How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 3

The girl cowering beside my bed was the same one I’d seen the day I took possession of this body, and I couldn’t believe it.

 

“Lady, shall I prepare your bath water?” asked the maid.

 

“No. I, um, I want to rest.”

 

“But… Count Leblanc has been waiting for an hour.”

 

“Tell him I’m so sick that I can’t see him,” answered Laura.

 

“I see!”

 

She replied with the same briskness as last time and left the room.

 

After hearing the door close, I flung the quilt over my head.

 

‘Have I turned crazy?’ I thought to myself. 

 

Why did I return at this moment?

 

At this rate, I might be reincarnated next time.

 

I had such a lame thought, but it wasn’t funny at all.

 

Given the direction things were going, I was terrified that it might come to true.

 

“Whew…” I breathed a deep sigh to shake off the negative thoughts that filled my head.

 

‘Instead of worrying about the future that hasn’t happened yet, let’s come up with a countermeasure.’

 

First, the point of regression.

 

I had not realized until I went to sleep last night, but after doing the math, I discovered that yesterday was the day of Viscount Oannes’ party, which marked the start of the first episode.

 

‘Did I regress to this day because I didn’t follow the original plot?’

 

It was a plausible guess.

 

In many novels and games, for example, fate or the system gets in the way of what was commonly referred to as force or deterrence.

 

In particular, I possessed a character in the game to begin with.

 

Therefore, the interference of the system would be different from a possession in a novel.

 

‘Judging from the lack of a translucent window, I’d say it’s more of a fate that gives more freedom than a system that immediately restricts a character’s actions, but it could not ultimately change the future.’

 

My head throbbed.

 

If this was indeed destiny at work, that means I’m going to die soon.

 

‘Let’s avoid drawing hasty judgments.’

 

It was only a hypothesis. There could be other reasons for my sudden regression.

 

I stared blankly at the ceiling and thought.

 

‘Let’s do the opposite this time and not take a single step out of the story.’

 

It was a conclusion I made to see if things would revert when I didn’t move according to the plot, and if the story would develop without tying myself to it.

 

The party at the Viscountess of Oannes would be in two weeks.

 

Let’s stay holed up in the mansion and figure out what transpires if I regress, and what might not in the meantime.

 

The mobile female-oriented game <Please take care of the saint!>.

 

Before the car accident, I played this game fervently all night long, and it was immensely popular because of its delicious blend of typical clichés.

 

The worldview was created by an oracle one day when magic was waning and the temple had resurfaced, appearing out of nowhere on a peaceful empire.

 

[A holy woman, favored by the gods, will save the cursed.]

 

This brief statement, which also serves as the game’s introduction, had a profound effect on the world.

 

The first appearance of a saint since the founding of the Holy Kingdom, and the existence of cursed people in this world.

 

These two facts caused a tremendous shock to the people.

 

Here in this game, the cursed are gradually turning into animals, and the cursed people are the targets of the game.

 

Of course, the only people who know what kind of curse it was at this point are the main characters.

 

Laura Laurus was an extra in this game, a villain who was executed early on.

 

In my previous life, I discovered one more startling truth—or, more precisely, before I regressed.

 

Through the memories of the original Laura.

 

Laura deceived Yves Leblanc, one of the targets, with a ludicrous scheme.

 

From a single perspective, I could understand why he had come to me this early in the morning.

 

There was a ridiculous contract between Laura and Yves.

 

I got out of bed and rummaged through the drawers, pulling out a piece of paper.

 

‘It’s really here.’

 

It was the same contract I’d seen in Laura’s memory.

 

『 Laura Laurus will never reveal Yves Leblanc’s secrets.

 

In return, Yves Leblanc will grant Laura Laurus one request.』

 

Even the shrewd Laura puts on the premise that Yves could never even refuse once he hears the request.

 

So it’s just a blank contract.

 

Anyone in their right mind would refuse to sign such a contract.

 

Naturally, Yves senses something feels amiss and doesn’t accept the agreement.

 

‘If only that were the end of it.’

 

Sadly, the actual contract I was holding indicated that Yves and Laura’s contract had been concluded.

 

And here’s what I learned from Laura’s memories.

 

Having fallen in love at first sight with Yves at a party hosted by the royal family last year, Laura went after him.

 

Pouring money like water, and at this year’s empire’s founding party, Laura noticed that part of Yves’ hand had turned into snake scales.

 

Cursed symptoms were not accurately specified in the oracle, but it was a topic of conversation in society at the time, and Laura wonders,  ‘Maybe?’

