Perfect Face, Perfect Plan
"Wow, look at that face. It's perfectly trash."
I couldn't help but marvel at my reflection in the mirror. How could a human face be this goddamn awful?
"A little tanning, and it'd be like a golden tan straight out of a painting."
That fierce expression looked ready to go out and harass some woman any second. Of course, the face staring back wasn't mine.
Ian Armeyna. The lord's son from some rural territory where the heroine stumbles in by chance at the start. A typical scumbag who gets his ass handed to him after sexually harassing her.
Yeah, I'd possessed the villain in a classic romance fantasy novel.
"Fuck. I had Samsung Electronics stock, and now this possession bullshit? I could've bought a house if I'd just held on a bit longer... This is insane!"
At first, I couldn't accept it. Sudden possession into a romance novel? What kind of nonsense was that? I must've spent a good two hours denying reality, insisting it was a dream.
But time passed, my body stayed the same, and my mind only got clearer. In the end, I had no choice but to accept that I'd become this damn punk.
"...Couldn't it have been a decent rural extra so I could live quietly?"
As I said, Ian was trash of the trash—destined for a bad end with no redemption. Even the process was pathetically sleazy.
He hits on village girls, picks a fight with the heroine when she calls him out, gets wrecked.
Then he whines to his dad like a loser, but gets yelled at for tarnishing the family honor and an ultimatum.
Harboring a grudge against the heroine, Ian moves for revenge—and obviously fails, ending his life in the worst way possible.
Meanwhile, there's actually a sinister plot brewing in the territory, and the heroine rises to the occasion... making Ian a decent plot device, I guess.
"It was so satisfying when this guy got beaten to death in the novel. But imagining it happening to me? Kinda sucks."
Obviously, I had zero intention of following that fate. No desire to get deeply tangled with the heroine and suffer either.
Finally the son of a lord—why not just live slim and quiet?
"Whew! Yeah, can't die like this."
Fortunately, it didn't seem that hard.
"Just meet the heroine appropriately, reform into a good guy, and live nicely."
The punk who gets inspired by the heroine and becomes her ally instead. Perfectly rom-fantasy, looks great on paper too, right?
Ian was just an extra anyway—no big impact on the main story. He just gives the heroine her spotlight.
Play the role, exit quietly, and coast easy.
* * *
Knock, knock.
"Pardon the intrusion."
The door opened after two knocks, without me even answering. Who the hell just barges in?
A woman in a suit with striking blue hair.
"Good work, young master."
"...Good morning."
"The sun's already high in the sky."
I glanced at the window—yep, it was. Sudden possession in pajamas had me thinking it was morning.
"...I drank too much last night and my head's fuzzy."
"......!"
Her eyes widened at my words, like she'd seen a ghost or some forbidden monster. Shaking pupils, paling face—pure terror.
...What? Did she figure out I got possessed?
Nothing else explained that reaction. It was like she'd witnessed divine curse levels of shock.
"Wh-why the sudden polite speech...?"
"......"
Did Ian always talk down to everyone? Fits his personality.
But no reason for me to follow suit.
"Uh, well! Just thought I'd turn over a new leaf. Can't live like trash forever, right?"
"Y-yes? R-really...? You, of all people?"
"I'll live as a new man from now on, so please help me out."
"Hah...."
Whoever she was, she seemed high up in the territory. Better to leave a good impression.
"...You've already heard, then."
"Heard what?"
"The lord said this is your final warning."
She handed me a paper.
"Academy enrollment...?"
"If you're just gonna keep causing trouble here, go to the academy instead. Better for your heir training, he said."
Not in the original story.
Makes sense. No need to show the villain's daily life in a heroine-focused tale.
The lord's ultimatum, apparently. Go to school and shape up, or change your ways if you hate it that much...
This is perfect.
Like I said, the heroine would soon shine, dragging villains to the surface. Even if I lived nicely, as the lord's son, could I just sit idle?
For foresight alone, I'd have to act.
But this lets me legally flee to school.
Learn slowly at the academy, enjoy youth, return years later—heroine solves territory issues cleanly! I live nice in peaceful lands!
