How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 15

Chapter 3: A Well-Timed Day (1)

I suddenly had a thought. Now that I have entered the villainess’s body and Radel is no longer a villainess, I wondered how Seria would fare without a villainess…

“How dare someone like you try to approach Huan?!”

But seeing this scene erased my doubts. To explain, we are at a small party hosted by the Countess of Corsé. The Countess of Corsé originally had no connection with Radel, but after my possession, I began taking etiquette lessons during the vacation, which created a slight connection. Thanks to that, I was able to enter the Countess of Corsé’s party, which was notoriously difficult to attend, and I was now witnessing a fascinating scene.

It was like watching a play. The cast consisted of the heroine, Seria, her white knight, Huan Cresis, and a poor extra.

The plot of the play was extremely simple. An extra who liked Huan Cresis was swept away by jealousy and was caught tormenting Seria, which led to the extra incurring Huan’s wrath and lashing out at Seria.

Faced with such a cliché and boring story, I couldn’t even muster a yawn.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this to me, Lady Quetter.”

“You sly fox!!”

Oh, I was wondering when the tears would start, and sure enough, here they come. Seria’s acting was incredible. With so many people gathered around, she perfectly portrayed the pitiful and innocent heroine. If I didn’t know her true nature, I would have thought she was really unfortunate. But now, I just find her act tiresome.

“Lady Quetter.”

Finally, the play reached its climax,

“I’m really disappointed.”

and the extra fell to the bottom.

Huan left with Seria after those last words. The only one left was the extra who had been abandoned. No one approached her to offer comfort. It was Lady Quetter’s fault, after all. She was the one who picked a fight first, and she was the one who tormented Seria.

Lady Quetter just messed with the wrong person. I mean, going against the heroine? I’d like to applaud Lady Quetter’s courage.

“Hmm.”

Seria was doing well even without me, the villainess. A villainess usually strengthens the bond between the heroine and the male lead, but there are plenty of extras willing to take on that role even without me. Lady Quetter, whom I just watched, was glaring at the spot where Seria had disappeared, clearly not ready to give up. I silently cheered for the many extras as I stood up from my seat.

Having enjoyed the play, I decided it was time to meet Countess Corsé, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. As the host of this party, and since she had written in the postscript of my invitation that she wished to speak with me, it was only polite to pay her a visit.

Countess Corsé was a well-known figure in social circles, owning several boutiques for clothing and accessories, and was famous for her etiquette lessons. I was lucky to have her as my instructor, but in truth, she was a difficult person to meet. It seemed I had made quite an impression on her as a student if she wanted to meet me personally—likely not in a good way.

“Huan…”

As I left the party hall and walked down the corridor toward Countess Corsé’s room, I heard a familiar voice. It was the same voice I had heard earlier.

“Seria, are you okay?”

“Sob, yes….”

She didn’t sound okay at all. Her voice was hoarse, probably from crying so much. I hid behind a corner and peeked, seeing Seria clinging to Huan’s chest as she sobbed. Watching such a picturesque scene made me narrow my eyes, not because it was unsightly but because it was so beautiful.

How could they look so lovely? Honestly, she looks like an angel.

“Don’t cry, your eyes will swell.”

“But, because of me again…!”

Seria started crying again, tears streaming down like raindrops. I envied how she could cry like that and still have a perfectly fine face the next day. Is it the protagonist’s blessing…? I wish I had a villainess’s blessing, too!!

Oh, wait, I feel like I’ve seen, no, read this scene somewhere before. A small incident at the party, followed by Huan comforting Seria until the mood becomes romantic. Then, there’s a scene where Huan gives Seria a surprise kiss, making her flustered and the readers smile.

Oh, wait, I enjoyed reading it, but seeing it in person is a bit…

It’s not like I’m a third wheel or anything, but I felt compelled to stop their kiss. Fortunately, the novel hadn’t progressed much yet, so it seemed they were still in the early stages of their relationship. Because of this, the kiss would be quite cautious, giving me a moment to intervene.

Haha, it’s time to use my secret weapon.

“Tears…”

“Here’s a handkerchief!”

As Huan was about to wipe away her tears, I threw the handkerchief that Vivian had prepared for me with all my might. I had always been confident in my aim, and the handkerchief landed squarely on Huan’s face. A soft “thwap” echoed briefly down the corridor.

“What, what is this…”

Seria, surprised, stopped crying and looked at me in confusion. Finding this situation amusing, I covered my mouth as I approached them, and Seria’s face gradually darkened. Huan, angry about being hit by the handkerchief, bit his lip and stood up.

“Oh, are you okay? But since it’s silk, it shouldn’t have hurt much.”

Hmm, does it matter? From the look on Huan’s face, he seemed angry not because it hurt, but because he was hit. He left Seria behind and walked up to me, bending down to meet my eyes.

