How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 2

Chapter 1: The Villainess named Radel (1)

Radel Karel, the villainess, had quite a grim past. Her mother had died giving birth to her, and her father, who despised his daughter because of this, raised Radel in a troubled household. Growing up, as Radel matured and became more beautiful, her father decided to use her beauty for his own gain. Under such a father who only sought to exploit her, Radel lived a lonely life.

As a result, her personality became completely twisted, and eventually, Radel’s father, unable to tolerate her continual troublemaking, sent her to an academy. Radel, who was prickly and wanted to get whatever she desired, met a man one day—Prince Eden. Having met her perfect ideal, Radel, naturally, tried to possess Eden by any means necessary. She would eliminate any woman who approached Eden and always tried to stay close to him.

Eden, who had no interest in Radel, found her annoying but didn’t mind her handling the other women who approached him, so he left her be.

One day, a commoner, who was only allowed into the prestigious Sirius Academy, entered. That person was Seria. Although not a noble, Seria, with her talents in study and magic, was admitted to the academy as a special scholarship student. Naturally, all the students at the academy were intrigued by the first-ever commoner, and Eden was no exception.

Upon first seeing the beautiful and angelic Seria, Eden was instantly smitten, as if by fate. This marked the beginning of Radel’s tragedy. Known as a vicious woman, Radel did not let Seria be. She attempted all sorts of bullying, but her efforts always failed with the help of Seria’s handsome princes.

And so, after accumulating her anger, Radel slapped Seria’s cheek at the summer party, and it was witnessed by Eden, who happened to pass by… that’s the story up to yesterday.

Last night, having discovered the true nature of the heroine Seria, I returned to the Karel estate. Fortunately, a maid came to greet me, and I was able to safely reach the mansion. What awaited me upon entering the mansion was:

*Smack!*

A slap from my enraged father. It hurt. It hurt a lot. The moment when all doubts about whether this was a dream vanished in an instant. My cheek burned as if it had been scorched. The first time I saw Radel’s father, he was very domineering, and he was obsessed with his authority and image.

“I’ve heard. You dare to disgrace me by bullying a fellow academy student? Go to your room!”

That was the end of it. It was an oppressive command, not even a conversation. For a moment, I felt pity for Radel. What must it have been like to live with a father who was worse than a stranger? For the first time, I felt sympathy for the villainess.

I entered the room as directed by the maid and lay down on the bed without saying a word. The sudden possession, the true nature of the heroine, and the slap from my father left me confused. My head seemed to be aching. I wondered if, when I closed my eyes, I would see our home’s ceiling or a hospital’s ceiling. I just hoped to escape this awful nightmare, and I remember falling asleep with that thought.

“Miss. I’m coming in.”

“Mm…”

As I was recalling last night, it seems I had been in a daze again. I barely snapped back to reality when the maid knocked on the door. The maid, who came in to help with my morning preparations, looked startled when she saw me sitting in front of the mirror. Was something wrong?

“Um, Miss, did you sleep with your makeup on last night?”

“Oh, right.”

I must have just gone to bed without removing my makeup because I was so out of it. It’s surprising that I even had the energy to remove my makeup. I let out a deep sigh and headed to the sink. Now that I think about it, I hadn’t even washed my face. I needed to get myself together.

“…What?!”

I was nearly shocked into falling over when I saw Radel’s face without makeup after washing up. Who is this pure young lady…? Until just a moment ago, she had looked like a fierce older sister due to heavy makeup, but now her face looked innocent enough to be in a sports drink commercial. Why had she been wearing so much makeup before? Her bare face looked much better.

Oh, come to think of it, I remember reading the side stories. Influenced by her father’s pressure to use her beauty, Radel felt compelled to look like a flower, which led her to always wear heavy makeup and expensive, extravagant dresses. But all that was pointless. Even now, Radel’s appearance in the mirror is much more beautiful without heavy eye makeup and red lipstick.

“From now on, I won’t wear heavy makeup. Just the basics, please.”

“…Understood, Miss.”

The unnamed maid’s eyes widened in surprise at my request, but she quickly returned to her usual expression and began to braid my hair.

“Today marks the start of summer vacation. What are your plans?”

“For now, I’d like to have breakfast.”

I was indeed feeling quite hungry. Before my stomach growled, I needed to get to the dining room and have breakfast. I glanced at the mirror one last time. Red hair and golden eyes that looked somehow melancholic. I took a moment to take in the image of myself, which I would have to see for the rest of my life, and then I stood up. Following the maid, I headed towards the dining room.

***

“Radel, your posture is a mess.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well…”

As soon as I sat down in the dining room, my father, who had arrived early and was eating soup, cast a sideways glance at me and narrowed his eyes. Is it really that bad? Admittedly, while Radel was terrible at academics, she had always been impeccable with aristocratic manners and graceful movements. But now, in this body, I’m just an ordinary woman from South Korea. I have no idea how aristocrats walk or behave.

