The Villainess' Fate Defying Story - Chapter 13

After school, Cassandra nodded at the triplets’ glances, meaning “I remember”.

She couldn’t bring herself to forget their consultation and leave.

In the classroom after the lecture, the students waved goodbye one by one as they headed home.

“What kind of consultation could it be that you need with me? I hope I can help you.”

The classroom was so quiet that you could see students walking back to their dormitories or to the school gate through the window.

Even without staying in the classroom, there was a large discussion room in the dormitory, and one could spend time in a stylish cafe in town. There was also a gazebo in the front garden of the school building where one could enjoy the seasonal flowers while having a conversation.

It is rare for students to chat face to face on such hard chairs.

However, the triplets would not be bothered by such a situation.

“Cassandra-sama, I’m not good at roundabout conversations.”

Rize, with her chestnut hair tied with a red ribbon, glared at Cassandra and almost leaned forward.

Rize, who had taken up a position directly in front of Cassandra’s desk, explained this in a clear voice.

Cassandra was a little frightened by her resolute tone, even though it wasn’t as if there were any parts of her studies that she didn’t understand.

“Cassandra-sama, I’m going to be direct. It doesn’t matter if you only know a little, but do you know about Jake-sama? Could you please tell me?”

…? Cassandra’s mind went blank and she stopped smiling.

It was such a confusing statement that she momentarily escaped reality and wondered if she knew anyone with that name.

“Um, well… Rize, I’m not sure I understand what you mean…?”

Gradually, she became aware of reality.

They are said to be the ‘protagonists’ of this world.

The basis of this game world is made up of otome elements.

This reality, which has set the stage by distorting the world view, leads to the protagonists’ romance ……!

It’s not unnatural, it’s natural.

After all, they are beings who were born to fall in love more than ordinary girls!

If it’s a situation where the protagonists’ dullness is at work, there’s a possibility that they won’t understand that they’re liked and the events won’t progress forever.

Fortunately or unfortunately, they seem to be the type of protagonists who are well aware of this direction.

They were so forward that Cassandra was surprised that they were not too aggressive.

It’s natural that they wouldn’t blush and get involved in countless events, such as going out on holidays with men they don’t even like, inviting or being invited to return to the dormitory together.

If the protagonists aren’t aware of their feelings, the men will be the ones who cry.

Falling in love is a good thing in itself.

It’s a wonderful story of a maiden in love, so they should enjoy their youth to the fullest.

From the bottom of her heart she hopes they will be happy.

It is more confusing if you think that they are not aware of the fact that by falling in love with the target, the saint event will come closer.

It should be a good trend.

But it isn’t.

…… Why is that?

“Rize-san, do you mean Jake-sama…?”

The words squeezed out in a trembling voice were unbelievable. Her throat was dry.

Not Sirius, but Jake.

The man with the knight’s medal, Jake. He can be polite, but his natural attitude is that of a delinquent. Among friends he is known to have a rather foul mouth, is a swordsman idiot, or rather a knight, and is unexpectedly of interest to Rize.

Rize does not seem to be able to remain calm, even more so than the shaken Cassandra. Her cheeks are completely flushed and she looks down, placing her hand on her waist. She seemed to be struggling to the point of almost grinding her teeth.

“…”

Cassandra’s eyes must have been like dots as she looked at Rize, who nodded slightly as if giving up.

“Well, well, there was a lot going on, a lot!”

Cassandra knows nothing about it, but she understands that there was some kind of contact between Rize and Jake. It’s impressive how everything revolves around the protagonists, but it’s too sudden, and she can’t help but be amazed.

Originally, it was up to the players to decide which protagonist would get together with which character and what kind of personality they had. Just as there are types of favorite opposite-sex characters for the capture characters, Rize and the others probably have their own preferences. It seems that Rize’s type in this world happened to be a boy like Jake, and that’s all.

Jake, huh… It’s quite surprising that Rize likes him, a guy who is kind and reliable like an older brother.

“I’m terribly sorry, Rize-san. I was confused because I’ve never been asked about something like this before.”

She can’t escape the seriousness of the consultation. Rize trusted Cassandra enough to confide in her about a problem she would want to keep secret from anyone. She should not react in a way that would undermine her dignity. If she is too obviously surprised, Rize will be disappointed and shocked.

Jake is a target for capture.

Cassandra understands that his attitude towards her may be questionable, but at heart he is a good young man.

Jake, who is not a perfect beauty like Ralph or Sirius, but a handsome man, fits the term “cool” well.

When she sees him walking nearby, it is clear that he has a presence worthy of the main role in the story. Because of his charm, the protagonist in the story is attracted to him.

It’s not surprising that many female students admire him, and although she doesn’t know what kind of encounter they had, he must have shown a side that touched Rize’s heart.

If possible……

Although she doesn’t know the details yet, she wishes he had done that with Rita!

She has to desperately hide her true feelings.

“Well, the good news is that Rita and Rina have a different type preference than me. I definitely don’t want them to become my enemies.”

Hmm? Rize mumbles something ominous. A different type? Cassandra feels a shiver run down her spine as she senses what her words mean and clears her throat without realizing it.

“So, does this mean that Rita-san and Rina-san also wish for a similar consultation?”

Overwhelmed with emotion, she doesn’t want to deny them before their smiles disappear completely.

She is so shaken just because Rize chose Jake.

If this is the case…

“Cassandra-sama is as sharp as ever, and I am grateful. I wanted to hear about Ralph-sama… We were indifferent to this kind of talk, so we decided to consult someone if we were troubled.”