“Radel Karel, your face has changed quite a bit.”

Huan growled like a small beast and grabbed my shoulders tightly. Being held by Huan, who had one of the strongest grips among men, my shoulders hurt a lot. He glared at me with sharp eyes and said,

“You still have a nasty personality.”

Huan Cresis dislikes Radel. While the other male leads also dislike Radel, Huan especially despises her. In the story, they were always depicted as rivals, and since Huan was the most devoted to protecting Seria among the male leads, he often clashed with Radel.

Huan developed a complex from a young age, so he hated the smell of makeup and perfume. Therefore, it was natural for him to dislike Radel, who was heavily made up, and he could be comfortable around Seria, who didn’t wear any makeup at all.

 I compared Huan’s gentle demeanor toward Seria with his current angry expression. The contrast was so stark that it made me feel a bit uneasy.

 He clearly despises me. However, since my possession, I’ve encountered many people who loathe me to the point of disgust. So, even in such a tense situation, I could remain calm.

 Huan Cresis is depicted as brazen and self-centered in the story, but in truth, he has a gentle heart.

 “Oh, it hurts…”

“Huh…?”

So, by fluttering my eyelashes and shedding a tear, Huan becomes easily flustered. The grip on my shoulder loosens as Huan’s mouth falls slightly open in surprise. He probably never expected Radel, who always yelled and cursed, to react this way.

Having just watched a certain someone’s performance, I could cry on cue as a reference. Although I’m far from reaching Seria’s level, my tears were enough to fool Huan.

“Are you okay…?”

He really is soft-hearted. Huan ran his fingers through his orange hair, which hung to his neck, looking flustered as his green eyes darted around. He let his guard down. I saw my chance and lifted my foot, stomping on Huan’s foot.

“Ugh..!!”

With a high-heeled shoe digging into his foot, Huan let out a short scream and collapsed. I gave Huan a sweet smile and said,

“Have a good time with Seria.”

I said that and bolted. I wasn’t worried about running. I’d been running so much lately that I was confident in my sprinting skills. Although I wasn’t keen on running down the corridor, I ran hard and soon reached Countess Corsé’s room.

“The Countess is expecting you, my lady.”

The maid at the door bowed politely and carefully knocked on Countess Corsé’s door. Inside, I heard the Countess’s gentle voice.

“Come in…”

“It’s been a while, Lady Radel.”

It felt strange to be addressed as a lady instead of a student. Hesitantly, I walked to the seat across from where Countess Corsé was sitting.

“Hello, Countess Corsé.”

“Please, have a seat.”

I moved gracefully, just as I learned in my etiquette lessons. Countess Corsé smiled with satisfaction and offered me a fragrant cup of tea. As I took a sip, a bitter taste spread through my mouth. Ugh.

“The reason I called you here is that I’ve missed seeing you, and also because I wanted to grant the request you made earlier.”

I tilted my head as I watched Countess Corsé speak with a graceful smile. What had I asked her before? As I organized my thoughts to recall what I’d requested, the memory surfaced unexpectedly quickly.

“You found someone to teach me to dance.”

 “That’s right.”

Dance. Before making their debut in society, all young ladies learn to dance. It’s a fundamental skill, and many start learning from a young age, making it essential for attending parties. At the beginning of the summer vacation, during my first etiquette lesson, I had asked Countess Corsé for dance lessons. However…

 “I can’t teach you with my skills.”

 “What? Why not?!”

 “You’re too bad at it.”

 “Ah…”

 Having never learned to dance, I was very stiff. Even when I tried to mimic Countess Corsé’s graceful movements, my clumsiness made it look like a strange clown dance. After a week of trying to teach me, Countess Corsé finally gave up and promised to find another good teacher for me.

 “So, who is it? Who will be teaching me to dance…”

 “Someone you know. I believe you attend the same academy.”

The same academy…? Somehow, that makes me uneasy. The dancer from our academy? Honestly, someone does come to mind right now, but I hope it’s not them. Hoping my guess is wrong, I glanced at Countess Corsé, who continued with a smile.

“I called him over, so he should be here soon.”

“You have a guest.”

As soon as Countess Corsé spoke, the maid announced the arrival of a guest. The Countess gestured for them to be let in, and the firmly closed door slowly opened. The more it opened, the more my heart sank.

“Now, say hello. This is Huan Cresis, who will teach you to dance.”

“I’m doomed.”

Oops, my true feelings slipped out. Fortunately, I said it quietly, so no one seemed to have heard. But what do I do? I’m supposed to learn to dance from the person whose foot I stepped on earlier. This is quite serious.

Aside from Countess Corsé, both my and Huan’s expressions darkened.