Episode 1: A Villainess’ Wish (1)

The first annoying rays of sunlight came through the tall glass windows, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow.

There was a subtle fragrance of flowers, and the air felt frosty from the night. With a languid stretch and a sigh, I sat up on the bed.

Looking towards the balcony, I was greeted by the scene of dawn.

It was a sight I missed a lot since I returned.

I appreciated it for a minute and then finally got up from bed, went over to my desk, and took out a book from beneath a locked drawer.

The plot, the apocalypse, and the possible solutions—developments regarding the world from the perspective of a once rabid fan— and situations that transpired outside of the story sequence which I experienced in my previous life.

It detailed everything I could recall about this world.

Confirming today’s agenda, I placed the book back in the secret compartment and sealed it with a spell.

Leaning back against the backrest of my Victorian chair, I saw my amethyst-like eyes reflected in the ornate mirror.

A porcelain complexion with a soft, curved jawline and long, snow coloured hair that flowed like a stream shimmering down a mountain peak.

The daughter of Duke Orion Winterfall, Astraea Winterfall.

The young duchess, the ice princes—the villainess.

—Knock. Knock.

“You may enter.”

Per my instructions, only one maid entered, pushing a large cart with a rose water bathtub, taking utmost caution to prevent even a single drop from spilling.

“G-Good morning My Lady.”

Elysia Alchn, whom I knew as the most loyal maid in my past life, trembled as she spoke.

She was a girl with gorgeous brunette hair and grass green eyes that shone like emeralds.

In the future of my previous life, groomed by Yours Truly, she was a capable lady servant who possessed both the intellect and appearance worthy of a duke’s daughter such as myself.

Being kind to her was how I managed to cement her loyalty towards me. I intended to do the same in this life. A late-blooming talent like her was far too precious to pass up.

“Leave the items there, you can begin cleaning the rest of my room,”

I remarked impassively.

Elysia nodded and then pulled out a feather duster to begin cleaning the window sills. The ‘stick’ slipped from her hand, made a flip in the air and bonked her in the head.

“O-Ow.”

She cried, covering where it hurt with both hands.

I sighed.

As capable as she was as a secretary, her cleaning skills were atrocious.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll try again.”

She said, bowing repeatedly.

I saw nothing.

I took off my nightgown and undergarments, after which I dipped myself into the bathwater.

I scrubbed my body with the soft sponge and played a little with the red petals dancing on the water. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Elysia was peeking my way, her face reddened.

I suppose the only reason why I was showing myself like this was because I felt like bullying her? She couldn’t tear her eyes off me either way, so it was up to her to enjoy the eye candy.

Truly a villainess-like thing to do, right?

“Elysia Alchn.”

I called out to her by name. She flinched.

“Pray tell, is there any progress with the investigations I requested?”

“Y-Yes. About that person, I-I only have to organise it left and…and tonight! I’ll have it all prepared tonight!”

She stuttered.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

I nodded.

“I-It’s my d-duty.”

She said as steam poured out from her head.

There's no way she hadn’t realised by this point that I, the notorious daughter of Winterfall manor, favoured her the most amongst all other maids.

I took my time cleaning myself, and after noticing Elysia starting to secretly use wind magic to clean, I got out of the bath and stepped onto the carpeted floor, soaking it wet.

“A-Ah!”

Elysia panicked seeing the water spread all over the floor.

“Turn around."

I commanded.

“Y-Yes!”

She turned to stand in a corner in a mouse-like fashion.

The original Astraea would request a whole chamberlain of maids to bathe her, but I chased them out a few days ago, keeping only Elysia.

Drying myself with magic, I solidified my image as a troublemaker by leaving wet stains on the carpets and then took to my wardrobe, dressing in the academy uniform.

The uniform possessed both function and durability and it was more comfortable to wear than most of the dresses I owned.

“Oh, and here is a gift for you,”

Just as I was about to leave my boudoir, I threw an emerald brooch on the ground. It rolled and stopped right in front of her.

“A-Ah…!?”

She froze up, dismayed at what had just hit her.

This should resolve the rest of her doubts.

Before she opened her mouth to refuse, I headed to the dining hall.

⋉◆⌌ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ⌍◆⋊

As the carriage crossed underneath an overhead bridge, I watched the colourful baroque-isque buildings pass me by. Immersed in my thoughts, I ran through several scenarios where I repeatedly spouted cheesy villainous lines.

Today was the day Lowe would meet the third male lead.

The prodigious mage of the Magic Tower—Glenn Twilight.

