My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 3

by Satoru Yamaguchi

  “Well then! I’ll keep saying it from here on out. As many times as you’d like. So... would you like to become friends with me, Lady Selena?”

  I could only look on blankly at Lady Katarina’s outstretched hand. Ahh... perhaps this person before me really is a saintess.

  “...To say such words towards one who had kidnapped you in the first place... Lady Katarina, you truly are as the rumors say.”

  I felt a fire in my chest. I felt that... if I took her hand, something would change.

  “...This is the kind of person I am, but... I do hope we get along...” Saying so, I held Lady Katarina’s hand in mine. Her hand was warm. “Lady Katarina... As you said, I won’t be swayed by what others say anymore. I will speak with Prince Ian himself and hear what he has to say.”

  I had never thought of it that way. No one had ever spoken of me or to me in such a way. Even if I did have such thoughts, I would surely be paralyzed by fear. I would have remained stuck in place, ruminating endlessly about the what-ifs.

  But... now I felt like I could do it. I felt a sense of strength flow into me from Lady Katarina’s hand straight into mine.

  “Yes, that’s a good start!” Lady Katarina was still looking straight at me.

  “...Yes.” In a single breath, I felt all my hesitations evaporate. I nodded earnestly.

  Well-loved by everyone... the girl known as the saintess. She was a mysterious person. It was almost as if a strange power dwelt in her words and in her straight, unwavering gaze.

  “But before that... I really need to stop this foolish kidnapping affair... and also atone for my sins...” That was where I would start, even if it meant that my engagement with Prince Ian would be broken off. Even so... if I spoke with Prince Ian personally, just like Lady Katarina suggested, then surely something would change.

  “If it ever comes down to it, I’ll keep it a secret!”

  The saintess was truly a compassionate person indeed. But... “You really are a gentle person, through and through... however... that is simply not acceptable. Sins committed by my hand have to be atoned for as appropriately...” I would atone for my sins, and speak with Prince Ian.

  “Well then... I shall see to it that you are safely delivered back to Prince Jeord this instant. I shall begin making the preparations...” I headed towards the door.

  The painful, binding sensation in my chest was gone. Now... I felt like I could do anything.

  Chapter 4: My Life as a Captive Continues

  Just when I had finally found out the motive behind my kidnapping and made friends with Selena... that butler appeared. The young man by the name of Rufus, a butler who was always be Selena’s side.

  He had appeared out of nowhere and declared some disturbing things. He claimed that Selena would be used as a scapegoat for the kidnapping plot, that she would disappear with Prince Ian, and that I would disappear with Jeord as well.

  I was stunned, and for a while I just stood there, dumbstruck. Before I realized it, he had already left the room with the unconscious Selena in his arms. By the time I got a hold of myself and decided to chase after him, the door to my room was locked again, and I was left alone.

  It was now late into the night. But of course, even I couldn’t rest my mind in a situation like this. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Rufus had said.

  And Serena had collapsed and fallen to the ground... “Just letting her sleep for a while,” he’d said. But the way she had fallen asleep was nothing like how I’d been made to pass out at the school festival. He hadn’t knocked her unconscious or anything like that. There was nothing — Selena simply collapsed quietly, just like that.

  Rufus claimed that it was his doing, yet I didn’t see him use any kind of drug or brute force. He just placed a hand on her shoulder. The power to put someone to sleep just by touching them... I only knew of one thing that matched that description.

  It was a power I had learned about last year, when I was involved in that incident: the Dark Arts, magic that was only usable by Wielders of Darkness. The forbidden magic that was capable of manipulating the hearts and minds of others.

  As soon as I asked Selena about the reason behind my kidnapping, that man would always interrupt us. She would then immediately fall silent, and her expression would go blank like a doll’s.

  I had a hunch. If my assumptions were correct, then that man, Rufus, was a Wielder of Darkness.

