The Villainesses in the Romance Fantasy Novel Became Obsessed with me

The wind in the North was cold.

Winter lasts all year, and it snows almost every day.

I’d heard that people born in the North had never even seen rain. And Yuri, who lived in this northern region, said.

“I… I hate the North.”

Why did she feel this way? I was curious about her thoughts, so I asked her using casual language since we’re friends.

“Do you have a particular reason for hating it?”

“I hate the snow… It’s cold and painful… I want to be somewhere warm…”

Yuri hugged herself as if to ward off the cold. Considering that she had never felt warmth and had always endured the cold, her feelings were understandable.

‘She’s warm-hearted, unlike the cold North. That must be why.’

The cold northern environment didn’t suit her warm personality. Her personality, physical condition, and family—everything about Yuri was out of place in the North. That’s probably why she couldn’t endure it mentally and ended up committing atrocities, as described in the novel.

“It would be nice if you could go somewhere warm instead of the North.”

“Yeah… I wish I could travel the world like you… I’m envious…”

“Traveling the world… It’s nice. You get to see a lot of places.”

Though it was more like a villainous sightseeing tour than a proper world trip, I told Yuri it was enjoyable to maintain her fantasy.

“At first, I went to Verdium in the East. It’s famous for being a wealthy city. Have you heard of it?”

“Ver-Verdium… I think I’ve heard of it… They say the city is very developed… Is that true…?”

“It’s definitely more developed than the North.”

The northern city didn’t look good, probably due to the harsh seasons. Many people shivered in the cold, and the city had a chilling atmosphere. The public order wasn’t great, and the ambiance was bleak.

“In contrast, Verdium… It has everything that shines. There are a lot of people too.”

“Really…? There are no people in the northern city… Maybe because everyone supports the knights…”

“Anyway, the trip to Verdium wasn’t bad. It was quite fun… in its own way.”

I had made a pact with Nadia there. Even though the results weren’t entirely satisfying, it was a city where I achieved something.

Hearing this, Yuri’s curiosity seemed piqued.

“Really? Then, where’s your next destination? How long will your trip last? I’m curious…”

“I’ll end my travels in the North and return to my family to prepare for academy entrance. And during my travels, I worked as a teacher at the residence of the Peiridot family, west of the capital.”

“A teacher…?”

“Yeah, I needed to earn some money for the trip. So, I taught for a while.”

“W-wow… That’s amazing…!”

Yuri clapped her hands in pure admiration.

“Teaching someone… That’s really tough…! It’s amazing…!”

It wasn’t that amazing. The classes were mainly about basic knowledge, which made them quite easy to teach.

‘Her pure reaction is making me embarrassed…’

Her innocence made me feel self-conscious.

“It wasn’t that great. I just explained what I knew in a simple way. The student’s effort was much more important.”

“Still, it’s amazing…! You did something great even though we’re the same age… So, how was the student? Did they improve in their studies…?”

Improvement. I could say with confidence that there was progress.

“Yeah, I managed to help shape someone.”

“I see, a teacher and a student… You must have been close… I’m envious…”

“Envious? Of what?”

“Oh, nothing. Just saying.”

Yuri tried to cover it up with a smile. Although I didn’t understand what she was envious of, I could tell she enjoyed hearing about my travels.

‘Maybe she just likes talking to people.’

Because there was no one to talk to here, Yuri smiled and enjoyed our conversation even though my stories weren’t that interesting. Just as I was about to think of a new topic to make our conversation more engaging, there was a knock.

-Lady Yuri. The head of the family has summoned you to the training ground.

A death sentence for Yuri came from outside the door.

“… Yes.”

Yuri answered, biting her lip. Her face turned pale. Being summoned to the training ground seemed akin to a death sentence for her.

“I-I’ll be back… You don’t have to come tonight… Damian…”

With those words, Yuri moved towards the training ground with heavy steps. Shortly after, her screams echoed from that place—a very sorrowful sound indeed.

***

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, I stayed by Yuri’s side once again.

“Sob, sob… It hurts…”

“Stay still. The ointment is supposed to hurt.”

“But… It still hurts…”

Yuri covered her face with her hands as I treated her wounded body. The ointment and bandages I had bought from the clinic were coming in handy. After applying the ointment to her arm, I carefully wrapped it with a bandage and asked gently,

“… Do you get hurt like this every time you train?”

“Yes… Almost always…”

“There’s not a single uninjured spot. I’ve finished with your arm, now let me see the other side.”

“Alright…”

Yuri switched the hand covering her face. She was determined to keep her face hidden. I decided to focus on the treatment without pushing her further.

“This arm… Can you raise it a bit?”

“Like this… Ow, it hurts…”

“Looks like your shoulder is out of place. Stay still. I’ll apply the ointment. It will help the bone heal faster.”

“Thank you…”

Tears streamed down Yuri’s face as I continued treating her.

‘Before I came, she probably didn’t even receive basic treatment like this.’

It was too cruel. No twelve-year-old should have to endure this. Despite the family’s quick healing abilities, this was far beyond acceptable.

“What crime is it to have weak power…”

Yuri responded in a sad voice to my muttering.

