My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 1

by Satoru Yamaguchi

  What were the staff behind this game thinking?! Why do they only subject Katarina and no one else to these terrible scenarios?! That’s just too sad of a character design! You people should try being reborn as Katarina Claes just once, let’s see how you like that!

  And then there’s Alan! Why does he get a nice ending either way? Look at Jeord, or Keith! They end up becoming murderers and disappear into the wild! This is completely unreasonable! I’ll never forgive you, Fortune Lover staff!!

  If I ever find my way back to my old world, I have a good mind to storm into their offices and tear them a new one!

  ...For now, I suppose I should put away my heated monologue.

  I turned to the page once again. There was no mistaking it; “Mary Hunt” was my gentle, cute, and lovable friend. The Mary in the game of Fortune Lover, however, was the perfect image of a noble lady. This did not match the somewhat shirking and shy Mary that I currently knew.

  Come to think of it, Mary and Katarina were not exactly friends in that setting. If anything, Katarina, who had a tendency to do as she pleased due to the Claes’ social standing, didn’t like Mary Hunt all that much.

  To think that Mary was a rival character like me all along... Even so, I didn’t recall the word “Alan” ever leaving Mary’s lips. I could only assume that they had not yet met, given how their engagement was soon to be announced.

  From what I could recall of the game, Mary had spoken of her encounter with Prince Alan during a confrontation between her and the protagonist. It went like this:

  From a young age, Mary had been bullied due to the fact that she was born of a different mother than the rest of her sisters. Her older sisters would verbally abuse her at every opportunity. This would eventually lead to Mary losing all of her confidence, believing that she was as useless as her sisters claimed she was.

  Prince Alan was the one who appeared before Mary in her despair, praising the plants that she had raised in her garden. “You’re amazing, Mary. Quite the green thumb you’ve got, no?”

  A manner of speech, of course — it referred to individuals who had a particular talent at raising plants and other flora. Alan, suitably impressed by Mary’s garden, had praised her and told her that she was an amazing individual.

  This would cause Mary to regain her lost confidence over time, and before she knew it, she was hopelessly in love with the prince. To become a woman that could one day stand at the prince’s side, Mary worked hard daily, and received nothing but praise when she had enrolled into the academy.

  Katarina, on the other hand, spent all her time chasing after Prince Jeord, and as such lagged terribly behind on her academic and magic studies. She was nothing compared to Mary.

  Ah, truly, Mary is indeed an amazing person. The amazing Mary with the green thumb! Prince Alan sure has a way with words.

  ...Wait a minute. Green...? Ah?! So this was where I had come across the phrase before!

  Ah, yes. I finally remember. Right, right. It was the famous line that Prince Alan said to Mary... that she had a green thumb, that her hands were special, and all that.

  ...Hmm? Why do I somehow remember saying something similar to Mary? Uh-oh. This is bad!! Did I end up using Alan’s line before he had a chance to say it?!

  How could this be? What was I thinking? I can’t just go about spouting famous lines like that before the rightful user says it!

  What should I do?! With this, Prince Alan’s line would be a rehash! With as much impact as an already-brewed bag of tea leaves! Surely such a line would only have half as much meaning the second time it is used!

  Ahh, Katarina Claes, you absolute fool! If only I’d noticed this sooner...

  Although I did spend some time reflecting in my room by my lonesome, I eventually cheered up, under the justification that what was said could not be undone.

  After all, Prince Alan is a pretty good prince in his own right! I’m sure he’ll be fine; it was just a single line. In fact, I’m sure he’ll come up with an even better line, one that would steal Mary’s heart! Yes, there was nothing wrong with me taking one of his lines! Nothing at all.

  Having reached this irrefutable conclusion, I was overcome with relief. I packed up the archives and headed out of my room, making my way back to Keith, whom I had so unceremoniously left behind a short while ago.

  ★★★★★★★★★

  Mary Hunt is my name. I was born as the fourth daughter of Marquess Hunt’s family. Although my mother was a beautiful and gentle person, she was not accepted in the Hunt family due to her low social standing. I, her daughter, was treated the same way.

