My Next Life as a Villainess

by Satoru Yamaguchi

  “Ah, can you drop that over here?” asked a woman from the department we were now delivering to.

  “Sure thing!” I replied briskly, feeling like one of those delivery boys from my previous life who were popular because of how muscular they were. “Here?” I asked with a smile.

  “Yes, there...” she replied, suddenly shocked after seeing my face. “...I-I am sorry, asking you to do this. I will carry it myself,” she said, reaching for the package in my hands.

  I was surprised by how abruptly her attitude had changed, but I couldn’t stop what I was doing.

  “No, no, this is my job. Don’t worry. Right over here?” I asked, and then placed the package down.

  “Th-Thank you...” the woman said, looking ashamed.

  I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but Sora and Laura were already waiting for me outside, so I just bowed respectfully and left.

  Similar exchanges, inexplicably, also happened in some of the other departments I visited.

  “I wonder if I look that weak...” I muttered to myself, looking at my arms, while walking to the next destination.

  “Why would you say that?” asked Laura, who had heard me, cocking her head to the side.

  I told her that a lot of people were trying to take the packages from me while I was still halfway through delivering them. “So I thought that maybe they do that because I look weak.”

  I’d spent my years since being reborn into this world working the fields, so I was positive I wasn’t weak, but maybe I gave off that impression because I was standing next to the musclebound Laura...

  After looking surprised for a moment, Laura started giggling. “As expected of you, my dear. You come up with the funniest ideas. But I’m sure it’s just because you are the daughter of Duke Claes.”

  “Because I’m the daughter of Duke Claes?” I repeated, unsure what the connection was, making her giggle even harder.

  “Have you ever seen a noble lady carrying packages around?” she asked, and I finally understood.

  I was used to doing all the heavy work in the fields by myself, carrying around fertilizer and everything. That was so normal in my house that the people around me, even when they offered help, wouldn’t go as far as offering to do all the work for me — or maybe they did at first, but eventually stopped after I declined again and again while telling them that it was all part of my training.

  So maybe a normal noble lady would never do things that I took for granted, such as carrying heavy things and cleaning. I had even heard that some ladies refused to pick up anything heavier than a spoon, so that explained why people would be so eager to help me.

  “What should I do then? I like this delivery duty.”

  Carrying packages and other manual tasks were one thing, but if I were to stop doing this, the alternative would be what Hart was doing... Working through piles of documents while holed up inside the office. I could never stand that! I want to keep doing this!

  I looked at Laura, who was still giggling, and waited for an answer.

  “Tee-hee, just keep doing what you did today. People will eventually grow used to it.”

  She had a point. The people at home had grown used to it as well.

  “Thank you. I will!” I replied.

  “Very good,” she said, patting my head. “I’m sure the rumors will also stop,” she mumbled to herself.

  Her voice was so low that I hadn’t heard what she said, so I asked, but she smiled and said it was nothing.

  We then spent the rest of the day making our rounds at the Ministry, helping with this and that as Laura taught us about the job.

  “Haaah, I’m tired, but that was a good workout,” I said, stretching out at the end of the day while we were walking back to the office.

  “That doesn’t sound like something a noble lady would say,” said Sora, laughing.

  “Really?”

  “Really. Well, noble ladies don’t usually do anything that would count as a workout in the first place. Is it really okay for a duke’s daughter to go around doing manual labor?”

  “What? If I stopped doing manual labor, I’d have to stay closed up in that office sorting through papers! Anything but that!” I said, emphasizing how much I’d hate it.

  “You really are a weird one,” he said, laughing again.

  I first met Sora under unique circumstances, and when we were supposed to part ways, fate brought us back together at the same workplace. I was really glad to share my first job with him. Having a friend who I could speak freely to was part of it, but he was also very resourceful, and had a positive personality that kept me optimistic. Working wasn’t so scary if he was with me.

  But oh, right, he’s actually one of the romanceable options in FL2. I’d almost forgotten that.

  There was always the possibility that Sora could lead me to a Catastrophic Bad End... and what did he think of Maria, anyway? I’d never asked him about that. It’s only the two of us right now. This is the perfect chance.

  “Hey, Sora, what do you think of Maria?”

  “What’s this all of a sudden? I can never guess what you’ll think of next.”

  “C-Can’t you? But you know, Maria... isn’t she cute? Dewey completely fell for her a couple of days ago during the examination, so I was wondering what you thought of her.”

  I kept going, trying to get some information out of him. He thought for a while and then finally started speaking.

  “She’s cute alright, and she also has a good personality. No wonder a lot of boys fell for her.”

  “I know, right? She’s cute and kind! Having her as a wife would be so wonderf— wait, I want to know what you are thinking. Do you, like, want to date her or anything?”

  “Not really. She’s cute and all, but I’m not that interested,” he replied, to my surprise. He was one of the game’s love interests, so, even if not to Dewey’s extent, he was supposed to be after Maria.

  “What? Why wouldn’t you want to date a girl as cute as Maria?!”

