[Prologue]
The stage was perfect.
The first floor of ‘Dyling,’ the most famous and luxurious cafe in the Empire. Since it was a place frequented by many nobles, it would be easy for the event to land on the lips of gossipmongers.
As Duke Ludnine Iels appeared at this location as predicted, everyone held their breath.
Fine-textured black hair, dark black eyes like the night sky, and an appearance that looked as if it had been sculpted by God. His tall height, broad shoulders, and slender yet solid physique boasted perfect proportions. The young Duke, in his early twenties, was a handsome man who naturally drew exclamations from anyone who saw him.
“This way, Duke.”
A server who recognized Ludnine at a glance ran over and politely guided him. With a gentle smile, he stretched out his long legs and strode after the leading server.
“Ahhh.”
One of the young noblewomen, who had been at the cafe since early morning just to see Ludnine, stared at him as if possessed before spurting a nosebleed and collapsing.
“Oh my, Lady Meloby!” “He is even more beautiful and cool than the rumors… How luminous…!” “I know, right!” “That’s true. But why is such a person… having a matchmaking interview with that vicious and ignorant Princess?”
The gathered noblewomen whispered among themselves. At first, they lowered their voices to be somewhat careful, but the voices of the excited noblewomen gradually grew louder until they were audible to the people inside the cafe.
Ludnine was puzzled by the slander piercing his ears.
‘The Princess… why is she staying still?’
He narrowed his eyes, observing the woman who was looking outside with her glittering silver hair fixed neatly in a half-updo.
Princess Yvonne Argenthose. The daughter of the Duke of Argenthose and an outstanding mage, yet a woman notorious for being an arrogant and violent villainess who knew no manners. To think such a villainess would stay still even after hearing insults about herself. It was difficult to understand.
‘Is she unable to hear because she is thinking deeply about something?’
Curious about what Princess Yvonne was watching so intently, Ludnine turned his head to follow her gaze. The seat where Princess Yvonne sat offered the best view, overlooking the fountain in the square where cool streams of water shot up.
Swaaa.
Princess Yvonne was staring right at that fountain. The square’s fountain, erected to praise the greatness of the Imperial Family of Belvent, was a brilliant golden color, the symbol of the Belvent bloodline.
Sensing the bitterness and sorrow dwelling in her vivid purple eyes, Ludnine swallowed a scoff internally.
‘They said she couldn’t forget the Crown Prince, and it seems it was truly a fact.’
This stage was a matchmaking seat arranged by Duke Argenthose to lift the spirits of and entertain his daughter, who had fallen into sadness after being rejected by the Crown Prince.
‘Please, have a public matchmaking interview with my daughter. This is my wish.’
Duke Ludnine Iels had come all the way down to the capital from his distant northern territory to repay the debt his late father owed to Duke Argenthose. The family motto of the Iels Dukedom was to never carelessly incur a debt to others, and if a debt was incurred, it must be repaid.
Ludnine’s father had received help from Duke Argenthose, but since Duke Argenthose never requested anything in return, he spent his whole life trembling with anxiety. In the end, the previous Duke Iels could not close his eyes in peace even as he died.
He even left a final will to his son, Ludnine, who stayed by his deathbed, to make sure he repaid the debt to Duke Argenthose.
Both property and debt are things to be inherited. Ludnine intended to faithfully repay even his father’s debt of the heart.
That was why he came here, to this official matchmaking seat with the woman evaluated as the worst Princess in the Empire—someone with a bad personality who even committed crimes recklessly.
Having become a Duke at a young age, Ludnine, who had been busy stabilizing and caring for the Iels territory in the North until now, was visiting the capital for the first time. He did not know the circumstances of the capital very well, and it was also his first time actually meeting the notorious Princess Yvonne Argenthose.
However, he intended to accommodate Yvonne’s temper with the utmost sincerity and polite attitude before exiting this stage. No matter how arrogantly she behaved, he would endure it all.
Princess Yvonne only stared at the square’s fountain with a worried expression, even though Ludnine had approached close to the table. Ludnine took a deep breath, then called out to her.
“Princess Yvonne Argenthose.”
“Ah.”
When he called her, Yvonne slowly turned her head. Just in time, the sunlight touched her long silver hair, making it shine brilliantly, and Ludnine, dazzled, closed his eyes slightly before slowly opening them.
‘Hmm.’
She is a beauty, just as I heard. It was clear that the evaluation of her beauty had been devalued because the reputation of her being a villainess was more dominant. Although a stubborn personality was visible in her slightly upturned eyes and high nose bridge, she did not feel as vicious as he had thought. The vivid purple eyes staring at him were beautiful, moving his heart.
Thinking that he could, perhaps, engage in this play a little more joyfully, he smiled gently and sat in the chair opposite Yvonne.
“I am Ludnine Iels.”
“Hello, Duke.”
Seeing Yvonne stiffen and greet him formally upon seeing him, Ludnine felt slightly disappointed. Feeling a surge of competitiveness, he smiled even more gentlemanly and spoke softly.
“Seeing you like this, you are even more beautiful…”
“Excuse me, I apologize since this is our first meeting, but Duke.”
Yvonne suddenly cut him off and lowered her voice to the utmost. Her appearance was so serious that Ludnine also became tense in response.
“Could you lend me some money?”
