How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 24

Chapter 4: A Party, or Rather, a Chaotic Mess (1)

The Morning Starts with Vivian’s Nagging

“Miss, please wake up. Do you know what time it is? You need to get ready and go to the academy.”

“Mm…,”

I mumbled, still half-asleep, as I began changing from my pajamas into my uniform. It wasn’t until I was halfway through that I realized I hadn’t washed my face, so I headed to the bathroom. As I washed up, listening to Vivian’s continued nagging, I suddenly remembered that today was the day of the Goddess’s Party.

“Vivian, today is the Goddess’s Party. So, you’re coming with me.”

The Goddess’s Party starts in the evening, but until then, there are small events held at the academy for everyone to enjoy. These could range from plays and operas to strength contests and street stalls. Although the Goddess’s Party itself is exclusive to academy students, the daytime events are open to outsiders, allowing the noble students to bring their maids or servants along.

“Make sure to prepare a dress for me to change into before the party.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare the dress we received from Lady Corset.”

“Alright, please do.”

Vivian nodded and left the room. If I remember correctly, the dress from Lady Corset was a wine-colored empire dress. I didn’t particularly like it since it matched my hair color, but all the other dresses in my wardrobe were outdated, so I had no choice but to wear it. I regretted not going shopping despite my laziness…

“Miss, I’ve prepared the dress and accessories. But are you sure it’s alright to only bring me?”

Vivian asked as she re-entered the room. Usually, noble ladies bring several maids with them, but I found Vivian to be the most comfortable, so I planned to only take her with me.

Vivian might have a slightly harder time than usual, but since she’s compensated accordingly, she doesn’t seem to mind.

“I like you the best, Vivian, so I’m only taking you with me.”

“Miss…”

When I said this with a bright, innocent smile, Vivian seemed touched, her eyes growing a little misty. Normally, Vivian is calm and composed, even a bit cold, but when I make a request or act a little spoiled, she becomes incredibly soft-hearted. Seeing how quietly happy she was at my heartfelt words made it clear how much she cared for me.

“I’ll put all my skills into your appearance today,”

“No, just do it like you always do,”

If I stand out too much and end up getting involved in something strange, what then? While it’s nice that she’s so eager, I wish she’d tone it down a bit.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, Vivian followed me to the academy.

***

“Miss, be careful not to get lost,”

“Have you ever seen a student get lost inside the academy?”

Vivian seemed unusually anxious once we arrived, perhaps overwhelmed by how big the academy was. She kept reminding me not to get lost, which made me feel like a little kid.

“Do you have your invitation? You mustn’t lose it.”

“Vivian, I’m not a child. Don’t worry and go enjoy yourself!”

An invitation was required to enter the Goddess’s Party. The invitation was issued to prevent outsiders from entering the venue, and it was only given to students attending the academy. If I lost it, I wouldn’t be able to get into the party. I carefully tucked the precious invitation deep into my pocket.

I told Vivian to have a great time while she was out. While I enjoyed the events, she decided to explore on her own. She had recently developed an interest in opera, so she eagerly headed off to catch a performance.

“Now, where should I go first?” 

After sending Vivian on her way, I looked around the area. I was alone at the moment. Of course, I could run into someone I knew and join them, but for now, I was by myself.

As I pondered what I could do alone, I spotted Alec, looking utterly dejected. 

Oh my, we’ve been running into each other quite a lot lately! After being rejected by Lady Rachel following his earlier rejection by Seria, Alec seemed to be in a pretty rough state mentally.

Keeping my promise, I had introduced Alec to the most charismatic female member of the student council, but unfortunately, he got rejected again. I take back what I said about Alec being the epitome of pitifulness—he’s the epitome of unrequited love. He’s always falling in love and getting rejected…

“Alec, did you find a partner?”

“Hey… Radel…”

Alec, slumping both physically and vocally, gave me a wistful smile. Somehow, I already knew the answer even without him saying it—he hadn’t found a partner.

“I think… I’ll probably end up dancing alone at the party tonight…”

Tears welled up in Alec’s eyes. 

I handed him my now-essential handkerchief. Alec, with trembling hands, wiped away his tears. For a brief moment, I felt sorry for him, but when he blew his nose into my handkerchief, any sympathy I had quickly evaporated. 

This guy, seriously?

“Thanks, Radel… I’ll try to find a partner before the day is over…”

“Sure. But could you throw away that handkerchief on your way?”

Alec nodded in agreement and set off on his quest to find a partner. I turned away, hoping that this time he wouldn’t get rejected. I had planned to have some fun together if he found a partner, but it looked like I was going to be alone again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, soon to begin: the Academy’s famous thrilling Swordsmanship Tournament and the awe-inspiring Magic Tournament, happening simultaneously!”

