The Double Life of a Wicked Woman

At my shameless words, the hall was instantly filled with murmuring voices.

“Does being from the Vincent family give her the right to torment people like this?!”
“Exactly. She was even born with the cursed mark of the demon’s foot…”
“Elisabeth Arlesia, the witch. That name suits her perfectly… Tsk, tsk. She’s clearly a disgrace to the Vincent family, so why do they keep shielding her?”

‘Haha… Sorry to say, but I can hear you all loud and clear.’

If they had the guts to insult me to my face, I could openly cause a scene. But this whispering behind my back—there’s nothing more irritating. If I were still Isehwa, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything in this situation. Just like how I stayed silent when my boss sexually harassed me. Just like how I froze when my father ran off in the dead of night with my mom’s insurance money and his mistress. Back then, I was utterly powerless.

Ah, I really was such an incapable fool. A pushover who thought pretending to be nice would make people treat me kindly.

But now, things were different. I wasn’t just wondering, “Can I do this?”—I had to do it. Thinking about the ‘me’ back in my original world, I donned Elisabeth’s mask once more and opened my mouth. She was an aristocrat with power and money. More than anything, she was already labeled a “villainess.” It wouldn’t hurt to stir up trouble and tarnish Elisabeth’s reputation even further. Not that there’s much reputation left to ruin, but still.

“You young ladies are being awfully noisy, aren’t you? Lady Luciella isn’t the one who stepped on my foot. It was you lot, rushing to protect her, who blocked my way. All I did was ask Lady Luciella to take responsibility for that. Or should I direct my demands at you instead? Compensation for dirtying my pristine white shoes and for my injured toe?”

Perhaps because my words struck a nerve, the murmuring among the nobles quieted down, and I noticed Ozben looking flustered. Ozben, the pushover I had considered so many times while reading the book. What would this kind and kind-hearted older sister say in response to my words? I had a pretty good guess, though.

“No, Lady Elisabeth. They’ve done nothing wrong. And of course, neither have you. I’ll make sure to compensate you as soon as possible.”

She spoke with such a genuinely kind smile, in such an apologetic tone, that it made me feel guilty even though I’d done nothing. She was even kinder than the Ozben I had read about in the book. Her expression showed no hint of deceit, not even the slightest flicker in her unwavering eyes.

“……”

I was about to say something more when a loud trumpet blared through the hall. All I could do was bite my lip tightly. Who knew being a villainess doomed to die could be so difficult? As I was silently berating myself, a knight’s booming voice echoed.

“Duke Rat Aranhan has entered!!”

Rat Aranhan. The man who loved Ozben and would do anything for her. Even before the hiatus, it seemed certain that he would end up with her. Since the novel was still on indefinite hiatus, I didn’t know for sure whom Ozben would choose, but he was the most likely male lead. The Empire’s sole duke and the chancellor of the Morc Empire, his jet-black hair was said to shine more beautifully than black pearls.

“It’s true.”

To think there was a man as handsome as my precious boys. But still, my boys are cuter. Yes, definitely! As I was thinking that, Rat Aranhan naturally made his way to where Ozben stood. With the duke approaching, Ozben, the nobles in the hall, and I all quickly bowed our heads.

“Hmm.”

Before I knew it, Rat Aranhan was standing right in front of me. A strong citrus scent wafted over. Come to think of it, I remember reading that Rat Aranhan liked citrus fragrances.

‘So that’s why I’m smelling citrus.’

The crisp, fresh scent hit me, and I unconsciously sniffed. Elisabeth was a woman sensitive to fragrances, after all. Was my body reacting accordingly? As I was distracted by the scent and missed the timing to greet him, Ozben beat me to it.

“I am Ozben Luciella, daughter of Marquis Luciella. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Rat Aranhan.”

“…So you’re the one they call the saintly Ozben Luciella.”

“It is an honor to be addressed as such.”

Ozben lifted her head, her angelic smile lighting up her face. Right, Ozben was a female protagonist who could even make smiling look saintly. Even when Elisabeth tormented her in the book, Ozben would look at her with a face that said, “I understand you.” After staring at Ozben for a moment, Rat Aranhan finally turned to me and fixed his gaze on me. He surely knew that the person with the cursed foot and silver eyes was Elisabeth. He was probably waiting for me to greet him.

