How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 7

Chapter 1: The Villainess named Radel (6)

Somehow, I ended up strolling through the market with Aren. Although the escort knights were waiting behind us, the distance made it feel like we were walking alone.

“I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this.”

“…Yeah.”

Unlike me, tense and stiff, Aren was chatting easily. Aren always used formal language, whether he was talking to someone older or younger. Even when I read the novel, I thought his personality was really great. He continued speaking with a smile still on his face.

“We’ve met at the academy and parties, but this is our first time meeting in the market.”

“Haha…”

Well, that’s true. It’s my first time coming to the market. Feeling awkward, I just laughed instead of answering. It was awkward. Even though Aren wasn’t meeting Radel for the first time, it was my first time meeting him. Naturally, I felt awkward.

As I twisted my body in discomfort for a while, Aren smiled gently and looked at me intently. His gaze was incredibly noticeable, but I didn’t have the courage to tell him not to look, so I just kept walking forward. I wish he would stop staring…

“Without makeup…”

“…..?”

Uh, what about without makeup? Surely, he wouldn’t say he can’t stand to look at me without it and wants to erase me, right? While such words wouldn’t come from Aren, I braced myself and imagined various scenarios. But Aren’s next words were unexpected.

“You’re really beautiful.”

“!!”

Even though I was prepared, it hit me hard. Wait a minute, this is such a big compliment all of a sudden! Blushing and flustered by Aren’s unexpected praise, he chuckled softly, seemingly amused. Is he doing this on purpose?

“But why are you here, Aren?”

I racked my brain to change the subject and came up with this. Why would he be at the market? Obviously to shop! Aren kindly answered my strange question.

“I came to do some grocery shopping.”

“…But couldn’t you have someone else do that?”

The magic tower employed many wizards, and as the next candidate for Tower Master, Aren had considerable authority. So it would be fine to have another wizard do the shopping, right?

“Actually, I just wanted to get some fresh air.”

“I see.”

I guess Aren is always busy. He must have a lot to learn since he’s the successor. You must be tired, too. I gently patted Aren’s back. It was a very cautious touch. Since we’re still not that close, this level of contact seemed appropriate. Pat pat.

Aren tilted his head, puzzled by my light touch. What’s this cuteness? Even though Aren was taller than me, he seemed like a cute, small animal. Like… a rabbit? If Kailon is like a dog… no, a puppy, then Aren seems like a rabbit!

“Oh, what’s this?”

“What is it?”

I snapped out of my thoughts about a rabbit munching on a carrot when I heard Aren’s curious question. Aren was looking at a wall. More precisely, he was looking at a poster on the wall. It seemed like a poster I had seen somewhere before…

‘Rip!’

The sound of tearing paper was loud and clear. The poster Aren was looking at was none other than the one seeking me. Of course, it didn’t have my name on it but instead had a nickname so embarrassing I couldn’t say or even see it. Are these posted elsewhere too…? Oh, dear.

“What’s on that poster?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Aren looked down at the scattered pieces of paper on the ground, intrigued. In my panic, I tried to push Aren away from the spot.

I’ll have to get someone to remove all those posters later. With that resolve, I walked away.

As we walked through the bustling market, I casually asked something I was curious about.

“Come to think of it, have you seen Seria lately?”

“Why Seria?”

As expected of a fish in the pond, Aren reacted immediately when I mentioned Seria’s name. Since I’m still considered the villainess, he seems wary that I might do something bad to Seria. Although I dislike Seria, I have no intention of bothering her, so I replied with a hint of resentment.

“I was just curious.”

“…I haven’t seen her lately.”

His voice turned cold, unlike before. Well, it makes sense. The villainess who has been tormenting Seria wouldn’t ask about her well-being for no reason. But I’m truly innocent. I was just genuinely curious!

“Hey, um…”

“Ahh, help!!”

Just as I was about to speak to clear up the misunderstanding, someone screamed loud enough to burst my eardrums. What’s that? Is this Crisis Escape Number One? Is someone in danger? I quickly turned my head, trying to find the source of the sound.

“Look over there, her foot is trapped!”

“Shouldn’t we help her?”

There was a woman trapped under several boxes that had fallen. It seemed like the boxes accidentally fell and pinned her foot as she passed by. Groaning and unable to move, she was clearly in urgent need of help. However, the people around her seemed too overwhelmed to know what to do and were just standing there, confused.

