I Want a Happy Ending Even as a Villainess

Chapter 12

“…The rain that had been falling all day showed no sign of stopping. The surroundings were as dark as night, with occasional lightning taking the place of illumination. The mansion of the Duke’s family was silent and still. 

Lilith’s blonde hair, fluttering in the stormy wind, was as white as snow. She stood at the wide-open window, her red eyes staring into the distance, lost in thought. 

Lightning struck again. Thunder followed. A black shadow appeared behind Lilith, approaching her silently. 

The man in the black robe hesitated to wrap his arms around her waist and instead placed them on the railing, trapping her in his embrace. 

Noticing his presence, Lilith turned around. She did not bother to reject his actions. 

“Finally, you came. I was waiting for you.” 

She gently cupped his cheeks and whispered softly. They were so close that their lips could almost touch each other. 

“I need power. Very strong power.”

It wasn’t Lilith who couldn’t resist, but the man. Her overwhelming presence, shining even in the world outside, captivated him. 

Not even the wind, soaked with rain, could overcome the cold, burning gaze of her eyes. Her red dress fluttered in the wind, as crimson as her eyes. 

“So, will you help me?” 

She smiled seductively. Her eyes curved in a way that only happened when she was about to commit something cruel. It was unbearably captivating, even though he knew it was dangerous. Her laughter pierced his heart. 

“Saint.” 

For the first time, she called his name, and he finally knelt before her. Carefully, he kissed the back of her hand. 

Lightning struck again. In that brief flash, deep emotions stirred in his blue eyes. Her loyal dog swore to dedicate his eternity to her.” 

…A scene from a novel I remembered floated into my mind. 

There were three main villains in the original work. The most significant was ‘Lilith,’ followed by the Second Prince ‘leschel’, who backed her, and the assassin who carried out her orders. 

‘Saint.’ 

If Leschel was the sun shining over Lily, Saint was the shadow at her feet. 

Saint loved Lilith passionately, and though he knew he was being used, he faithfully obeyed her commands. 

Throughout the story, he killed countless people as her subordinate. 

‘But why is that assassin here?’ 

Shouldn’t an assassin be in some underground world? A library? As a librarian? Does that make any sense? 

‘If there had been an illustration…!’ 

I would have recognized him at first glance. If I had, I would have run away immediately. 

Do you know how many people in this damned world have white hair and blue eyes? How am I supposed to recognize him from the novel’s description?  

“What are you looking at?” 

Startled by the voice right above my head, I closed the book hastily. 

“Just, uh, browsing through a book.” 

I said as I returned the book to its place. Saint glanced at the title of the book I had been looking at and asked, 

“I take it you’re interested in magic?” 

“Well… I guess I kind of do and kind of don’t.”

I quickly spat out an ambiguous response. Trying to be nonchalant while glancing at him nervously must have made me look awkward to anyone watching.

This way, it would be obvious that I was flustered by his name. Stay calm, stay natural! 

“Actually, I am quite interested.” 

I added a light laugh at the end, trying to appear casual. 

“Would you like me to teach you?” 

“My father always said no to magic when I was young… Wait, what?” 

“Even though I might not look at it.” 

He lightly clenched and then opened his fist, scattering red powder into the air. 

“I’m quite confident in my magic skills.” 

The powder swirling from his hand transformed into a translucent bird before quickly igniting and disappearing without a trace. 

“Aren’t priests supposed to use only holy magic?” 

“There are many things holy power can’t do, so I learned separately.” 

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at me confidently. 

Why make such a tempting offer now? Or maybe it’s fortunate that he did it now? If I hadn’t known his true identity, I might have jumped at the chance. 

“If you ever become interested, let me know.” 

Noticing my hesitation, he stepped back. 

“If you like magic, this one is good, and so is this one.” 

Saint quickly pulled out books and handed them to me, as if he had memorized the location and content of every book. 

“Oh… Thank you. I’ll return these next time.” 

I had planned to spend a leisurely afternoon reading here until evening, but I changed my mind. 

I wanted to leave immediately. 

No, I had to leave. Whether I zoned out or prayed back at the temple, I couldn’t stay here any longer. 

‘I thought I could finally make an ordinary friend this time.’ 

