Chapter 10: A Villainess Fantasy Simulation? (1)
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- Chapter 10: A Villainess Fantasy Simulation? (1)
I was sitting face-to-face with my fiancé in the drawing room, but my mind wasn’t there. It had wandered off to the Room of Spirit and Time.
In that room, I was pulling up the plotlines of every villainess fantasy novel I’d ever read.
Let’s think this through. What are the current leading trends in villainess fantasies?
Option one: A healing story where the protagonist, burdened by traumatic memories (whether from the past or via regression), suddenly finds themselves doted on by powerful, handsome family members. The story typically starts during childhood.
That one’s out. Doesn’t match my age bracket, and I only have one doting family member, and someone’s already tried to poison me.
Option two: A cathartic revenge story where the protagonist, neglected or betrayed by those around them (again, in the past or post-regression), reinvents themselves mentally and dishes out cold justice. The backstabbers come crawling back, full of regret.
I don’t even remember getting backstabbed in the first place, so that’s a no-go.
Option three: A strategy story where the protagonist, having regressed or possessed a new body, changes their fate by winning over the formerly antagonistic people around them, potential love interests included. Whether their bad reputation was based on misunderstandings or actual behavior, they gradually improve their image and gain favor.
If I had to pick, I’d say I fall into this category, maybe a slightly unusual variant.
A hostile half-brother, a stepmother riddled with trauma, a maid trying to poison me, and a handsome but distant fiancé who only visits one month a year… It’s like someone laid out the perfect setup for a full-blown capture route.
The problem is, I have absolutely no intention of capturing anyone…!
I just want to live a rich, carefree YOLO life, blowing money left and right. As long as my reputation isn’t so terrible that it becomes a burden to the original owner of this body, I’m fine.
But after today’s attempted poisoning… it’s starting to feel like ignoring the capture route might get me killed. I probably need to raise the favorability of the people around me and build up relationships just to progress the story safely.
Haha… Well, I guess there’s no choice. It’s time to put my years of K-genre novel obsession to good use.
I’ll win over the major and supporting characters one by one, unlock all the standard events, unravel every plot and conflict, and bring laughter back to this house, and love to this body!
…And if that doesn’t work, I’m totally prepared to pack up the family jewels and run away under the cover of night.
“Rose, is something bothering you?”
Alright. First up, my ridiculously handsome fiancé.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
He seemed concerned by my silence. Looks like we’ve reached a dialogue branch! Should I tell him about the poisoning attempt or not?
Hmm, forget favorability points. This is about my survival. I’d better be honest.
“Well, the teaspoon you gave me… it changed color.”
“What?!”
“I mean it. Here…”
I pulled the spoon from my pocket. The lower half was still blackened. My fiancé took it seriously, examining it with a solemn expression before lowering his voice.
“Where did the discoloration occur?”
“I was drinking tea, and I accidentally dropped the leftover medicine into the cup. That’s when the color changed. I think the combination of the tea and the medicine turns it into poison.”
“Whoever did this is thorough.”
He rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the spoon with a blank expression before asking in a low voice.
“Forgive me for saying this, but who do you think stands to gain the most if something were to happen to you?”
“Hmm…”
Well, clearly my half-brother, who’s eyeing the inheritance! Plus, our prime suspect, Sunset, seems to like him! The circumstantial evidence is practically screaming!
…Is what I wanted to say, but considering I’ve lost my memory, I might be missing other suspects. And if I accuse the wrong person, that’ll be hard to walk back. Better to test the waters first.
“I’m honestly not sure. My memory isn’t completely intact, so nothing feels certain. What do you think, Lord Moore?”
“You want my opinion.”
He lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought. Wow, it’s like watching a magazine spread. Am I really allowed to think he’s this attractive while discussing a poisoning attempt?
“…Well, first of all, there’s the fact that Madame Zauer has no claim to the inheritance from your late father, Lord Aubert.”
“…Excuse me?”