What should I do? It would be difficult to lift the boxes by myself. Should I just wait for someone else to help, or should I go and ask a nearby knight order for assistance?

A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind. Since childhood, I was taught that I must help those in need, so I wanted to help somehow. But due to nervousness, my body wouldn’t move.

“Radel…?”

The remaining stacked boxes were teetering, on the verge of collapsing. With no time to waste, I braced myself for an eight-week injury and ran toward the woman. Behind me, Aren called my name. Oh, right. I could have just asked Aren to move the boxes… But before I could think of that, the boxes were already falling, and I was embracing the woman protectively.

Ah, I’m doomed. Vivian is going to scold me again.

Worrying unnecessarily, I tightly shut my eyes and waited for the boxes to fall. However, no matter how long I waited, nothing happened. What…?

“Are you okay?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw wooden boxes floating in the air like balloons and a wizard calmly standing there, looking at me.

“…Aren.”

Of course, the wizard was Aren. He casually removed the boxes with magic, as if it were easier than breathing, and walked over to me. Suddenly, Aren seemed to have a halo… This is what a wizard is!

“Here, let me help you up.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I took Aren’s naturally extended hand and stood up, checking on the woman who had fallen. It seemed that Aren had also healed her ankle, as she looked fine.

“Are you okay? Can you stand up?”

“Ah…”

I gently helped the woman up, carefully checking for any injuries. Even while I was examining her, the woman seemed dazed, perhaps shocked by what had just happened. Is she really okay?

“Th-thank you. You both saved my life! I’ll repay you later!”

The woman regained her senses after a moment and smiled brightly. I didn’t really do much. Well, I didn’t do anything at all. It was Aren who moved the boxes and healed her ankle… What did I even do?

“Well, see you again!”

The woman, smiling beautifully like a flower, waved her hand and left. I waved back, deeply pondering what I had actually done.

“Radel, Radel…!”

“Uh, what?”

Aren, who pulled me out of my thoughts, seemed to be in a good mood. His face looked brighter… Why does he suddenly seem so happy?

“I used to think you were someone who enjoyed bullying others.”

Oh, I see. But why are you suddenly confessing? With a question mark floating above my head, I looked at Aren. He was smiling brightly.

“But today, my perspective changed. You’re a very kind person, Radel. A bit unusual, but…”

“Um, thanks for the compliment?”

I wasn’t quite sure if it was a compliment, but it seemed like Aren’s impression of me had improved. Wow, this is an unexpected turn of events..! My reckless actions seemed to have had an effect, as Aren was now treating me even more kindly than before. He was always kind, though.

“Well, I should get going. Let’s meet at the academy next time.”

Aren said goodbye briefly and disappeared like the wind, as if using magic. Oh, right. He is a real wizard. I sometimes forget that this is a fantasy novel world.

“Oh, right. Errands.”

Thus, my second outing, full of incidents, ended after the sun had set. I ended up returning home without buying anything, so Vivian greeted me with an extremely angry face. Additionally, I was late for my magic theory lesson and had to endure a scolding from the professor. Somehow, this kind of day-to-day life is starting to feel familiar…

***

The air was cold in the early autumn morning, just after summer. Shivering, I pulled the half-covering blanket up over my head. The air inside was scarce but cozy and warm. As I lay there endlessly, like a hibernating bear, instead of a phone alarm, a familiar touch shook my body relentlessly, waking me up. Is this feeling… Mom?

“What? It’s Vivian.”

“Good morning, Miss.”

I glared at Vivian, who was rolling up the curtains. I was sleeping so well, and she had to interrupt! Vivian is always so diligent. She’s probably the first one up in the house.

“I want to sleep more…”

I squirmed like a caterpillar, preparing to return to dreamland, but I had to give up on sleeping, thanks to Vivian, who yanked the blanket away and tossed it far. I was just about to drift off again. What a shame.

“Hurry up and get ready!”

With Vivian urging me, I dragged my heavy body to the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth, I looked at my half-asleep face in the mirror. It was a little puffy, but since my face was naturally small and pretty, it wasn’t too noticeable. Ah, I should’ve stopped eating spaghetti yesterday. Our chef’s skills are improving day by day, making it hard to resist.

“But Vivian, why did you wake me up so early?”

