I Don't Want to Be a Villain
The night a pure white full moon rose high in the sky, the empire’s banquet hall rang with a thunderous toast.
“May golden light fill all our futures!”
The guests erupted in cheers, and I slipped away quietly, letting out a deep, hidden sigh. Being born a noble meant I didn’t exactly hate these events. After all, they’d been drilled into me like early childhood education. But everything changed because of one utterly ridiculous incident.
‘If I’m on the roof of a moving carriage, will I fall off or not?’
I’d made a bet with my friends out of youthful bravado. Of course I lost rock-paper-scissors, and of course I fell spectacularly from the carriage. After suffering a serious injury and hovering between life and death, I finally opened my eyes in bed. The moment I did, two sets of memories collided inside my skull, and I screamed in agony.
I was now Teo Lopez, the second son of Marquis Lopez, the empire’s chancellor. At the same time, I was also an unnamed mixed martial arts fighter who had been forced to abandon his dream after an unfortunate accident during a match. My opponent’s sloppy technique, my own stubbornness, and the critical mistake of failing to break my fall properly. That accident had ended my career. Afterward, I’d holed up in my room, barely able to move, and spent my days playing fighting games.
Staying home all the time left me with nothing but time on my hands. I’d run out of the genre novels I used to read, and every series I followed seemed to be on hiatus at once. I should have just gone to sleep quietly. Instead, I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll read a romance fantasy. Might as well pick a popular one.’
That decision to try something new and binge the most trending title for three straight hours was my downfall. The book was called something like Longing for Love Is Not a Sin. The exact title is fuzzy now. What I do remember clearly is this line: “Teo Lopez is a notorious henchman.”
Why did I earn that charming reputation? Simple. At first I was a sub-male lead who hovered around the heroine. But I got completely overshadowed by the main male leads and my screen time evaporated. Later, bitter that she wouldn’t accept my feelings, I joined the faction opposing her. From then on, I used every childish underhanded trick to put her in danger again and again, while also harassing the more vulnerable main leads with my family’s power. I was the epitome of an unlikeable villain.
…And that is exactly why I’ve been running away from banquets for the past five years. Thanks to my efforts, I even got to overhear things like this:
Every time I was dragged to a banquet, I heard the same gossip. I was sick of it.
“Ugh. This spot should be good.”
I’d found a quiet walking path behind the banquet hall. It was filled with the sweet scent of flowers, though the loud chirping of insects spoiled the mood a little. Tonight’s event was hosted by the Andras Marquisate. The family ran a prosperous merchant group and threw banquets often. The marchioness loved decorating, so there were plenty of places like this to escape to.
“Ah… I just want to go home already.”
They say leaving the house brings nothing but hardship. Right now I was so tired I could have collapsed into bed and slept for days. What had I been doing in this world with nothing to do that left me this exhausted? The answer was obvious. Working out.
Once I distanced myself from the usual distractions, I suddenly had time again. So I started living a life similar to my previous one. After reading every book in the family library, the only thing left was exercise. Of course I wanted to run around even here, but I had to restrain myself. If I did that, rumors would spread that the second son of Lopez had lost his mind. Then I’d definitely get summoned by my father and lectured until my ears bled.
‘Still, I need to hit my daily workout quota today.’
I was nineteen this year. Five years had passed since I became aware of my previous life’s memories and began training my body in earnest. The change was obvious. First, I had grown at least a handspan taller than before. In the original story, that small, frail physique had been one of the fatal flaws that caused Teo Lopez to be overshadowed by the other impressive male leads. He’d never trained with the sword as a child, and instead spent his nights carousing with lowlifes until his body was ruined. It was only natural he never grew properly.
But the past five years of sweat had left calluses on my palms like badges of honor. The process hadn’t been smooth, of course. Early on, I’d used a crudely made training device and ended up spraining my wrist badly. My mother had held that hand and cried her heart out. After that day, whenever I pushed myself even a little, she would turn pale and try to stop my training.
Still, it was fine. I’d secretly continued honing my skills whenever she wasn’t watching.
Plop.
Lost in old memories, I hadn’t noticed the sky darkening. Cold raindrops suddenly began to fall. This was bad. The path was perfect otherwise, but if it rained there was nowhere to take shelter except back at the banquet hall.
