The Villainesses in the Romance Fantasy Novel Became Obsessed with me

Orsia La Luna Charlotte.

Simply Charlotte.

She was a princess from the neighboring Orsia Kingdom, who had come to the Empire under the guise of a spy.

She looked at me with a smile full of interest.

“Damian Sinclair.”

“You know me, Princess Charlotte?”

“Of course I do. Your reputation as a genius of the Empire is well-known even in our kingdom.”

“… A genius, you say. Hearing it directly makes me feel embarrassed.”

I displayed a suitable amount of humility.

When someone with a high reputation also shows humility, it naturally raises their likability.

As expected, Charlotte smiled in satisfaction at my demeanor, like a hunter who had found a good prey.

“If there’s no seat available, sit next to me. And feel free to speak informally. This is the academy, after all.”

“… Then, excuse me.”

With a thud, I sat next to Charlotte.

At that moment, I felt a sharp gaze from afar.

It was Nadia.

‘… Is it because I didn’t sit next to her and chose to sit next to Charlotte? She scratched near my heart. It’s strange for her to expect me to sit there.’

Expecting rationality from a villainess might be my mistake.

Even the other students noticed how blatantly Nadia was glaring at me.

Despite her sharp gaze piercing me from afar, I turned my head and ignored her.

Charlotte was curious. She asked, “You really attract intense gazes as a genius of the Empire. Do you know that girl? An ex-lover?”

“Just a lady I had a bit of a connection with. Nothing more.”

“Hmm. Really? She doesn’t seem to like you very much. Or is it the other way around?”

“…”

I didn’t bother answering that. Giving information to someone who’s probing you is foolish.

‘Try your best to figure out if I’m a valuable asset to your kingdom, Charlotte.’

I would hide under the halo of a so-called genius, creating a suitable mystery around myself.

This mystery would make Charlotte more curious about me, raising my value in her eyes.

This was to conceal the fact that I was a fabricated genius.

People tend to take more interest and value things they don’t fully understand.

‘I must draw all of Charlotte’s attention to me to prevent her from kidnapping the male protagonist, the Crown Prince, for talent acquisition.’

To avoid the war between the Empire and the Kingdom that was depicted in the original story when the Crown Prince was kidnapped by Charlotte.

I must become the most valuable person in her eyes instead of the Crown Prince.

‘If I succeed, the war depicted in the original story won’t happen, and my family will be safe. My soon-to-be-born sibling won’t grow up without a father either. In the original story, the head of the Sinclair Family was mobilized to the war and died. I need to prevent that from happening.’

Looking at Charlotte, I asked, “I’m curious about something. May I ask?”

“Sure. As away. Just don’t ask a deep question.”

“Why did you enroll in the academy?”

“… Starting with a strong question. That’s interesting.”

Charlotte looked at me with her brilliant golden eyes, and appeared entertained.

Behind her arrogant expression, she was probably aggressively calculating.

With a relaxed expression, she replied, “Is there any other reason to enroll in the academy? Of course, I came to study. Did you think I came to the academy for romance?”

“That could be a possibility.”

“As a princess?”

“Even princesses can fall in love. Don’t you think the Crown Prince does too?”

Flinch—

Maybe she was eavesdropping, but the heroine of our original story shivered.

‘Please. Just have a smooth romance with the Crown Prince.’

So that the cold-blooded prince wouldn’t execute the villainesses.

The heroine must tightly hold onto the Crown Prince. Before that, I must transform the villainesses to prevent any trouble.

While glancing at the heroine, Charlotte poked my cheek.

“Focus. We were talking.”

“I was just lost in thought for a moment. Apologies.”

“Anyway, you seem to be quite unbiased, huh? Saying that even princesses can fall in love.”

I asked knowingly, “So, won’t you?”

“…Even if I wanted to, I can’t. As a princess of the Orsia Kingdom, it’s not possible.”

Charlotte’s expression turned dark as she spoke bluntly.

Knowing her family background, I didn’t press further on that subject.

“The professor is coming in. Class is starting.”

“Indeed. If there’s something I don’t understand, I’ll ask you since you’re sitting next to me. Is that okay?”

“… Sure.”

I nodded casually.

“Thanks.”

Charlotte’s reply was devoid of spirit. She had come to the academy as an spy. She had no real interest or affection for the place.

‘How pitiful.’

She was, in a way, similar to me.

***

With a swoosh, Charlotte dunked her face into the sink and washed with cold water.

Splash! Splash!

When she looked up at the mirror, she saw her arrogant expression gazing back at her.

She hated that expression so much.

“What did my real face look like…?”

She had forgotten.

She couldn’t remember what her original face looked like. In her struggle to survive, she steppier over countless corpses, and lost all memory of her true self.

