Am I a Saint? No, I’m the Villainess!

SECOND CAPTURE TARGET

Today’s tea party will be held in the courtyard of the royal palace. The palace garden, which is used for official events, is large. The vista extends past the horizon over a wide, flat area. There was a large central pond, symmetrical shrubbery and streams, and even a small cascading waterfall. It was an artificial, geometric, bright and refreshing French garden.

Gorgeous flowers were blooming profusely in the spring sunlight filtering through the foliage. The reason why there were so many white flowers was probably because this was the game of “When the White Flower Blooms”. What an elaborate setting.


There were many young ladies gathered around Rezeda.

When Iris and Nigel stepped in front of Rezeda, many young ladies looked Iris over as though assessing her. Nigel was a beautiful boy from a renowned family of knights. The interest from the ladies is also high.


This, this! It’s just like the game!　


Iris’ tension rose. Because in the world of her previous life, Iris had never experienced anything like this before.


“Hi Nigel.”

“I brought my sister, Iris.”


From the beginning, Rezeda and Nigel were in a relationship of learning martial arts together. The ladies interest was gathered on the friendly exchange between the two handsome guys. And their gazes stung Iris, who was waiting to one side.


Well then, shall I also play the villainess.


Feeling as though she was in a play, Iris showed off a flawless curtsy as introduction. The ladies glared at Iris with annoyance. Iris unintentionally laughed. Because it was too much of a template development. One way or another, it seemed that Iris was an existence with the qualities of a villainess.


Th-this might be fun!


Even surrounded, Rezeda still had a winning smile. After all it seems no different from the game, equally kind to all.


Even that refreshing grin is terrifying now…


“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Lady Iris. I’ve heard about you from Nigel. Are you doing well now?”


Rezeda still had the usual smile.


“I apologise for worrying you. Your Highness Rezeda. It’s just as Nigel said. There’s nothing I especially wish to add.”


Iris cut the topic short. At her irreverent remarks, voices of condemnation rose from the ladies around her.

However, Iris wanted to be disliked up to the point that she just barely avoided punishment. It might have been too disrespectful, but she knew from the game that His Highness Rezeda wouldn’t get angry at this level.


Well, even if she knew, she was still apprehensive.


When Iris tried to leave it at that, one of the ladies who was hanging around behind His Highness Rezeda called out to Iris while covering her mouth with a fan.

She had attended tea parties with these ladies several times before contracting smallpox. After her illness, all contact stopped abruptly.


“My, what lovely gloves. I’d love to get a closer look.”


At those words, the surrounding ladies smiled and giggled. Arm-length opera gloves were unnaturally conspicuous at a children’s tea party. That’s why she realized that she was hiding her pox marks using gloves, and used it to ridicule her. Even though Iris felt annoyed in her heart, she showed a soft smile.


“Please, go ahead.”


When she gracefully held out her left hand, the young lady was at a loss for words for a moment, before reluctantly pinching just the left glove’s fingertips. You could tell that she was trying not to touch her hands, as though she was handling something dirty.


Game-Iris received this kind of discrimination.


And Iris probably took out all the humiliation she received directly on the heroine.

Iris was boiling with anger. Smallpox is not contagious if it is completely cured. Whether she didn’t know such a simple thing, or if this was the attitude of someone who knows, either way, treating her like a germ was terrible.


Iris pulled her hand out of her glove. The glove was left in the hand of the young lady. The pox marks on her hand were revealed, and the young ladies let out shrieks of disgust.

Iris also took off her right glove and presented it to the young lady.


“If you like it that much, I’ll give it to you. It’s not a big deal.”


Just like a villainess, she provoked them with a smirk, and the young lady threw the gloves to the ground and marched off. The ladies surrounding her also left the place awkwardly. Quite a few followed after that lady.

Iris snorted.　

Iris’ style as a villainess was so splendid that Iris herself thought it was just as expected. That arrogant and high-handed rhetoric comes naturally.

However, a young maid who saw it hurriedly picked up the glove.


“I’ll have it cleaned and send it back.”


Rezeda said.


“It’s fine. Please throw things like this away.”


Iris replied. And then, she smiled at the surprised maid. It’s not unreasonable for her to be surprised since it would be a very expensive item to such a young maid.


“If you don’t want to, shall I give it to you? It might be difficult to use as gloves, but if you dismantle it, you can probably use it to make something. It shouldn’t be contagious, but if it disgusts you, just throw it away.”

“Being disgusted, such a thing is…”


The maid clutched her gloves.


“I apologize for disturbing you. Your Highness Rezeda.”


Iris bowed her head deeply.


“No……”


Reseda returned an awfully gentle smile. Iris flinched from the excessive pressure. Sometimes, the smile of such a beautiful figure can cause extreme turmoil.


This is bad. Were you offended? You didn’t get angry with Game-Iris, so I thought it would be fine, but did you just not get angry because she was your fiancée?


If that’s the case, it can’t be helped if Current-Iris is considered disrespectful. She went too far causing such a disgraceful ruckus in a place like this.


Crap, crap, crap. Can you be ruined before the game’s ruin flag?


Iris bowed and quickly ran off to a bench near the pond as though escaping. Nigel rushed after her.


“Iris, are you okay?”

“Eh, it, it’s okay, or not, I don’t really know…”


She felt uneasy that she might be accused of lèse-majesté.


“I’ll get you some gloves right away.”

“Oh, that? That’s not a problem at all. It might be shameful, but.”


Iris fluttered her left hand around. She caused such a flashy commotion. There was no point in hiding it now. Iris was defiant.


“But won’t father get angry?”

“I don’t think he’ll get angry if Iris doesn’t care.”


Nigel shrugged.


“I don’t mind. But do you care, Nigel? If you don’t want people to know that your sister was abandoned by God, I’ll hide it.”

“I don’t care.”


Nigel laughed and took her left hand.


“I’m just glad you’re alive.”


Nigel! Who is this good boy? Even though he’s such a good boy… oneechan will absolutely protect you!

“Thank you, Nigel.”

“And I think it’ll make a good insect repellent.”


Nigel laughed with a mean smile.


“Insect repellent?”

“That’s right. A person who is worried about pox marks won’t approach you from the beginning, right?”

“That’s true! Nigel, you’re so smart!”


Rezeda must have been surprised by the argument earlier and pox marks. The nobles around him will also say that a damaged daughter is not suitable for His Highness. With this, it can be said that her engagement flag with Reseda has disappeared.


Hooray! I did it!


Pox marks were a weakness for Game-Iris, but to Current-Iris, they had become a weapon. Iris was satisfied and chortled. Nigel looked at her appearance the same way he would look at something creepy.


“… But Iris… weren’t you aiming to be His Highness’ fiancée?”


Nigel asked with a stiff expression.


“That’s what Father is expecting, but I don’t have that intention. Besides, if you have these pox marks, you can’t join the royal family, right?”


She gleefully showed her smallpox scars.


“You seem to be happy.”


Nigel grinned.

At that time, the twins didn’t notice that Rezeda, who was surrounded by ladies, was staring at Iris.

TL/N:

• Iris makes many references to in-game Iris vs herself, so they will be written as Game-Iris and Current-Iris, respectively.

• Oneechan = older sister, albeit a more cutesy way of saying it. For terms that have no real equivalent to it in English, I’ll be using them as is for now.