“I am Elisabeth Arlesia, daughter of Count Arlesia. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Aranhan.”

“…Ah.”

Murmuring the word “Vincent” under his breath, Rat Aranhan seemed lost in thought for a moment before he spoke again.

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”

‘Don’t smile. Please.’

But my plea went unheard as Rat Aranhan flashed a refreshing smile. In the book, he was a flower boy who monopolized the love of countless women. Before falling in love with Ozben, there had even been fierce competition among the noblewomen for the empty duchess position. Yet, he had come to love Ozben—her kind heart, her consideration for others, and her selflessness.

‘Wait, when exactly did he fall in love with her again?’

As I racked my brain, I realized I couldn’t remember the original story clearly. My favorite character was Arten, the least prominent among the supporting male leads, and my second favorite was the emperor. So it made sense that I didn’t remember much about Aranhan.

Of course, Aranhan was the main male lead and had a significant role in the story. But just because I’d binge-read the novel before getting isekai’d into it didn’t mean I could recall every detail.

Besides, Rat Aranhan wasn’t a character I particularly liked or someone I wanted to see end up with the female lead. Though, regardless of my preferences, Ozben seemed to be ending up with Aranhan anyway.

“What were the two of you talking about?”

It seemed as though he swallowed back the words, “The saintess and the witch, I see.” Could it be that Aranhan had fallen for Ozben at first sight? To be precise, it looked more like he was fascinated by the unexpected pairing. However, his gaze wasn’t on me—it was on Ozben first.

If I remember correctly, in the original novel’s ballroom scene, the emperor and the duke merely gathered to discuss Elisabeth. Yes, they talked about Elisabeth.

That was because before the male leads appeared, Elisabeth had bullied Ozben to the point of tears. And when Elisabeth, who made Ozben cry, saw Emperor Carlcia for the first time, she fell head over heels for him and began to despise Ozben, who stood by his side. That was the beginning. The beginning of Elisabeth’s fate as a villainess.

Unbeknownst to her, the dress Elisabeth had chosen was red—a color the emperor didn’t just dislike but outright despised. She was thoroughly ignored, and it was Aranhan who comforted the startled Ozben by the emperor’s side.

“…Ah, um, that is…”

Ozben, looking up at Aranhan with slightly teary eyes, spoke in a trembling voice. Her next line would probably be, “It’s because of me that Lady Arlesia was hurt…”

“It’s because of me that Lady Arlesia was hurt…”

Not a single deviation from what I had anticipated. What am I supposed to do with this endlessly kind older sister? Why is it that even in a transmigration, I ended up in the role of the villainess? But I had to be even crueler than the Elisabeth in the book. Only then would I die quickly and return to my original world.

Barely managing to steady my trembling lips, I sniffled and turned to Aranhan to speak.

“I was filing a claim for damages.”

“…What?”

Aranhan stared at me with wide eyes, seemingly taken aback by my sudden remark. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded as if he understood. He probably figured that, knowing Elisabeth, this was something she would absolutely do.

I felt a small sense of satisfaction at my minor act of mischief. Of course, it wasn’t really mischief—it was a perfectly reasonable claim for damages. But to the nobles in this hall, it was likely seen as something villainous.

And so, I thought of it as a minor act of villainy, feeling rather proud of myself for behaving like the original Elisabeth. That is, until he began approaching me.

The sight of Aranhan walking toward me made me instinctively step back. Was it because I was afraid of his imposing presence? No, the bold and confident Elisabeth wouldn’t retreat for something like that. Then was it because I was dazzled by his handsome face? That was a plausible reason, but unfortunately, neither was true.

“Damn this body!”

Even as I stepped back, Aranhan tilted his head in curiosity and didn’t stop. Instead, he took larger strides, closing the distance between us in an instant.

“Why are you backing away? Surely the great Lady Arlesia wouldn’t…”

“…Achoo!!”

“……”

The entire hall, including Ozben, froze in shock as they stared at the duke’s face, now drenched in my sneeze.

Ah, I haven’t even fully become a villainess yet. That’s why I backed away! You were the one who came closer, not me! This wasn’t on purpose!

“Achoo!!”

But it seemed this cursed body had no intention of listening to my silent screams, as I sneezed once again—this time with even more force—right into the face of the Morc Empire’s one and only duke.

“Damn it, I’m doomed.”