After washing my face as if in an advertis*ment—clean, clear, and confident—I approached Vivian, who was tidying my room, and asked. Vivian, who usually didn’t say anything about my sleeping in, seemed urgent in waking me up. Is there something special today?

“Today’s the day you go to the academy.”

“Oh.”

A short sigh escaped. I had completely forgotten about it, having been cooped up at home for so long. Vivian handed me what appeared to be a uniform as she watched my expression change from neutral to shocked. Meanwhile, I quite liked the uniform. It seemed worth attending…!

“You should’ve told me sooner!”

“I thought you already knew, Miss.”

Vivian said calmly, as if wondering who wouldn’t know that. Hmm, with that response, I had nothing to say. Without further comment, I changed into the uniform and headed to the mirror.

“I’m pretty even without makeup, so I’ll skip it.”

“…Are you really not going to wear makeup?”

Vivian asked in surprise, pausing with the makeup tools in her hand. I nodded as I brushed my hair. I hadn’t worn makeup all summer. Because of that, the maids at the mansion, including Vivian, occasionally urged me to try some makeup. They all had excellent skills, and it felt like a waste to let those talents go unused.

“But makeup damages the skin.”

“You’re already worried about your skin…”

Vivian sighed as she spoke. She seemed a bit frustrated. I felt sorry for Vivian, but my face looked much more natural without makeup. So, unless it’s an important day, I won’t be applying anything to my face.

“More importantly, is breakfast ready?”

“Yes. It should be ready if you go down to the dining room.”

I needed to arrive at the academy by 8 a.m. Since I commuted from home rather than staying in a dormitory, I had to move quickly. I hurriedly finished breakfast and boarded the carriage that had been prepared for me, heading to the academy. While pretending to read a book inside the carriage, none of the content actually registered with me. I was too nervous…!

“Wow…”

I stepped into the academy, which was as enormous as a castle and awe-inspiring just to look at. Since it was still early in the morning, there were only a few students around, but nine out of ten seemed shocked or ran away when they saw me. Am I some kind of monster, haha? I felt a bit lonely, but hopefully, it would get better soon. However, imagining a lonely academy life without any friends inevitably made me feel even more gloomy.

“Maybe I should take a walk before class.”

To lift my spirits, I headed toward the garden, which wasn’t exactly famous or something the academy boasted about, but I liked it a lot. Honestly, I hesitated as I was confused about the way. Finding the garden within the unnecessarily vast academy was more challenging than I had thought. I wondered how I found it before.

“Excuse me…?”

“I don’t know anything!!”

I tried asking for directions, but the student ran away, startled, and I wiped away a tear as I watched. Could you please listen until I finish speaking? After getting snubbed by an anonymous student, I didn’t have the courage to ask anyone else for directions. I thought about looking for an academy guide map instead, and as I was glancing around, a white, slender finger poked my shoulder.

“Oh, Aren?”

I quickly turned around and saw Aren smiling in the morning sunlight. He was standing quite close, so I stepped back a little, feeling a bit overwhelmed. His face was too bright for a morning sight.

“You’re here early.”

“You’re here really early too.”

It felt natural to talk with Aren. Maybe it was because we had met once before, but now I could interact with Aren without any awkwardness. Come to think of it, I’m talking to the future Tower Master, right? Wow, I should try to make a good impression.

“Were you heading somewhere?”

“I came early, so I thought I’d take a walk…”

I trailed off. I couldn’t bring myself to say, “I don’t know where the garden is, so I can’t get there!” I fiddled with my long, straight hair, hesitating before I opened my mouth.

“W-would you like to join? For the walk, I mean.”

It wasn’t something I needed to say hesitantly, but I spoke nervously. It wasn’t because the person in front of me was a handsome Tower Master but because if someone saw this scene and started spreading rumors, it would be a big problem. Aren was handsome. He was also talented and smart. There was a good reason why Seria had her eye on him and wanted him in her pond.

There was a group that could be called a fan club for such a perfect Aren. If there was something scarier and more terrifying than Seria at the moment, it was Aren’s fan club. If the fan club president were to witness this scene, what would happen…? Even if I were a princess, I might face some kind of retaliation. That’s why I asked Aren cautiously if he wanted to go for a walk. He nodded with a smile.

“Of course. Since Radel is asking, I’ll join you.”

He was still a young man with a gentle smile and a way with words. I ended up following Aren, and fortunately, I didn’t get lost.