  Even so, Father really did love Mother. He loved her very, very much. With her unfortunate death, however, great changes crept into my life. With father being away from the manor most of the time for work and my mother now gone, I felt like I did not belong anywhere in this manor.

  While they were cold and distant to me when mother still drew breath, now that she was gone, my older sisters wasted no time before viciously bullying me. They would hide my things, and sometimes even break them... or say terribly unpleasant things about me.

  Examples of what they would say include: “Look at that red hair of yours! How filthy!”, “The stench of commoners oozes from your being!”, “You have absolutely no class!”, “Know your place!”, “You are nothing but a bringer of misfortune!”, and so on.

  Assaulted with all these words day by day, I felt my heart crumble, and slowly started to fear interacting with others. This sense of fear permeated my being. Eventually, I started to believe what my sisters said — that I was no good, that I would never really amount to anything.

  My only escape was the small garden in the courtyard. My heart only felt at ease while caring for the plants there.

  One day, however, I met her — amidst a tea party that the Hunt family had organized. Although I was fearful and timid, she spoke openly and cheerfully to me. Her name was Katarina Claes. She had responded to my fearful greeting with a bright one of her own — it was as if she were a being from another world.

  Unable to get over my fear of people, I left the tea party halfway through, having reached my mental limit. I quickly escaped to the small garden... but there, amidst the blooming flowers, was Katarina Claes. Having gallantly ventured into the garden, Katarina had nothing but praise for what she saw. She praised the garden I had been taking care of all this time.

  I had not been praised in this manner by anyone — not since mother’s death. Caught unawares, I withdrew into myself once more. It was then that Katarina suddenly asked for a favor. She wanted me to have a look at the fields she tended to, on account of their ill condition.

  Honestly speaking, I was surprised at hearing that the oldest daughter of a duke would tend to fields of any kind at all. But I couldn’t help but find Katarina’s sparkling eyes and plainly visible passion lovable.

  One thing led to another, and soon I found myself headed to the Claes family manor to help Katarina with her fields. I dedicated myself to learning about crops as much as I could so that I would be better able to assist her.

  Unlike me, Katarina was bold and optimistic — she was a most admirable person. With Katarina’s praise, I soon started regaining what confidence I had lost.

  “You have quite the green thumb, Mary! Maybe even green hands too, ha! Yes! Green thumb, hand, you know! You’re a special and wonderful person!”

  I had thought that I was nothing more than a weakling, a no-good girl who could never accomplish anything. However... Katarina said that I was a special, wonderful person.

  I was really, really happy. I felt that now, more than ever, I had to become someone who was fit to stand next to Katarina. I had to be a worthy friend.

  And so... I would bid farewell to the cowardly, weak Mary Hunt. One day, surely, I would be able to stand next to her proudly. Yes — I would work hard to become such a person.

  Chapter 4: The Outcome of a Thrown Gauntlet

  A few weeks after the fi
elds had been so magnificently resurrected, we entered the height of summer. At long last, news of Mary and Prince Alan’s formal engagement reached the Claes manor as well.

  Having invited Mary over to the manor today, I promptly decided to ask her the question myself. “I heard about your engagement announcement, Mary. Congratulations!”

  “Yes, thank you very much. I have been formally engaged to the prince. Like you, Lady Katarina, I am very much pleased.”

  While Mary did seem somewhat happy, I couldn’t help but notice that she was not exactly pleased at the engagement itself.

  “Um. Ahem. Have you met with the prince yet, Mary?”

  “Yes, I have indeed met him.”

  “...Well? How was it?”

  “How was... what, Lady Katarina?”

  “Um... well, you know. What was he like? And all that.”

  For the record, I was guilty at having unintentionally used one of the prince’s famous lines. Would Alan be able to adequately charm Mary without that line of his?

  “He is a most handsome person. He praised my garden as well, Lady Katarina — much like how you had done.”

  “O-Oh. And then...?”