  Actually, Dark Magic could technically be obtained by anyone as long as they were born with the ability to use magic. However, a ritual and a sacrifice were required, and said sacrifice was... the life of another human being.

  Dark Magic was capable of controlling the emotions of others, but also of taking their lives. It was taboo, and its very existence was hidden from the general public.

  If Rufus really was a Wielder of Darkness, then he must have gained his abilities through the ritual sacrifice. That meant that he was entirely capable of murder.

  Of course, it could have been forced upon him, like how it had been with Raphael. But... the way he looked at the fallen Selena with those cold eyes, and the way he smiled, as if he were enjoying himself...

  Thinking about it made shivers run down my spine.

  I’d thought that I would be completely unable to sleep, but I ended up falling asleep and slumbering through the night.

  Come to think of it, I had slept equally well on the night before the Graduation Ceremony, which is when all the Catastrophic Bad Ends could have occurred. So really, I guess I was able to sleep well at any given time or situation. I surprised even myself with my sleeping skills, especially after I’d been directly threatened by my kidnapper. He had said that I would “disappear.”

  And of course, the one who woke me from my deep sleep was none other than...

  “I can’t believe this... after everything that happened, you’re just sleeping here? Does this kid have nerves of steel or something?!” It was an exasperated voice from someone near me. It sounded very frustrated.

  “Hnnh?” I was having such a good rest, too! What’s with all the ruckus? I thought. As I slowly opened my eyes, a familiar man came into view. I saw him last night, I think. His name was... “Rufus...?”

  “I am honored that you would remember the name of one such as myself, Lady Katarina. I do think, however, that it would be a most prudent time to rise. It is already past noon.”

  For some reason, he sounded very different than when I was still half asleep. But my ears did not betray me — it was the same voice. Then... I suppose he’s the one who woke me up. More importantly, though...

  “Eh?! Already past noon!”

  “...You react to that of all things, huh,” Rufus said, once again sounding exasperated.

  But... I only slept for a short while! Or at least, that’s what I meant to do... In fact, I’d decided to stay up after Rufus had left and come up with a plan through the night! I was thinking that I could climb down the window in the darkness and escape. And yet here I was, sleeping past noon! And to make things worse, the antagonist of this entire situation had just woken me up!

  “I do surprise myself sometimes, yes...” I admitted.

  “...Well, I would be the surprised party, you see. I had not heard a thing from your room after all this time, and had assumed that you were simply hugging your knees and softly sobbing in a corner. To think that you would be sprawled out, spread-eagled, snoring on your bed...”

  I could feel the sheer disbelief in his voice. I see. So I was sleeping like that? That’s so embarrassing... But now wasn’t the time to be concerned about that! There were many things I had to figure out.

  “There’s a lot I want to ask you, but most importantly... is Selena all right?” Selena had suddenly collapsed, and was taken away. Was she safe? I stared straight at Rufus combatively, demanding an answer.

  “...The rumors don’t do you justice, do they? Very well, I shall answer your question. Lady Selena is fine; she is safely sleeping in her room.”


  “...Is that so.” I had been staring at him all this time, but I couldn’t tell if he was lying. I supposed I’d believe him for now.

  But like... more rumors? Really? Are they about my being spirited? Sassy? Like Selena was talking about?

  And there was another point that I needed to confirm. “Rufus... are you a Wielder of Darkness?”

  His eyes opened slightly at my question, but only one corner of his lip curled up in response. “... My, aren’t you blunt with your questions.”

  Well yes. Blunt, even for me, but I was never good at extracting information from people with all sorts of fancy leading conversations. “I couldn’t think of any roundabout ways to ask, you see.”

  “What a strange person you are, indeed! Since you know of the existence of Dark Magic... well then. I suppose you, too, were involved in last year’s incident.”

  “!” I was shocked. Although news of the wrongdoing by a certain heir of a Marquess family had spread through noble circles, the fact that Dark Magic was involved should have been kept a secret.

