Chap 3-Clichés of Villainess Novels

 

Before I possessed this body, my life was pathetic.

The day the gate opened.

The city was dyed red, and the roars of monsters tearing through the sky echoed.

My memories of my family were hazy.

Only faint recollections remained: my mother’s warm embrace, my father’s large, reassuring hands.

However, I vividly remembered the one person who saved me in that blood-soaked world.

A hunter who cleaved through a massive demonic beast with a single stroke.

Crimson blood stained the ground, illuminated by the light behind him.

In that moment, I forgot my fear and sorrow, and stared in awe.

In that moment when I lost everything, only one thought filled my mind.

‘I want to be like that person.’

From that day on, I decided to become a hunter.

But…

“You have no talent.”

I stood there blankly for a long time.

“Excuse me…?”

“An ordinary person who hasn’t awakened cannot become a hunter.”

‘No, there must be a way.’

I desperately visited the Hunter Association and constantly searched for ways to enhance my abilities.

But the answer was always the same.

“It’s impossible if you don’t awaken.”

“You can’t last even a minute in a gate if you can’t control mana.”

They looked at me with pity, and I despaired.

In the end, I never awakened, had no talent, and lagged far behind others even with training.

After several years, I finally gave up.

On the day I admitted that the path to becoming a hunter was completely closed to me.

Unable to do anything in reality, I wanted to become someone, even if only in a virtual world.

I shut myself in my room.

A life spent reading novels and playing games all day.

But now, that pathetic experience might be helpful in its own way.

Yeon Bennet’s end was miserable no matter which route you chose.

Frankly, I think she deserved it, but the problem is that I am now that Yeon Bennet.

What if I treat the servants well in this situation?

Originally, if someone with a bad image does something good, the effect is greater.

I thought back to the possession novels I had read before.

What happens when bullies or villainous ladies are possessed and then act kindly?

Their changed behavior quickly improves their relationships with those around them.

With modern common sense, even a little kindness to subordinates will immediately move them and inspire loyalty.

All I can do now is actively utilize that cliché.

By gaining trust in that way, I can get a chance to become close to the playable characters who play an active role in the main story, and by using the knowledge I gained from the game with them, I can clear the story and somehow end the final chapter with a happy ending, right?

A perfect plan.

It should have been.

It might not be as easy as I thought?

“Sigh.”

Still, to faint right after I apologized…

What on earth was this Yeon Bennet doing all the time?

…

Carrying a fainted person to the infirmary was not as difficult as I thought.

Having a level meant that I had awakened mana, and Yeon’s body could exert a stronger force than an ordinary person.

I was worried that the doctor would be taken aback by the sight of such a notorious woman carrying a maid, but he only slightly hardened his expression and focused on the examination without a word.

“Um… do you know how Annie ended up like this…?”

So, this maid’s name was Annie.

“Uh…”

I hesitated slightly.

“No… never mind! You don’t have to answer! It’s just a simple fainting spell, so she’ll be fine if she rests here for a while.”

Fear was evident in the doctor’s expression and tone.

He must also be a victim of Yeon, having worked in this mansion.

This might be an opportunity.

I tried to look as dejected as possible.

“I think I’ve been too harsh on her, so I apologized… and then… she fainted.”

I finished speaking with an awkward smile, and he looked at me with a complicated expression.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry to you too. And I want to apologize to everyone else.”

He stared at me for a moment, then tilted his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

“You’ve really decided to change. Your expression is much brighter. May I ask why?”

I sighed and said.

“I’m entering the academy in a year. I want to become a hero who fights against Contamination and saves people. I don’t think I can live carelessly as I please anymore.”

There was some sincerity in those words, not just to survive.

The characters from ‘Tales of Etherysia’ who comforted my loneliness in the dark room.

If they were really living people, I wanted to save them.

And like the hunters I admired in my previous life, I wanted to become a hero too.

He looked at me with a surprised expression.

“It won’t be easy. Because of what lady has done… ahem… other people won’t open their hearts easily, like this child lying here.”

That’s true.

Even I, who only saw Yeon’s misdeeds in the game, shook my head, so the servants of the mansion who suffered directly must have deep resentment.

“But I believe you will try.”

He smiled and looked at me with warm eyes.

I felt strange.

A stuffy, sad, and resentful feeling.

It wasn’t mine.

They weren’t characters from a game, and there was no way I could feel these emotions for them.

Could it be Yeon’s emotions?

For her to feel such emotions…

Really…

Doesn’t she have a conscience?

After the treatment, instead of calling someone to take Annie back to her room, I decided to carry her myself.

If I’m going to score some points, I should do it properly.

Judging by the doctor’s expression, he was almost completely won over.

When I arrived at Annie’s room and opened the door, a book with an enormous presence was on the desk.

‘What is it? Is it some kind of magic book?’

‘Bennett Lady Safety Rules’

As soon as I saw the title, I opened the first page of the book as if possessed and read it.

「First of all, we sincerely welcome you to work as a servant of the venerable Bennet family.

I don’t know what mistake you made or what circumstances led you to become Lady’s exclusive maid, but we are providing you with a manual containing precautions for your safe return.

Please be careful not to lose it and be sure to hand it over to your successor later.」

1.Never trust Bennet Lady under any circumstances.

It seems I have to give up on winning Annie’s heart.

…

Three months have already passed since I came to this world.

The place I possessed was a mansion owned by the Bennet family, located in a remote area.