Wait, we’re suddenly talking about how my stepmother doesn’t have a right to my real father’s assets? That escalated quickly. Did we just skip three plot points?
Fortunately, he didn’t stop there. He continued his explanation.
“Since your father passed before the wedding, they were never formally married. That’s why their surnames remained different.”
So ‘Zauer’ isn’t her first name, it’s her last name? Then it’s true. My surname is Aubert, and hers is Zauer! Oh my god… were they never legally married?
I struggled not to let my jaw drop at this new revelation, but my fiancé kept speaking.
“To my knowledge, the will was interpreted broadly, allowing Madame Zauer to manage this estate and its assets until you came of age. But once you become a legal adult, you can claim full inheritance rights and may even evict Madame and her daughter from the estate.”
“I… I see.”
First I’ve heard of it.
“Yes. And today, the day of the poisoning attempt, Madame just so happened to be away from the estate.”
“Uh… right.”
That… sounded extremely pointed. I blinked rapidly, trying to gauge the meaning behind his words. He looked displeased.
“I don’t want to suspect anyone either, but I think it’s best to consider all possibilities. Of course, it might have been a lone servant with ill intentions, or even a cruel prank disguised as poison. Still, I can’t help but worry.”
He suddenly withdrew the hand supporting his chin and placed it over mine. The smooth texture of his glove pressed lightly against my skin. Gasp, a surprise physical touch! Was this an emotional shift caused by concern?
“Rose, if you don’t mind… I’d like to personally handle your meals from now on. Just in case.”
Suddenly, a set of choices popped into my head, clearly shaped by all the visual novels and genre fiction I’ve consumed:
A. Accept. (Fiancé favorability +15, ‘Family Secrets’ route locked)
B. Decline. (‘Family Secrets’ route unlocked, increased chance of poison-related events)
In this situation, the optimal choice would be…
“Then I’ll count on you.”
“Of course.”
His expression brightened immediately. I added, as naturally as I could:
“But… I don’t want it to look like I’m being overly suspicious. Could you maybe do it discreetly?”
Yes. This is the kind of third-run or fifth-loop dialogue option you only unlock after playing long enough in games or reading loop fantasy novels. Maximize gains on all fronts!
“…Understood.”
There was a pause before he answered, maybe he was surprised by my brilliant response. Haha, that’s another favorability boost! At this rate, I’ll have him fully conquered in no time!
* * *
My fiancé went out, saying he’d find us a decent restaurant. Meanwhile, I was furiously turning over a newly discovered fact in my mind.
‘So the stepmother and half-brother have no inheritance rights, and once this body comes of age, I can kick them both out?’ …Wow. That’s such a textbook setup it practically screams, ‘These are the ones trying to kill me!’
Which is exactly why I think it might not be them. Even in modern dramas, something that obvious would be too cliché. The twist nowadays would be something like, ‘Actually, it’s not those two. It’s the butler! He’s the illegitimate brother of Rose’s biological father, Sir Aubert!’ Yeah, that’s more on trend.
Hmph. This is tough. I mulled over the stepmother and half-brother in turn, then suddenly recalled just how extremely prickly the half-brother had been.
Should I take it as aloofness, or genuine hostility? If it’s the former… well, the whole cross-dressing hobby makes him quite the over-designed character.
Wait… could he be the second male lead? Is this shaping up like a second lead arc?
“…Come on now.”
No way. That can’t be it. I waved a hand as if to brush off the thought. He’s way too willowy, definitely not my type.
But wait… did everyone already know the half-brother was male and just accepted the cross-dressing, or has he been fully living as a woman in secret?
Either way, it takes some serious commitment. And considering how calmly ‘Mother’ has behaved at dinner these past few days, it seems like this lifestyle is well-established. Whether it’s the former or the latter, the sheer dedication makes my palms sweat a little.
No, surely I just happened to possess this body during a particularly intense week of indulging in the hobby. Maybe things were more flexible before.