  Yes, this was all correct, scenario-wise. The second half of Mary’s response caught my attention, however.

  “And then? What do you mean, Lady Katarina?”

  “Umm. What happened after he showered praise on your garden?”

  “Well, that was all there was to it...?” Mary replied, tilting her head slightly in apparent confusion.

  WHAT?! That’s all there was to it? Well, well what about that famous line?! Did he not say it?

  “Um. Ahem. Did he say anything about your green hands— um, thumb?”

  “...Green thumb, ah! Have you heard about it, Lady Katarina?!”

  “...I mean, he did say something like that, right? He did! Right?!”

  Mary, who was now positively blushing, seemed to offer up a token resistance as I continued questioning her, before eventually giving in.

  “My, how embarrassing... To think that you would hear of the affair yourself, Lady Katarina...”

  “Hmm. Yes, as I expected, he did say tha— wait. What do you mean by “affair”...?”

  “Ah. Well, it is as you may have heard, Lady Katarina. I told Prince Alan about how you had praised me, saying that I had a green thumb...”

  “EH?! You said it to him?! And you told him I said it to you?!”

  “Yes... Well. I was really happy that you would praise me — my hands — in such a way, Lady Katarina... So happy I was, that I had to tell Prince Alan about it too...” Mary said, her voice becoming gradually softer as the crimson hue on her face deepened.

  So... how should I summarize this?

  Before Alan could even claim that Mary was a special girl with a green thumb, I said it to her? Not only that, Mary went on to tell Alan that... “Ah, Lady Katarina mentioned that I had special hands... a green thumb, yes...”

  Faced with such a spectacle, there was no way Alan could say his line. After all, I said it first... or at least, a variant of it.

  Ah, Prince Alan. I am truly sorry.

  After my continued interrogation, Mary claimed that she was fond of the prince — but it was plain to anyone present that she didn’t really feel that way.

  Ah, Prince Alan. I am deeply sorry.

  Well... in any case, they’re engaged to each other, so... I’m sure she’ll learn all about the prince’s charms from here on out!

  ...Work hard, Prince Alan, I thought, my eyes glazing over as I continued my internal monologue. Mary, apparently worried about my faraway gaze, even asked if I was hungry. You really are the very image of a noble lady, Mary.

  Although it was unintentional, I had somehow gotten between the two of them! This would not do. If anything, the two should live happily ever after!

  As much as I hoped it were possible, I didn’t think I had the capability to bring the two together. All I could do was cheer for them... from the depths of my heart.

  The incident happened a few weeks after my conversation with Mary. Harvest season was also nearing its end — now was a good time for the vegetables to be harvested and eaten.

  “Young Miss! The Prince is here, saying that he requires your presence!” Anne said, a notable tone of panic in her voice.

  “What is it, Anne? Prince Jeord always marches in here on his own volition either way.”

  While I had made an effort to formally receive Prince Jeord on his visits, the prince himself eventually claimed that he needed no formal welcome after the frequency of his visits increased.

  Nowadays, the prince showed up every three days or so, and would often just walk into the gardens where I was working in my overalls. He was, of course, used to my overalls and gardening gear — and as such, there was no real reason for me to change into any finery. Basically, the prince visiting me was nothing out of the ordinary, and hardly a reason for panic.

  “No, it isn’t that, Young Miss! Your visitor is not Prince Jeord!”

  “...Hmm?”

  What’s Anne going on about? Unless there’s a social party of sorts, the only prince that frequents the manor’s grounds is Jeord, I thought, giving one of the cucumbers I had cultivated a good pull.

  “It isn’t Prince Jeord, Young Miss!! It’s Prince Alan, fourth in line to the throne!”

  “...Eh?” I responded, stunned. The cucumber that I had held moments ago slid out of my gloved hands, falling onto the ground. “...Why?”

  “I do not know the reason, Young Miss. In any case, you really should meet with him.”

  For some reason, I feel like this is the beginning of yet another troublesome incident...

