Chapter 4

I Wanted to Be a Villain (4)

“Huh?”

I froze at the unexpected proposal.

Wait… she said she’d repay me for saving her life and cover the cost of the Dreaming Butterfly Powder I’d lost?

‘What the—are you a saint or something?’

Honestly, I could almost see a halo shining behind her head…! Even the real heroine, Lynette, wasn’t this kind. In the original story, all she did was stress over giving up being a saint before accidentally inheriting the dukedom. Compared to her, this nameless girl seemed way more saintly.

“Oh, you really don’t have to go that far. But if doing so will put your heart at ease… I’ll gladly accept.”

Underneath her hood, I caught a glimpse of golden eyes—sparkling like coins.

‘I can’t believe it… is my life finally turning around?’

That’s it. Forget becoming a villain. Forget scams.

From now on, I’ll live honestly!

‘Yeah, being a villain was never my style anyway!’

* * *

A day and a half later—

A dazzling, extravagant carriage pulled up in front of my shabby little home.

“Miss Elsie Bloomhire, please come with us.”

I let the neatly dressed man escort me into the carriage.

The neighbors who watched from the street looked at me with envy in their eyes.

‘Farewell, everyone! May you also one day build good karma and flip your lives around like I just did!’

As I sat inside, I glanced down at myself.

My half-torn robe and pointy hat with frayed threads sticking out were completely out of place in such a luxurious carriage.

‘Finally… I’ll be able to buy a beautiful dress. No more dull, worn-out robes!’

I leaned back into the seat, dreaming of a life of luxury awaiting me.

But then—

“…Huh?”

When the carriage stopped, the place looked oddly familiar.

Strange. I’d never been to such a grand estate before… so why did it feel familiar?

‘Why does this feel so déjà vu?’

And then—

“Wait. Where is this place… oh?”

I saw them.

Two guards standing at the estate’s entrance.

No—two thugs pretending to be guards!

“What the—why are those scumbags here?”

I couldn’t believe it. Those very same thugs were now standing proudly as if nothing had happened—acting like respectable guards.

‘No way. This is dangerous. Those guys are absolute trash!’

I immediately pressed my face to the carriage window and started yelling.

“Hey! You bastards!”

Bang! Bang!

I pounded my fists against the glass.

“You think you can just run away and get away with it? Do you even have a shred of conscience? You dared point swords at your own mistress?! You worthless trash! You call yourselves human?!”

“Miss, please, calm down!”

“Calm down? Are you serious? Those men tried to stab the young lady of this house!”

The man who looked like a butler tried to hush me, but I kept shouting.

“Working two jobs is one thing, but how could you be guards by day and would-be murderers by night?! You bastards!”

“Please, quiet down!”

“Don’t hold me back! I need to finish those guys off once and for all! Hey! Can’t you hear me, you thugs?!”

The carriage stopped briefly, and I heard footsteps outside. Someone knocked on the door.

“Sir Silberne, is something wrong inside?”

“No, nothing at all! Just let us through quickly!”

…Wait a second. I knew that voice. It was definitely one of those thugs.

I turned my head—and sure enough, the “guard” on the other side met my eyes.

“You!”

His face went pale.

See? He recognized me instantly!

I turned back to Silberne, trying to prove my point.

“Look, I have unfinished business with that guy! Please, just let me go after him, alright?”

“I cannot.”

“Why not? Didn’t you hear everything I just explained? Two days ago, I saved this family’s young lady, and those men right there were the ones threatening her with swords!”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Of course! That’s literally why I came here!”

“Even so, I cannot let you go.”

“That makes no sense!”

I glared furiously at the thugs walking away.

No. I couldn’t let them escape. They were too dangerous to be anywhere near that girl.

I stared hard at Silberne, who was blocking the door, and made up my mind.

“…Fine. I didn’t want to do this, but you forced my hand.”

The only way out was to use magic.

I gathered power in my palm and aimed at the wall of the carriage—ready to blow it open.

Boom—!

“…Huh?”

Nothing happened. Not even a scratch.

While I sat confused, Silberne sighed deeply.

“Magic doesn’t work inside this carriage.”

“What?”

“So please, just stay calm.”

“…What?”

Impossible. Without magic, I was nothing—a bean bun with no filling.

Like an angry Maltese suddenly turning into a docile Labrador, I quieted down instantly.

When the carriage finally stopped, attendants opened the door and tied my wrists with rope.

“Wait, what are you doing? Why are you tying my arms?!”

“Please stay calm.”

“Would you stay calm if someone tied you up?!”

“If it were me, I would. Struggling only makes the rope cut into your skin, and that hurts.”

“…That… actually makes sense.”

So I let them bind me without resistance, sulking the whole way as I was dragged forward through a crowd of people.

“What the heck is happening…”

I was supposed to be here to receive a reward for saving a noble lady.

So why was I being tied up and paraded like a criminal?

“Silberne, this is unfair. I only wanted to punish those bad guys. That’s all.”

“…”

“Silberne, where are you even taking me?”

“…”

“Ugh, you’re mean. You won’t even answer me.”

The rope must’ve been enchanted too—it blocked my magic. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t gather even a grain of power.

“We’ve arrived.”

I pouted, staring straight ahead.

“Then answer me one last thing, Silberne. Where exactly are we?”

The moment I asked, the grand door in front of me opened wide.

And inside—

‘No way. Why is he here?’

It was none other than Eclipse d’Ledaire.

The final villain of the original story. The man I once tried to scam.

* * *

‘He looks even better in daylight…’

Now face-to-face with Eclipse, I shamelessly admired his perfect looks.

At night, in the moonlight, he’d already seemed impossibly handsome. But under the bright sun, he looked even more dazzling.

‘But wait… it’s been at least five minutes since I walked in, and he hasn’t said a word.’

For some reason, Eclipse hadn’t so much as glanced at me.

He just sat at his desk, eyes glued to some papers.

‘Please, just say something… anything.’

No doubt about it. This man was a complete workaholic.

How else could he ignore a guest to keep reading documents?

‘He was like this that night too. Working late into the night without rest.’

That was why everything had gone wrong.

I sank deeper into the absurdly soft sofa, trying to piece together what was going on.

‘Wait. Something doesn’t add up. I rode the carriage sent by the girl I saved. So why am I here with Duke Ledaire…?’

Hold on. Did I even confirm who sent that carriage?

‘Oh no. Don’t tell me…’

A chill went down my neck.

The carriage that suddenly showed up in front of my house. And Duke Ledaire, sitting before me now.

There was only one explanation.

‘I must’ve been caught sneaking into his mansion that night. And now… I’ve been dragged here as a prisoner!’

After all, why else would Eclipse d’Ledaire—one of the most powerful men in the novel—pay attention to me, a no-name extra from the slums?

‘…I’m doomed.’