Chapter 2: The Villainess Who Brought Cookies

“Goodness, Cain. Are you alright?”

My brother spoke in a casual tone, extending his hand into the air.

red liquid I’d spat out gathered at his fingertips, forming a sphere before flowing back into the bottle like water.

It was quite a fascinating sight, but I was too busy coughing from choking to properly take it in.

Clutching my throat, I struggled for a while before finally regaining my composure and looking at my brother.

“Ha, what did you just…?”

“Calm down first, catch your breath, and then speak, Cain.”

“Hoo… Alright. Brother, what did you just say?”

“What did I say? I said you’re being assigned as an escort knight for a count’s daughter.”

“I heard that part. What I’m asking is whether the person I’m to serve is really Lia von Elevess, the empire’s most notorious villainess.”

“Lia von Elevess, the empire’s most notorious villainess? Cain, what are you talking about?”

My brother raised an eyebrow, staring at me as if he couldn’t comprehend my words.

For a moment, I thought he was playing dumb and was about to raise my voice.

“Brother, are you messing with me…?”

But before I could finish, it hit me that he might not be.

Right… I was so flustered I forgot.

Lia von Elevess, the villainess from the original story, doesn’t start gaining her infamous reputation until after her debut in high society, when all the main characters gather.

She tried to humiliate the female lead for not knowing noble etiquette, only to be publicly shamed by the male lead, who swooped in at the perfect moment.

That incident sparked her deep resentment toward them, leading her to torment them relentlessly.

Her harassment was so extreme it couldn’t be brushed off as mere pranks.

Rumors of the Elevess family’s daughter being a vicious villainess began to spread, eventually reaching the head of the family, which set her on the path to ruin.

That’s not important right now, so I’ll set it aside.

Lia von Elevess’s debut in high society, where she awakens as a villainess, happens three years before her coming-of-age ceremony.

Which means, until she’s at least seventeen, no one would know she’s the empire’s most notorious villainess.

Having done the mental math, I cautiously spoke up.

“Brother, how old is Lia von Elevess?”

“She’s ten this year, same as you, Cain.”

“…Ah.”

As I thought. That explains his reaction.

“So, Cain, let me ask again. What did you mean by calling Lia von Elevess the empire’s most notorious villainess?”

I couldn’t exactly say, ‘Lia von Elevess becomes the empire’s worst villainess in seven years,’ so I fumbled for an excuse.

“Uh… Never mind, I must’ve been mistaken.”

“Hm, mistaken, you say.”

My brother eyed me skeptically at my half-baked excuse but didn’t press further.

“Fine, if it was a mistake, so be it. But, Cain, there’s something you should know…”

“Uh, Brother.”

Cutting off an elder was against etiquette, but I felt like I wouldn’t get another chance to say this.

I looked him straight in the eye.

“This escort knight role—can I not do it? I know it’s awkward to say, but I don’t want to.”

“Oh? You don’t want to? Why’s that?”

“Well…”

According to the original story, even before awakening as a villainess, Lia von Elevess was a spoiled noble lady who treated those around her poorly.

She spoke informally and condescendingly to everyone, regardless of status, and didn’t hesitate to raise her hand against even elderly servants.

She committed so many misdeeds I can’t recall them all.

In short, becoming the escort knight for such a picture-perfect noble lady would make my future grim.

If possible, I’d rather serve someone kinder—like Princess Aris, the female lead’s ally in the original story.

“…Uh, well.”

No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t come up with a good reason to refuse serving Lia von Elevess.

And why would I? The Elevess family is a famously wealthy count house in the empire. Being their heiress’s spy would undoubtedly yield a wealth of valuable information.

I knew it, and my brother knew it too, so I had no good excuse. As I fumbled with my lips, he grinned.

“Cain, I don’t know why someone as bold as you is trying to avoid Lia von Elevess.”

He reached out with his right hand and patted my shoulder.

“I’ve always told you, haven’t I? A paradise for those who run away…”

“…Doesn’t exist.”

Another phrase I’d heard countless times over the past ten years slipped out reflexively.

Hearing my response, my brother shrugged as if to say, “Exactly.”

Mulling over his words, I had no choice but to relent.

“…Alright, I understand.”

