From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress! Volume 2 E-Book

Masamune Okazaki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 451

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Elizabeth begins her second year at the academy. She’s in peak form, ready to sweep the newly transferred main character, Lilia, off her feet.

As soon as Lilia opens her mouth, though, Elizabeth realizes that all is not as it seems.

Now the cross-dressing villainess needs to win Lilia over and convince the other girl to lock onto her route so that Elizabeth can obtain her happy ending. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a long and bumpy ride—especially since the other love interests keep butting in to steal Elizabeth away from Lilia at any given chance! What’s a girl to do when the boys keep crashing her dates?!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Characters

Prologue

It’s What’s on the Inside That Counts

Think, Elizabeth

Being a Love Interest’s Not a Bad Gig

Banned

Committing to the Route

Put Those Beautiful Eyelashes Away

Got You, My Little Rabbit

As It Just So Happens, That Villainess Was Me

Sweet Potato Fry Crumbs

That’s Just Who I Am

Take That, Otome Games

The Second Dance

Epilogue

Side Stories: Victims of the Elizabeth Burton Support Group II

Extra Story: Elizabeth vs. the Bear—the Aftermath

Afterword

Color Illustrations

Friend Data

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Illustrations

Table of Contents

Prologue

Before long, it was April.

The start-of-the-school-year ceremony was today, and the game’s protagonist would be transferring into my second-year class. The game’s timeline had officially begun. I’d hedged all my bets to achieve a happy ending by cross-dressing. Everything came down to this one year.

I put on my uniform and faced my reflection in the mirror. My hair hadn’t grown out much, but my bangs were now long enough to cover my forehead a bit. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to distinguish myself from Robert, at least. I also looked a lot more mature now, and my face had developed a more masculine look.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

My hair was still styled in an undercut, which made it easy to wash—a feature I appreciated. I knew that there were plenty of girls out there who liked seeing men wear their hair down, particularly when they swept their bangs up or to the side. I was hoping this hairstyle would give me the opposite appeal of Robert, who only sported side-swept bangs on formal occasions. I’d be like the inverse of him, waiting for the right opportunity to let mine down.

I’d even changed up my makeup to suit my new hairstyle. Honestly, I thought it looked pretty good. It made my nose look well-defined, especially when you looked at my profile from the left side.

I’d torn off a button on my uniform jacket and given it away to a girl during the graduation ceremony, and had my head maid ever been furious when I’d asked her to fix it! And, of course, I couldn’t forget my leather elevator shoes.

Without clothes, I was lean and toned. My abs were looking ripped, and whenever I rolled up the sleeves of my shirts and flexed, girls would flock to me and drool over my bulging veins and muscles. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I’d stretched myself to the limit to make sure that I was in peak form this year, but it had all been worth it. My face, body, and muscles were all a sight to behold. I had no doubt that this was the best I’d looked in the last ten years of my life.

Nicely done, Elizabeth Burton. You’ve worked hard for this. Now go get ’em, hotshot!

Just as I was giving myself a little internal pat on the back, I heard a shy knock at my door. I opened it to see Christopher looking up at me with a resolute expression on his face.

Naturally, he was now wearing the academy’s uniform too. Seeing him in it called to mind his in-game portrait. Real-life Christopher had a different hairstyle, and he hadn’t applied any personal touches to his uniform the way he did in the game, but his sweet face was still the spitting image of the Christopher I remembered from the game.

“Um...sis?”

“Yeah? What’s up, Christopher?”

He drew in a deep breath, then suddenly yelled out with surprising force, “I-I’m going to call you ‘Ser,’ at school, okay?!”

Whoa there! I thought, taken aback by the volume. Then the significance of his declaration dawned on me. Ahh... I know what this is all about.

This was just like when a little kid starts calling his mother “mom” instead of “mommy,” or when he starts referring to her in third-person as “my mother” instead of “my mom.” I’d wager that pretty much every kid crosses that bridge at some point when they hit puberty.

My little brother’s all grown up now...

Nah, I’m just messing. I was pretty confident that this had less to do with growing up and more to do with the game’s invisible hand. No doubt the world was trying to protect itself from any deviations from the game’s original narrative, forcibly retrofitting everything to match it.

In the game, Christopher introduces himself to the main character as “Chris. Just Chris.” He doesn’t tell her anything about his upbringing or his family. If he went around calling the noblewoman in the main character’s class “sis,” it’d only interfere with that narrative framework. The narrative needed to avoid that at all costs, so it was only to be expected that Christopher would switch to a more neutral way of addressing me.

Paradoxically, the fact that Christopher was letting me know about this change meant that the game’s timeline had started in earnest.

