The Villainesses in the Romance Fantasy Novel Became Obsessed with me

I felt uneasy.

Why did the Tyrant of the North suddenly call me to the training ground?

And with Yuri on top of that.

‘The expression on that servant Mary’s face wasn’t comforting either. I have a bad feeling about this.’

I couldn’t leave Yuri trembling with anxiety and holding my hand. If I abandoned her here, she would surely break. She trusted me deeply, and if I betrayed her, it would greatly disappoint her.

Walking behind Mary, who was leading us, I held Yuri’s hand tightly.

“D-Damian…”

“Don’t worry too much. Do you think he’ll do anything to me? Nothing will happen.”

I was the eldest son of the Sinclair family. Surely, he wouldn’t harm me?

After all, the Sinclair family was quite well-known, whether in a good or bad light.

No matter how tyrannical he was, he wouldn’t dare touch me.

Confident, I walked towards the training ground.

“You may go through here.”

“Thank you for guiding us.”

I politely thanked Mary as she left. I opened the door and stepped into the training ground, where the snow was falling heavily.

Ivasten stood there, expressionless, letting the snow fall on him.

He spoke coldly as he saw us.

“You’ve finally arrived. Yuri and Young Master Damian.”

Why did this mad psychopath call Yuri and me?

I brushed the snow off my clothes and asked.

“Why did you call us here in this harsh weather? And to the training ground, no less.”

When I asked irritably, Ivasten smirked and replied.

“Of course, for someone who grew up near the capital of the Empire, Young Master Damian Sinclair would think this weather is bad. But today is a normal day in the North. The weather is perfect for training.”

“Then why did you call me here—”

“Obviously to train.”

Crazy bastard.

Ivasten threw two wooden swords at us.

They landed at our feet.

“Fight. Until one of you collapses.”

“W-what…?”

Yuri was taken aback by the order to fight each other.

Before she could shout, I calmly responded.

“I have no intention of fighting Yuri, Duke.”

“That’s right…! F-Father… Damian and I are friends… We don’t fight…!”

“What does that matter? And did my words sound like a request? This is an order. Start fighting. Right now.”

He was insane.

More than what I read in the novel.

Ivasten was a madman.

I shouted a warning at him.

“You’re making a mistake. The Sinclair Family will remember this.”

“I don’t care. If our family grows stronger, it doesn’t matter. And did you say Sinclair? The family which is involved in shady business. If you have the strength to challenge the North, go ahead. If you don’t want to end up like that foolish family.”

Was he talking about the Pieridot Family?

Ivasten had tormented the Pieridot Family over many years.

In the novel, the reason he killed Bluebell’s father was revealed.

‘I was enjoying the banquet. Then, that guy accidentally spilled wine on my clothes. That’s fine. It was a mistake. But what I couldn’t stand was his friendly smile. I didn’t like his smiling face.’

Ivasten disliked the good-natured demeanor he didn’t possess, so he poisoned him over the years.

Ivasten was far more dangerous than I had anticipated.

I thought I could stay as a guest without any trouble because of my noble rank.

But contrary to my expectations, he welcomed conflict with our family.

‘He’s confident because of the constantly snowy North and his numerous forces and power.’

He knew the Sinclair family wouldn’t invade.

That was why he was so confident.

He was focused solely on strengthening his family.

“Pick up the sword, Yuri. And strike your friend. In war, friends cannot be allies. You must be ready to kill everything you see.”

Ivasten’s madness made Yuri tremble and resist.

“N-no… Father… I don’t want to fight Damian…”

However, Ivasten seemed resolute and showed no signs of backing down.

“Then I’ll have to kill your friend myself.”

Ivasten stepped forward, crunching the snow beneath his feet, and held a wooden sword identical to the one at my feet.

‘This psycho. He really intends to hit me.’

His gaze changed, showing his true madness.

I quickly grabbed the wooden sword, and as he moved,

“Yuri! Move to a safer place!”

I rolled sideways, using the snow as a cushion to dodge Ivasten’s thrust.

I couldn’t see it, but I avoided it by instinct and prediction.

‘That crazy bastard. He really meant to stab me.’

If that thrust had hit, my bones would’ve been shattered for sure.

Ivasten seemed intrigued by my evasion and slowly approached.

“I heard you have superior intelligence and physical abilities. It seems true. I look forward to sparring with you.”

He probably intended to use me as a training partner for Yuri’s growth.

‘If it weren’t for that reason, there’s no way he’d act like this towards me.’

Damn it.

I came as a guest, planning to escape with Yuri.

Now, it looked like I’d leave here as a corpse.

“D-Damian…! Watch out…!”

At Yuri’s shout, I rolled again in the snow.