His past was as much of a mystery as the Magic Tower itself. His affiliation was never disclosed in the original story. He never once talked about his parents, and even if one did ask, he would simply shrug and say he didn’t have any.

If he didn’t have parents, how did he come into existence? With a burning desire to find out the truth, I befriended him and dug into his past in my previous life.

The result? Glenn wasn’t an orphan adopted by the Magic Tower. In fact, he wasn’t even human.

He was actually… a homunculus, born out of alchemy and black magic. A creature of taboo, made by one of the mages who worked inside the Magic Tower.

When Glenn’s maker was discovered to have successfully achieved forbidden alchemy, she was stripped of her rights and executed.

… Something I never imagined possible within the game’s fluffy storyline.

It left behind Glenn, an infant homunculus who didn’t know any better and without anyone to care for.

Finding the ‘creature’ both pitiful and as a material of curiosity, the Magic Tower took Glenn in as their own. Without any particular parental figure to depend on, he never knew much about familial love or even how abnormal he was. All he did most of his childhood was perform the errands he was requested of by the Tower.

From the many proficient mages he came to interact with, he gained much knowledge and experiences in magic. The conducive environment allowed him to quickly develop his talents.

His bottomless mana, and sometimes inhuman rationality… yet, until I revealed the truth, Glenn never realised that he wasn’t human.

When he learnt that his ‘mother’ had been killed by those very people he had served he…

Well, let’s just say that’s how things really started between me and Glenn.

The academy soon came into view. I was reaching my stop.

In front of the academy gates, the butler opened the carriage door and invited me down. Unfurling my fancy fan with a snap, I impolitely shook off his gesture and walked ahead.

Regardless of past relationships I’ve built with the male leads, I prayed that it wouldn’t be a factor in messing up Lowe’s chances later.

⋉◆⌌ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ⌍◆⋊

In our magic class, Professor Aturina Dolna spoke.

“Hit this dummy target with everything you’ve got, don’t hold back and don’t expect me to waste time on those who don’t perform.”

With this being the first practical session for our class, her words created false tension amongst the students.

I knew from my previous life that, behind that cold facade was a woman who didn’t have the heart to abandon any of her students. Professor Aturina only said what she did to provoke the class, wishing the best for everyone involved.

“Allen, we’ll start with you”

Professor Aturina called from the name list.

The arena was spacious and wide, with magic barriers covering the periphery so there would be no worries of damaging anything beyond the hazard zone.

The commoner, Allen, stepped up into position, raising his hand to the side.

A spear of fire coalesced and, from the looks of it, he was really pushing himself in order to maintain this 2nd-tier spell. As someone who was once able to cast 6th-tier spells as easily as spitting a watermelon seed, I could sense the rugged, unstable mana which he used to formulate the flames.

With sweat running down his face, he fired the spear at the dummy.

It burst into sparks upon contact, leaving no obvious damage to be seen on the target dummy.

“Good. Next, Astraea Winterfall.”

Allen pumped his fist at Professor Aturina’s praise and stepped down. As I walked past him, he trembled at the frosty aura I exuded.

“I believe I need no further explanation. Astraea Winterfall, I hope you don’t disappoint,” Professor Aturina remarked.

“Hmph,” I snapped my fan and pointed towards the training dummy.

<4th-tier magic, Frostborne: Fury>.

From beneath my feet, frost aura spread from beneath my feet. Then at once, serrated ice swept forward and rammed into the target with force equal to a train, leaving a trail of crystalized ice in its wake.

The target dummy was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, and while the sharpest point of the ice didn’t manage to pierce the dummy, the whole body was encased within it.

A silence fell upon the watching students. The original Astraea performed this exact spell in the game, but not to the same degree of mastery.

“You are underestimating me”

I purposefully glared at Professor Aturina before walking off.

“Next. Bernard,” Professor Aturina merely shook her head at my remark while pointing to the next target dummy she prepared.

The next few participants left weak impressions, the cheers mellowing with each passing student. Or, at least, until Glenn Twilight took the center stage.

Mint green hair tied into a low ponytail, slanted eyes that sparkled like opal and an androgynous appearance that stimulated the curiosity of both men and women. Adorning his trademark smile, he took a step.

Waving his hands like a wand, he said.

“Here goes!”

With him in the centre, a torrent spread. The air distorted at the compression of wind and green sparks coalesced in the air, forming an invisible blade directly above the pitiful dummy.

Then in one elegant stroke, he brought his hand down.

And the guillotine fell.