Chapter 8. From Winter to Spring (7)

It was the perfect chance to achieve her dream.

And Seria was confident.

She orchestrated a fated encounter disguised as coincidence—romantic, like something out of a play.

With the poise and elegance she had spent three years perfecting, she made herself appear as the delicate, pure noble lady.

She could still remember the Crown Prince’s face—his widened eyes as he looked at her for the first time.

It had to be a good sign.

After her first meeting with the crown prince, everything began falling perfectly into place.

All the students at the academy adored Seria, calling her an angel.

And the prince—he seemed completely taken with her.

On top of that, the heir to the Tower Master, sons of dukes, and even wealthy nobles were showing interest in her.

It was… highly satisfying.

But what made this already perfect situation even more exquisite was one person:

Radel Karel.

That woman with her heavy, ill-fitting makeup and foul personality.

Seria wouldn’t say it out loud, but the truth was, that woman really did have a nasty attitude.

Radel had called Seria a “fox-faced b*tch” out of nowhere, dumped water on her head, and lately had been trying to trip her or even slap her across the face…

But every time, like a knight in shining armor, some boy would rush in and defend her.

She hadn’t suffered even a scratch. It was almost amusing.

Ha. No matter how hard you try to torment me, I won’t even break a nail.

Keep going. Just like that.

Every heroine needed a villain.

Radel Karel made Seria shine even brighter.

Seria was genuinely grateful to her.

She saw her as a stupid, pitiful girl and laughed behind her back.

But then—

“Let’s make peace.”

After summer break, that woman—clearly out of her mind—approached Seria and proposed they reconcile.

There was a strange sense of confidence in her expression.

What’s she plotting?

Why peace… and why now?

Though Seria was confused, she gave her a sweet smile in return.

There were far too many people around, so Seria had to work hard to keep her expression in check.

She found the handshake unpleasant, but she couldn’t let it show on her face.

Ever since that so-called “reconciliation,” Radel Karel had been gradually getting under her skin.

She was getting close to the very men Seria had worked so hard to charm, and worse, she was going around doing good deeds, trying to build up a positive reputation.

It was utterly laughable.

As those absurd actions started to irritate her more and more, Seria decided to have a little fun.

She ripped up Radel’s invitations and clothes, deliberately threw her into troublesome situations, and once even locked her inside the library.

They were petty tricks—but imagining that foolish girl flustered and scrambling gave Seria no small amount of joy.

And yet… Radel Karel always escaped her traps and crises with ease.

As if she were the heroine, always rescued just in time by someone else.

But the moment that truly shocked Seria was when the exam results came out.

The heroine always had to win over the villainess.

Even in something as small as a test or a casual competition, the heroine should always surpass the villainess by an overwhelming margin.

Until now, Seria had always beaten Radel Karel in everything.

But now, right there on the results board…

The name in the top spot—the name that should have been hers—was Radel Karel’s.

This can’t be real.

As she stood frozen in disbelief, Radel approached her with a calm, confident smile.

What is that smile?

That’s supposed to be mine.

Seria stared blankly at the hand Radel offered, then reached out and shook it.

An ugly, sour emotion rose up from the pit of her stomach.

Maybe that was when it truly began—her hatred for Radel Karel.

The girl who was starting to threaten her place as the heroine.

It infuriated her.

So Seria took it out on others.

She started stealing other girls’ fiancés.

It was as easy as snatching a toy from a child—and seeing the noble ladies bite their lips in silence was strangely satisfying.

They couldn’t touch her—no one could.

Seria was still seen as the Academy’s “angel,” a girl wrapped in purity and admiration, shielded by the affection of all.

Yes, I’m supposed to be the one everyone loves.

And you dare try to take that from me?

Seria wanted to destroy Radel Karel.

That girl grated on her nerves in every possible way.

For the first time in her life, Seria felt a rage so deep it twisted her insides—and it drove her mad.

So she made a decision.

She would use the marquis to kill Radel Karel.

Taking one life—what did it matter?

The marquis would take care of it. He was completely entranced by Seria—or more accurately, by her body.

He would do anything she asked.

And so, Seria carried out her plan.

The field trip.

The forest excursion.

It was the perfect setup.

She led Radel Karel into a trap, confident that her victory was sealed.

But it was arrogance.

And a mistake.

She should have made sure Radel was dead.

But that girl… stubbornly, unbelievably… came back alive.

And she dragged Seria down with her.

Everything began to unravel.

She had once believed without doubt that she was the heroine.

But now, the one who truly fit that title was Radel Karel.

And she—Seria—was just the failed villainess who couldn’t even kill properly.

Humiliation.

Rage.

Emptiness.

All tangled together as she lay, powerless, on the cold floor of her cell.

Why?

Why did it come to this?

She had worked so hard, just to become the beautiful heroine.

So why did that girl—who did nothing—get everything, while she was left here in disgrace?

Seria thought and thought… until at last, she let out a bitter laugh.