The moment he heard the words Yvonne whispered to him with her hand covering her mouth, Ludnine doubted his own ears. Is she not a shameless villainess? To borrow money from a man she met for the first time like this.
However, while Ludnine was dumbfounded, he found himself opening his mouth as he looked at Yvonne, who was staring intently at him. It was because the vicious Princess, holding out both hands politely toward him in a ‘gimme’ pose, was so lethally cute.
It is a strange situation. It is clearly an absurd and nonsensical thing. He didn’t know why, but Ludnine found himself taking his wallet out of his jacket’s inner pocket without realizing it.
And a chilling premonition grazed his mind. The premonition that he would be completely fleeced of everything he owned by that vicious Princess.
Although the matchmaking partner of this time, Ludnine, did not know yet if ‘everything’ would include his ‘heart’ as well.
I always wanted to be the villainess, not the female protagonist.
Not the kind of pushover female protagonist who signs a contract as if possessed, only to discover the toxic clauses too late. I liked the kind of villainess who, even if hated by everyone and cursed as “that b*tch,” was actually born with a golden spoon—no, a diamond spoon—in her mouth when looked at realistically.
Especially, what kind of character is a villainess in a Romance Fantasy? Have you ever seen a poor villainess? High noble status is standard; she possesses beauty, power, and wealth that rival the female lead, yet she is a (cool) sister who ruins her life chasing twisted desires due to a personality defect.
As long as the villainess doesn’t step on the landmines known as the Female Lead and the Male Lead, where else in the world is there such a diamond-spoon life?
‘I bit into the diamond spoon just as I hoped for…!’
Having opened my eyes in a new world, I stared at the glamorous beauty reflected in the mirror and covered my mouth, overwhelmed with emotion. Bluish silver hair like the moon rising in winter, intense purple eyes, and a faint water-drop-shaped mole engraved on the inside of the left wrist.
Unbelievably ample bosom, a slender waist, firm thighs, and amazing proportions. I lifted the chemise I was wearing slightly.
Oh my god. Is it real that I can see 11-line abs right now…?
This appearance was definitely Princess Yvonne Argenthose, the vicious and cruel villainess and the mastermind inside the romance fantasy novel 《Cordelia’s Light》.
‘She is… a villainess who is a bit strong and has significant importance.’
I scratched my cheek and recalled the original work. Mage Yvonne, who tormented the female lead Cordelia Mare who suddenly appeared in the Empire, eventually discovers the fact that the male lead she liked got engaged to Cordelia, makes a contract with a devil, and completely turns dark (blackens). Since Yvonne was originally an outstanding mage, the devil’s power manifested strongly, turning her into a Grand Warlock. As cruel devils dominated the world, the female lead and male lead suffered severely.
However, in the end, Yvonne, the final mastermind, died very, extremely, miserably and cruelly, befitting the ending of all villains. Yvonne’s ending was too terrible.
‘But what does that matter. I don’t need that kind of ending anymore.’
Can’t I just eat well and live well moderately (?) with the abilities this villainess sister possesses without cultivating wicked desires?
“Huhu.”
Laughter came out automatically. Because Yvonne is the villainess with the highest stats among the villainesses in the novels I have read! Naturally, I was so excited. Let’s summarize it once.
□ Status: Youngest daughter of a Ducal family, Princess.
Did you see? You get the feeling already.
□ Wealth: Owns Orichalcum mines and numerous gem mines under the Argenthose family, operates a magic item sales merchant guild.
It means she is rich to a level that I, who was a petit bourgeois, cannot even imagine.
□ Power: Duke Argenthose’s family. Dad, Duke Argenthose, is the Master of the Magic Tower.
There are a total of four Ducal families that are meritorious retainers of the founding of the country, and the Argenthose Dukedom is a historic family of mages.
□ Stamina: Unbeatable (Wall that cannot be climbed).
This part is also very important. Stamina is basic for living. It is said that Princess Yvonne Argenthose was perfectly fine with eyes shining bright even after chasing the fleeing female lead, Cordelia Mare, on horseback for a week without sleeping.
□ Ability: Grand Mage.
To die while tormenting the female lead and destroying the world with such cool stats is such a waste of talent. The villainess who made me vow a hundred times that I wouldn’t use it like that if it were me—to think I would become Yvonne.
‘Ideally, it’s not a dream.’
Lifting my hands to stroke both my cheeks, I trembled slightly. The sorrow of my past life surged up. I mean… it’s not much, but.
Since I was an orphan, I grew up in an orphanage, so I had no true blood family. The company I got a job at as soon as I turned twenty paid a salary as tiny as a rat’s tail, barely enough to breathe. On top of that, I was stuck with a senior who bullied me, and overtime work followed me every day like a stalker. Life was a living hell. Was there ever a time I was happy? That doesn’t mean I wanted to give up on life myself.
I attended the company while living in a Gosiwon (exam study room) and saved and saved fiercely. Then, finally, after 5 years, I purchased a two-room officetel. Of course, it was an officetel built on the outskirts, far away from the city center. Although there was an evaluation that it was a place where public security was slightly worrisome, I was still so happy.
Because a ‘home’ had been created for me, who had no ‘home.’ My greed, my wish to create a nest and a fence somehow. Was it because of that that I made a wrong judgment, or was my luck just bad? Eventually, an accident broke out.