“Who am I…? Am I really Charlotte, the Princess of Orsia…?”

She had to be arrogant to maintain her authority as a princess.

She had to prove her worth.

In doing so, she committed acts that a human should never commit.

No matter how much she washed her face and hands, the bloodstains wouldn’t never leave her.

Even though her skin was white and clean.

“Damn it…! Damn it…!! Damn it…!!!”

Swoosh!

Charlotte rubbed her hands hard under the running water.

Her skin peeled, and the flesh turned red.

But she had no intention of stopping.

“Who… Who am I…? Whose filthy hands are these…?”

She didn’t know.

But there was something she had to do.

She had to bring talents to her kingdom and prove her existence.

“To avoid dying like my other sisters… I have to dirty my hands… No matter how dirty they get, I have to wash them…”

Charlotte spoke compulsively, talking to her reflection in the mirror.

At that moment, a female student entered the bathroom.

She recognized Charlotte.

“Oh. Um… Princess Charlotte of Orsia…?”

“…”

It was as if the self-doubt from a moment ago never existed.

Charlotte smiled and said, “Yes, I am the princess. But there are no titles in the academy, so please speak informally.”

“Oh…! Thank you…!”

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Putting on her usual mask, Charlotte left the bathroom.

Standing outside was her black-haired bodyguard, Rose.

Seeing Charlotte’s wet face, Rose asked worriedly,

“… Princess Charlotte. Are you okay today-”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry unnecessarily.”

‘I am Charlotte.’

“I am Charlotte, the Princess of Orsia. I haven’t forgotten.”

“… Understood, Princess.”

The mask she had worn for so long stuck to her like her own skin.

Charlotte walked towards her next class as if nothing had happened.

“Investigate Damian Sinclair thoroughly.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I need to talk to him more to understand. He’s hard to see through. But…”

‘He seems smarter than the Crown Prince, who is my top priority.’

‘As befits his reputation as a genius.’

However.

“If I use the right methods, he should be easy to seduce.”

Charlotte licked her lips like a hunter eyeing its prey.

Seeing this, Rose thought.

‘I miss the old Princess Charlotte.’

She missed the past kind-hearted Charlotte.

But knowing that it was necessary for survival, she buried her sadness.

***

After class.

Charlotte got up and ran out of the classroom.

‘Is her mind unstable again?’

Split personality.

More precisely, dissociative identity disorder.

A disorder caused by severe trauma in childhood, leading to identity issues.

It was a personality disorder acquired due to an incomplete growth environment.

Having gone through many things since childhood, Charlotte was suffering from an identity crisis.

How pitiful.

‘… Who am I to pity someone?’

I was in a pitiable situation too.

Justifying myself with a bit of self-pity.

I got up and quickly headed for the hallway.

However.

Nadia, who hadn’t taken her eyes off me for even a second during class, approached.

‘If I run now… She’ll probably cause a disturbance.’

While she wouldn’t kill anyone if I ran.

Dhe would sweep away everyone in the hallway to catch me.

Just because they’d be in her way.

I sighed and decided to accept my fate.

‘I wanted to talk to the heroine.’

I would have to talk to her later.

Besides, it was not a good idea to talk to the female protagonist in front of the villainesses anyway.

I spoke to the approaching Nadia.

“You come confidently after injuring me last time.”

“I gave you the diamond mine. Isn’t that enough compensation? And now we’re inside the academy.”

She spoke informally.

“Should I speak like before, Damian?”

“…”

The relationship between Darmian and Damian.

She was poking at something delicate.

Trying to make me slip up and admit it.

“Even though you confirmed there was no mark, you keep doubting I’m someone else. That’s not good, is it?”

“Then prove it. Prove that you’re not Darmian.”

Nadia grabbed my hand forcefully and said.

“Or should I prove it myself? Like last time.”

But at that moment.

“Let go, you damn artist.”

Slap!

Bluebell suddenly appeared and knocked Nadia’s hand away.

Perhaps she had heard rumors about what Nadia did to me last time.

Bluebell said something she shouldn’t have to Nadia.

“Why are you confusing Damian with someone else? And you can’t even draw properly.”

“… Take that back.”

“What?”

“Take it back. If you don’t want to die.”

Art was Nadia’s Achilles’ heel.

Provoking an artist could lead to big problems in the world.

Nadia’s demeanor changed, and I sensed danger in my heart.

‘It’s dangerous…’

Nadia was about to break the pledge.

She intended to kill.

A sharp pain in my heart signaled a warning from the mark.

“If you don’t take it back, I’ll kill you and Damian. Take it back immediately.”

Currently, she was harboring murderous intent towards Bluebell.

‘But why would she kill me…?’

I couldn’t help but wonder a little.