 

Laura persisted even after Yves denied it, forcing him to reveal his hand to people to verify if it was not a curse.

 

Yves was hesitant to show people the changes he didn’t even know about, and Laura became convinced that her guess was right when she saw his reaction.

 

‘So Laura used it as a weakness and threatened him.’

 

The game’s prologue simply states, ‘Laura Laurus exploited that weakness and demanded love from Yves.’

 

But she takes it a step further and makes a contract with Yves that was certified by the temple so that Yves could never go against it.

 

While telling a ridiculous lie that she was a saint.

 

Yves, who typically remains calm and collected, would not have hurried to sign the contract, but his judgment was distorted by anxiety that Laura had discovered his weakness and that Laura might be a real saint.

 

‘Why in the world did Laura talk nonsense that she couldn’t fix?’

 

I wanted to grab Laura’s collar and ask her what she would do afterward.

 

No. I wish she just stopped there…

 

Instead, Laura went one step further and gave Yves a pair of emerald earrings, and told him to be a toy to obey her orders.

 

‘It’s completely insane.’

 

Laura came from a family who bought her the title of baronetcy with money, but she asked a man at the pinnacle of the hierarchy, asking to be her plaything.

 

But Laura had no concept of reality beyond imagination, and a contract made before God could never be broken until one party dies, so Yves became her plaything.

 

The order she gave after the contract was made was what I went through on the first day of possessing Laura.

 

Recalling the disturbing memories brought back a mixture of discomfort and fear in me.

 

I was at a loss as to what to do with the contract in my hand.

 

‘It would have been easy to gloss over if it had been before the affair happened.’

 

If Laura told Yves to be a toy and didn’t give any orders, I could always say I just wanted to keep him around.

 

“Tsk.”

 

I clicked my tongue lightly and returned the paper I was holding to the drawer.

 

Preparing for the coming future was a priority rather than the unchangeable past.

 

⚝

 

The following day.

 

Yves came at the same time again today.

 

I knew he was coming, so this time I was prepared.

 

I thought to myself, ‘I’ve prepared myself, it’ll be okay.’

 

After taking a deep breath in front of the room to relax, I opened the door.

 

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

 

“To hear an apology from the heart of Lady Laurus. What an honor!” said Yves.

 

The first words out of the man’s lips were a sharp sneer.

 

Accompanied by a crooked smile that only lifted one corner of his mouth.

 

“Wow, you’re handsome even when you’re being sarcastic,” said Laura.

 

Though the man with the furrowed brows stared at me incredulously, I couldn’t help but think that he was more attractive in the daylight.

 

“How long are you going to stand there like that?”

 

“I see.”

 

Finally regaining my composure, I sat down across from him, hiding my embarrassment.

 

‘Phew, let’s not get caught up in appearances.’

 

I recalled the information about the man in front of me. 

 

Yves Leblanc.

 

A man with a heart colder than most northern dukes, despite his beautiful appearance.

 

And he disliked Laura very much.

 

‘No, it’s more like hate or loathing.’

 

In the game, I thought Yves was a bit over the top, but when I got to know him, I realized that wasn’t the case at all.

 

In reality, Laura and Yves’ relationship was much more stimulating and one-sided than what was portrayed in the game.

 

After a moment’s distraction, I cleared my voice and looked him in the eye.

 

“Thank you for coming to see me today, as ordered.”

 

After the signing of the contract, Laura gave him a bizarre first order to come to the Barony Laurus every day to see her.

 

Therefore, he came yesterday and today at the same time.

 

Apart from that, his visit was unpleasant for me at the moment.

 

“I beg your pardon, Sir, but will you please go back? From now on, you don’t have to come until I call you,” Laura continued.

 

“You want me to go back without explaining what happened yesterday?” asked Yves.

 

“Yes,” answered Laura.

 

I recognized that my fickle attitude could further inflame his anger, but I did not withdraw from my statement.

 

“Is that an order?” said Yves.

 

The silver eyes staring back at me felt murderous.

 

‘If eyes could kill just by staring, I would have died three times already.’

 

Cowering slightly from the ferocity that radiated from him, I rolled my eyes and agonized.

 

“Yes.”

 

Nevertheless, my decision remained firm.

 

I knew this would only make things worse between us, but it was most important that I didn’t get involved with the main characters this time.

 

“… Of course.”

 

Yves’ face contorted, his lips pursed as if he wanted to say something, but all that came out was a terse nod.

 

Now that the conversation was over, I figured he would turn and leave, but oddly, he didn’t get up as quickly as if he regretted something.

 

‘Do you want to break the contract?’