I don’t know any etiquette or manners at all—what should I do? I tried to imitate what I saw from Seria yesterday, but it seems awkward. Despite everything, Seria was more graceful and dignified than any aristocrat at that party. She had a natural elegance that was enviable. I wish I could be like her. Even if her personality was terrible, her appearance was perfect.

Given the situation, I’ll need to take lessons during the summer vacation. I should study basic etiquette and what I’ll need to learn at the academy. I need to work hard.

At least it’s a relief that I was possessed just before the summer vacation and the summer party. If it had happened during the school term, it would be horrifying to even imagine.

“Radel.”

“Ah, yes…?”

I hurriedly responded to the sudden call and was met with a scowling face. Why is he angry again? I swallowed nervously at the tense atmosphere.

Thinking back, I remember that at this point, Radel was almost expelled from home. Her father, who no longer needed a daughter who tarnished his reputation, wanted to send Radel to some countryside. But she managed to overcome the crisis somehow… How did she manage that?

“I’m very disappointed in you after this incident. I’m considering making you quit the academy and sending you to stay with Auntie Orton.”

The Orton great-aunt is a strict woman known for ruling over a small estate in the countryside. Ah, I remember now. At the end of the novel, Radel is eventually handed over to the Orton great-aunt and spends her life trapped in the countryside, eventually being married off to a count. It’s truly a bad ending. If this were a game, it would be one of the second-worst endings the villain could face.

I can’t let this happen. I have to avoid this crisis. I tightly gripped the hem of my dress and racked my brain. How would the real villain Radel handle this moment? Like Seria, with fake tears? No, the man in front of me wouldn’t be swayed by tears. Crying at the dining table would certainly get me scolded. So, what should I do?

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Father!”

Having finished his meal, my father wiped his mouth with a napkin. I hurriedly called out to him. It wasn’t because I had a brilliant idea. I simply wanted to avoid this situation, so I took a gamble.

“I have a suggestion.”

“A suggestion…?”

My father raised an eyebrow and looked at me. I mustn’t falter here; I need to push forward. Instead of biting my lip, I attempted to mimic Seria’s gentle smile. Of course, my smile probably looked anything but angelic and was more likely to be seen as sneaky. But with the makeup removed, my face had a rather gentle appearance. I hoped my smile wouldn’t look awkward as I faced my father and said with a smile,

“Yes, a suggestion. From now on, I will never cause any disturbance at the academy. I will always maintain top grades.”

“So you’re asking me not to send you to Aunt Orton?”

My father, realizing the meaning behind my words, laughed dismissively. It was a clear expression of scorn. Yes, it would be funny. After all, his daughter, who’s not particularly smart and only knows how to torment others, is making such a proposal. But I was confident. I was quite good at studying and planned to keep a low profile at the academy, no matter how much I disliked it.

I tilted my head slightly and continued speaking.

“Please give me a chance. I won’t disappoint you.”

If I said this, I might be able to convince him. My father looked at me with suspicious eyes, then sighed as if he were deep in thought.

“Fine, this will be your last chance. If you don’t want to be kicked out of this house, behave yourself until you graduate from the academy.”

It worked, at last. I let out a secret sigh of relief and put on a smiling face again. Smile, smile. I felt like my face might cramp up, but I forced a wide grin.

“Thank you, Father. And please hire a tutor for me during the summer break.”

“Finally, you’re making sense. I’ll arrange for one starting today.”

As my father left with his words, “This is your last chance,” I wiped away my smile the moment he exited the dining room and scrunched up my face in frustration. Ugh, this is really irritating. Is he even my real father? Couldn’t he be a child picked up from somewhere? Why is everyone around me like this, including Seria? I suddenly felt overwhelmed with exhaustion.

Seria, come to think of it, was also good at studying. Beautiful, with a great figure, and she excelled in her studies. Isn’t that cheating? As the protagonist, she had luck on her side and perfect interpersonal relationships. Everyone liked her, admired her, and praised her. It was the complete opposite of how I was treated. Ha-ha.

“Ah, I want to win. I want to drag Seria down from the throne. I want to smash that vile woman who made me look like that yesterday, pretending to be kind in front of others while laughing behind their backs. Now I see that the story isn’t about the angelic heroine Seria healing the wounds of the male leads and developing love, but rather about the acting goddess Seria seducing the male leads and playing with them.

She’s been deceiving not only the readers of the novel but all the characters within it. Judging by her attitude yesterday, she’s probably been using the villainess for her image all along.

I’m someone who repays what I receive. I’ll handle Seria in a way that’s different from the typical villainess.Just wait a bit, Seria. I’ll peel off that fake mask of yours. But first, let’s finish breakfast. Nom nom.