Chapter 65 | How to Not Get Executed as an Otome Game Villainess

—Magic Department Girls' Dormitory—

“L-Lady Loris! Oh, no! Something terrible has happened!!”

The heavy oak door of the room was slammed open with a loud bang.

Misha rushed in like a coiled spring, practically scrambling on her hands and knees. She did not even care that the aqua-blue gown she had cherished like a treasure was now crumpled into a wrinkled mess in her hands.

At that moment, I was sipping black tea that Shirune had just brewed while using a quill to sketch and write on a piece of parchment, planning my moves for tomorrow night.

“Why are you... cough, flustering about like this? Where are your manners?” I asked, trying to sound a bit more firm.

Sometimes, when we were in private, I tended to forget my character concept.

I raised an eyebrow and lifted my eyelids, adopting the most authentic, arrogant tone of a ducal daughter as I glared at her from the corner of my eye. “If the ladies outside saw you in this state, standing by my side like this, it would be utterly disgraceful.”

“No, it's not that! Lady Loris!” Misha cried, throwing herself against my desk, her face deathly pale.

Ah, it seemed I had overacted. This girl really had no sense of personal space, did she? She actually dared to grab my hand like this?

“Margaret! And Vera! They... they are planning to target you at tomorrow night's Summer Ball! They want to use despicable ink to ruin your Midnight Gown in the preparation room, making you lose all face in front of all the nobles in the Royal Capital!!”

“...?”

I set down the quill in my hand.

Because this news was so absurd, my brain completely lagged for a solid three seconds.

Wait.

What did Misha just say?

Margaret and Vera... were teaming up to deal with me? At tomorrow night's ball?

Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

Shouldn't this kind of treatment be reserved for Liliana? Here I was, plotting how to deal with the heroine to highlight my role as a villainous daughter, trying to act jealous of Liliana flirting with all those male leads and stealing Leonhart. How come this group looked way more like villains than me?

At that moment, the cold, arrogant expression on my face almost cracked on the spot.

It was replaced by an overwhelming urge to facepalm.

This wasn't how the original storyline was supposed to go.

In the original game, the plot should have been:

At the Royal Ballroom, the three villainous minor characters—me, Margaret, and Vera—were supposed to hit it off immediately, forming the “Vicious Trio.” Out of jealousy toward the commoner heroine, Liliana, I would lead the charge with the two of them covering for me, creating a classic bullying scene by ruining the heroine's dress with red wine in the changing room, leaving her utterly humiliated.

The butterfly effect is just too strong.

“Are you sure you didn't mishear?” I rubbed my throbbing temples.

“It's true! I heard it with my own ears! Just behind the statue in the courtyard! That first-year, Alden, sold the layout of the preparation rooms to them! They even mentioned things like 'making you a laughingstock' and 'destroying your reputation'...”

As Misha spoke to this point, tears actually began to stream down her face. She buried her head in my lap, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

“Lady Loris, you are the gentlest, most noble saint in this world! I will absolutely not allow those despicable cowards to touch the hem of your skirt! If someone has to be targeted tomorrow night, please let me go in your place—”

“...Stop.”

I pressed my hand against Misha's forehead, my facial muscles twitching slightly. I didn't know if she was just too excited or if she was trying to take advantage of me by hugging my legs, but I really had to maintain my villainous daughter persona during normal times.

I mean, gentle? Noble? Saint?

Just how thick is the filter on this girl's eyes?!

But since I had learned about it in advance and even knew who was involved, their plan was destined to fail. I could even drag them out right now.

Still, it was better to crush them completely this time.

I didn't feel any worry about this situation at all. In fact, I found it somewhat boring. It was like a child's game of make-believe. To think their idea of an ultimate humiliation was merely pouring ink on a gown...

Couldn't I just bring two extra gowns tomorrow and keep them in separate places? Heck, I could bring a dozen if I wanted to. After all, though I might lack other things, money and luxury goods were the last things I lacked.

I suppose the schemes and conflicts of this age group are just like playing house—

Come to think of it, my own plan was also just to make Liliana look bad. I guess I didn't have much right to laugh at them.

But I still had to act full of fighting spirit.

“They've come at the perfect time!” I sneered instead.

Misha gradually stopped sobbing and looked at me in confusion.

At the end of the day, I was the villainous antagonist. Wasn't this kind of thing exactly what I excelled at? If they wanted to challenge me, let them come. I would show them the true meaning of evil forces and the dignity of the Aldheim family!

“My Lady.”

Shirune, the half-demon maid who had been standing in the shadows like a ghost, finally made her move.

Misha was startled, but I was already used to it. Ever since our first meeting, I knew Shirune's stealth capabilities were exceptionally strong.

Her silver-white high ponytail swept a cold arc through the air. A dangerous glare flickered in her deep red eyes, and her hand had unconsciously rested on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

“Does My Lady require this subordinate to... physically eliminate Miss Horn and Miss Klein before tomorrow night's ball begins?”

“...No.” No way, that's way too extreme!

Pouring ink was hardly on the level of murder and arson. However, I decided to gather the evidence, have the academy expel them both, and watch them weep bitter tears as they disgraced their families in high society. Now, that would be a truly satisfying vengeance.

Come to think of it, not only did I have to defend against their schemes tomorrow night, but I also had to complete my main quest on time—

What a grueling job.

But bring it on. To reiterate:

“How dare they challenge my authority? Hehehehe...” I thought my sneer at this moment probably made me look exactly like a villainous young lady, with the corners of my mouth curled upward and my eyes displaying three parts sarcasm, three parts disdain, three parts indifference, and one part pride.