Duke Bennet had confined Yeon here to correct her bad habits.

Thanks to that, I haven’t seen any of the family members.

It was a little disappointing that I hadn’t seen Serena Bennet, Yeon’s Unni and one of the playable characters…

Considering what she had done, none of them would like me.

Still, as expected, the servants quickly opened their hearts.

I felt a little uneasy because it seemed like I was forgiven because of the difference in status, but I felt good.

‘Haa, I should start training my Unique Ability too.’

I tried to use my Unique Ability, but it left a scar on my body, and the mansion was in chaos for a while because of it.

Knock knock

When I heard the knock, I replied in a slightly mischievous tone.

“Come in. You don’t have to go somewhere else for an hour.”

“Lady! You promised to stop teasing me about that!”

Annie and I have become very close.

To the point where we can exchange light jokes.

It had only been three months, but this relationship was precious to me.

I didn’t realize it when I was just playing games and locking myself in my house, but I think I was lonelier than I thought.

“I’ll help you with your bath, Lady.”

“Okay.”

“Lady, is the water temperature okay?”

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Annie.”

I answered while looking in the mirror.

Hmm…

I wasn’t very satisfied.

There would be people who would like it because it’s a slender figure in reality…

I like them big, like Lina.

Well, it might not really matter now.

Now that the important organ is gone, I can’t react much…

‘It would have been nice if I had seen it when I was a man… ha…’

Annie gently untied my hair and carefully guided me to the tub.

As I slowly lowered myself into the tub, the warm water enveloped my body and relieved my tension.

“Annie, that book.”

As soon as I mentioned the book, her face turned red.

“I just received it as a handover! And you promised not to talk about it anymore!”

I answered with a sullen expression.

“Still, it was too much. Treating the master they serve like a monster, not a person…”

“You brought this on yourself! That pitiful expression doesn’t work anymore, so turn around.”

“Hehe, I was just kidding. There’s really one thing I wanted to ask.”

“Feel free to ask, Lady.”

“Why didn’t you leave that day? The last rule was even emphasized in bold letters, right?”

She was so scared when she saw the last rule that she fainted.

Usually, if you’re that scared, shouldn’t you just leave as the book says?

“I wonder. I guess I expected you to become this kind. I didn’t want to leave.”

She answered while gently rinsing my wet hair.

Hmm… I guess she doesn’t want to answer.

What could be the reason?

The reason why she had to put up with this bitch’s misdeeds.

If she had a problem, I wanted to help her.

“If there’s a reason why you’re by my side, tell me anytime. I’ll help you.”

“It’s okay. I can’t cause you any trouble. And it’s not because I have a reason, but because I really like you that I’m by your side.”

For this villainous Lady to hear such words…

The original must be grateful to me.

I finished my bath and returned to my room.

“I’ll prepare breakfast and bring it up shortly, Lady.”

“Okay.”

“You have to eat everything—no being picky!”

“I know! Just send it quickly. I’m hungry.”

A little later, the maid in charge of meals entered my room.

Her name was Mary, right?

“Mary, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Lady.”

She waited for my question with a slightly nervous expression.

“Does Annie have a reason why she can’t leave the duchy?”

“Well… I don’t know if I should talk about someone else’s circumstances…”

“I want to help Annie. I’m not trying to harm her.”

She sighed as if she couldn’t help it and opened her mouth.

“She has a lot of debt because of her younger siblings’ upbringing and her mother’s illness. That’s why she couldn’t leave. That’s also why she volunteered to be your exclusive maid… Ah!”

She covered her mouth as if she had made a mistake and looked at me with slightly fearful eyes.

“It’s okay. Even if I were a maid back then, I definitely wouldn’t want to serve me.”

I gave her a slight smile to mean it was okay.

She looked relieved, greeted me, and left the room.

Before I came to this world, loneliness was as natural as air to me.

There were always people approaching me.

When I was in the orphanage, and when I was in school.

But I pushed them away.

Because I was scared.

That I would have to go through another farewell.

After forcibly pushing people away, it became easier to keep my distance from the beginning.

It’s annoying to have someone by my side, and they’ll leave someday.

That’s how I lived alone, but after coming to this world, I changed a little.

I possessed a villainess with a predetermined bad ending, so I started reaching out to people under the pretext of having to survive.

While convincing myself that it was just to change the reputation of the bratty Lady.

But in the process, the warmth of the people I touched was warmer and more dangerous than I thought.

At first, it was just an act for others to see, but before I knew it, I was changing.

I wanted them to be able to smile because of me,

And… I want to help Annie.

But what does Annie think of me?

What am I… to Annie?

‘Yeon Bennet.’

If it were that woman I saw in the game, she would have tormented Annie to death.

She would have laughed at the sight of her, who was lower in status, collapsing helplessly, and trampled on her until her tears fell to the ground.

That’s what the owner of this body did.

Even if she smiles outwardly because of the difference in status, she may still be afraid inside.

No matter how much I’ve changed…

Even if I sincerely want to care for her…

Will that feeling reach her?

Suddenly, I became afraid of the moment when I would make eye contact with Annie.

When she looks at me, is she seeing the real me?

Or is she still seeing that villainess of the past?

‘What if Annie never forgives me?’

My fingertips trembled slightly at the thought.

An emotion that I can’t give up or ignore now.

I didn’t want to lose this warmth that I had grasped for the first time in my life.

Therefore, selfishly, I want to help her.