ISTV 34

Galph never got to learn Queibec’s swordsmanship.

“This child has no swordsmanship suited for him. Or more precisely, he has no talent for it. Go back.”

Sir Themanon had refused him.

That’s why, seeing me being personally taught by Sir Themanon must’ve made his jealousy explode.

‘If I don’t react, he’s just going to keep picking a fight.’

Tap. Tap.

Something lightly hit my back.

‘Paper?’

He had crumpled up some paper—where he got it, who knows—and was throwing it at me.

A few hit my back, a few landed on the back of my head.

‘If I keep ignoring him, he’s going to blow.’

And sure enough, Galph came stomping toward me again.

He looked pissed.

“Hey. Why are you ignoring me like this?”

I kept my eyes closed and stayed silent.

‘Okay. I’ll ignore him three more times.’

“Why are you ignoring me?!”

“……”

“Hey! Are your ears clogged? You think this is the North Continent or something?!”

One last time.

“Why are you ignoring people, you damn cursed witch?!”

He finally exploded.

I opened my eyes slightly and answered calmly.

“I don’t really want to associate with children who can’t tell what’s to their benefit.”

“What?”

“I get that you might hate me. You didn’t get the Queibec swordsmanship you so desperately wanted, and I did. I understand your inferiority complex.”

“Y-You little…!”

“But what positive outcome do you think you’ll get by showing it like this?”

“……”

“Looking at you now, I think I understand why Sir Themanon didn’t choose you.”

“……You done talking?”

The three lackeys that followed Galph echoed him like parrots. “You done talking?”

Galph’s face turned a deep shade of red.

He was trembling so hard it looked like he might hit me any second.

“Get lost. And stop being rude.”

“H-How dare you!!!”

In the end, Galph pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and threw it at me.

But something strange happened.

The handkerchief flying at me turned into the shape of a butterfly and fluttered away.

‘What was that?’

Even as a daughter of a mage family, I had never seen something like that. It felt more like a shamanic technique than magic.

Shamanic technique?

‘Jermiel?’

And sure enough, Jermiel was standing at the open doorway.

The priest who brought him asked everyone to “please remain quiet,” and Galph, gritting his teeth, returned to his seat.

Once the door closed, Galph began scratching himself furiously.

“Why does it itch so much?!”

“Same here.”

“Hey, there’s something on your face.”

“Y-You too, check your arms.”

They were breaking out in rashes.

All four of Galph’s group were scratching their arms, legs, or faces.

“This is driving me nuts.”

“Why does it itch so bad?!”

As time passed, they got more and more desperate—and eventually, they started bleeding.

“St-Stop scratching! You’re bleeding!”

“It itches too much—I can’t take it anymore!”

A minor commotion broke out, but Jermiel didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

“Hi, Seyla.”

And I knew instinctively—

The one behind the mysterious skin outbreak that struck Galph and his lackeys was none other than Jermiel, the subtly insane male lead.

Though unrelated to Jermiel’s poetic justice in the form of a divine rash, I found myself unable to take my eyes off him.

‘Seriously… criminally handsome.’

I’d gotten used to Hamune’s dazzling looks, so most beauty didn’t faze me anymore. But Jermiel? He was in a whole different genre.

Hamune was like the sweet younger male lead in a healing romance.
Jermiel was like the lethargic yet dangerous male lead in a tragedy-filled romance.

Back when I was a developer, I personally preferred Jermiel a little more.

‘After his coming-of-age ceremony… he becomes a lethally beautiful man full of weariness and gloom.’

And simultaneously, the male lead who would kill me the most.

He’s the “schemer” type, so he uses every method available to eliminate the villain—me.

You can’t read his mind or guess his plans.

That’s why you have to be extra careful around him.

“Hello, Seyla.”

“Hi, Jermiel.”

Conveniently enough, his seat was right next to mine.

Galph’s gang was too busy scratching themselves raw, and the other dozen or so students kept sneaking glances in our direction.

