Kill the Villainess [Novel] - Chapter 3

When my eyes met Hybris’s, the awkward smile on his lips slowly faded. He leaned in close to my ear, his movements deliberate, and whispered,

“……Who are you?”

His words pierced through me.

My head spun. I wasn’t even sure if I was breathing properly. Should I confess everything and seek help?

Or was feigning ignorance the right choice?

If Hybris had been on my side—or even in the same position as the witch I’d met today—I wouldn’t have hesitated to lay bare my circumstances.

But Hybris was Helena’s ally, which meant he would eventually become my enemy. Could I really hand my greatest weapon to a man destined to oppose me?

The answer was no. I wanted to die—cleanly and painlessly, if possible.

If it were discovered that I wasn’t truly Eris, especially by those who already despised me, things would become unbearably complicated.

This was a nation with advanced magical engineering. Who knew what they might do? They could subject me to torture disguised as biological experiments to understand how another soul had taken over this body, or brand me as insane and lock me away in some remote estate until I withered away under surveillance.

Even if Hybris let it slide, if he later revealed it to the Crown Prince, the outcome was inevitable. The Crown Prince would show me no mercy—if anything, he’d make things worse.

“Isn’t it stranger for a high priest to know an unmarried noblewoman like me?”

“……I’m not referring to your status.”

“If not my status, then what?”

I played dumb. I should have answered immediately—now, the delay felt like a mistake. But in battles like these, the bold usually won.

I lifted my chin defiantly and met his gaze. Perhaps because he was a priest unused to women, he averted his eyes. Besides, people were starting to stare.

The Grand High Priest might be an exception, but Eris was a public figure as the Crown Prince’s fiancée. A noblewoman whispering with a man naturally drew suspicion.

“……It’s difficult to explain.”

“You interrogate me so fiercely, yet refuse to reveal your reasons?”

“Interrogation? How could a priest ever interrogate anyone?”

I leaned in closer as Hybris jerked back in surprise. This was risky—I could easily be branded a temptress seducing a holy man. But I was confident I’d win this gamble.

In the novel, Hybris was cripplingly indecisive and overly conscious of others—a coward who couldn’t even confess to Helena and ended up losing everything.

And according to the novel’s descriptions, unlike Helena, Eris had a terrifyingly striking appearance.

“If *I* feel interrogated, then it *is* an interrogation. If I were to grope your chest right now, would it not count as harassment just because I’m a woman?”

“……It seems I misunderstood. I apologize for my words.”

“I accept.”

Realizing today’s dessert outing was ruined, I left Hybris standing there with an uneasy expression and exited the shop. Lingering any longer risked him uncovering proof that I wasn’t Eris.

The stares bothered me too. This shop was frequented by nobles and their servants.

Given Eris’s already poor reputation, gossip would spread like wildfire. Not that I cared—this wasn’t even my real body, and I was going to die soon anyway.

But on the carriage ride home, my thoughts wandered. If Hybris was destined to fall for Helena later, wouldn’t it have been better to ask him now?

The witch had hinted there might be a way back without dying—and that the answer lay in the Grand Temple.

The Grand Temple wasn’t accessible to commoners. Even nobles had to undergo strict procedures and scrutiny to enter.

In the novel, even Helena—despite being the heroine—couldn’t set foot there due to her lowly status.

Though, since Hybris was the Grand High Priest, it hadn’t been an issue for her…

I should’ve seized the chance to ask what he saw in Eris—whether I was an Outsider and if there was a way back alive. ……If living was an option, I’d prefer that.

Death didn’t scare me, but the pain of trying to die lingered vividly in my memory. It had been excruciating.

I’d gone through with it because I believed everything would end when I closed my eyes. But waking up unscathed in this world only deepened my despair.

“Ugh…….”

Fear had made me waste a perfect opportunity. The thought drew a frustrated groan from me. All I could do now was pray for another chance.

To anticipate the next opportunity, I needed to recall the novel’s plot—but it had been so clichéd and forgettable that the details eluded me.

Worse, since all descriptions revolved around Helena, events rarely occurred outside her presence, making predictions impossible.

We’d had tea together a week ago, so we were likely still in the early stages… If only I’d paid more attention while reading.