  After dashing back into the manor at full speed, I promptly got dressed with Anne’s assistance, and soon headed off to the guest parlor. I hurried all the way to the parlor’s doors, then I threw them open. I found within a somewhat haughty youth, standing with his back to me.

  “You’re late,” the prince said, turning his head to glance at me without offering any semblance of a greeting or introduction.

  What an arrogant young man! Before I knew it, my cheeks started puffing out. First he suddenly marches into my house, and now this?

  I had a good mind to lose my temper — but he was, after all, an eight-year-old boy. I, however, am an adult! Of seventeen or nineteen years of age. I reminded myself of that fact as I offered the prince a formal greeting.

  “I offer my sincere apologies. I was caught up in some other affairs. I am Katarina Claes.”

  “Alan Stuart,” the prince responded haughtily, in spite of my smile and formal manner of speech.

  Alan Stuart... A potential love interest in Fortune Lover — but ah, he sure is one pretty prince.

  He bore no resemblance to Jeord, his twin, however. While Jeord was much like a fairy-tale prince with his blonde hair and blue eyes, Alan had silver hair and eyes of glinting emerald — a more wild and dashing image, if you will.

  Dashing though he might be, he was still impossibly arrogant, even for a prince. In fact, his behavior reminded me of Katarina Claes herself — at least, before I suddenly regained all of my previous life’s memories.

  Even Jeord, who was a prince in his own right, did not behave in such a manner. While he was twisted in his own way and certainly had questionable thoughts of his own, he was at least calm and humble... on the surface. With those thoughts in mind, I continued observing Prince Alan.

  “Katarina Claes. I am here because I have something to say to you today,” the haughty prince said, turning a steely gaze towards me.

  “...Um. What is it?”

  Honestly speaking, I had no connections whatsoever with Alan thus far. Well... I was engaged to Prince Jeord, and so that would make for some sort of connection. From what I recalled of Fortune Lover’s gameplay, however, Alan did his best to avoid his brother at all costs. As such, he should have no special reason to pay me a visit in person.

  “You kn
ow Mary Hunt, right?”

  “Eh...? Ah, yes.” Hmm? What about Mary?

  “Mary said that you are... close to her.”

  “...Yes? I suppose we are close friends.”

  Alan’s gaze sharpened.

  What is it with this prince? What is he trying to say?

  “Did you know that Mary Hunt is now my fiancée?”

  “Well, yes... I do know of that.”

  “So you do know. Stop seducing her, then!”

  “...S-Seduce?! What?!”

  I could feel Alan’s gaze digging into me — I swallowed in spite of myself. Wait wait wait. What is he even saying? Is this prince right in the head?

  Me, seduce Mary...? But we’re both girls to begin with! Well yes, Mary is gentle, cute, and I am very fond of her. I want to get along with her from here on out... but at no point in time have I thought of taking Mary as my bride! I... I don’t swing that way!

  Alan, however, clenched his teeth at my stunned silence. “Don’t play the fool! Even if I ask her out, she declines! Going all, ‘Oh, today I have an appointment with Lady Katarina.’ In fact, YOU are all she talks about when she is with me! Mary may be pure of heart, but you are clearly at fault for seducing her! There’s no doubt about it!!”

  “Wh-What is that supposed to mean?! I’ve had enough of these baseless accusations of yours!”

  Alan, who had apparently wanted to pick a fight with me from the very start, had succeeded in riling me up. I started shouting, despite of my station.

  “What baseless accusations? This is the truth! With that face of yours, you’ve corrupted my pure Mary!”

  I see this full-of-himself prince here has quickly decided that I’m a villainess simply because of this face of mine. Ah, if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s getting people mad.

  “What is wrong with you?! There’s no such thing! In fact, it’s YOUR fault for asking Mary out when she already has plans to visit my manor! To begin with, if you really were charming, no girl would turn down your invitation! You’re CHARM-LESS! Mary keeps talking about me?! Well of course she would! It’s because you’re BORING!!” I shouted, filled with a righteous rage.