  If I were a boy, I know I would!

  “Why...? That’s just my taste. She’s not my type,” he said coolly.

  “If a girl as cute and kind as her isn’t your type... then what kind of girl is?”

  “...Dumb girls who always give their best,” he said after thinking for a while.

  I wasn’t expecting that.

  “...You have really weird taste, Sora,” I said, and he gave me a noogie.

  I was just speaking my mind... no need to be offended...

  His taste in girls was really unique, but, through interacting with Maria, he could change and fall in love with her. I’d better keep an eye on him.

  Once we reached the Ministry’s entrance, the Claes carriage was waiting for me.

  “See you tomorrow, Sora!”

  “Don’t oversleep, and come here on time!” he said before I disappeared into the carriage.

  Looking through the window, I saw Sora walk back towards the entrance. That made sense, since he lived in the Ministry’s dormitory. He didn’t need to pass the gate to go back home. Had he come all the way here just to see me off? He’s kind of rough around the edges, but deep down he’s really kind too.

  The note on FL2 said that in one of the Bad Ends Katarina would fight the love interest, who would fall victim to her Dark Magic. Of course I didn’t want to get killed, but I also wouldn’t want to permanently injure Sora by fighting with him. I prayed that I’d never have to choose.

  The next day, I was once again able to wake up (or, more precisely, to be woken up by Anne) early enough to get to the Ministry on time.

  Despite the previous day’s hard work, I, trained by all my years tilling the fields, felt no pain anywhere. I was so glad for farming. Though now that I was busy with this job, I didn’t have time to take care of the fields anymore. I had to keep up doing manual labor to ensure that, if I were exiled, I’d have the strength necessary to survive abroad on my own.

  Today Sora and I are going to work m
ostly on our own! I’m going to do my best!

  The first task was delivering packages, and I was ready to fill up the flying container as much as I could, but I didn’t manage to do much.

  Laura said that she’d help out “just a bit,” but I could never compare to what she called “just a bit.” She filled up the container so quickly and effortlessly that I only contributed less than half of what she and Sora had. I would have to find another way to train my muscles.

  Since I still hadn’t learned how to control the container, Sora would be doing that today too while I followed him and Laura from behind.

  Just like the previous day, some people told me that they would carry the packages themselves, or that I didn’t need to worry about it, but I refused every time and told them with a smile that it was my job. I hoped they’d stop saying those things soon.

  We completed a few deliveries, and our next stop was the library. The librarian was usually behind a counter so far from the library’s entrance that she wouldn’t hear us if we called on her from there, so yesterday Laura told us that we should leave the packages at the entrance and then walk to the counter to inform the librarian about them.

  Since he was the one controlling the container, Sora stayed outside. Meanwhile I, happy to finally be able to offer some help, went inside to find the librarian.

  “We have a package for you. It’s right by the entrance, so please come and confirm the delivery,” I told the old woman behind the counter.

  “Thank you. I will come immediately,” she said, standing up.

  That very second, several Ministry employees came out of the other side of the library, approaching her.

  “I’d like to borrow this one book,” said the closest one.

  “Oh, I am sorry. I need to go and receive a delivery, so please wait for a little while,” the woman, who apparently was the only one tending the counter, replied.

  “Receive a delivery?” asked the man who was trying to borrow a book. “What is it, the Errand Department?” He looked at me with disdain in his eyes. “Forget about those losers and serve us first,” he went on with a sneer. All the other ones behind him quickly followed suit and started grinning.

  I can’t believe these guys...

  The librarian was looking very troubled, but, not seeming to care, the people in front of the counter kept being rude.

  “Be quick. Whatever dumb task the Errand Department is doing can’t be as important as our work anyway,” one of them said, looking condescendingly at me.

  “Take that back. There is no dumb task. If packages weren’t being delivered, you wouldn’t be able to do your work. All work is equally important,” said a calm but intense voice.

  A man with brown hair, green eyes, and frameless glasses appeared behind the employees who were waiting in line. It was the same man I’d met the day before: Cyrus Lanchester, one of the FL2 love interests.

  “...S-Sir Lanchester...” said one of the men, as all of their faces turned grim.

  “I cannot allow a Ministry employee to say such things. Tell me your names and departments,” Cyrus said, staring sternly at them.

  “That is... we just...” they mumbled, avoiding looking directly at him, before forgetting about the books that they wanted to borrow and running away from the library.

  “No running inside the building,” Cyrus called after them.

  “Thank you,” I said, grateful for what he had done.

  “I only reprimanded those men for their behavior. You have nothing to thank me for,” he said coldly, before turning to face away from me.

  “I’m going back to the office. You all keep doing your research, and come back once you’re done,” he said to someone deeper inside the library before leaving.

  Realizing that some of his subordinates were in the library, I craned my neck ever so slightly to peek at them.

  “Maria! Dewey!”

  I found Maria, my dear friend and protagonist of Fortune Lover, and Dewey, the young genius who was one of the game’s love interests.