What does it matter? I lost. That fact won’t change.

“…No.

Maybe… it’s not over yet.”

Within the prison walls, a pitiful woman’s cracked voice echoed softly.

It’s not over yet.

That one thought was enough to push Seria back onto her feet.

She slipped into her old, perfected role—masking herself in fragility and grace.

Just a little trembling, a few tears, a whisper of weakness.

It was all it took to fool the guard.

In a flash, she knocked him unconscious and took the key from his belt.

She strolled calmly out of the cell.

Not far from the doorway, she glanced at the guard’s sword but shook her head.

Too heavy.

Then she spotted a dagger carelessly discarded nearby.

A thin smile curved her lips.

Perfect.

She tucked it into her dress and cast her teleportation spell.

Her destination: the garden of the academy.

The location of the party.

Her instincts whispered that Radel Karel was there.

A long, tiresome bond of resentment—Seria would sever it tonight.

It had been a while since she last saw Radel, since that prison visit.

Now, there she stood again—dressed in an elegant gown, bathed in soft light.

Beautiful.

Radiant.

Just like a heroine.

Strange, Seria thought.

You used to be the villainess.

Now… you look like the heroine.

And she—Seria—standing here with a dagger hidden in her dress…

She was the one who looked like the villain now.

How did it come to this?

If only you hadn’t appeared… I would have stayed the perfect heroine.

It’s all your fault.

You’re the reason I lost everything.

You’re the reason I went mad.

“I really hate you.”

And in those words—there was no acting, no mask.

Only Seria’s bitter, twisted truth.

***

As the blade rushed toward me, one thing flashed through my mind—

something I had picked up during swordsmanship training with Vivian: self-defense.

My strength and stamina weren’t exactly impressive, so she had taught me one simple but useful technique.

I’d even used it once on the first day of the field trip, back at the Magic Tower.

A basic throw.

“Ugh!”

I caught Seria’s arm just as she swung the blade—and with a swift motion, I flipped her clean over.

Oops. Did I just throw the heroine?

Well, too bad—this was self-defense.

She was the one who threatened me first with a deadly weapon.

She broke out of prison and came all the way here with a knife just to get revenge.

Honestly, I almost wanted to applaud her dedication.

“How’s the view from down there?”

I asked the still-prone Seria.

She didn’t move.

Maybe she was too humiliated.

Or maybe she was actually hurt?

Or… was she playing possum, waiting to strike again?

Is she planning to attack while I let my guard down?

Just in case, I used my foot to kick the dagger away—far enough that she couldn’t grab it if she lunged.

That took care of the most immediate threat.

She could still use magic, of course, but for now, I felt a little safer.

“…Let’s go.”

“Huh?”

After a long silence, Seria murmured something.

I didn’t catch it and asked again—

Then suddenly, she sprang up, grabbed the hem of my skirt with both hands, and cried out desperately.

“Let’s go back. Let’s go back to the way things were!”

“…What?”

The words made no sense.

Go back?

What was she even talking about?

Seria clung to me desperately, pushing closer with manic intensity, begging to return to how things used to be.

I asked her what she meant—genuinely confused.

And then… she smiled.

That smile, once beautiful, now sent shivers down my spine.

“You go back to being the villainess, and I’ll be the heroine again. Please!”

“…Seria, you really…”

You’ve gone mad.

She was still trapped in her delusional script, clinging to a fantasy stage where she was the star and I was the wicked foil.

How did it come to this?

How did a person unravel so completely?

Seria was practically begging me—pleading—to reset the roles.

To let her be the radiant heroine again, and for me to return to being cruel and hated.

It was… pitiful.

“You were the villainess in the beginning! Why did you have to change?!”

From desperate pleading to fury—Seria’s emotions swung wildly.

She suddenly stood, grabbed the front of my dress, and shouted in my face.

I was stunned for a moment—then, involuntarily, I laughed.

A short, incredulous breath of a laugh.

Hah… This is insane.

Still gripping me tightly, she shook me back and forth.

“Seria… That’s enough.”

“GO BACK! Go back to being that foul-mouthed, nasty little villainess again!”

Her voice cracked with desperation.

But I could only look at her with pity.

She wasn’t even trying to listen anymore—just dumping her twisted emotions onto me without pause.

Ugh… geez. My head was spinning.

I let her go on for a bit, but the more she shook me, the dizzier I got.

It was starting to feel like motion sickness, so I had to put a stop to it.

“Snap out of it!”

Knowing words wouldn’t work, I went with a more drastic approach—

I smacked both of her cheeks at once with my hands. Not hard, just enough to make a point.

I had promised myself I’d never slap someone again,

but hey, this was more like a light double pat. It counts as safe… probably.

Her cheeks flushed red like apples, but it probably didn’t hurt. Probably.

“W-What was that for…?!”

“Listen carefully, Seria.”

She held her reddened cheeks with both hands, eyes wide like a startled rabbit.

Guess I really caught her off guard.