The Villainess VTuber Tears People Apart

“Are you saying Chel and I should perform a two-person play?”

When I asked that, Rion nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah. To be honest, the recording went faster than expected. We have quite a bit of time left.”

That’s what Rion said.

Originally, Chel and I were supposed to be the last ones to record for this voice drama.

The staff assumed we would make a lot of mistakes since it was our first time participating.

So, they scheduled extra time for retakes, but Chel and I finished the recording in a single take without any errors.

As a result, we ended up with a lot of extra time.

“You both did well with just ad-libs, right? So, I thought it might be fun to try an impromptu play.”

“This is different from what you originally said. You never mentioned anything about doing a two-person play.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but… you both did so well.”

Rion glanced at the other staff members and VTubers.

“It’s like, it’d be nice if you did it, but if not, that’s fine… Since we have the time, I thought it’d be fun to try it. Do you get what I mean?”

“Is this going to be included in the winter voice project?”

“Not really. If we get a ‘good result’, we might sell it separately later.”

“Hmm.”

Listening to the conversation, it became clear that the voice drama wasn’t part of the original plan.

It was simply that Chel and I performed well, there was plenty of time, and the conditions for recording were perfect.

A series of coincidences had aligned, making the staff think, “Why not just give it a try?”—a spontaneous project of sorts.

‘That means I can refuse without any issues.’

It probably wasn’t something that had been approved by higher-ups either.

The staff on site were likely thinking lightly that it would be fun if Chel and I performed a voice drama together.

If I refused, they might be a little disappointed, but there wouldn’t be any significant risk for them.

So, what merit would I gain from accepting this?

‘If the voice drama is successfully recorded, I might earn a little extra money.’

And if a ‘good result’ doesn’t come out, I’d just be a little embarrassed, and my time would be wasted.

Given that, prioritizing the money wouldn’t be a bad idea, but honestly, I’m not that desperate for money anymore.

“I want to do it.”

While I was thinking, Chel suddenly spoke up.

“Chel, do you really want to do it?”

“Yes. Though Sora might not like it.”

I had no idea why Sora’s name suddenly came up, but Chel stared at me intently.

Her face was as expressionless as always, but her determination that I should accept this was clearly conveyed.

“Fine. Let’s give it a try.”

***

We entered the recording booth.

This time, not just me but Chel as well.

“……”

Chel stood in front of the mic with a blank expression, waiting.

It was hard to tell what she was thinking. She seemed deep in thought but could just as easily be thinking of nothing.

[How about the two of you try having any kind of conversation first?]

Rion suggested from outside the booth.

Conversation.

‘Yeah, we do need to talk.’

There was no theme, nothing decided yet.

We had to complete a short drama entirely with ad-libs. The more I thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Rion had strangely high expectations for me, which is why this had come to pass.

And since Chel seemed unusually motivated, this is where we found ourselves.

The other staff and VTubers were probably not expecting much, likely watching just for fun.

“Chel, is there anything you want to say?”

Since Rion told us to talk, I decided to speak up first. We needed to at least decide on the theme of the drama.

“You can decide, Laura.”

Chel didn’t seem to want to lead the conversation and passed the baton to me. Just as I expected.

“You did well earlier. Did you learn that somewhere?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“I was a voice actor.”

A voice actor.

It was both surprising and not.

Chel wasn’t sociable, didn’t have great gaming skills, and was only really strong with her voice.

So, the fact that she had been a voice actor wasn’t all that strange.

“Then why did you become a VTuber?”

“To survive.”

…What?

“Did someone hold a knife to you and force you to become a VTuber?”

“No. Voice acting didn’t pay enough.”

“What kind of work did you do?”

“I had one minor role, and that’s it.”

That definitely wouldn’t pay well.

“There must have been other jobs you could’ve done. Why did you choose VTubing?”

“Because I thought being a VTuber was the best way to be loved.”

“Love?”

“Yes. I need to be loved, and the things I love need to be loved as well.”

That’s what Chel said.

Chel loved subculture.

If the works Chel loved were to receive love from the masses, they’d be adapted into other media.

If that happened, it might give Chel, who had only played minor roles, another opportunity for dubbing work.