Each of the game’s four love interests had already diverged significantly from their in-game counterparts. The crown prince had already traveled West for treatment, Isaac had already been bested in final exams, and Christopher had already resolved his estrangement from his biological family. Even Robert had undergone major changes to his characterization. Considering all of these huge differences from the original game’s narrative, it had been entirely possible that the game’s story might not have ended up playing out at all. But Christopher’s declaration made it abundantly clear that the story continued to march on anyway, even if it had to make some corrections along the way.

“Sure, I get it,” I replied, looking directly into his eyes. I hoped to convey my resolve to steal the main character’s heart myself through my gaze.

It’s What’s on the Inside That Counts

Christopher and I rode in a horse-drawn carriage to where the new students had been told to assemble. We parted ways as we exited the carriage, and I walked into campus.

Countless girls showered me with greetings as I passed. “Good day, Sir Burton.”

I smiled and waved in return. The farther I walked, the fewer people I came across. Eventually, I made it to my destination: the courtyard. No one else was there.

In the game, the main character (whose default name is Lilia Douglas) has to choose between Edward’s introduction event and Robert’s. The story branches when you’re heading to the opening ceremony and spot a kitten. At that point, you’re presented with a choice: You can choose to either follow the kitten or to call out to it. Choose the former, and you meet Edward; choose the latter, and you meet Robert.

For Edward’s event, the main character stumbles into the courtyard after getting lost and meets the crown prince. Flustered, she explains, “Um, I was following a cat, and...I got lost.”

“Heh... What a funny girl you are,” Edward replies with a chuckle. Then he offers to show her to the auditorium.

(Speaking of that scene, I was always struck by what a low bar Edward must’ve had for what qualified as “funny.” But kids sometimes laugh at the drop of a hat. Maybe he was just at that age? I also couldn’t help but wonder how such a refined, handsome character could bring himself to chuckle like that. I once tried to practice that little “heh...” myself, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt downright embarrassing.)

Anyway, Edward’s introduction event continues as he leads Lilia to the auditorium, where all of the students greet him.

“H-He’s the student council president?!” she cries, astonished. “And not only that, he’s Prince Edward, the Crown Prince!”

But back in this reality, Edward wasn’t even in the country at the moment. That made stepping in and stealing his event as easy as taking candy from a baby. All I had to do was stand around in the courtyard and wait for the event to start.

Robert’s introduction event was supposed to be the alternative to Edward’s, but he was currently behind the auditorium stage’s curtains flipping through the pages of a welcome speech and drilling it into his head.

In the event that the student council president wasn’t available to give the speech himself, the obligation typically fell upon the vice president...but no otome game would ever delegate such an important task to a mere side character. And so, the powers that be must’ve swooped in to thrust the duty upon Robert, who was now class valedictorian after making the top grades on last year’s final exams.

He’d had his moment of glory, but I had no doubt that he’d reverted back to his usual pea-brained ways. I could easily picture him wearing a big, dumb smile on his face, surrounded by teachers and student council members as they clamored to help him nail the speech.

Not only had Edward done me the favor of traipsing off to the West, leaving his introduction event wide open for me to come in and steal, but Robert had also taken his place—essentially eliminating the competing branch that the main character could pick. It was now inevitable that she’d come to the courtyard and trigger my introduction event.

(In case you’re curious, Isaac and Christopher’s introduction events operate the same way. After the opening ceremony, you’re met with a decision point that sets you down the path of meeting one of them instead of the other. The love interests’ baseline affection points get a nice boost depending on who you meet first, and they get priority on the map screen when you’re choosing how you’d like to spend your free time on your first day.

It’s especially difficult to win affection points for Edward, so if you want to do his route, you absolutely cannot miss his introduction event.

Of course, there was no way that the Lilia of this world would know that.)

Thanks, Edward. I hope you get well soon and come back safely...but only after spending some quality time away. I directed my gratitude to the westward skies—or so I say, but I honestly didn’t have a clue which way was west.

Just as I’d completed my thought, I heard a rustling noise from the trees. A kitten emerged from them. It made its way up to me, abruptly applied the brakes, made a U-turn in front of me, and skittered away.

No surprises there. Animals hate me.

Suddenly, I remembered the dream I’d had. A sadness came over me as I reckoned with the painful truth that a cat would only ever approach me in my dreams. No real cat would ever come near me.

I turned my gaze to look at where the kitten had come from. Standing there now, in its place, was a girl wearing the academy’s uniform.

◇◇◇

Wow... She really is cute.

That was my first thought when I saw her.

In the game, Lilia’s face is never clearly depicted. All you get to see of her is a glimpse of her shoulder-length red hair and her relatively short height. She describes herself as “a plain, ordinary commoner,” but seeing her now, face-to-face, I couldn’t even begin to fathom how the word “plain” might apply to her.

