The Female Lead Also Learns How to Handle the Villainess
The Female Lead Also Learns How to Handle the Villainess
"Ahem! Welcome, Young Lady-nim."
Squeeeeze—!
"Aaaack!!"
"Welcome, my foot!"
Lihel shouted, pulling my sideburns even harder.
"My mother told me to make sure you were fed, so I haven't even eaten and have been doing nothing but dog training for 40 minutes!!"
It seriously hurt a lot.
She was pulling with all her might, and I felt like my sideburns were about to be ripped out entirely.
But even while being scolded, I held back the pain that was making my eyes water.
I put on a completely shameless and cheeky smile.
"To think you care about me that much... As I expected, the Duke and the Young Lady-nim are very kind and warm-hearted people. To come out here like this..."
"Y-You crazy... Shut up!"
Feeling that I was about to spout all sorts of nonsense again, Lihel used her remaining hand to abruptly cover my mouth.
"Haa, seriously... Forget it, just stop talking and follow me."
Nod, nod.
As I nodded a couple of times in agreement, she took her hand off my mouth. Lihel, who was about to leave the cafeteria first, paused for a moment, and her gaze shifted to the seat next to me.
It was Sereniel, who was sitting right across from me, holding a fork, eyes wide, quietly watching this chaotic situation.
With hair that was a mix of white and mint—a color combination that was hard enough to find on its own—and an overwhelming appearance that would instantly captivate anyone's gaze, it was understandable that Lihel would look at her. Sereniel had the kind of looks that would draw attention even from other women.
And as soon as I saw that, I started to get nervous.
'...Don't tell me the original novel's compulsion is kicking in right now, and the villainess mode targeting the female lead is about to activate?'
An early clash between the female lead and the villainess.
Since it was one of the most common clichés in romance fantasy novels, it was a scenario that could easily happen even if they had no prior connection.
So, at that moment, I hesitated, wondering if I should intervene right away out of anxiety.
Instead of pouring soup on Sereniel's head or picking a fight, Lihel...
She whipped her head around and leaned in close to me again.
Then, she grabbed my other sideburn that she had let go of, and whispered quietly, so only I could hear.
"I had my suspicions ever since you sent that crazy love letter to my mother and me... Do you just hit on and touch anyone you think is pretty? At this rate, you'll even hit on the Princess."
'Oh, how did you know? I actually hit on that Princess last night and almost got my head chopped off.'
...Is not what I said.
More than that, is this what they call a woman's intuition?
To deduce the Princess part in one go.
I gave her a standing ovation in my mind for her keen intuition, while outwardly, I hurriedly started something like an explanation.
"That is a misunderstanding. I just happened to sit there because there were no other seats. However... does your statement just now mean that you are very well aware that you are very beautiful?"
"I am beauti... Ah, seriously!"
Lihel, who was trying to make an excuse, seemed to be at a loss for words, her face turning bright red as she let go of my sideburns.
"Forget it, just follow me!!"
I watched the back of Lihel, who was turning toward the cafeteria exit, huffing as if she were genuinely embarrassed.
Feeling a sense of satisfaction for a moment, I thought about how I wanted to give those noble brats, who had been laughing at me like I was a bug until just a moment ago, a proper screw-over.
'...I think it would be fine to just do it, right?'
Just yesterday, I had used the Denius name out of the blue, so why would today be any different?
So, I raised my voice as much as I could so everyone in the cafeteria could hear.
"But, Young Lady-nim, if you are personally inviting me to such a precious meal, what happens to the noble lords over there?"
"......."
At my question, the air inside the cafeteria froze instantly.
The noble young masters, who had been openly talking behind my back and giggling just a moment ago, began to turn pale as if they realized what I was about to say.
It's already too late, you damn bastards.
Lihel also stopped in her tracks, turned her head slightly, and glared at me as if I were absurd.
"What kind of nonsense is that now?"
"It's nothing much. Just..."
I hesitated for a brief moment, putting on a very troubled and cowed expression.
"According to the noble children sitting over there just a moment ago, commoner bugs like me attending the academy is an insult to their noble bloodlines."
"......."
"So, I am deeply concerned that if I shamelessly join the Young Lady-nim for a meal, I might end up bringing the stigma of coddling a commoner upon Lihel Denius-nim, who possesses the second most noble bloodline in the empire."
My perfect acting, hiding my true intentions and showing only the image of a pitiful and pathetic victim.
Only then did Lihel realize what I was trying to say.
And what kind of reaction I was trying to elicit from her.
'Ha! You're really trying to use me as a shield, aren't you.'
Her red eyes seemed to say exactly that.
Of course, that was all.
Instead of scolding me for running my mouth so cheekily, Lihel slowly turned her head and scanned the faces of the noble students who were frozen stiff.
At the same time, the overwhelming mana of a 4th-tier mage began to leak out little by little.
"It would be better not to use your mouths so freely."
"T-That is, we were just..."
"I know what kind of rumors you heard to be spouting such nonsense, but in the end, whether the Commoner Quota System is maintained or not... the final decision lies with Denius, which holds the most power in this empire."
A warning that was simple and clear, yet definitive.
At those words, the noble children who had been leading the gossip and acting all high and mighty all bowed their heads, beginning to tremble with resentment or fear.
It was a perfect "proper lesson."