“We’ve arrived, my lady.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah, the Knight Inauguration Ceremony is approaching. Will you not appoint a personal knight this year either?”

“Ah…….”

As I took the knight’s hand to disembark, the sudden question caught me off guard. Was that in the plot? When I stared blankly at him, he grinned and added,

“You needn’t appoint one if you don’t wish to, but having a personal knight is convenient for both nobles and knights alike. Though numbers are strictly limited, you could use them for private purposes too.”

The idea was tempting, but I shook my head. My life would end soon—bringing more people into it would only cause them trouble.

The knight nodded as if expecting my refusal but still looked disappointed.

“A shame. There are countless men eager to serve as your escort.”

“Mine?”

“Of course. What greater romance is there for a knight than pledging their life to a beautiful lady?”

“What a selfish and pitiful notion of romance.”

So only the beautiful were worth dying for? No—the very idea of treating someone else’s life as a burden to bear felt unsettling.

Why sacrifice so grandly only to boast about it? Men’s logic was as incomprehensible now as ever. Pausing at the door, I turned back.

“Perhaps someone might cherish that romance—but not me. So keep your life for yourself.”

I had no intention of becoming anyone’s romantic ideal or bearing its weight.

Morning came, and I was still Eris.

After careful consideration, I concluded it was best to confront Hybris before relations worsened further.

Surely he wouldn’t blab if I asked him to keep it secret—it *was* a lady’s request.

I considered applying for a temple visit but worried about leaks given the complex procedures. That left engineering another “chance” encounter…

In the novel, Hybris frequented the Imperial Palace and yesterday’s dessert shop. Fortunately, both were places I could visit freely if needed.

Hybris had an incongruous sweet tooth, and expensive desserts were considered somewhat extravagant even here, so he indulged secretly in moderation.

Later, when Helena cheerfully endorsed his love for sweets, he stopped hiding it—a moment that deepened his affection for her.

As someone overly bound by his priestly vows, this became a pivotal point in his growing fondness for Helena.

I had no interest in stealing Helena’s romantic moments, but if we were to meet again, the dessert shop seemed safer.

Accidentally triggering the Crown Prince landmine at the palace would be disastrous.

And if I were mistaken for seducing Hybris… I might rage myself into a three-day fever.

“My lady, please prepare quickly. His Majesty has summoned you to the palace.”

“……His Majesty?”

“Yes. Normally you’d dress more formally, but we can’t keep His Majesty waiting.”

A simpler outfit was hastily assembled. The sudden imperial decree threw the household into chaos—nearly every maid swarmed me. A dozen hands tugged and adjusted until I felt dizzy.

After enduring the ordeal, I entered the palace, where the chamberlain escorted me straight to the Emperor’s study.

“Your Majesty, Lady Miserian—eldest daughter of Marquis Miserian and fiancée to His Highness the Crown Prince—awaits your audience.”

“Let her enter.”

Steadying my breath and fixing a polite smile on my face, I stepped through the door the chamberlain opened. Light streamed through tall windows, reflecting off white marble and gold trim.

The Emperor sat with his back to the windows, silhouetted by light that amplified his majesty. His white hair and beard lent him dignity as he spoke warmly.

“A radiant afternoon to you, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“My apologies for summoning you so abruptly. I hope it wasn’t inconvenient.”

“How could Your Majesty’s call ever be inconvenient? It is always an honor.”

“You’ve learned pretty words indeed. I wished to discuss your Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”

In this empire, adulthood was recognized at twenty-one—when physical and mental growth were complete. Unlike starving nations that sent half-grown children to war or labor.

Among the novel’s cast, Eris was the youngest; the others had likely come of age last year. From his words alone, I could guess where this was headed.

“……Though unprecedented, I wish to hold your ceremony at the palace. Unless you have another venue in mind?”

Resisting would be pointless—the Emperor would have his way regardless.

Not wanting to argue with royalty, I shook my head gracefully.

The Emperor insisted on hosting to counter rumors—no, *facts*—that the Crown Prince favored commoner Helena over me.

It was an insult to House Miserian—a pillar of the noble faction and one of the empire’s most powerful families.