Do you have eyes?! I wanted to ask her. She was lovely, put-together, and delicately slender. She had an adorable smile, but you could tell that an iron will lay behind it. She was, simply put, magnetic. You just knew that she wouldn’t even have to lift a finger, and she’d still have everyone around her crying, “What a remarkable young lady!”

She was a real peach, all right—the kind you only come across once in a lifetime.

It was honestly no surprise, though, that such a fact was lost on her. Otome game protagonists tended to have pretty low self-esteem about their appearance. Having played many an otome game myself, I could definitely attest to that.

Still, that’s no excuse, even if she’s just being humble. If she had a single mirror in her house, she’d know that she has no right to go around calling herself “plain” and “ordinary.”

If that was “plain” and “ordinary,” then only a model in Paris Fashion Week would count as being “beautiful” and “extraordinary.” But then, looks were everything in this world. And typically, protagonist or not, only pretty girls got special treatment.

I’d been working hard to polish my people skills (well, mostly womanizing skills) all these years, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me to seduce some pasty, moon-faced girl who could’ve only hit it big in the Heian era. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have tried, of course—I would’ve gone for it, but boy, I would’ve had to psych myself up pretty hard first. So, all things considered, this was a win.

Piece of cake. Bring it on, sweetheart.

“Hm? What’re you doing here?” I asked her.

I took long, leisurely strides towards her, closing in the distance between us.

For a brief second, she looked up at me. Then, she quickly averted her gaze. She looked down, touching her face nervously. If I were being ungenerous, I’d even say she was behaving quite suspiciously. A deep sense of unease washed over me.

What’s going on here? Why does she seem...so familiar?

“Um, well, actually, I gost... I mean, I got lost. Oohoo hawww! So, um, yeah. I don’t know where I am. Hee hee HORF!” she muttered quickly, her voice almost a whisper. Her speech mannerisms seemed to betray everything she was thinking.

Half of me was screaming “yikes,” and the other half was wincing in recognition. I couldn’t tell you why I knew this, but I did—she’d been reincarnated into this world, just like I had. But that wasn’t the only thing that gave me a painful pang of recognition. Just like me, she was also a fangirl.

Why was I aware of this? The only explanation I could give you was instinct. Honestly, I had nothing concrete to go on. But I was absolutely certain that I was right about this.

My next thought was, Hey, maybe this isn’t a bad thing? Maybe I can use this to my advantage...

She was a real cutie...just as long as she didn’t open her mouth. The way she spoke left a lot to be desired. I wasn’t sure why, but talking to her was giving me serious déjà vu. Just watching her squirm filled me with sympathy and made my chest tighten. I was mortified for her.

After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And if anyone were to look beyond her sweet face, well... There wasn’t a noblewoman out there whose reputation wouldn’t be utterly destroyed by an errant “hee hee HORF!” I mean, what kind of first impression is that? An otome game protagonist is supposed to make love interests clutch their chests from cuteness overload, not from extreme secondhand embarrassment.

In any case, even if she’d been raised as a peasant, surely there must’ve been some opportunity over the sixteen or seventeen years of her life to course correct? But whatever her experiences in this life were, her past-life personality seemed to be hogging the limelight.

No, what am I saying? The world of otome games is all about looks. A cute girl like that can let out as many “hee hee HORF”s as she wants! I couldn’t help but wonder how the love interests were going to respond to it, though. Are you going to fall for a girl like that, boys? Her cute face won’t erase the “hee hee HORF,” you know.

But maybe they’d just find themselves at the mercy of otome game logic, falling in love with her because she was “not like other girls”? If that was how the cards were going to fall, then I only had one thing to say: What a bunch of morons. I didn’t know if I could leave the future of the kingdom in the hands of such poor judges of character. I mean, even peasants didn’t go around “hee hee HORF”ing.

Despite my misgivings, I put on a smile. I drew a deep breath in through my nose and exhaled through my mouth.

It’s going to be okay. At least she looks cute, right? Everything’s going to be fine.

If the laws of this land decreed that we all close our eyes to a person’s character and place importance on their looks, then as a love interest, I had no real choice but to oblige.

Besides, in the game, Lilia starts off with absolutely no knowledge of aristocratic etiquette. She only learns how to navigate the ins and outs of high society with the support of her love interest. Maybe this version would turn into a normal noblewoman over the course of my pursuing her? It was entirely possible.

At the very least, maybe I could get her to the point that she didn’t leave me (and probably others) wondering, “Who’d fall in love with a girl like that?” or “Does she have a few screws loose or something?”

No... Don’t get your hopes up, Elizabeth. Trying to change someone is a fool’s errand.

That’s when it hit me: I had to be the one to change. It was time to reorient my thinking. It was time to think like a love interest. I didn’t have full confidence that I could pull it off, but I was resolved to try.

Determined, I turned around to face Lilia. “You’re lost? I take it you must be new here. In that case...”