"Follow me."
Having finished settling the situation, Lihel turned around without hesitation and started walking ahead again.
I obediently followed behind her, and glanced back at Sereniel, who had been left alone at the table.
Suddenly losing her lunch companion and left all by herself, she was drooping her hair, staring at me with an infinitely faint and lonely expression, like a tragic female lead who had been abandoned.
'...I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it.'
It would be different if my goal was to become the male lead of a romance fantasy.
I just wanted to live a life in this romance fantasy world where I could live a second life, not living fiercely like in my past life, but just doing nothing and being a freeloader that my lover would like.
Still, just leaving like this wasn't good manners toward the protagonist of the novel who had entertained me so far.
So, I offered the minimum courtesy, putting my hands together in a gesture of apology toward her, and whispered with just my mouth shape.
'Sorry. Let's eat later if we get the chance.'
However, unlike the sorrowful expression I showed on the outside.
Inside my head, a tap dance festival was starting to break out.
'Still, this is good. I was wondering how to create some distance.'
If we drifted apart like this, there would be no reason to be disliked, and no reason for things to get unnecessarily complicated.
I made eye contact one last time, then turned around and followed closely behind Lihel.
Right... for now, my top priority is to find a way to fix the flow of the original story that I've messed up so badly.
Remember, keeping the female lead in the fold is 3rd priority.
.
.
.
And the next day, at lunchtime.
As if to properly mock me for letting my guard down after handling things so surely yesterday.
Sereniel came to find me at the dormitory where Lihel and I were.
"Please let me receive your grace too, Young Lady-nim."
"...Ha?"
Lihel's scoff, in which the feeling of absurdity was very well felt.
I doubted my own eyes and ears.
Why on earth did this development unfold?
In the original work, Sereniel suffered from the extreme bullying and contempt of the nobles throughout the first half.
Especially, she suffered from the persistent bullying of Lihel, one of the main villains, and there wasn't a day her tears dried.
Then, after being protected by the male lead, Kalian Valetier.
It was a narrative where she relied on him and gradually regained her inner strength.
But the female lead in front of me right now was walking into the lion's den on her own from the start, boldly asking for protection from the most dangerous beast.
'...I'm truly screwed.'
I was so flustered that I had no idea how to deal with it.
Lihel's gaze was sinking in real-time.
Her arrogant villainess nature, which had been temporarily sealed while being swayed by the flirting I had been doing, was visibly waking up.
"I've been playing along with this commoner guy lately and showing some mercy... and now I look like a pushover to you?"
It properly exploded.
Along with the sarcasm, the aura of Blue-Black Flame began to rise around Lihel's body.
The temperature around us heated up in an instant.
'W-Will she really burn everything up at this rate?'
The moment I, who had finally come to my senses, was about to intervene.
"No, Young Lady-nim. I know very well that you are not just someone who shows mercy."
Even amidst the suffocating pressure and threat, Sereniel did not back down at all.
Instead, she beamed with her signature bright and innocent smile, and boldly stepped right in front of Lihel.
"But yesterday at the cafeteria, I was convinced when I saw you taking care of Zenon. You are certainly arrogant and cold, Young Lady-nim, but you are a warm person who definitely takes responsibility for and protects those who enter your fence."
"W-What? W-Warm?"
"Yes! So please let me into your wide and warm fence like Zenon. I won't eat much, and I'm really good at cleaning and running errands!"
Sereniel clenched both her fists, her eyes sparkling, and began to shower her with endless praise and blind affection out of the blue.
At the same time, I witnessed a truly amazing and shocking sight.
Lihel's Blue-Black Flame, which had been flickering threateningly with murderous intent.
It began to die down like a lie in response to Sereniel's endless praise attack and sweet smile.
"A-Ah, no... What is this... I won't be swayed by such... praise..."
Even without this, she was already suffering from the endless straight-forward praise and shameless flirting of a crazy guy like me, so her sharp defense mechanism was already tattered.
On top of that, the female lead, whose appearance was dazzling, came close and smiled, so Lihel couldn't find her pace and started wavering.
"I really won't be a bother by your side, Young Lady-nim! Yes? Just once!"
"Ah... D-Don't come closer! Get away!"
"Hehe, your ears are very red, Young Lady-nim."
"Ah, you crazy... Shut up! Be quiet!"
In the end, the situation was perfectly reversed.
Lihel, unable to handle Sereniel's cheeky, cute offensive, blushed and then, as if she had given up on everything, raised her voice.
"Augh, seriously! What great sin did I commit in my past life to be swayed by these shameless commoners as soon as I entered the academy!!"
Lihel shouted, exhausted by her own frustration, and messed up her hair.
"I don't know!! Whether you destroy the dormitory or rent out the entire cafeteria, do whatever you want!!"
With that, she stomped her feet and headed toward the cafeteria inside the mansion first.
Sereniel, who was standing next to me, watched Lihel's back until the end, then tilted her head slightly to meet my eyes.
Before long, she smiled brightly, raised her cute hand, and gave me a thumbs up.
"I learned it well! It's definitely effective on the Young Lady-nim."
"Learned... it?"
Wait... so, the method I used on Lihel yesterday.
The strategy of boldly pushing back and winning her over with praise—she saw it just once and copied it exactly?
I'm truly dumbfounded.