Episode 1: A Villainess’ Wish (1)

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

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

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

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

Appreciating the sight for a minute, I then finally got up from bed and went over to my desk. From underneath a locked drawer, I took out a book.

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 recalled 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 the reflection of my amaesthy-like eyes in the ornate mirror.

A porcelain complexion with soft jawline curves with long, snow coloured hair flowing like shimmering streams down mountain peaks.

The daughter of Duke Orion Winterfall, Astraea Winterfall.

The young duchess, the ice princes—the villainess.

—Knock. Knock.

“You may enter.”

Only one maid came in per my instruction. Pushing a large cart with a rose water bathtub, the maid took utmost caution to not let a single drop spill. 

“G-Good morning My Lady.” The maid who I knew to be most loyal to me in my past life, Elysia Alchn trembled as she spoke.

A girl with gorgeous brunette hair, and grass green eyes that shone like the colour of emerald.

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

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

“Leave the items there, you can begin cleaning the rest of my room,” I remarked impassively.

Elysia nodded. Then she 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 head.

“O-Ow,” she cried, covering where it hurt with both hands.

I sighed.

Capable as she was as a secretary, her cleaning skills were horrible.

“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, playing 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 was red.

I suppose the only reason why I’m showing her appearance 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.

What a villainess-like thing to do, right?

“Elysia Alchn,” I called out to her by name. She flinched. “Pray tell, any progress with the investigations which 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,” 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 best amongst all the maids.

I took my time cleaning myself, and when I noticed Elysia starting to use wind magic in secret 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 like some mouse.

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

I dried myself with magic, leaving wet stains on the carpets to solidify my image as a troublemaker, then took to my wardrobe and wore the academy uniform. 

The uniform possessed both function and durability. It was more comfortable to wear than most dresses I own.

“Oh, and here is a gift for you,” I threw an emerald brooch on the ground just as I was about to leave my boudoir. It rolled and stopped right in front of her. 

“A-Ah…!?” She froze up, dismayed at what had just hit her.

With this, the rest of her debts should be resolved.

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

⋉◆⌌ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ⌍◆⋊

The carriage crossed underneath an overhead bridge, I watched the scenery of colourful baroque-isque buildings pass me by. Immersed in my thoughts, I ran through simulations of scenarios where I spouted cheesy, villainess lines repeatedly.

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

Glenn Twilight—the prodigious mage of the Magic Tower.

His past was as much of a mystery as the Magic Tower itself. In the original story, his affiliation was never disclosed. He never once talked about his parents, or 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? Burning with the desire to find out the truth, in my previous life I befriended him and dug into his past.

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, created by one of the mages working inside the Magic Tower.

When Glenn’s creator was discovered, having 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 Glenn, a baby, human-like homunculus who didn’t know any better 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 a 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 errands of the tower as he was requested of.

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 Glenn never realised that he wasn’t human until I revealed the truth. 

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 pray that it wouldn’t be a factor in messing up Lowe’s chances later.

⋉◆⌌ ⫺⪼▫◆▫⪻⫹ ⌍◆⋊

“Hit this dummy target with everything you’ve got. Don’t hold back.” The magic professor of our class, Aturina Dolna spoke. “Don’t expect me to waste time on those who don’t perform.”

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 mask she wore was a woman who hadn’t 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, magic barriers covered the periphery so there were no worries of damaging items beyond the hazard zone.

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

A spear of fire coalesced. From the looks of it, he was really pushing himself to maintain this 2nd-tier spell. As someone who was once able to cast 6th-tier magic spells like spitting watermelon seeds, I could sense the rugged, unstable mana which he used to formulate the flames.

Sweat running down his face, he discharged the spear at the dummy.

The flame spear burst into sparks upon contact. No obvious damage was seen on the target dummy’s body.

“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>.

Frost aura spread from beneath my feet. Then at once, serrated ice swept forward and rammed into the target akin to a train, leaving in its wake a trail of crystal glacials.

The target dummy was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, the sharpest point of the ice didn’t manage to pierce the dummy, but 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 degree of mastery which I did.

“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 received with each passing student mellowed. Or at least, until Glenn Twilight took center stage.

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

“Here goes!” He waved his hands like a wand.

A torrent spread with him in the centre. The air distorted at the compression of wind, green sparks coalescent in the air, forming an invisible blade directly above the pitiful dummy.

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

… The guillotine dropped.