The Villainess Dreams

It did not take me long to realize I was dreaming.

The constantly shifting scenery felt wrong somehow, and the conversations of people whose faces lingered in my memory no more than shadows only confirmed it. This was a dream.

If I heard the cheerful chatter unfolding before me while awake, I was certain it would not be remotely interesting.

And yet, my mind wasn’t functioning properly.

I understood that I was dreaming, but understanding and truly feeling it were two different things. I knew it intellectually, yet the reality of it never settled in.

That was the strange state I found myself in.

“How has Lady Sylph been lately?”

Someone sitting before me asked the question. Once again, I couldn’t remember her face. It was a peculiar sensation—seeing someone clearly and yet having no idea who they were.

The girl called Sylph tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Lady Veena, of course. Has anything happened since then?”

“W-What are you talking about!? I-I could never…”

Sylph flailed her hands in frantic denial.

The sight was so endearing that her classmates couldn’t help smiling knowingly at one another.

“Besides, Lady Veena already has Lord Arnight, her wonderful fiancé…”

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

One of the girls patted her gently on the head.

“Well… that’s true. But don’t be too discouraged.”

“…Mm. Thanks.”

Sylph smiled, and that smile alone seemed to brighten everyone around her.

What kind of dream was this?

From the conversation, it sounded very much as though this girl, Sylph, was in love with me.

Dreaming about someone who liked me.

How embarrassing.

No, seriously, incredibly embarrassing.

This made it look like I secretly wanted to be popular with cute girls.

As I battled my mounting humiliation, the scene abruptly changed.

The classroom dissolved, replaced by another.

It was a classroom at sunset.

And there, sitting alone at her desk, was Sylph.

Her head hung low.

“Lady Veena is right there… so why…? Why would he choose some common girl over her…?”

She muttered under her breath.

The lovable charm that made everyone adore her was nowhere to be seen.

Her expression was dark and stagnant, overflowing with bitterness. Hatred clouded her eyes as she thought of the man who had betrayed the person she loved most.

The difference from the cheerful girl I had seen moments ago was so startling that it left me speechless.

Perhaps this was merely a manifestation of my own wishes.

Yet seeing her reduced to this because of me stirred a faint ache in my chest.

The scenes continued to change.

Again and again.

Each one followed Sylph.

Her smiles became sorrow.

Her sorrow became anguish.

Her anguish became conflict.

Conflict became action.

Action became malice.

And every single one of those changes revolved around me.

What is this…?

What am I watching…?

I didn’t understand.

Everything Sylph did centered on me.

To an almost frightening degree.

She sacrificed too much of herself.

One day, she lashed out at Mina in anger for my sake, hurling insults as she passed.

Another day, she wept for me and confronted Mina, whom she believed responsible.

On another, she celebrated secretly, raising a toast to my happiness.

And then—

That day.

The day my engagement was broken off and I fled the academy.

For my sake, she finally lost herself completely.

And swore revenge.

Sylph had been used.

Every action born from her feelings had been manipulated.

By none other than Mina Yukishiro.

Used.

Twisted.

Until everything Sylph had done was attributed to me.

And somehow, I understood.

This was her memory.

I had no proof.

It was simply a feeling.

But I knew.

Pitiful.

And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to sympathize with her.

Of course I was happy that someone had cared for me so deeply. That much devotion was impossible not to appreciate.

But in the end, I had been cast out from noble society because of her actions.

As cruel as it sounded, she had brought this upon herself.

The scene shifted again.

This time, Mina Yukishiro stood before Sylph.

“What do you want? Hurry up.”

Mina’s voice was cold.

Sylph stared back at her.

“Why…?”

Her voice trembled.

“Why did you blame everything on Lady Veena?”

Sylph had already confessed everything.

The harassment—if it could even be called that—had been nothing more than complaints and petty hostility born from her own initiative.

She had told Mina all of it.

Yet despite knowing the truth, Mina had twisted the story and forced all responsibility onto me.

Sylph couldn’t forgive that.

Mina merely shrugged.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…You’re going to pretend?”

Sylph’s voice sharpened.

“That day, I trusted you. I left everything to you. And yet…”

Indeed, Sylph hadn’t been present during the public annulment.

Only her companions had been there.

Most likely Mina had deliberately kept the troublesome Sylph away.

Perhaps Sylph herself had felt guilty for interfering in my affairs without permission.

