The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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The Villainess Hides Her Identity, and Everyone Misunderstands
Chapter 1

[99th Ending Failed!]
[Returning to Tutorial.]
[Loading… Checking Special Ending Conditions.]
[Stat Roulette Unlocked Due to Special Ending Point Threshold Exceeded.]
[Beginning Roulette Spin.]
Boom boom boom!
[Congratulations! The 【Freedom】 Stat has been created.]
[Beginning 100th Regression.]

* * *

Crack!
The moment consciousness returned to my drifting mind, a sharp palm struck my cheek like lightning.
A beat later, a stinging heat bloomed across my face, and hot breath burst from beneath my jaw.
“Ha….”
“Finally regained your senses, I see.”
I slowly lifted my head, cradling my throbbing cheek. It had been a while, yet the face before me was achingly familiar.
Golden hair and cold emerald eyes.
Crown Prince Ludwig Bernhardt.
“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”
Blood pooled in my mouth in an instant. The price of having a man a head taller than me strike my cheek with all his strength.
So it was true—I had regressed again.
A familiar scenario. A moment I had likely experienced a hundred times over.
“Laughing like a madwoman without a shred of shame.”
Ludwig spoke sharply.
“Tearing at Princess Meyer’s hair and ripping Princess Muller’s skirts—daring to do so before my very eyes.”
As always, I had returned at the moment when Evelyn, raging like a madwoman, received her first engagement annulment from the Crown Prince.
Damn this wretched regression point.
This was already my hundredth regression.
When I first possessed the villainess in the romance fantasy novel “The Tyrant Desires the World’s Destruction,” I had rushed about desperately trying to prevent the apocalypse.
It was to avoid the ending where the Crown Prince falls for a saint from an enemy nation, the heroine dies, and the tyrant prince slaughters everyone in his rage.
The problem was that my actions never strayed beyond the behavioral patterns expected of the villainess Evelyn.
All I was permitted to do was stalk the Crown Prince obsessively or throw tantrums when things didn’t go my way. And therein lay the problem.
No matter how hard I ran until my feet burned, there was nothing I could do! I had a talent for choosing only the worst possible actions, and being too foolish to think things through, my actions always preceded my words.
Even when I wanted to stop playing the villainess, something seemed to block me, and I couldn’t regain control of my own body no matter how hard I tried.
The result of living my first life blindly following Evelyn’s lead was execution.
That’s when hell began.

“I apologize, but you must die here, Princess.”
—Killed by the Grand Duke, the Crown Prince’s aide: 48 times!

“Farewell then. Your death here will save many others.”
—Killed by the Crown Prince: 20 times!

“Execute the sentence!”
—Killed by execution: 22 times!

“The Emperor has gone mad! Run!”
—Destruction ending caused by the Crown Prince becoming a tyrant after doing nothing: 9 times!

How were all the endings death?
Did that even make sense?
With a hollow smile, I glared at the Crown Prince before me who had killed me countless times.
It was starting again. Starting from the beginning once more!
And whoever had set this regression point, I started by getting slapped right away… I had moved beyond feeling wronged to being utterly sick of it.
“What are you scheming this time?”
“…?”
Ludwig irritably brushed his hair back.
While I was lost in thought, he seemed to think I was deliberately staying silent, and his hand movements were filled with annoyance.
“Of course, you’ve always been like this. Always acting as though you were the victim.”
Ah, so that’s what this was.
Well, it sounded like a line I’d heard around the dozen-something-th time. A line that automatically played whenever I got slapped and said nothing.
“So? What do you want this time?”
To his question, I recited the response that had earned me the most peaceful ending so far.
“…All I desire is Your Majesty’s love.”
The so-called love appeal strategy.
My skin crawled, but if not this, Evelyn’s only other options were to throw a teacup or scream.
What a lover of the century.
Contrary to my true feelings, I made the most pitiful and wistful expression I could muster.
“Your Majesty loves me, don’t you? But you shouldn’t treat me this way because of those foolish women who don’t even understand what love is and just flock to you. Break free from this delusion, Your Majesty. It’s me who loves you most!”
Speaking words that contradicted my true feelings was also something I shouldn’t be doing.
“…This isn’t even funny.”
Do you think I want to be saying this?!
I felt like I was going mad, desperate to slap that smug expression off Ludwig’s face as if he were something grand.
My fingers twitched incessantly, but my body remained rigid, as though caught by invisible chains. Once again, all I could do was speak and act as Evelyn would.
“Love, you say….”
Ludwig let out a scoff.
It was an expression so infuriating that I would have preferred another slap.
“Revolting. To speak of love without so much as a change in your complexion after such deeds.”
I’d heard this countless times before, but honestly, wasn’t it rather unbecoming for someone to call another revolting to their face? Especially a crown prince at that….
Of course, given Evelyn’s conduct thus far, I couldn’t entirely fault his perspective, but still—she was a duke’s daughter.
“How many have you cast into ruin with that cunning tongue of yours? How many lives have you stolen with those hands?”
Hmm, it was similar to a line I’d heard during the twenty-first iteration.
Perhaps because he wasn’t a machine, his dialogue varied slightly even in identical situations. I could have compiled a collection of villainess curses at this rate.
I exhaled silently and opened my mouth.
“That was only because they dared insult my honor. How dare they disrespect the Crown Prince’s betrothed! I have only Your Highness. Please do not misinterpret my affection.”
My lips drooped pitifully, and my eyes glistened with moisture.
At this level, I could have easily won a major acting award in my original world. What a shame to perform this entire drama solely for this crown prince.
“The time for excuses and tears to cover things up has passed, Evelyn.”
Ah, here it comes.
Next would be the engagement annulment.
“I’m breaking our engagement. I simply cannot bear this.”
“No, that’s a lie! That cannot be! Your Highness is abandoning me! How dare you, how dare you cast aside the princess of Rosenthal…!”
How dare you abandon me! You insignificant wretch!
It was morning drama dialogue. Back when I lazily sprawled on my couch watching dramas, I’d thought I’d love to perform this line someday. I never imagined I’d repeat it a hundred times.
“An annulment! Father will be furious if he learns of this!”
Ludwig looked at me with disdain, then turned away. As though I weren’t worth acknowledging.
The problem came next.
The scene where Princess Evelyn reveals herself as a “true villainess.” It was a rampage.
The first option was to actually throw a tantrum. Anything worked. I could throw things, break things—all was permitted.
The second was self-harm blackmail. This would shock Ludwig, but the consequences were worse. I’d end up confined to the duchy.
The last was to grab him, wail, and faint. Practically the best option.
‘I suppose this is my only choice after all.’
Just as I reached out to grasp Ludwig’s arm to perform this properly, it happened.
Ding!
…Huh?
I froze mid-reach.
What is this? …A system window?
A translucent rectangular box flickered before my eyes.
Wait, a system window exists? I’ve never seen one before—why now?
In that instant, as though in a VR experience, fireworks exploded before my eyes.
Boom!

[Congratulations on your 100th regression! 【Freedom Lv.3】 has been temporarily unlocked for the tutorial, and choices are now available.]

…What?
Another window materialized before my eyes could even blink.

[Choice branches have been activated based on your 【Freedom】 stat.]
[Please select one of the options below.
1. How dare you do this to me! (Overturn the table and hurl teacups in all directions.)
2. Please, don’t abandon me! (Clutch Ludwig’s collar and desperately plead with obsessive devotion.)
3. I’d rather die! (Seize a fork and press it against my own throat.)
4. Your Majesty, won’t you come to regret this? (Threaten him.)]

…What is this?
Upon discovering the final option, my eyes widened in astonishment.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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