I gently took her hand and knelt down on the ground. Surely there wasn’t a girl in the world who’d find that a turn off, right?

Anyway, I already knew from the color of her uniform’s collar that she was in my year. I only said that to set myself up for success later, when I could turn to her in class and say, “So, you’re a transfer student, huh?”

“May I show you to the auditorium, gorgeous?”

I kissed her fingertips and gave her a showy wink. Instantly, her face went beet red. It wouldn’t have been surprising to hear a little poof or see a cloud of steam rise from her head. I could’ve sworn I saw little hearts in her eyes.

She didn’t respond, so I just grabbed her arm and pulled her along with me gently. She didn’t seem to put up a fight.

Now that I had some momentum going, I figured I’d push my luck a bit. “I’ve got an idea,” I said. “While I’m at it, why don’t I give you a little tour of the school? C’mon, follow me.”

“Huh?! Uh... What?!”

“Oh, don’t worry about the opening ceremony. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble, so I’ll make sure you make it.”

I gave her a mischievous smile and took her hand as we walked.

She looked around nervously. Even though she looked up at me numerous times, she never made eye contact. Everything about the way she behaved was shifty, but I couldn’t help but think that the way she toddled after me was actually kind of cute.

Guess it really does pay to be pretty... I marveled.

“That’s weird... I picked the ‘chase after the cat’ option, so I should’ve triggered Edward’s introduction event,” the girl muttered, talking quickly to herself. The volume of her voice was too loud for a private monologue, but too quiet for something she intended for me to hear.

I almost whipped around without thinking, but I managed to forge on ahead and pretend I hadn’t heard anything.

So, she’s the kind of girl who talks loudly to herself, huh? Crap...

I was really starting to worry about her.

If she was familiar with the game’s story, that meant that she knew everything that was going to happen. To the average person, that’d look like she could see the future. I knew there were people out there who were so desperate to use that kind of clairvoyance to their advantage that they’d stop at nothing to get their hands on her—and I knew that there was no shortage of them in the aristocracy.

She’d better put a stop to this bad habit before someone gets the wrong idea.

Honestly, though, it offered a pretty tantalizing opportunity to get a peek inside her head. I decided I’d help her cover it up until she broke the habit...and use it to my full advantage in the meantime.

“Who is this cute guy, anyway? A hidden character? I’m pretty sure Yoh was the only hidden character, though... Oh, I know! Maybe he was added in when they ported it for a new system or something?”

She rattled off term after term—jargon that shouldn’t have been familiar to anyone from this world, and yet, I recognized them all.

Seems like I’m not the only one who’s played Royal LOVERS,I thought.

She clearly wasn’t just your casual fan, though. No, she was a bona fide obsessive fangirl...which meant that she’d be trying to trigger all her favorite events.

I needed to get the jump on the other love interests and steal the show. Logically speaking, the best way to get ahead seemed to be to block her from gaining affection points with the others and set her down my route.

I rummaged through my memories, trying to extract any events that I could use to my benefit. As I led her around her school, I couldn’t stifle my satisfied smile.

◇◇◇

After parting ways with Lilia, I arrived at the classroom and was quickly surrounded by a chorus of girls greeting me. I took a look around the room, scanning my classmates’ faces, and realized that I recognized all of them.

Of course, that was only to be expected. There were four classes for each year at the academy: two advanced classes and two standard education classes.

Students were divided according to both their academic capabilities and their social status. Even after beginning a new school year, movement between classes was pretty restricted. If you were in one of the advanced classes, you could switch to the other advanced class; same went for the standard education classes. But you couldn’t switch from an advanced to a standard education class or vice versa.

Besides, almost everyone at the academy was a member of high society. Any noble with decent social skills enrolled with several existing social ties; there would be few students they didn’t already recognize.

Imagining what it must’ve been like for Lilia to transfer into the academy in her second year—hailing from a commoner background, no less—made my stomach hurt.

When I had been playing the game, I hadn’t thought much of it. It had seemed so natural—obvious, even—that it hadn’t felt strange at all. But now that I was watching the main character from the outside, I could sympathize with her as a fish out of water. I was so worried, I thought I might develop a severe stomach ulcer.

For narrative purposes, Robert and Isaac were in the main character’s class. As he laughed among some of the boys, Robert made eye contact with me and gave me a little nod of respect. Isaac was seated in his chair, reading.

After a few minutes, the classroom door was flung open. A man in a slightly disheveled suit entered. I recognized him.

“Quiet, please. Now, then...I’m Cain Fisher, and I’ll be in charge of your class this year,” he said. “I also have another introduction to make. A new student will be joining our class.”

The classroom fell silent. Only the clonk clonk of loafers could be heard.