  Rufus continued on, as if reading my thoughts. “Surprised? Since that was supposed to be all hushed up... ah. But you see, it is impossible to cover everything up. After all, many nobles with close ties to the Dieke family are quite shady individuals themselves.”

  Rufus allowed a crooked smile to creep into his face as he made his declarations. “So you see... he, too, became interested in Dark Magic.”

  “...Him who?”

  “Ah. That would be my master. I became a Wielder of Darkness under his orders, before making my way into the family of Duke Berg...”

  “Wh-Why though?” I asked, still trying to aggressively extract information from the somewhat changed Rufus.

  “Didn’t I already mention it just now? So that Lady Selena could become the scapegoat for all these kidnappings and other assorted sins. So that she would disappear with Prince Ian, vanishing from the struggle for the throne, and eventually noble society altogether. The same goes for you and Prince Jeord, too.”

  “Why would you do such a thing...?”

  “Why? Of course it’s because you’re in the way, that’s why. I am working on behalf of the first crown prince, you see. Prince Jeffery desires the throne... and he is the kind of individual that would not hesitate to resort to various means to achieve his goals.”

  “!” So Prince Jeffery wanted the throne... Ian and Jeord were simply in his way? What about Alan, then? It was a serious conversation, and there were so many things I needed to think about. But from the corner of my mind, a soft complaint from Alan: “Why am I the only one not included, huh?!”

  “Ah, it’s okay, Alan. You’re still growing,” I thought, mentally comforting the discontent Alan in my mind.

  Rufus, however, seemed to interpret my silence differently. “Surely even you are terrified now? Well then, I suppose that’s all we need to talk about, now. I’ve left a light meal here — do help yourself.” With that, Rufus left, but not before saying, “Well then, ring this bell if there is anything you need.” With that, I was alone in the room once more.

  I had slept a lot and wasn’t tired anymore, so I supposed I should have that meal, for what it was worth. It was definitely on the light side, only consisting of a few types of small buns. Honestly, this is nothing more than a snack for me!

  Still feeling somewhat let down by the small portion size, I grabbed a small, round bun off the tray and sank my teeth into it.

  Wh-What? This... This is incredibly delicious! I’d sampled quite a few delicious buns and snacks at the festival stands not long ago, but the taste of this small bun was wonderful — you couldn’t even compare them. Its exterior was soft and tender, but its inner texture was chewy and delightful. I could become addicted to these buns!

  And what is that, in the corner of the plate...? This cream-like substance... is it meant to go with the buns? I held the ridiculously delicious bun in my hand and dipped it in the cream.

  Ooooh! This... This is truly amazing! Something else indeed! While seeming like nothing more than custard cream at first glance, the reality is quite different! This terribly sweet, yet refreshing, otherworldly taste! An incredible match for this bun.

  All right. Next up is this flatbread-like bun here...

  Ah, this one was delicious, too. Just who was the person that made all these delicious morsels? I simply had to ask at the next chance I got.

  And so, I finished the delicious bread in a matter of minutes. Now with some food in my stomach, it was time to seriously think about the details surrounding this kidnapping case.

  “Slow as usual, huh,” Alan’s voice in my head said, but alas, what could I have done about it? I’d overslept.

  All right! We shall now commence an insightful analysis of the kidnap with a mental meeting.

  Meeting chairwoman: Katarina Claes. Meeting representative: Katarina Claes. Meeting Secretary: Katarina Claes.

  “Well then, I do think we should begin by sorting out the facts of our current situation. I would like to hear everyone’s opinions on the matter.”

  “Yes, if I may. Perhaps we should start our deductions by organizing what we heard from Selena last night, as well as what Rufus said.”

  “Yes, very much so. A good idea.”

  “I agree.”