Not the female friend I wanted, but still a normal friend I could occasionally interact with. 

‘But that’s not what this is.’ 

I had stepped on a landmine. A big one. 

“…I’ll be going now.” 

“I hope to see you again.” 

His voice was still kind, yet devoid of any emotion, which seemed out of place with his friendly words. 

In the original story, Saint was depicted as a ruthless, cold-blooded assassin. No wonder the man before me felt so terrifying. 

‘Is this really okay…?’ 

After being cooped up at home for two months, I finally came out. And stepped on three landmines in a row. 

Should I just confine myself to the mansion again like before? At this rate, a fourth reset was just around the corner. 

* * * 

I ended up going to the Grandel Marquis’ banquet, which I had been debating whether or not to attend. 

The sooner I changed my image, the better. Considering the approaching dead-end in the original story, time was not on my side. The slower I acted, the closer I got to the terrifying execution ground. 

Moreover, meeting so many of the main characters made the execution ending feel closer than ever. 

As the dark night sky settled in, the banquet was just beginning. The crystal chandelier, adorned with dozens of candles, sparkled like starlight, illuminating the hall. 

The painted pink sky and angelic figures on the high ceiling indicated that this was no ordinary banquet hall. The laughter of people and the swirling spectacle of flowing dresses made it seem like a scene from a dream. 

“Marchioness Grandel.” 

“Oh my.” 

The marchioness’s expression was as gentle as it had been before she spoke, but at first glance, she seemed unable to contain her joy. 

“Lady, it’s been so long. Thank you for coming.” 

“Thank you for inviting me to such a grand event.” 

The marchioness had a warm smile, but it made me feel uneasy. 

Her eyes held a subtle hint of expectation. What exactly she was expecting, I had no way of knowing. 

“The banquet is as beautiful and splendid as expected from you. I’ve always wanted to attend.” 

“Knowing you would be coming, I put in extra effort. I was so worried since you hadn’t been seen for nearly two months.” 

“I’m all better now. Thank you for your concern.” 

“You seem different. Even more beautiful, perhaps.” 

After exchanging a few more formal pleasantries, we parted ways. Many people were gathered in small groups throughout the hall. 

My heart felt like it was about to burst. Thinking of this as the first step made me feel nauseous. 

But I had to succeed. I had to. I came here risking running into Olivia. 

Stand tall, shoulders back, head held high. Walk confidently and gracefully. 

I can do this. No, I must do this! 

…Despite my resolve, the plan was a huge failure. 

People spoke to me out of courtesy due to my status as a noblewoman, but the conversations didn’t last long. 

They weren’t outright ignoring me, but there was a subtle avoidance. It was clear that my smiles made people uncomfortable. 

It almost felt like the marchioness invited me here just to see me fail. 

‘Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a failure.’ 

I came here to show that I could behave properly. 

I succeeded in not exhibiting any of the three behaviors ‘Lilith’ often did at parties in the original story. 

If someone displeased her, she would start an argument, grab their hair if she got angry, and, if it escalated, draw a sword and cause a scene. 

Today, I spoke politely, behaved calmly, and didn’t do anything odd. 

That makes me feel a lot better, and it makes me feel better. 

Even so, the cold attitudes hurt my feelings. I left the main hall and walked up the stairs to the second floor. 

In the hallway on the second floor, a few couples had stepped away from the crowded main hall to chat and relax together. Standing there alone felt incredibly awkward. 

I considered heading back down to the main hall and turned towards the stairs. Just then, I heard a man’s voice shouting from upstairs. 

I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but it sounded like an argument between a man and a woman. 

I realized that it sounded like a man yelling at a woman, and my footsteps took me upstairs. 

“I told you we should end this here!” 

“Shut up! Do you think I spent all this time trying to make you feel better just to hear that?” 

The man’s voice was full of uncontrollable anger. 

“Tain…!” 

“Is this all? Did you seduce me just for this?”

“You’re the one who got the wrong idea!” 

“Cut the crap!” 

The conversation was dizzying to hear. Guys like that usually don’t stop at just verbal arguments… 

Worried, I rushed up the stairs and arrived at a small garden on the rooftop.

Not a little different from what I expected, the man’s hand was halfway raised above the woman’s shoulder.