A red-haired girl entered and stood in front of the blackboard. She bowed deeply, her hair falling gently over her ears. As she looked down at the ground with a shy expression, we all fell in love with her. I could’ve sworn I heard a few gulps throughout the room.

“N-Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m L-Lilia Douglas!” she said.

Holy crap, she’s adorable! I thought, losing my senses for a moment. Whoa, hey. Reel it in, Elizabeth...

Fortunately, the years I’d spent perfecting my poker face and learning all the dos and don’ts of ladies etiquette paid off, and my jaw never hit the floor...at least, I hope it didn’t. I looked around me and saw that all of the boys looked every bit as smitten as I felt.

Impressive. So, this is the power of the protagonist. Looks like side characters don’t stand a chance.

Only Isaac and Robert seemed immune to her charms. Their expressions remained completely unchanged.

I was hardly surprised by this. I mean, it would be a bad look for the love interests to lose their minds over the main character from the get-go. If anything, the ability to stay composed upon first meeting the main character was practically a prerequisite for being a love interest.

I braced myself and put on a carefree smile. Then, I looked straight at Lilia and gave her a little wave. I watched as she spotted me among the crowd, her mouth forming a little o-shape as surprise swept over her face.

“Oh! I remember you!”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“All right, everyone. Make sure Lilia feels welcome, won’t you? Now then, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: new seat assignments. Everyone, come up to my desk and draw a random number, then take your newly assigned seat.”

Following Mr. Fisher’s instructions, everyone went up to draw a number.

(By the way, Mr. Fisher is actually a romanceable character in the fandisc, so he’s pretty memorable. Considering he isn’t in the main game, though, I probably didn’t need to consider him a threat at this point.)

I drew a number and took my corresponding seat, which was located at the front corner of the room by the hallway. There was no way I’d be getting any naps in this year.

I heard a chair clatter and turned to look at the source of the noise. I made eye contact with Lilia, who was sitting down in the seat to my left. Making sure not to break my composure, I allowed myself a private little fist pump in my head. Sitting next to the main character was a good omen. This put me one step ahead of the other love interests.

And here I’d been lamenting my spot at the front as unlucky. Little did I know how fortunate I really was. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. Sitting next to her made me feel like the star of the show. Things were looking up for me.

“Looks like we’re seatmates, huh?” I said softly, giving her a little wink.

She blushed furiously.

“Excuse me, Mr. Fisher,” Isaac said, weaving through us and walking up to Mr. Fisher’s desk. “I can’t see the blackboard from where I’m sitting in the back.”

“Oh... All right, then. Why don’t you come take a seat in the front here? Everyone in this column, please move back a row.”

“Huh?”

Lilia gave me a slightly disappointed look as she stood up from her seat, then moved back as instructed. Her eyelashes looked so long and pronounced when she looked down like that, I couldn’t help but stare.

In her place, an all-too-familiar bespectacled boy took a seat. Actually, his eyelashes could give Lilia’s a run for their money.

“Looks like we’re seatmates again, Burton,” he said.

“Yep... Sure does, Isaac.”

He flashed me a smug smile.

Hey, what gives? Were you trying to make sure I didn’t sit next to Lilia? I thought, outraged. No...there’s no way a bookworm like Isaac would be capable of that caliber of social scheming. I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything.

It was a shame I wouldn’t be sitting next to Lilia anymore, but at least she’d be looking at my left profile...which just so happened to be my best angle. Besides, she seemed to be pretty taken with me already. I figured I could just let her interest grow organically by giving her every opportunity to admire my profile from behind.

◇◇◇

It was lunchtime, and everyone was eyeing Lilia with curiosity.

Part of their curiosity was obviously due to how cute she was, but it was also in part because of how unusual it was to transfer into the academy. Then, there was also the factor of her name. Rumors began to fly among the nobles as soon as word got out that her surname was Douglas.

After all, everyone had heard that Baron Douglas had adopted a saint.

No one had been quite sure how credible that rumor was, but now that Lilia had transferred into First Royal Academy, it seemed clear that there must’ve been some truth to it. At least, insofar as there was truth to the claim that baku—those tapir-like, long-nosed, dream-devouring creatures—were real. Sure, they might not really snort up our nightmares, but there are plenty of tapirs out there in the wild.

It was pretty much unthinkable that the child of a baron would transfer into First Royal Academy—much less into the advanced class. Of course, exceptions could be made for a saint.

The concept of a saint is pretty much the only fantasy element of this world. They’re always women, and they’re always endowed with the power of “saint’s prayer”—essentially just healing magic that can cure wounds and disease. The previous saint died around fifty years ago, so people in my generation are only really familiar with her through stories.

You know those really chubby Japanese snake cryptids that can roll around like a wheel—tsuchinoko? Well, imagine that one of those suddenly appeared one day. Try as you might to tell everyone to ignore it or look away, their curiosity’s going to get the better of them.