  “Well then... from what Selena had said yesterday, she’s been depressed all this time, under the impression that she was of no use to Prince Ian.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And then this playboy butler, Rufus, appears at Selena’s side, proposing to kidnap Katarina so that she may be useful to Prince Ian... are the facts straight so far?”

  “Hmm... If that really was the case, then perhaps he used the Dark Arts on Selena...”

  “And then, Selena, obediently following Rufus’ plan, kidnaps Katarina. However, Rufus’ true goal is to pin all of this on Selena — she would be the scapegoat, and this would lead to her and Prince Ian’s downfall... correct?”

  “Ohh! Miss Katarina Claes. What skillful, acute clarity! More so than usual — did something special happen?”

  “Heheheh. You see, I had some delicious bread and a good night’s rest. My mind is now clearer and sharper than it has ever been, breaking all known barriers.”

  “That’s amazing! As you are now, Miss Claes, you could start calling yourself Great Detective Katarina!”

  “Oh, I like the sound of that. Great Detective Katarina... And soon after, I will open the Katarina Detective Agency, solving one impossible case after the other...”

  “Everyone, please focus! This conversation is getting derailed!”

  “Apologies...”

  “All right, back to the topic at hand... from what Rufus said, his master was the one who had instigated this entire kidnapping affair... and that this is all to clear a path to the throne for Prince Jeffery.”

  “That’s what he said, yes.”

  “In that case, is the true mastermind behind all this Prince Jeffery himself?”

  “But then... I can’t see him doing such a thing, especially after meeting him at the school festival.”

  “...Yes, and even the treats he brought were delicious.”

  “Ah yes, they were delectable.”

  “Yes, I would love to try them again! Ah, just thinking about it makes me hungry...”

  “Honestly, that bread was delicious, but there wasn’t quite enough of it!”

  “Well said! That small portion size... enough for feeding the birds, perhaps! Ugh! The conversation is getting derailed once more! We have to get back on track...”

  “You say that, but... I’ve already used my head quite enough! Now I’m hungry, and I can’t think of anything but food!”

  “I feel the same way. After all, we don’t think very often, do we? The brain of Katarina Claes is already at its limits. It thirsts for sugar!”

  “...It is as you say. All I can see in my mind are images of food...! Bread, meat, fish...”

 
“...Cakes, cookies, pies...”

  “...Apples, oranges, grapes...”

  And so, the Katarinas started talking about food and nothing else. The meeting was forcibly aborted.

  I can’t do this anymore! All I see in my mind is food!

  I know! I’ll have something brought to me.

  With that, I leapt up, swiftly ringing the bell that Rufus had left me.

  “...No way. Just how fearless can you get? Is this kid even really a noble lady...?” Rufus muttered, in a tone somewhat different from the one I was used to, as he poured me a cup of tea.

  When Rufus arrived after I rang the bell, he’d said, “Oh, what have we here? Even the great Lady Katarina is uneasy, now? However, your role is to remain here just for a little while longer...” He spoke with a villainous smile on his face.

  My response was simple: “Oh nah, nothing like that. I’m hungry, actually. Please give me something to eat. It’ll be tea time soon, right? I’d appreciate some sweets and tea.”

  Rufus froze at my words. For a while, he remained unmoving... before a loud, audible rumble rose up from the depths of my stomach. The sound was enough to knock him back to his senses.

  He left the room and then returned with a small cart laden with tea and snacks. Although he did seem somewhat scary a few moments ago, he did listen to my request and brought me the food and drink I asked for. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all.

  “Well, here it is. Enjoy,” he said, handing me a cup of tea as he did so.

  Thanking him, I took the cup in my hands. “Could I ask that you join me for tea? I don’t really like to have it myself,” I said. It was true; my friends usually had tea with me. Even the previous day, Lana had accompanied me.

  I figured it was fair to ask Rufus to join me this time around. He did bring me food, after all. Surely this wouldn’t be too much to ask? So I thought, but I was merely faced with another empty expression of surprise. Rufus really likes this expression, huh?