“I Am a Villainous Noblewoman.”
—or perhaps, a villainous noblewoman.
I gaze at my reflection in the mirror.
Long lashes, catching the light with every blink, match the color of my hair. My cheeks are naturally rosy as though adorned with blush, yet I wear none. The fingertips that brush against my cheek are a pale pink, reminiscent of cherry blossom shells.
If this were all, I could marvel, “Oh, how beautiful I am!”
But then there are the sharply angled arched brows, the luxurious purple curls, and those upward-slanted sapphire-blue eyes that practically scream “malicious personality.” My lips, unadorned with any rouge, are crimson like blood. The result? A face that oozes arrogance—impossibly smug.
A sigh escapes from my eight-year-old self, causing the rookie maid combing my hair behind me to startle and flinch. This, of course, makes me furrow my brows.
Yes, by all appearances, I am undeniably a villainous noblewoman.
I close my eyes softly. Behind my eyelids, scenes flash—me hunched over a computer, chasing down numbers, or immersed in vibrant, dazzling visions of “handsome men.”
Blue, yellow, green, black—each with strikingly vivid hair colors and belonging to various “artistic styles.” I recall how “I” would chase after these “handsome men” across two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds, banishing my stress through their presence.
Whether in “2D,” “3D,” or even the “actors behind the characters,” “I” was a tired office lady, clinging to attractive men as a solace for life.
I open my eyes again.
Before the mirror stands a visage of beauty that even I have grown weary of seeing. Whatever “I” was, it is clear that life was mine. A dream, an illusion—it was neither.
I press a hand against my chest. Moments of trembling joy from my favorite manga or anime, the shock of falling off a horizontal bar for the first time, the bittersweet struggle of learning how to apply makeup—all of it is undeniably here, within me.
“…Where is this place, I wonder?” I whisper softly, the sound of my voice startling me with its refined and imperious tone.
I glare at my reflection, both enchanted and exasperated by the arrogance inherent in my lovely yet entirely unsympathetic voice.
The brilliant purple hair, free from any synthetic nylon sheen, suggests that this place is far removed from the “Japan” or “America” I once knew. It belongs, without a doubt, to the kind of world inhabited by those characters I once pursued with my heart and soul in “2D.”
Here, I possess magic, and I adore the ice I conjure with it. I am the daughter of an earl’s family, descended from royal bloodlines, and my fiancé is none other than the kingdom’s first prince.
There is no denying that this is a picture-perfect fantasy. But what sort of world is this, truly?
Could it be the world of a game or manga that once defined my life? If so, which genre? Or is it something entirely unrelated to those creations?
And above all, is “I” my previous life? Or my future? I cannot even discern that much.
“Oh, my lady, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
At the quivering voice of the rookie maid, I lift my gaze to see my reflection in the mirror, adorned with a velvet ribbon and blue roses.
Despite the cascading locks of hair that fall over my shoulders in a girlish fashion, the sight of myself is utterly devoid of charm.
A deep sigh escapes me once again, making the maid tremble in fear. My brow twitches in irritation at the sight.
“…Even as a novice, your behavior leaves much to be desired,” I remark, letting my displeasure be known. The maid pales visibly.
“A proper lady must never reveal her emotions,” I continue, repeating the principles instilled in me during my upbringing. “I assume you came to this household with aspirations of one day becoming the wife of someone of status, no? If so, how could you hope to manage that if every emotion is written plainly on your face?”
At least, I think to myself, I refrained from adding, I wouldn’t want to attend a soirée with someone like you.
“I despise unnecessary patience,” I state coolly. “If serving as my maid becomes intolerable for you, feel free to leave at any time.”
0 Comments