But Ivasten wasn’t giving me any room to breathe.

Every time I dodged, he swung his wooden sword at my new position.

Relentlessly pushing me into a corner.

‘If I were truly a genius, could I overcome this physical difference and win?’

No.

How could a child beat an adult who’s seriously attacking?

Especially an opponent with crazy genes.

I was eventually backed into a corner by his relentless attacks.

“Damn…”

“You dodge well, like a rat. True to your family. But the title of genius is a bit lacking.”

Wham!

Ivasten kicked me in the stomach.

Pain surged from my abdomen, but I couldn’t do anything.

I was still growing and powerless.

“The Duke… is completely insane…”

“He’s not crazy, just rational.”

“Crazy bastard…”

In response to my words, Ivasten swung the wooden sword down at me.

Arms, shoulders, abdomen, legs.

He swung the wooden sword at me as if he was determined to break every part of my body.

‘It hurts like hell…’

The pain was overwhelming, and my mind was becoming hazy.

However, I never screamed.

If I screamed, it might traumatize Yuri and hinder her recovery.

Even as Ivasten beat me, I kept my mouth shut.

“S-stop it… F-Father…!!”

“Let go, Yuri. This is all your fault.”

“S-stop…!! Please, stop…! Damian is going to die…!! Please…!”

“If you had fought when I told you to, he wouldn’t be getting beaten. So it’s all your fault.”

So, just stand there and watch.

Ivasten pushed Yuri away forcefully as she tried to block his wooden sword, and continued to hit me.

At the same time, my consciousness began to fade.

‘…Yuri.’

In my dimming vision, I saw Yuri’s tear-streaked, despairing face.

Crying pitifully in the falling snow, she crouched, trying desperately to stop Ivasten.

As I took in this sight and felt the pain, I made a firm decision.

‘No matter what happens…’

I need to take Yuri and leave this mansion.

No matter what it takes.

With that resolve, I lost consciousness, beaten by the head of the Justia Family.

It wasn’t part of the plan.

***

Wrapped in bandages, Damian lay unconscious on the bed.

Yuri looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

“Sob… Damian… I’m sorry, Damian… Because you’re friends with me… This happened…”

‘It’s all my fault.’

If she hadn’t gotten close to Damian, Father wouldn’t have beaten him.

“I’m sorry, Damian… Sob… It’s my fault…”

Yuri’s heart ached as she looked at Damian’s injured body.

She had tried to stop her father, seeing Damian being beaten.

‘It’s useless, Yuri. No matter what you do, you can’t stop me. If you don’t let go, I’ll beat him even more.’

Ivasten’s threats and overwhelming strength had pushed her back.

Yuri hated her own powerlessness and inability to do anything.

“If only I were stronger… Damian wouldn’t have gotten hurt… Sob… I could have protected him…”

‘I can’t even protect one friend.’

‘How can I call myself a friend…’

Yuri placed her hand on Damian’s injured cheek.

She thought about all the things Damian had done for her in the mansion.

“He treated me every time I got hurt… He played with me when I was bored… Sob… He talked to me whenever I was struggling… Damian did so much for me…”

And she did nothing for him.

She could only watch as Damian got beaten.

“I… Sob… I’m just trash, like my family said… I am a failure…”

‘But.’

‘Even if I am a failure.’

‘I will never abandon my friend.’

‘We will be friends for life, no matter what happens.’

“Wait here. Sob. Damian. I’ll be back soon…”

Creak!

Yuri left the injured Damian and quietly walked down the hallway.

She headed towards the kitchen.

Carefully entering the kitchen, Yuri hid a kitchen knife in her sleeve and entered the pantry.

Then, she took out a small match from her pocket.

“This is revenge for my friend… If we’re going to die… we’ll all die together…”

Damian was the first friend who treated her with kindness.

So, to repay that kindness, this much revenge was necessary.

It was only fair.

Whoosh!

Yuri set fire to the shelves in the pantry.

The food stored to survive the cold winter of the North began to turn to ash.

Watching the blazing food, Yuri’s red eyes glowed even brighter than usual.

And those eyes were filled with a burning madness.

“If we’re going to die… we’ll all die… No one can touch my friend…”

In her lonely life, Yuri had found a single ray of light.

Now that she had something precious, she would never let anyone take it from her.

“I’ve endured as much as I could. Father started this…”

With tears of regret streaming down her face, Yuri left the burning pantry.

For the first time, she moved not by orders but by her own thoughts.

“Damian… is my friend… I’ll protect him… We’ll all die.”

She smiled at the sense of liberation she felt.

Even the most docile animals will bite when they have something precious to protect.

Thus.

A true winter had come to the Justia mansion.