A loud, booming voice suddenly echoed from somewhere. I turned to see a tall man holding what looked like a megaphone, announcing the upcoming tournaments to the gathering crowd. Wow, is that megaphone-like thing a magic tool? The sound was spreading unnaturally far. It must be echoing across the entire academy. It wasn’t particularly loud, but the way it reached everyone so clearly was quite impressive. It seemed like a remarkable magical device. Maybe I could ask Vivian to… No, never mind, it probably costs a fortune, so I’ll just forget about it.

‘But where should I go?’

Watching a tournament sounded like an intriguing way to pass the time. I wanted to head over and react from the spectator stands right away, but there was one problem: should I watch the swordsmanship or the magic tournament? Kyle was sure to win the swordsmanship, and Aren was sure to win the magic.

Both would likely just be one-man shows. Still, I felt more drawn to the swordsmanship tournament, so I decided to head there. 

As for the magic tournament, I’d just be eliminated instantly if I participated, and watching the complex magic attacks didn’t seem like much fun. I decided I’d just watch Aren’s victory later and began walking towards the training ground where the swordsmanship tournament was being held.

“Oh, did I come too early?”

When I arrived at the training ground, there weren’t many people there yet. I plopped down in an empty seat in the spectator stands, propping my chin up as I stared at the center of the training ground where the matches would soon take place.

Ugh, I want to participate, too. I hadn’t had proper practice lately, and the only person I could spar with was Vivian, which left me itching for a real fight. Kyle was around, but since he only cared about swordsmanship, sparring with him would definitely send me straight to my grave, so I’d been avoiding him. Somehow, I had agreed to a sparring match with him at some point, but for some reason, Kyle hadn’t forced the issue. But more than that, I really want to join the tournament!

“It’s a disaster! I heard that one of the participants collapsed from overtraining for the tournament!”

“Oh no, should we give the opponent a bye, then? But that wouldn’t be fair to the other contestants…”

I overheard the tense conversation from somewhere nearby and couldn’t help but listen in. It was pure coincidence, but the topic was incredibly intriguing. One of the participants had injured their leg and couldn’t compete in the tournament—what perfect timing! Just as I was wishing I could join the swordsmanship tournament, this opportunity fell into my lap! With eyes sparkling eagerly, I approached the two men deep in conversation.

“Hey, how about using a substitute?”

“A substitute?”

The two men, who appeared to be tournament officials, were surprised by my sudden approach, but I could see that my suggestion piqued their interest.

Finding a substitute was definitely a better option than handling it with a bye. However, finding a substitute at the last minute was nearly impossible, like plucking a star from the sky. But here I was, offering myself up—surely they wouldn’t refuse?

“A substitute is a good idea. You’re from the Swordsmanship Club, right?”

“…Of course!”

I answered with a nervous sweat breaking out. The swordsmanship tournament was only open to members of the Swordsmanship Club. As a member of the Magic Club, I technically wasn’t allowed to participate.

But the situation was desperate, and these two officials didn’t know who I was. If I played my cards right, I could pull this off.

“Well then, just write your name on the bracket here.”

I grabbed the pen and scribbled down my name. My hands were trembling, but thankfully, the two men were too engrossed in their conversation to notice. Phew, lucky for me they’re not too observant.

“Huh? Rader Karen?”

“Rader Karen… I feel like I’ve heard a similar name somewhere before.”

The two officials looked at my name and tilted their heads in confusion. I couldn’t use my real name, so I wrote down something subtly different. But could it be that they recognized me? Am I really that famous? The more they tilted their heads in puzzlement, the faster my heart began to race.

“Hmm, well, she said she’s from the Swordsmanship Club, so I guess it’s fine.”

“Yeah, whatever, let’s not bother with it.”

Thankfully, they decided to let it slide. They didn’t ask for any further details. Probably because they didn’t want the hassle. Lazy guys. But thanks to that, I was safe.

“So, am I all set for the competition now?”

“Yeah, just warm up until the tournament starts.”

After they wished me luck and walked off, I let out a deep breath. Phew, I thought I was going to get caught. Fortunately, they weren’t too interested in me. Looks like my luck’s pretty good today. But now that I think about it, isn’t this all a bit too lax? Can they just accept participants like this? Well, it works out for me, but I’m a little concerned about those two officials’ future. Anyway, I was so relieved to have made it into the tournament that I started humming. Sure, breaking the rules is bad, but as long as I just have a little fun and lose on purpose, there shouldn’t be any problem. Now I just need to find a robe to cover myself. Even though those two guys were outsiders and didn’t know me, there are bound to be some people in the audience who do. So, I needed something to hide my face.

Since the tournament rules didn’t care what participants wore as long as they didn’t carry any magic tools, I set off to find a merchant to buy a robe.