It seemed Lilia was painfully aware of everyone’s curious stares. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her practically curling up into herself. I turned around in my chair to face her.

“Well, fancy seeing you here. So, you’re a transfer student, huh? Mind if I just call you ‘Lilia’?”

“Uh... What? Oh! S-Sure, uh...!”

“I’m here if you have any questions, okay? And I’ll happily walk you wherever you need to go.”

I gave her a big smile and watched as she turned bright red.

Her personality wasn’t exactly ideal, but at least she had the default name. I wasn’t sure I would’ve been able to call her something like “†Pitch-Black Princess Chevalz Valkyria†” or “Lilymellow” with a straight face. It was one thing to read a name like that in a game, but to say it out loud? Now, that was asking a lot.

“Um, ah...” Lilia stammered, looking at me like she wanted to say something.

That’s when I realized: She’d been the only one to introduce herself this year.

“Oh, sorry. I never told you my name, did I? I’m—”

“Ser!” a familiar voice cried out to me in a very unfamiliar address.

Christopher came bouncing down the hallway and peeked into the classroom. His mouth relaxed with relief as he saw my face.

“Hey, Christopher.”

“Ch-Christopher?” Lilia repeated, incredulous.

Christopher turned to look at her with surprise. “Um...pardon me, but have we met before?”

“Uh... Huh?! N-No, sorry! I... I must have mistaken you for someone else. Ehe he he...” Lilia stuttered, looking down at her feet abruptly and twiddling her fingers.

Talking to yourself a little too loudly again, hm?

I could understand her surprise, though. Christopher looked a bit different from his in-game counterpart. He wasn’t exactly recognizable at first glance.

“What’re you doing all the way over here by the second-year classrooms, Christopher?” I asked.

“I was hoping we could eat lunch together, si— I mean, Ser.”

“What about your classmates? Don’t you have some friends you’d rather eat lunch with?”

“I’d rather have lunch with you, Ser.”

Watching him puff out his cheeks in protest, something about his insistence struck me as strange. Surely he’d prefer to eat lunch with his new friends over his older sister? Was he being bullied or something?

No...he’s only just enrolled. He wouldn’t be getting bullied already...right?

That’s when it dawned on me why he’d been so persistent in asking if I’d made any friends last year.

I get it now... You were worried that youwouldn’t be able to make any friends.

“Comm—I mean, Lord Burton! Are you heading to the cafeteria too?”

“Oh. Hi, Robert.”

Just as I was mulling over consulting my older brother about Christopher’s mental health, another voice called out to me—this time from in front of me. Before I’d even noticed, Robert had approached my desk. His sparkling eyes pierced right through me as usual.

“R-Robert?!” Lilia shook her head in denial as she looked at him.

Robert’s eyes briefly shot wide open, but he quickly composed himself and turned to greet her. “Nice to meet you, Lady Lilia. I’m Robert Diagrantz.”

Lilia looked absolutely bewildered by his polite introduction.

“It can’t be. They must simply share the exact same name...” she mumbled, in a voice just loud enough that someone else could’ve heard.

I could understand her consternation. The Robert of the game would never have introduced himself; it was wildly out of character.

“If you’re going to cause a scene, then do it somewhere else, Burton.”

“Sorry, Isaac.”

“Isaac?!”

In shock for the third time, Lilia turned to look at Isaac.

To be fair, the love interests all had different hairstyles in this life than they did in the game. Some of them even had completely different physiques and personalities. As she’d played the game, I’m sure Lilia was floored that she hadn’t been able to recognize anyone at first glance.

Isaac regarded her with a frown.

“Bold of you to use my first name like that when we’ve only just met. I certainly don’t remember giving you permission to do so.”

“Uh, um... I-I’m sorry.”

“Hey, come on,” I interjected. “You’re scaring her.”

It was now my turn to be on the receiving end of Isaac’s glare. Then he let out a little “hmph” and averted his gaze.

“Sorry about that. He can be a little crabby,” I said.

“I, um...uh... I’m sorry. I only just moved in with the baron, so I don’t know anything about aristocratic manners yet,” Lilia muttered quickly, looking down at the ground.

“I see.”

She spoke like a fellow otome fangirl, but the impact of her words was radically different coming out of the irresistibly adorable main character. She shrank away physically as she apologized like her life depended on it. Her voice was so quiet, it threatened to disappear completely. For some strange reason, I couldn’t even imagine not accepting her apology.

“Don’t worry,” I added. “You’ll pick it up little by little as you go. If there’s anything you’re unsure of, you can always ask me.”

“Th-Thank you.”

She blushed furiously, the redness creeping all the way up to her ears. I was impressed that she still managed a proper “thank you.”

Good girl,I thought, but then immediately berated myself for going too easy on her. This is probably just the main character’s magnetism at work.