Perfect life script.
"Sounds good. When's academy enrollment?"
"Y-yes?"
"Prep ahead, study up. Gotta pack too."
"Um... nothing's set yet. The lord probably meant it as a threat—if you keep this up, you're off to school."
"What if I want to go?"
"...Procedures take time. But to make the schedule, you'd need to head to the city early."
Perfect.
I had to give the heroine her trigger anyway. Set her up for heroism, then bolt to the city.
Won't get tangled like typical possessions.
Physically apart—what can the heroine do? Worst case, stick to the city.
The more I thought, the more flawless.
"Make it happen as soon as possible, then."
"...Understood. I'll mention it."
"Thanks."
Felt great reconsidering. No real memories, hadn't finished the book—knew zilch about the territory.
Might as well start fresh at the academy, all strangers like me.
"Oh, one thing?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Asking my three sizes would be sexual harassment, as I said."
"No, not that."
"No plans to sleep with you either. Don't mistake me for a brothel girl just 'cause I'm a female secretary."
Ian, you little shit. Thought he was vaguely an asshole—turns out specifically a fucking creep.
"Ahem! Sorry about past remarks. I'm really turning over a new leaf now."
"......"
Not my mess, but apologized anyway. Gotta live in this body long-term.
Clear bad history fast.
"What's your name, by the way? We'll meet often."
"...I've worked here ages. You called me yesterday—why ask now?"
"Ah... mild amnesia. Forgetting stuff I should know."
"...Tavi."
"Ah, right! That was it. Memory's back."
She eyed my shameless grin, face full of extreme wariness and disgust.
"...You're acting weird today."
"Am I? Headache, body feels off."
"I'll call a doctor later. Excuse me."
Tavi bowed slightly and left.
Finally, I flopped onto the bed relaxed.
"Nice. Escape the territory soon."
Young body, noble—lord's son starting fresh at academy.
Maybe possession ain't so bad.
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.
Heels echoed through the lord's mansion corridor.
Tavi's expression was odd. The punk Ian had been extra weird today.
"What's up with that asshole suddenly?"
Rude speech, constant harassment—that guy. How many times had she snapped at him for groping her ass?
And now, polite speech out of nowhere. Attitude all courteous and proper.
"Plus, the academy he always hated going to..."
Academy meant forced classes, regimented life. No more privileges as lord's son.
Worst place for arrogant Ian. Lord used it perfectly as a threat.
So why suddenly want to go?
"Really turning over a new leaf...?"
She shook her head at the thought. No way a guy consistent for years changes overnight.
Just a whim or prank—he'd revert to punk soon.
"Ms. Tavi!"
A voice called her. Knight vice-captain.
"Vice-Captain Hanson. What brings you here?"
"Ah, got a weird report from residents."
He scratched his head, hesitant.
"Folks say something fell from the sky yesterday. But..."
"What? Someone get hit?"
"The light fell on the lord's mansion."
"Here?"
As lord's secretary, she handled all sorts—from budgets to maids' gossip.
But nothing about something hitting the mansion? First she'd heard.
If it happened, it'd be obvious.
"Strange. No damage, no reports."
"No separate reports for me either. But lots of territory folk saw the same thing."
"Hmm. One person, maybe imagination. But enough for reports? Something's off."
"Also talk of space warping. Numbers vanishing in thin air."
Space warping? Numbers visible?
"Ah, maybe."
"Any guesses?"
"Group hallucination?"
Tavi raised a finger.
"Read about hallucinogenic mushrooms mixing into a territory once by accident."
"Mushrooms... No recent distant caravans, I think. Peddler sold 'em? Or mixed in transport?"
"Or restaurant used bad ingredients. Multiple witnesses."
"Possible. I'll investigate."
"Yeah, don't stress. No real problem erupted."
Tavi bid Hanson farewell and walked on.
"Group hallucination? Weird shit. Punk suddenly polite, forgets my name."
A twinge of doubt, but gone quick.
No way a slightly changed young master spells territory doom.