side. Amy (3)

I had been giving the matter some thought.

The way that gloomy guy interfered at the exact moment I was about to be hit... Is it possible he’s actually aiming for the Villainess?

She had the worst personality imaginable—true to her role as the Villainess—but her looks and family pedigree were top-tier. I wondered if she’d gone crazy after Lord Karl started treating her so coldly, and if she was secretly... No, that was impossible, no matter how I looked at it.

There was such a massive gap in their social standing that it had to be a one-sided, secret crush on that gloomy guy's part. Even so, why did the mere thought of a man having feelings for her piss me off so much?

I briefly considered seducing him just to add him to my Reverse Harem Route—it might have been satisfying to snatch him away—but I ultimately decided it was a bad idea. It was better to wait until after I had cleared the game before deviating from the Scenario. Besides, his face wasn’t even my type.

Still, what a shame. If the story follows the script, the Villainess is supposed to have her engagement broken and be exiled, only to fall into darkness.

Oh, but wait. She’s supposed to be gang-raped after her exile, right? I wonder if I can use that to make that gloomy guy despair.

After all, he was a man of this world, and they had such a strong obsession with virginity. I wondered what kind of reaction he would show if he found out the woman he’d fallen for had become a defiled, "soiled" woman?

The mere thought of it made me giddy with excitement.

Imagining something so fun had really helped clear my head. That was right. The Scenario should still be fine. This world revolved around me, the Heroine, after all!

＊＊＊＊

The Cultural Festival was finally over, and seeing the Villainess in such a miserable state was the absolute best. I really wanted to walk up to her and tell her "serves you right" to her face, but I had to endure it for now.

Even so, I never expected Lord Karl to kick her out the day before the Cultural Festival. It was a deviation from the Scenario, but wasn't it also proof of how thoroughly their relationship had collapsed? Since then, Lord Karl and that woman hadn’t exchanged a single word, even when they crossed paths.

In game terms, this meant Lord Karl’s flag was at 100%.

However, there was one thing that bothered me. Originally, we weren't supposed to reach this state until after my belongings were burned or I was pushed down the stairs by the Villainess, followed by Lord Karl rebuking her for it. My progress on the conquest was moving a bit too fast.

I felt a little anxious leaving things like this, so I wondered if I should play out the events just in case.

I should... right?

Despite my intentions, no matter how much time passed, the harassment never started. The Villainess kept walking around with that creepy, Noh-mask expression on her face. She treated me like I didn't even exist and refused to do anything to me. Even that B-class idiot Isabella, who was supposed to be the lackey leading the harassment, wasn't doing a thing.

What on earth was going on?

The uncertainty was making me nervous, so I decided to put on a little performance of my own.

I found the perfect timing when she was the only one in the girls' dormitory. I placed my own pen and paper on the communal desk and set them on fire. Then, I made sure I was with Lord Karl and the others when we "discovered" the charred pen. Once I started making a fuss, she came walking out of her room as if nothing had happened.

Since there was no one else there, she was naturally the prime suspect. When she appeared and Lord Karl realized they were alone in the dorm with her, he and the others got incredibly angry on my behalf.

God, it was the best feeling.

Unfortunately, she just retreated back to her room. Since we were in the girls' dormitory, Lord Karl and the guys couldn't chase her past the common area, so she managed to get away. Still, just like in the event, everyone gave me new pens to replace the one that burned.

Yeah, things are back on track with the Scenario after all.

The next morning, Lord Karl and the others surrounded her and demanded an apology. They looked so cool.

In the end, she refused to apologize, but Leo actually got angry for my sake, transcending the social gap between him and the Villainess. With that, Leo’s flag for the Reverse Harem Route was finally complete.

It would have felt even better if I could have forced her to grovel right then and there, but that gloomy guy had to go and interrupt us again. Still, thanks to him, I wasn’t late for class, so I suppose it worked out in its own way.

God, I can’t wait for the Condemnation Event. I wonder how much longer it’ll take?

The thought of finally seeing her despairing expression made the wait feel almost unbearable.