Or was it? Maybe it was just sympathy, plain and simple. Who wouldn’t feel sorry for a girl from their country who was suddenly reincarnated and thrust into the lion’s den of the aristocracy?

I clapped my hands together, signaling to myself that it was time for an attitude adjustment. I pushed my chair out and stood up.

“All righty, then! Why don’t I show you around the cafeteria and give you the lowdown on the best menu items?” I said, taking Lilia’s hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lilia looked surprised, but she didn’t rebuff me. Instead, she just toddled after me as I led her to the cafeteria.

“All of the love interests look completely different than they did in the game. What’s going on?” she muttered, in another not-so-private monologue. I pretended not to hear her.

But even if I had heard her, well...I couldn’t give her answers I didn’t have, right?

Think, Elizabeth

“Um, ah... Th-Thank you for today, um, Sir Burton.”

“Don’t mention it. How could I turn my back on a damsel in distress?”

It had been weeks since Lilia had transferred in. Short of anything that might’ve labeled me a stalker, I was doing everything I could to help her adjust. I stayed behind with her in the classroom after school, helping her as patiently as I could while she did her homework. She was a terrible dancer, but I paired up with her during dance class and let out a forgiving laugh whenever she stepped on my toes.

On this particular day, I’d managed to invite her over on the pretext of helping her practice her etiquette. Not only would this trigger an at-home date event, but it was also the perfect opportunity to show just how fabulous and noble I could be. Yes, I’d be the very image of a duke’s son.

Originally, I’d simply hoped to use etiquette lessons as an excuse to share a meal with her. Once the meal was over, though, I’d found myself in a bind. There was nothing left to do but give her an actual course in etiquette. I might have been a duke’s daughter, but I was a poor excuse for one. The best I could do was teach her the bare minimum.

The head maid had watched on in horror at first, under the impression that I was out to seduce more young ladies. But once she’d seen me teaching Lilia how to curtsy, she was moved to tears. Fortunately, that had been enough to get her to leave us alone in the living room.

Once we’d finished going over some of the basics, we took a break at the table for some tea. As I nibbled on a cookie, I raised a question I’d been curious about for some time now. “Did Lord Douglas never teach you any manners or etiquette?”

I’d heard that the Douglas family had always had close ties with the church, which set them apart a bit from most other noble families. Even so, they were still nobility. At the very least, I would have expected the baron to give his adopted daughter a cursory education in etiquette. It struck me as strange that he had neglected this.

“N-No. He, um, he told me...that I didn’t need to do anything.”

“What?” I blurted out.

Lilia shrank back in her chair a bit in response.

“H-He wasn’t the only one. E-Ever since I was little, everyone’s told me that. I g-guess...it’s because I’m so useless. Ehehe...” she clarified in a mumbling, almost apologetic voice. She looked down at the floor as she said this, scratching her head and laughing awkwardly.

Even a pretty girl like her—the kind that only graces this earth once every thousand years—wasn’t pretty enough to make up for how awkward and forced that laugh was. I was struck yet again by the large discrepancy between her appearance and her personality.

But maybe that’s part of her appeal...?

“B-But then I learned I was a saint...and that the baron was going to adopt me. I-I guess I felt like everything was going to change. I mean, being a saint sounds pretty special, you know? I guess I felt like...I was finally gonna be the main character. Heh heh... But n-now, it...really hurts to think back on how naive I was.” She spoke quickly and quietly, the corners of her mouth twisting into a grimace. She was clearly trying desperately to force a smile, but it just wasn’t happening. “I thought if I was a saint, then...p-people might expect more of me. B-But of course they didn’t. I mean, I can’t expect that when...when I haven’t changed at all.”

I could see how things had turned out that way, considering that this world placed a heavy emphasis on looks. The people in her life probably hadn’t meant to be cruel when they told her that she didn’t need to do anything or that it was okay if she couldn’t. Most likely, they sincerely believed that. It was just par for the course in this world. Just as love interests were given a free pass for everything, so was the main character. As long as she was a saint—well, a beautiful one, of course—that was enough.

Maybe the problem wasn’t her; it was this world.

Lilia’s head drooped further and further as she looked down at the floor. Eventually, all I could see of her was the red whorl in her hair and her fingers, which she was twiddling idly on top of the desk.

“E-Even though I’m supposedly a saint, I-I can’t even use my powers. I can’t even heal a l-little scratch. B-But they keep telling me that’s okay.” Her voice came out even softer now that she was fully facing the floor. “Th-They say...it’s okay if I can’t do anything.”

Tears began to fall from her eyes. I tore my gaze away from her and looked up at the ceiling, taking advantage of the fact that she wouldn’t notice.