No one said anything aloud, but I could almost hear: He’s gorgeous. She’s beautiful.

‘Being breathtaking really is a blessing.’

Even in a place where I was supposed to be rejected, people still whispered about my looks at least once a day.

I mean, even I gasped at my face every morning. Of course they would.

And now, with Jermiel beside me, the whole space must’ve been radiating beauty.

Being the “pretty girl next to another pretty girl” made me feel unexpectedly good.

“I wanted to meet you, Seyla.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the most beautiful young lady I’ve ever seen.”

“……”

Honestly, that was exactly what I wanted to say about myself, but I didn’t show it outwardly.

If a scandal broke out between me and Jermiel, my life could become incredibly exhausting.

“Thanks, even if you’re just being polite. But I don’t care much for compliments about my appearance. It’s not something I earned through effort.”

Words like beautiful or pretty were really just meaningless small talk.

Still, if we got too friendly and a rumor spread…

‘Even if it’s just a harmless greeting, it could easily turn into “Jermiel confessed to Seyla.”’

Even in a world without modern media, gossip about romance spreads like wildfire.

And in the future, if Jermiel falls for the heroine, he might kill me just for the scandal.

Because he wouldn’t want her to suspect him.

‘The scary part is that it’s all perfectly plausible.’

At my firm tone, Jermiel smiled softly and tilted his head.

“That’s odd. The book said this is the basic etiquette when speaking to noble ladies.”

“A book said that?”

“101 Secrets to Making Friends with the Opposite Sex. Bestseller. You don’t know it?”

……Wait. Was he the type to read stuff like that?

Galph’s group never completed the coming-of-age ceremony.

Jermiel’s special rash got so bad, they had to be carried off to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, I was nearly finished with mine.

There wasn’t much to it—just the high priest placing his hand on my head and offering a prayer.

“Please enter your assigned meditation chamber and reflect for 30 minutes. It’s a noble time to think about your role in society as an adult. Once the meditation ends, so will your coming-of-age ceremony.”

I entered the room assigned to me.

It was so small only one or two people could barely sit inside.

‘So this is how the ceremony ends, huh.’

This was also one of the events that changed Seyla’s fate.

Because this was the point where the trait [The Villainess Doesn’t Endure (Growth Type)] awakened.

This trait would slowly begin to change the formerly obedient, kind Seyla.

It would help her realize her situation—and begin to awaken resentment toward her family.

“Seyla.”

Ack! That startled me.

I nearly screamed.

“This is a single-person prayer room, you know.”

Jermiel had come in.

I had no idea how he got inside with the door closed.

And why did he smell so good?

I never gave him a sweet-scented trait or anything.

“I’m a little curious about you. Aren’t you curious about me, Seyla?”

“Isn’t this place a little too cramped?”

He was sitting right across from me—close enough for our breaths to mingle.

“Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“……”

I couldn’t even get angry, not with that sheepish smile on his face.

Seriously, that should be illegal.

Can I just touch his face once? Just one little poke?

I fangirled hard internally, but externally, I answered like a noble lady.

“It would’ve been better to set up a proper meeting elsewhere.”

“Do I make you uncomfortable, Seyla?”

“Not you, just… the space. It’s too cramped and awkward.”

“Forgive me just this once. I felt like my mother would be eavesdropping if we spoke outside.”

I tilted my head.

“Your mother?”

“She’s probably off somewhere right now, trying to keep her promise to Garen. So I thought now would be a good time to talk freely.”

A promise to Garen? What’s that about?

As expected of the subtly insane male lead, Jermiel spoke only in riddles.

“Did you know my mother has a lot of interest in you?”

“She does?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if it’s in a good way or a bad way, though.”

Gulp.

I swallowed hard without meaning to.

Come to think of it, Lady Bi always did look at me with a rather chilling gaze.

‘If it’s the bad kind of interest…’

Then I’m doomed.

Because Lady Bi is someone who could use every method imaginable to kill me.

But Jermiel’s next words were… not quite what I expected.