I was debating whether to just endure it if the rain was light when the crazy sky decided to dump a torrential downpour as if telling me to get lost.
“Damn it.”
I’d been trying to behave and avoid swearing in case anyone was watching, but even the heavens weren’t cooperating. With no choice, I started walking briskly back toward the banquet hall. I’d wandered quite far, so if I didn’t hurry I’d end up looking like a drowned rat. Still, a noble who loses his dignity is as good as dead. So even while getting soaked, I kept my posture perfect and walked at a measured pace.
It was just rain, after all. Of course, I still had to cover my head with my coat to prevent baldness. Why? Just look at my grandfather’s portrait. Expensive clothes getting wet? The coat was well-oiled and somewhat waterproof. And if the clothes got ruined, I could just buy new ones. This was the best compromise my modern memories could offer.
As I headed back at a reasonably dignified speed, I heard a rustle.
Amid the sound of rain hammering the leaves, I caught the presence of another person. I wondered what idiot had run away from the party like me. Normally I would have pretended not to notice out of courtesy, but my curiosity got the better of me.
‘What kind of bastard is having a secret rendezvous in the bushes at night? And in the rain? Is this supposed to be romantic?’
While I was busy avoiding girls my age so I wouldn’t end up like the original Teo, someone else was out here living the dream. Anger overrode reason, and by the time I came to my senses I was already charging into the bushes.
The sound hadn’t come from far away. I thought the couple should be visible by now, but instead I saw only a small silhouette leaning against the base of an old tree in the deepening darkness. The girl sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, completely cut off from the world. Golden strands that looked like wheat in the rain hung over her slender shoulders, already soaked and glistening. The tips lay limply across the damp undergrowth.
Even in the darkness, the girl shone faintly. Almost as if she wanted to be found.
…Wow. She’s insanely pretty.
I didn’t know who she was, but there was no one else around. Judging by how lost in sorrow she looked, it seemed she’d been dumped. The scene felt vaguely familiar, but I didn’t have time to think about it. The noise I made caused the girl to turn her head toward me.
Her eyes, clear and sad as if they had gathered every raindrop falling from the sky, captured my image. A deep blue that carried a hint of melancholy.
“……”
The girl said nothing. Thankfully, the etiquette drilled into this body kicked in automatically.
“…It’s raining quite heavily, my lady.”
I had no idea who she was, but I couldn’t stop myself from meddling. At my words, she bit her lip. It wasn’t displeasure toward me, but anger at herself. Her rain-soaked shoulders trembled faintly.
It was as if she were telling me to mind my own business and leave, but it wasn’t easy to walk past someone looking like that. She reminded me of myself right after the accident. I took a careful step forward. The rustle of grass underfoot announced my approach, but she didn’t react. At least she wasn’t so opposed to company that she would reject someone sitting beside her.
“…You might catch a cold.”
My coat was already wet from shielding my head, but I draped it over hers anyway. Even though the waterproofing couldn’t hold up against this downpour, the inside was still dry. The girl looked up at me gently.
“…Why?”
Her voice was so small and fragile it was nearly swallowed by the rain, but her eyes made her meaning clear. She couldn’t understand why I was doing this for her. After a brief moment of thought, I answered.
“…It might be meddling, but I really can’t stand seeing someone cry in front of me.”
I wasn’t sure if I had any right to say that, but it was still better than letting her cry.
“…Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. By the way, it doesn’t look like the rain will stop anytime soon.”
Her grateful reply made me feel awkward, so I changed the subject. If I answered carelessly, I might get caught up in the atmosphere and start asking questions. She stared blankly into the empty air at my words.
Her utterly miserable appearance had to be the result of a devastating breakup. Whoever the guy was, I was jealous. I hoped he was at most three centimeters tall.
“I’m planning to head back to the banquet hall. What will you do, my lady?”
I cursed him inwardly while maintaining perfect politeness on the outside. The girl forced a smile.
“…Actually, I twisted my ankle when I rushed out here. I can’t move.”
