”

“You said you were a villainess noble lady. You should have proudly rejected him.”

“But the materials were too rare…”

“So you readily accepted it?”

“……”

Unable to answer, I just nodded slightly.

My gaze avoided his.

My fingers fidgeted.

What started as me yelling at him not to seduce Ria,

When I came to my senses, the tables had turned, and I was being scolded by Cain.

“It’ll be difficult… to break off the engagement now, won’t it.”

“Right there is my meticulous plan…! At the academy, I’ll torment Ria and fall out of favor with Michael!

Then, various corruptions will be revealed, and I’ll meet a splendid demise befitting a villainess noble lady!”

“……To think my only comrade is such a blockhead…”

“That’s my line…!”

Cain dry-washed his face.

And very thoroughly at that.

It seems he prefers dogs over cats.

“Well, whatever. It’s already a twisted mess anyway. I’ll handle it somehow. Don’t do things that don’t suit your personality.”

“Wh-What’s wrong with my personality…”

“You’re a blockhead among blockheads, one of a kind in the world…. But you’re just as kind and warm as Ria.”

…What is this?

Is he hitting on me?

This guy, he’s trying to hit on me right now, isn’t he?

‘So, my past gender didn’t really matter much, huh?’

‘Well, now my body and mind are those of a beautiful girl, so it can’t be helped….’

‘How can I reject him without hurting his feelings….’

I crossed my arms and thought hard.

Cain, pausing for a moment but then continuing his shallow attempts at flirtation without a care.

It was a persistence and tenacity befitting a protagonist, but right now, I wished he would just hold back a little.

“The treasure ship of Abel Forest. What you were thinking when you made this place like the west end. I already know all about it.”

“……”

“So, stop with the villainess noble lady act. It doesn’t suit you at all.”

Cain said seriously.

His eyes, when we met, held great conviction.

“…Is that, so.”

“Yes.”

He smirked.

Saying that being a villainess noble lady didn’t suit me….

It was the first time I had heard such a thing in my life, and my head was confused.

At the same time, for some reason, my heart pounded.

‘This burning feeling, what on earth is it…?’

Full in my chest.

A single, hot emotion ignited.

This feeling… what on earth could it be?

A girl’s love.

No, that wasn’t it.

“Do you, have time tonight?”

Anger.

This was pure anger.

The anger of having what I had prided myself on my entire life, what I had called myself my entire life, denied…!

“…I don’t, but.”

“Then. When everyone is asleep, come to this sunflower field here.”

“Huh…?”

Then I’ll show you!

My, true villainess noble lady form…!!

And so.

After parting for a while, we gathered again at a certain location in the sunflower field.

It was autumn.

A season when various fruits awaited the time of harvest.

“What is this…”

“Shh! Be quiet. If Heine finds out, it won’t end with just being grounded this time!”

Using Dinavel’s stealth ability,

I finally arrived at the field I had personally cultivated.

The fruits of my labor, diligently tilled and planted in spring, were now lusciously ripe.

Ever since Heine had forcibly dragged me away while I was working happily and sweating alongside the village farmers, I had only seen it fleetingly on rare occasions….

“Huhu, it feels so good to meet you again like this…”

A longing as if reuniting with an old friend.

With a careful touch, I picked a perfectly ripe fruit and placed it in the basket Cain was holding.

‘…Why is she pilfering her own field?’

Cain, dragged along by Lin as a porter, thought.

That’s right.

This field Lin had secretly infiltrated in the dead of night was, from the beginning, a field owned by Lin, the temporary governor of the village.

In other words, though it seemed like she was stealthily pilfering fruit,

In reality, she was merely harvesting her own property in the dead of night.

“Ehehehet.”

She, who had unknowingly burdened the village farmers working in the fields in spring, had been forbidden entry by her maid, Heine, except for occasional inspections.

Indeed, Lin was carefully pilfering the fruit with an expression like a very innocent country girl.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

“Who goes there…!”

“Ugh!”

At that moment, the howl of the Lycan Wolf, the night guard dog, echoed.

“Pant, pant, pant!”

“Hmm?”

“R-Run away…!”

Lin, seeing her own puppy chasing after her, wagging its tail in greeting, fled in a flurry.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of her puppy, but rather the nagging from Heine she would hear after being caught.