The Villainess VTuber Tears People Apart

The darkness of the night had receded, and the sun was just beginning to rise with a chilly breeze in the air.

It was still too early to call it morning. The convenience store part-timer was feeling a bit miserable at the thought.

As he waited anxiously for his shift to end, the convenience store door opened without any warning.

Click, click

The sound of high heels echoed.

The part-timer, recognizing the familiar sound, raised his head and unconsciously held his breath.

…This wasn’t the first time it happened, but he still couldn’t get used to it.

Her features were as clear as if sculpted by the gods, and her eyes held a captivating hue that seemed to draw one in.

Though her skirt reached down to her ankles, there wasn’t the slightest flutter to suggest any frivolity. She moved with both poise and modesty.

She must have been thoroughly trained in how to walk.

Realizing this alone made him instinctively aware that she was someone far beyond his reach.

“Hello.”

As their eyes met, she greeted him.

The part-timer awkwardly bowed his head in response. …Whenever he faced this customer, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

She was like a woman of roses.

Her skin was flawless and white, with a slightly exotic beauty. There was a magnetic charm that made anyone want to reach out and touch her.

At the same time, there was a sense of danger, as if touching her would only lead to one’s own downfall.

She wasn’t exactly like a pretty school bully… but she had a charisma that was palpable even when she merely smiled.

Because of this, every time he encountered her while working at the convenience store, he would fantasize about asking for her number, though it never went beyond imagination. It was easy to predict that she would reject him.

‘But still, she sure buys a lot….’

Despite her quiet appearance, she was now holding a shopping basket.

And with a fluid, natural motion, she began filling the basket with snacks, drinks, and all sorts of items, as if she were sweeping them in.

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person she was.

She often showed up at hours when everyone else was asleep, and each time, she spent a significant amount of money.

“Could you ring these up?”

Eventually, after circling the store, she appeared with a basket filled to the brim.

Having so many items to check out was a task in itself. But strangely, there was no sense of displeasure.

In fact, the longer she stayed in the store… the more he thought maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to get closer to her.

“S-Seventy-eight thousand won….”

“I’d like a bag as well.”

As she spoke, she pulled out her wallet from her handbag.

Even the act of taking out her wallet and handing over the card had an air of elegance that made him feel awed.

Feeling a bit dazed, the convenience store part-timer inserted the card into the reader.

And then,

Beep! Beep-beep-beep!

“…There’s insufficient balance.”

“Oh my.”

She widened her eyes slightly.

But that was all.

She didn’t seem too flustered, and with a calm smile, she pulled out another card.

“I’ll pay with this one.”

“J-Just a moment…. Yes, your payment is complete….”

With a slightly trembling voice, the part-timer handed her the bag filled with her items.

He had hoped their hands might touch, but without any such event, she skillfully accepted the bag.

Her footsteps were so assured that she quickly left the store.

It felt as if he had been bewitched by a ghost.

Letting out the breath he had been holding, he leaned back against the chair.

“…This is why I can’t quit this job.”

In the empty convenience store, only a sigh-laden murmur echoed.

—

On the way home, I closed my eyes for a moment. I compared my life before returning to Earth with my life after returning.

There were quite a few things that improved after returning to Earth. The most significant being the end of political strife.

I was a ducal lady and the next head of the Ducal Family. Because of that, I was entangled in all sorts of political battles.

Of course, being a Villainous Noblewoman, I was fairly accustomed to politics, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it.

The life of a noble was incredibly exhausting, so being freed from it was undoubtedly a stroke of luck.

So, while I was quite satisfied with my current life,

“There are still some inconveniences.”

There were also many things I lost when I returned to Earth. The most significant was wealth.

The Iris Ducal Family, where I had lived, was the most influential in the empire.

The family was so wealthy that money practically overflowed, and all of it was supposed to be mine.

But I returned before inheriting the title.

The only fortunate thing was that I could bring some of my personal assets.

I made quite a bit of money selling the gold coins, jewels, and rewards I earned from defeating hidden bosses that I usually carried with me. The apartment I live in now was purchased with that money.

Of course, compared to the entire wealth of the Ducal Family, it was a small amount.

But I thought it would be enough for me to live comfortably without working.

…But now it’s almost all gone.