I followed her embarrassed gaze down to her feet. One of her shoes was missing. It must have come off while she walked quite a distance. Her bare, slender ankle was swollen and red, proving that her claim of a sprain was no exaggeration. It was obvious she couldn’t take even a single step in that condition.
“Can you stand?”
At my question, she struggled to get up.
“Ah!”
With a scream that didn’t sound the least bit fake, she collapsed weakly again. Trembling, she clutched her injured ankle with both hands, yet still managed to give me an awkward, apologetic smile.
“If you could please go back first and call someone for me… Eek! W-what are you doing?!”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Before she could finish speaking, I scooped her up from the ground in one smooth motion. I had no impure intentions. Leaving her alone in this insane downpour while I went to fetch help could lead to who-knows-what. As she froze in shock at the sudden princess carry, I pulled the coat I’d lent her earlier over her head and added casually,
“If we cover you like this, no one will know who you are.”
If she was worried about rumors spreading from being seen in another man’s arms, then hiding her completely would prevent any gossip. Thanks to her small frame, the coat covered her so thoroughly that no one would recognize her. I was right.
“B-but everyone will see your face…”
She seemed worried that people would see me carrying a woman through the rain and start rumors. My reputation? It was already in the gutter—actually, it had fallen straight into the abyss. After the accident, I’d distanced myself from the trash I used to hang out with, and they’d spread vicious stories about me.
“It’s fine. I don’t care anyway.”
“…Um, am I… not too heavy?”
She clutched the collar of the coat with both hands, only her eyes peeking out as she asked timidly. Heavy? How should I answer so this noble lady wouldn’t feel embarrassed? After a short pause, I lowered my head slightly and replied nonchalantly.
“With the rain this loud, I’d forgotten I was even carrying you.”
I looked straight into those mysterious eyes that seemed to hold the entire world and answered as smoothly as I could. Up close, her eyes weren’t just blue. They were a deep violet with a cool, shimmering blue hue that was the classic color for captivating people. Maybe my line didn’t sit well with her, because the moment I finished speaking she yanked the coat collar up and completely hid her face.
‘If you don’t like it, just say so. Why shut down the conversation?’
Thanks to that, we didn’t exchange another word on the way back to the banquet hall. The entrance was crowded with people who had been caught outside in the rain, so I naturally set her down there. As I was about to head inside, leaving her behind, I heard her voice.
“U-um…”
When I turned around, the girl’s face was flushed red as she peeked out from inside the coat.
Ah, she probably wanted to know what to do with the coat. But I didn’t have time for a detailed discussion.
“Young Masterrrrrr!!!”
Unfortunately, there was no time. I heard our family’s maid shouting as she spotted me in a panic. It was Ellie.
“I’ll receive it later when the opportunity arises.”
Not wanting to get tangled up in rumors, I quickly moved away from the girl and hurried to calm the maid who was running toward me. The brown-haired girl with freckles on her nose dashed across the now-slippery hall floor. The moment Ellie reached me, she stood on her tiptoes and tried to dry my hair with the towel she’d been clutching.
Of course, she could only reach the ends, so I naturally took the towel from her hands and started drying my own hair.
“Young Master! Oh my goodness! If you get this soaked you’ll catch a cold!”
“I know, I know. Just calm down first, Ellie.”
“And where did you leave your coat… Huh? What’s that?”
Now that she had nothing to do, her eyes caught something else. Her gaze, which had been anxiously scanning me, shifted toward the pillar behind me. The girl I had just set down was there, and Ellie, having found the coat’s owner, was clearly wondering what was going on. If I left her alone she’d make a scene. I quickly grabbed Ellie’s shoulders, spun her around, and blocked her view.
“Come on, let’s go. The fact that you came all the way out here desperately looking for me must mean Father or Mother is looking for me, right?”
“Ah! That’s true, but… wait, what about that coat…?”
“Yes, yes. Let’s go inside quickly.”
As we returned to the banquet hall, I made sure to tell one of the servants that there was an injured person near the entrance. When I finally stepped back inside, far too many eyes turned to stare at my drenched appearance. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet they were scanning me from head to toe. Wasn’t that a bit much?
By the time I reached my parents, I received a lecture so intense I thought my ears would bleed, all about what on earth I thought I was doing looking like this.