“Miss Sylph,” Mina said with a smile, “I understand wanting to protect someone you love. But wrongdoing is wrongdoing. People have to be punished for their crimes.”

She was smiling.

Yet mockery gleamed in her eyes.

“…I see.”

Sylph lowered her gaze.

“Crime deserves punishment.”

Then she slowly raised her hand.

“In that case… you deserve punishment too.”

A chill ran through me.

Sylph extended her arm toward Mina.

“After you, only Lady Veena’s brother and that second prince remain.”

Her face twisted with madness.

Mina frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“…Everyone who betrayed Lady Veena will die.”

Sylph smiled.

A broken, terrifying smile.

“I already killed the girls who framed her.”

For the first time, Mina’s composure cracked.

“So it was you.”

Her voice hardened.

“You really have lost your mind. Killing friends you were once so close to… You’re the worst kind of person.”

“They deserved it.”

“No.”

Sylph shook her head.

“They betrayed Lady Veena…”

Her expression softened.

“…No. They betrayed me.”

I understood.

Her friends had only framed me because they believed it would help Sylph.

That much was obvious now.

“But it’s almost over.”

Sylph’s smile widened.

“I’ll kill you. Then Glen. Then Arnight.”

Her eyes grew distant.

“And finally, myself.”

“Once they’re all dead… my revenge will be complete.”

She was insane.

Mina and I reached that conclusion at the exact same moment.

“So die quietly, Mina Yukishiro—”

Sylph lunged forward.

She ran straight for Mina, intent on taking her life.

And in the next instant—

The world went dark.

The last thing I saw was Mina.

A faint smile rested upon her lips.

So that was the end.

An absurdly abrupt ending.

I never learned what happened afterward.

Then, before me, a pale blue silhouette appeared.

“Well? What did you think of my many foolish deeds?”

The figure laughed softly.

“You must admit they were quite something.”

I couldn’t make out her face.

But I knew it was Sylph.

“Quite something?”

I replied coldly.

“They weren’t remotely amusing.”

“Hehe. I thought you’d say that.”

“So?”

I folded my arms.

“You showed me all this. What exactly do you want from me?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Do you want comfort? Even if it’s only inside a dream?”

“Or perhaps you want me to avenge you by killing Miss Mina?”

“Hehe. Of course not.”

Sylph laughed.

“Lady Veena already has a new partner, doesn’t she?”

There was not a trace of resentment in her voice.

“Besides, someone like me has no right to ask anything of you.”

Her tone softened.

“I only wanted you to know what happened behind the scenes of your broken engagement.”

“I see.”

That was all I said.

“And besides…”

Her voice brightened.

“I got to see your face one last time.”

She sounded genuinely happy.

“I suppose I should thank the dragon as well.”

The smile she wore now was the same one I’d seen at the beginning of the dream.

Bright.

Pure.

Overflowing with life.

“A dragon?”

I frowned.

Sylph nodded.

“The Cocytus family has inherited the dragon’s seal for generations.”

“I was born into that family.”

As she spoke, her pale blue form began to change.

A familiar little dragon appeared before me.

And at last, everything clicked into place.

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Her answer was filled with contentment.

The kind of voice that soothed everyone who heard it.

“You’re incredibly selfish, you know.”

I sighed.

“After causing all that chaos, you’re really going to leave satisfied?”

I wasn’t angry with her.

Not really.

But because I wasn’t angry, I couldn’t let her leave without saying it.

Sylph giggled.

“That’s right.”

Her smile widened.

“Love makes people selfish, Lady Veena. ♡”

And then I woke up.

…Honestly.

How selfish can you be?

Showing me a dream like that… what exactly am I supposed to do now?

With a long sigh, I sat up.

A small dragon that had been sleeping curled atop my stomach tumbled off.

“Gau!?”

Startled awake, it looked around frantically, searching for the source of the disturbance.

Finding nothing, it immediately waddled back to me, curled into a ball once more, and fell asleep.

Like a cat.

I gently stroked its head.

“Kyuu…”

The little cry it let out was unbearably adorable.

Come to think of it…

This little one needs a name.

As I continued petting it, a certain name came to mind.

The same name I had been thinking about moments earlier.

…Sylph.

Yes. That will be your name.

The moment I made my decision, the tiny dragon—

Sylph—

let out an enormous yawn.

And drifted peacefully back to sleep.