  We had completed our examination together just a few days ago, and now the two of them were looking at the open books in front of them with great concentration.

  “Lady Katarina!” they said in unison, surprised at hearing my voice calling them. I couldn’t resist the urge to approach my two fellow newcomers and the piles of books they were reading.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  “Director Lanchester told us to research some material regarding Light Magic, so we were doing that,” replied Maria.

  Taking a closer look at the books, they were full of difficult words that triggered a sort of reading-allergy reaction in my brain.

  “That looks hard...” I said.

  “Not at all! You have to walk around the building doing a lot of different things,” she replied kindly.

  “I’m just doing that because I’m not good at tasks where I have to use my head... But wait, why do you know what kind of work I’m doing?”

  Since our departments had been decided two days ago, I’d had no chance to talk with Maria about my mostly manual labor and all the weirdos working with me.

  “Well... you are somewhat well-known inside the Ministry...” she said with a troubled expression, further explaining that the daughter of a duke going around running errands had become a sensational piece of news.

  Hm... I wish everyone in the Ministry would get used to it and start taking it for granted, like my family does.

  “Are you also here for research, Lady Katarina?” asked Dewey, with a smile on his face that I could have never even imagined seeing during our examination.

  At first I had been afraid that he hated me, but now I was really glad that he would talk to me normally like this. All that I had to do now was become even closer to him so that I could find out his weak spots in case things progressed like the game’s script and push came to shove.

  “No, I’m just here for a delivery.”

  “So you really are delivering packages! Incredible as always, Lady Katarina,” he said with a sparkle in his eye.

  I had no idea what about that was supposed to be incredible, but he was obviously praising me, and I enjoyed it. At least until his next words.

  “So, where is the package that you are delivering?”

  “Right! The package! I was still delivering it! See you guys later! Let’s talk again when we have some free time!”

  I had completely forgotten that I still wasn’t done with my delivery. I went back to the library’s entrance, where the librarian had already received the package and brought it back with her.

  I apologized over and over to Laura and Sora for how useless I had been.

  “Don’t worry,” said Laura, “the librarian told me that you were harassed by some jerks.”

  But even after that, I had forgotten all about work and started talking to my friends, so I honestly apologized about that.

  “Now, that won’t do. You’re an adult, so you should concentrate more on your work,” Laura said. I thought she would scold me more harshly, like Mother always did, but she was kind.

  “Aren’t you going to get mad?” I asked, surprised.

  “It’s only your second day working here; of course you’re going to make mistakes,” she replied.

  Moved by her kindness, I decided to concentrate more and do my best.

  “Anyway, you already ran into some annoying people, huh? Our department’s work is very unique, as are the people in it. But despite how weird they are, they are very talented individuals, so remarks like those you heard earlier are nothing new. Don’t worry too much about them.”

  “Sure. I’m very good at not worrying about things.”

  I’d been engaged to Jeord since I was eight, so I was used to unsavory remarks. Pointless insults went in one ear and out the other.

  “You’re a very strong girl,” Laura said while giggling to herself, before frowning slightly. “But all we do here is run errands... Aren’t you
envious of Maria? You’re both newcomers, but she gets to research magic powers in the most popular department,” she said.

  Envious? Of having to do research...?

  “Not at all. I’m not very good at using my head, so things like research are out of my league. I prefer carrying packages, cleaning, and other manual labor like that. I’m glad I was assigned to this department,” I said honestly, and, for some reason, Laura started patting my head.

  “You’re such a good girl...”

  Being patted by that huge hand hurt a little bit, but she looked so happy doing it that I just let her keep going.

  And so, apart from that one minor mishap, my second day of work went on and finished successfully. Sora saw me to the carriage again.

  “You must be tired. I appreciate the thought but you don’t need to come this way,” I told him, knowing that he didn’t need to come in this direction.

  “I can’t have you get lost or fall asleep along the way,” he said, coming with me all the way to my destination. I didn’t think that getting lost could be a problem, but the previous day I had fallen asleep the second I sat down in the carriage and had to be shaken awake, so Sora wasn’t far off the mark.

  My colleagues are so kind, I thought to myself while sitting in the carriage.

  I had worked for my first two days, and tomorrow would be off. The people at the department told me to rest well after what must have been two tiring days, but I had no time to rest. There was something I had to do right away.

  I had to find out more about the note. My future depended on it. Who wrote it? Why was it inside that book?

  The next day I would go to the castle and ask both Jeord, who had returned the book to me, and the person who was looking after it after I’d lost it.

  It’s time to do what I can! Yeah! Sequel? Returning villainess? Come at me! I’m going to overcome doom again! I swore to myself before falling asleep inside the swaying carriage.

  Like on the previous day, I was so deeply asleep by the time we reached the mansion that calling my name wasn’t enough to wake me — I had to be grabbed by the shoulders and shaken. I went back to my room, still drowsy, and, without any energy left to even eat dinner, I fell asleep until the next morning. I guess I was more tired than I thought.