‘Buying that VR capsule might have been a bit too much.’

There were other things I suspected. As a ducal lady, maintaining dignity requires expenses.

Still, it’s not like I’m in a dire situation. I may be a noblewoman who insists on buying everything outright, but I didn’t spend recklessly without thought.

It’s just that one of my cards got blocked. For now, I can manage by using a different account.

Not that I’m in a comfortable situation either.

I currently have no steady income.

‘…Should I break my savings?’

I shook my head as I considered it. Who would use their last resort right from the start?

If I think normally, it’s time to consider getting a job.

A job… I really don’t want one.

Who in this world actually wants to work?

I’m one of those people too. I want to continue living a carefree life without working.

Especially since I dropped out of college, it would be difficult to find a good job.

But I wasn’t particularly worried. If I set my mind to it, I was confident I could make money.

After all, I was the most prized jewel of the Ducal Family.

With this beauty, I could be a model or an idol, or anything really. If all else fails, I could even become a professional gamer.

But for now, I just want to play more Labyrinthos.

‘I’ll think about the money problem after raising my rank.’

That’s the conclusion I came to.

After returning home, I quickly filled my stomach with convenience store food, drank some water, and took a shower.

Once I was in perfect condition, I headed back into the capsule.

“Unnie.”

No, I was about to get in when Rion called out.

She had been asleep when I went to the convenience store, but it seems she woke up while I was showering.

“Rion? What’s the matter?”

“…Why are you using formal speech again?”

“Oh my.”

I scolded myself mentally.

Maybe it was because I had lived as a ducal lady for too long. Normally, I tried to speak more casually, but sometimes my ‘elegant habits’ slipped out.

However, Rion didn’t seem to mind as she sighed softly.

“Well, it’s not like it’s the first time you’ve done this…. More importantly, can I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor?”

Rion asking for a favor?

Rion was a very diligent girl, so she rarely relied on others. Because of that, she often worried about things alone.

But now, she was asking for a favor. How unusual.

“After I went to sleep, you continued playing Labyrinthos, right?”

“Yes. I played for about 10 hours.”

“10 hours…. Are you really human, unnie?”

“Oh my, you flatter me too much. Even if you butter me up like that, I don’t have anything to give you right now.”

“I wasn’t praising you….……Unnie, could you show me your match records?”

Match records?

I tilted my head in confusion, and Rion nodded.

“If you log in to the official website, you can check your records.”

Following Rion’s instructions, I logged in to the official website and found a menu called ‘Match Records.’

All my past duel records were logged there, and there was even a replay function.

“Labyrinthos supports an automatic recording feature.”

Rion moved the mouse slightly and clicked on the replay button.

【First-Person/Third-Person/Omniscient View】

【Playback Speed Adjustment】

【Hide Nickname】

【Video Editing】

It seemed to be a replay feature with quite a few functions.

You could switch perspectives to see how other players acted, and even cut and extract parts to create a video.

It was quite similar to the replay functions in other AOS games.

“Could I try editing the videos of your gameplay, unnie?”

Rion asked, looking at my in-game self on the screen.

“Video editing? Is it for a university assignment? But I thought you graduated earlier this year.”

“It’s not a university assignment. I’m thinking about getting a job soon…?”

“A job.”

Hmm…, it’s not a word I’m particularly fond of at the moment.

Unaware of my feelings, Rion continued to speak.

“So, I’m thinking of becoming a video editor…. There’s a company that’s willing to hire me, but I need to submit an edited video to them.”

“I see. And you want to use my replay?”

“Y-Yes! I’ll hide your nickname! I won’t reveal that you were the one playing! …But I do need to show it to the company’s people.”

“I don’t mind, but are you sure it’s okay to submit a gameplay video?”

Wouldn’t a regular company reject something like a game video?

“Oh, that’s not a problem. The company’s streamers do a lot of gaming.”

“Streamers?”

“Yes…. It’s a company that manages streamers. I’ll probably be making highlights and short videos for them.”

“I see. Do as you like.”

If my cousin was getting a job, that was good news. And I had seen Rion’s video editing skills a few times before, and she was quite good at it.

But was Rion also unemployed like me until now?

I thought she had a job because she seemed to have an income.

‘She must have been working part-time.’

With that thought, I climbed into the capsule.