“No, don’t say that, Damian. It’s all my fault… I was born wrong…”

“No, it’s absolutely not your fault. Ivasten is just insane.”

“Calling my father insane…”

“Isn’t he? Look at what he’s done to you.”

“…”

Yuri remained silent. She must know that her father was very different from other fathers. After finishing bandaging her arm, I said.

“When you’re with me, don’t say it’s your fault. Ivasten is the crazy one. Got it?”

“Okay… I won’t say it’s my fault… I’m sorry…”

Yuri replied in a subdued voice. She seemed very dejected.

‘Maybe I was too harsh…?’

I might have spoken too strongly out of anger at Ivasten’s actions. I felt a bit guilty.

“… Yuri.”

“Yes?”

“Move your hands away from your face. I need to treat it too.”

“No.”

No? This was the first time she had responded so firmly.

Even so…

“Even if you don’t want to, I need to treat your face. It will get worse otherwise.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to show it. I’ll do it myself…”

How should I handle this? It was clear she wouldn’t be able to apply the ointment properly on her own. I had no choice.

“I’ll have to do it by force.”

“W-what…?”

“Move your hands, Yuri.”

“No…!”

Despite her protests, Yuri’s arms were easily moved. As her bandaged arms dropped, I saw why she had been so desperate to hide her face.

“… Your face is covered in bruises.”

“Don’t look… It’s hideous…”

“…”

Her face was swollen and bruised, making it hard for her to see.

‘Even with a high natural healing ability, hitting her face like this?’

Ivasten truly lived up to his reputation as a tyrant. I wanted to get Yuri out of this house immediately, but the timing wasn’t right yet. All I could do was treat her wounds.

“You were going to treat this by yourself?”

“I… I can do it alone. So don’t look…”

“Don’t be embarrassed. Just close your eyes. I’ll finish quickly.”

“Okay.”

Yuri responded meekly. Carefully, I applied the ointment to her face. She flinched in pain but endured it without making a sound, eager for the treatment to be over.

“It’s all done. You’re good now.”

“It’s done…? Then—”

“Don’t touch your face. Let the ointment dry.”

“… Okay.”

Instead of covering her face, Yuri turned her back to me, hiding her face in the embrace of her hands. She asked, still turned away.

“Damian, why are you so kind to me? I have nothing to offer… You might disappear like everyone else… So why are you kind to me?”

To be honest, my goal was to prevent her from becoming a villainess.

However, I couldn’t tell her that my true goal was to prevent her from becoming a villainess. So, I needed to choose my words carefully and make them sound nice…

“Because we’re friends. Friends help each other when they need it. That’s just natural.”

“Really? Is that really natural?”

“For the most part, yes.”

She seemed to like my explanation of an ideal friend. While still facing me with her back, she spoke in a small voice.

“Friends… Help each other when they need it… Damian…!”

“Yes?”

“I’ll help you too, whenever you need it…! Because we’re friends…! Just let me know when you need help…! Okay?”

Would I ever need her help? I couldn’t imagine a situation where I would. But since she had gathered the courage to say it, I responded out of courtesy.

“Alright, I’ll tell you if I need help.”

“It’s a promise..! Because we’re friends…!”

“… Yes. Because we’re friends.”

“Hehe…”

Yuri emphasized our friendship and laughed. Although I couldn’t see her face since she was turned away, her laughter clearly held happiness.

***

“Friends…”

Yuri muttered as she looked out the window. Outside, she saw friends walking together. She took in the scene completely.

“Damian is my friend…”

‘Kind and fun. The only person who plays with me is Damian.’

Yuri kept her gaze fixed outside and whispered her thoughts. The wounds she had been treated for yesterday didn’t hurt as much as usual.

“He treated me kindly even after seeing my injured face… Damian is amazing and kind…! And he’s my friend…!”

Yuri felt happy. She, who was often deemed useless in the mansion, was treated and regarded normally by Damian. This gave her a sense of liberation somewhere in her heart.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

“Big sister… D-Damian, don’t go that way…! My sister is there…!”

Damian was heading in the wrong direction outside. Sitting in the snow-covered garden, drinking warm tea, was Yuri’s sister, Irenia. Irenia always tormented Yuri and cursed at her whenever they met.

“Oh no… My sister will bother Damian…!”

She had to help Damian.

Yuri quickly decided to help Damian, so she began to remove the bandages covering her body and headed downstairs. However, contrary to her expectations, the scene outside wasn’t dangerous at all. In fact, it seemed quite pleasant.

“My sister and… Damian are laughing together… The sister who bullies me… And my friend Damian are laughing together…”

Yuri bit her lip and clenched her fists tightly as she witnessed this. Her heart ached, and she felt a burning sensation in her chest.

“Damian is my friend… Seeing them talk together makes my heart feel heavy and painful…”

‘It’s because I’m watching them talk. If I don’t see it, it won’t matter.’

But contrary to her thoughts, Yuri couldn’t take her eyes off the scene. Not seeing it made her feel even more anxious.

“… Damian.”

Yuri stood by the window, watching her sister and Damian converse. It was undoubtedly a look of jealousy.