And Chel Sumeragi, the person, needed to be loved as well.

If many people came to like the person Chel was, and if many people came to love Chel’s voice, it could open up new opportunities in the future.

“So, that’s why you became a VTuber.”

“Yes.”

Chel nodded.

For Chel, being a VTuber was about survival, and it was also her way of life.

“So, 『Please love me.』”

Chel’s tone shifted.

In the middle of a conversation where nothing had been decided, she dropped that line.

Her first move, as if daring me to react.

‘So that’s how you want to play this.’

I understood what Chel was thinking.

Time wasn’t infinite. Rather than wasting time deciding on a theme, her plan was to just start acting and see where it went.

It was a display of confidence, a declaration that she wanted to complete this ad-libbed voice drama no matter what.

She was provoking me.

Could I respond to that line?

“『I cannot, Lady Chel.』”

I replied.

Chel’s eyes widened at my line.

I flashed a small smile.

A reversal of roles.

Aurora, who usually played the role of a duchess, now taking on the opposite role.

What could be more entertaining for the audience?

‘You underestimated me.’

The ‘Duchess’ may be my way of life, but I can choose my way of life. It doesn’t have to define me.

Being the duchess is just one of many labels I wear.

If necessary, I can easily set it aside. And putting it back on isn’t hard either.

Of course, it won’t come without a cost.

I wiped all traces of the ‘Duchess’ from the face faintly reflected in the glass.

I replaced elegance with coldness.

I replaced dignity with rigor.

I stood firmly, hands and legs neatly together.

Fortunately, I’d seen plenty of maids in my time.

So, playing a maid was child’s play for someone like me, a duchess.

“『How could someone lowly like me ever dare to love you, Lady Chel?』”

“『I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.』”

“『Please, Lady Chel, forget everything that happened today.』”

If I’m going to do it, I’ll do it thoroughly.

And perfectly.

***

The voice drama recording was over.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I could even call it a voice drama.

It felt more like Chel and I were fencing with our words rather than our swords.

“『If this is how things are, I wish I hadn’t been born into the duchy.』”

“『What use is the glory and authority of my family if I can’t even achieve a small personal dream?』”

Chel wasn’t holding back either.

Especially with the lines that blatantly targeted my role as the duchess.

I couldn’t tell if she was acting or trying to pick a fight.

“『Lady Chel, you are the jewel of the great ducal family.』”

“『Serving you is my joy, and your mere existence is the pride of the family.』”

“『You are the hope for the future of the empire.』”

“『I understand your marriage to His Highness, the Crown Prince, is soon to come.』”

“『Lady Chel, I believe you will know how to look out for the people of the duchy and the citizens of the empire.』”

So, I added more to the setting and shot back. Let’s see if she could keep up with that.

Somehow… we managed to keep the story going, though it felt like a morning soap opera, chaotic and full of drama.

In the end, what we created was filled with excessive provocation.

And the result?

“I guess we’ll have to show it to the CEO first to see. Whether this can be sold or not…”

That’s what they said.

Normally, a company would go through various processes to sell a product, but since we did this on a whim because we had time to spare, it was different.

Rion would take the result back to the company for the CEO’s review.

Then, there would be an internal meeting, and if they got the green light to sell it, they’d polish up the voice recording.

They’d also have to hire an illustrator to create key visual art for the product.

The winter voice drama we recorded today was scheduled to be sold in November, so to avoid clashing with that schedule, this would likely be released next year.

“It’s a bit disappointing, huh? That the results won’t come out until much later. Don’t you think so too, Chel?”

“I agree.”

“…If it’s deemed worthless, the recording could be scrapped. Just keep that in mind.”

That’s what Rion said.

We didn’t know at the time.

That about three months later, the voice drama would be released without issue.

【Aurora X Chel Sumeragi】 Voice Drama: A Secret Rendezvous Between a Lady and Her Maid

Chel and I’s voice drama would unexpectedly sell well.

It would even become a minor topic of discussion in some communities.

At this point, we had no way of knowing that.

“Uh…? What is this?”

And that Sora would gasp when the voice drama was finally released.

That was something yet to come.