Rita’s innocent smile shines like the sun.

She puts her hand over her mouth and tries to hide her emotions, trying to keep herself from being blinded by it.

“It’s good that everyone has different tastes, isn’t it?”

Rita claps her hands happily. Cassandra had predicted this, but when it hits so close to the mark, she can’t help but let out a dry laugh.

…Her bad feeling comes true and Cassandra falls silent again.

If she listened to their conversations for just a week, she would understand that their tastes are all different. Assuming that they are basically good kids, their personalities were completely different from the game’s storyline. So it might be natural that they each have different types they like.

However… if Rita likes Ralph, then it can only mean that Rina is interested in Sirius.

As she feared, the reality is that all three of them have chosen the most incompatible partners for themselves.

What was she going to do about it? She quickly puts her thoughts into overdrive and thinks about what to do next.

If things continue like this, all three of them will end up in a route where the saint event does not occur.

If Cassandra cannot save the prince in advance, the moment he falls under the control of the demon, this land will come to an end.

The prince will probably use his position to collect the “misfortunes” of many people worthy of summoning the demon.

When that happens, the demon will be unleashed on this world. It will be a repeat of the disaster that struck this world over a hundred years ago…

Only the chosen saint, the protagonist, can stop this.

The event where you become a saint and awaken cannot happen in the game if you are with an incompatible partner!

Let’s remember.

What was the event of the saint’s awakening? …It was the “power” that awakens to protect the beloved lover when he is hurt by someone.

The trigger for the event where one awakens as a saint and releases the originally existing magical power is a crisis involving one’s lover.

Cassandra does not know what happens to them after the end.

It is all a product of the imagination and is not discussed in the game.

But this is reality, and even if two incompatible people end up together, the world should go on.

If Rize and Jake become lovers and the moment they reach the “game ending” the world breaks and stops, there is nothing Cassandra can do.

After all, if we assume that the world after the ending “does not exist,” then some kind of ending will occur the moment the prince is defeated, and the world will come to a halt.

After the three years of the story have passed, Cassandra’s actions will be meaningless, and it will end forcibly.

This is not something that can be imagined while keeping one’s sanity.

Cassandra is not strong enough to live calmly in a world that only she knows will collapse and die in three years.

Therefore, she believes that the world will continue.

The memories of the fifteen years Cassandra has lived so far are her foundation.

There is no way that this world, which should have spun thousands of years of history, will suddenly stop.

She moves with the common sense that time moves in the post-game world.

No.

She doesn’t want to think about the world disappearing after everyone has reached some kind of ending.

Cassandra, Rita, Rize, Rina, Ralph, Sirius, Jake, and the prince will all continue to happily live in this world even after graduation! The story will go on.

So even if Jake and Rize become lovers, if the conditions are met for Rize to awaken as a saint, she might awaken to the “power” that is currently dormant.

But that might be wishful thinking…

She glances at the triplets watching her with bated breath.

Can she really tell them to fall in love with someone else because the world will be destroyed if they don’t become saints? If the protagonists were dense and passive about love, there might have been situations where she would have urged Jake and the others to go after the protagonists in the same way she had conquered them before.

She wouldn’t have been stingy in setting them up to fall in love, and she could have been motivated to achieve a happy ending.

But that’s not possible.

She can’t betray and trample on the feelings of Rize and the others when they come to her for advice like this.

How can she suggest that they move on to another man that her triplet sisters are also interested in, when they have someone they’re interested in now? That’s the work of a ruthless monster with no delicacy that shatters any friendship into pieces.

One must take risks, even if it’s dangerous. Be courageous.

This world will continue even after the end.

If the conditions for becoming a saint are met, they will “awaken.”

Of course, the first priority is to make sure that the prince doesn’t fall into the hands of the demon while keeping an eye on his situation. If this can somehow be accomplished, the power of a saint to defeat demons is not essential.

The Saint’s power is a last resort when Cassandra cannot handle the situation.

It’s best if she doesn’t have to rely on that power.

Even if the combination is slightly off, she should respect their will.

… But what happened to them when Cassandra couldn’t see them for a week?

As one might expect, this is a world created for love.

The fact that they were not attracted to an unnamed student could be attributed to the force of the scenario.

“May I speak, Cassandra-sama? I am aware that it is disrespectful and inappropriate to have feelings for someone as noble as Sirius-sama. We know what actions we should take from the beginning. But we can’t just give up. I know it’s cowardly and unpleasant for you to hear such things. Could you please forgive us?”

Rina looks up with a face that seems ready to obey Cassandra’s every word, as if she’ll give up if Cassandra tells her to.

Her blue eyes, filled with determination, stare at her.

Maybe Cassandra had contrary thoughts and that’s why she hesitated for a while? Maybe Rina interpreted it that way.

If she thought they were getting along and she couldn’t give them clear advice, then Rina must have had a big misunderstanding about Cassandra being too nice.

She didn’t want to oppose it. Class differences? She wouldn’t think that for a second.

The most suitable women for them aren’t among the other noble ladies.

Their partners who will share their fate are here.

The combination was just inconvenient for Cassandra, that’s why her words and reaction were delayed.

Looking at the three of them, they were all silent and seemed awkward, and the tension from before disappeared.

She realizes that she had completely misunderstood them.

That line from Cassandra that she had heard dozens of times in the game, as a signal that the flag was broken. She never thought that she, as the one who became Cassandra, would end up saying it.

“Wait a minute!”

She didn’t say she disagreed… not even a word!