I accepted the role of Lia von Elevess’s escort knight.

The trope of a noble lady being a villainess in a romance fantasy is, surprisingly, a pretty old cliché.

Take Cinderella, for example. There are three noble ladies besides the protagonist, and every single one is a villainess with a nasty personality.

The reason noble ladies have bad personalities is simple—it’s easier to create conflict that way.

A noble lady who smiles brightly and acts kindly toward everyone isn’t as useful as a villain who speaks rudely and condescendingly, right?

…I got a bit off track, but my point is this:

It’s only natural for a noble lady who’s a villainess to have a rotten personality.

“…Hoo.”

I know it’s to be expected, and I prepared myself for it, but I can’t shake this nervous feeling.

I swore I wouldn’t show any irritation no matter how she treated me, but my heart’s still pounding. I guess I’ve still got a long way to go.

Feeling anxious, I fidgeted with the hilt of the sword at my waist as I walked down the corridor.

The sound of rustling must’ve caught his attention, because the Elevess family’s head servant, walking ahead, glanced back at me.

“Sir Cain, is something wrong?”

“Oh, no. I was just checking if my sword was secure.”

“Ha, checking, you say. Even the third son of the renowned Reinhardt family gets nervous, eh?”

The gray-haired, elderly head servant chuckled leisurely.

I considered denying it but figured he’d already seen through me, so I admitted it honestly.

“Yes. It’s my first time meeting the count’s daughter in person.”

“Oh, is that so? Then it’s understandable you’d be nervous. But don’t worry too much. Our Lady Elevess may be a bit of a tomboy, but she has a warm heart.”

“Uh, yes…”

A warm heart? The noble lady who casually speaks down to others and strikes servants, even the elderly? Is this guy out of his mind?

I was tempted to say, “We all know your lady has a rotten personality, so spare me the flattery,” but I held my tongue.

I haven’t even started my first day as an escort knight, so there’s no need to make an enemy of the head servant I’ll see often.

Lost in these thoughts as we walked, the head servant stopped.

“Sir Cain, that’s the reception room.”

He pointed to a room at the end of the corridor.

“Lady Lia von Elevess of the Elevess family is waiting to meet you.”

“…”

“I’ll be waiting outside the reception room.”

With that, the head servant leaned against the corridor wall, signaling that I was to enter alone.

I passed him, grabbed the long handle of the reception room door, and took a short, deep breath before slowly pushing it open.

Creak.*

The door opened with a loud sound.

“Cain Reinhardt, third son of the Reinhardt family, greets Lady Lia von Elevess.”

It goes without saying, but there’s a hierarchy among nobles.

The Reinhardt family, to which I belong, is a barony—the lowest rank among the five noble titles.

Even if our actual influence rivals or exceeds that of a count, officially, we’re at the bottom. So, I bowed my head with the utmost respect.

“…”

According to imperial etiquette, a male noble of lower rank must keep his head bowed when meeting a lady from a higher-ranking family.

You can raise your head only if the lady permits it or if you’re close enough to forgo such formalities. The latter is usually impossible, so…

“…Ahem!”

Lost in stray thoughts, I was startled by a cough from above.

I quickly looked up at Lia von Elevess.

‘Wow…’

She truly looks like a villainess straight out of a novel.

Her face still carries the softness of youth, but her sharp eyes and stunning pink hair, which hint at her potential to grow into a beauty capable of shaking the empire, perfectly match the original story’s description.

I couldn’t help but stare at Lia von Elevess for a moment before snapping out of it and steeling myself.

Don’t be fooled by a villainess’s appearance, Cain Reinhardt.

A beautiful rose always has sharp thorns.

“Hey.”

It took me a second to realize Lia von Elevess was calling me.

“…Yes, yes?”

Oh no, this is bad. Lia von Elevess is a notorious villainess. It wouldn’t be surprising if she kicked or insulted me for responding late.

Snapping to attention, I tensed up, my throat bobbing as I swallowed hard.

As I gulped, Lia von Elevess approached me.

“Sir Knight.”

The girl destined to become the empire’s greatest villainess held something out to me.

And that something was…

“Would you like to try this?”

…A very delicious-looking homemade cookie.