I always felt so awkward whenever people cried in front of me. I know that probably sounds like a recipe for disaster when I was out here trying to make myself into a playboy knight who breaks women’s hearts left and right...but this was different. I didn’t want to see a girl cry over something like this.

When I stopped to think about it, it did seem a little strange that Lilia would spill her guts like this to some guy (well, girl) she’d only met two weeks ago. Otome game protagonists are notoriously naive—they’ll gladly accept an invitation to a near stranger’s house, after all—but Lilia was really taking that to the extreme.

Seriously, how have you managed to survive all this time? I wondered.

I was pretty sure I already had the answer to that, though: The world of Royal LOVERS is nothing if not forgiving.

I’m sure Lilia’s tears would’ve stirred feelings of protectiveness in some people, but unfortunately for her, I just felt uncomfortable. Besides, I had a feeling that my reputation would take a hit when the head maid returned to see her crying. I needed to put a stop to this immediately.

“I-I wonder why they always say that? Because I’m c-cute? It...it must just be because of my l-looks,” Lilia muttered, wiping away her tears in a rather undignified fashion.

Don’t do that... I thought, wincing inside. Now they’re going to be all puffy tomorrow. Not only that, but they’d be red when she left today. I could practically see the head maid glaring at me.

I briefly considered the possibility that this was all a part of some scheme, but my caution quickly subsided. Given Lilia’s ugly crying, it was clear that they weren’t crocodile tears.

I leaned across the table and dabbed at her cheek with my handkerchief. Wiping her tears with my finger felt like the correct choice to make here, but that would’ve been woefully ineffectual. She was crying way too hard for that.

“N-No one ever says that, of course. Th-They just say that I’m cute...or that I’m saintly,” Lilia said, taking my handkerchief and blowing her nose on it without any hesitation.

That’s...not what I gave that to you for,I thought, incredulous. Actually, who cares? I’m not the one who has to wash it.

“People only comment on my appearance. B-But I guess I’m not beautiful enough on the inside to...ask that anyone look past who I am on the outside. I mean, I’ve never thought about...how to improve my personality.”

Classic main character problems...

It figured that her problems would be hard for others to understand, though. After all, she’d been reincarnated as a beautiful girl—and not just any old beautiful girl, but a heroine who was destined to find true love. As someone who’d crafted both my appearance and personality all for the sake of pursuing her romantically, I’d probably go my whole life completely unable to understand her plight.

I won’t lie—part of me wanted to tell her to just get over it and enjoy the ride. I mean, no matter what she did, she was destined to have a happy ending. I knew my resentment wasn’t justified, though. I only felt that way because I didn’t understand what it was like to be her.

What’s the correct thing to say here as a love interest? I wondered. I knew that this moment was make or break. I could seal the deal right here and now if I could only say the right thing and steal her heart.

Think carefully... She’s played the game countless times. If she wanted to, she could even seduce Edward, who’s notorious for having the most difficult route. In fact, she could have any of the love interests she wanted—and easily, at that. I have to find a way to make her throw that all away and go down my route. Think, Elizabeth. You’re good at making it sound like you get people, right? What would Edward say? What about Robert, Isaac, or Christopher? And what about you, the playboy knight? What would you say?

“I had no idea being the main character was this hard...” Lilia mumbled.

I pretended not to hear her. Main characters aren’t the only ones entitled to selective hearing.

“I-I’m not even good at talking to boys...”

Well, that certainly wasn’t a good foundation for an otome game protagonist. I almost found myself replying, “Yeesh. Sorry to hear that.”

Although, when I gave it a little more thought, it occurred to me that most otome game protagonists don’t have much experience with men. So, in a way, maybe it was a good foundation?

“I don’t mind 2D boys...o-or fictional boys in general. I mean, I’m an Edward fangirl, so...”

The second half of that was clearly not something that was meant to reach my ears, so I decided to pretend it hadn’t. I remained dead silent, bringing my tea cup to my lips. It had become unpalatably lukewarm.

“B-But now that I’ve actually met everyone, they’re all just...normal boys. 3D boys. I-It’s still better than real life, but...”

Hearing her reflections reminded me of my own first meeting with Robert. I’d felt the same way. As for the strangely masculine young man he’d turned into, well...two percent of that might’ve been my fault, but he had only himself to blame for the other ninety-eight percent.

“B-Boys in real life call me ‘u-ugly’ and ‘gross’ like it’s no big deal. They think they can make fun of me just ’cause I seem quiet and reserved. S-Sometimes I wanna talk back and be like ‘What gives you the right? You think you’re special?’ But...I can never get the words out. S-Still...”

I could tell she was getting revved up on some angry tangent. I was familiar with the kind of guys she was talking about, though. I’d certainly had the displeasure of encountering them myself—not in the forgiving world of Royal LOVERS, of course, but in my past life.

“Wh-Whether you’re cute or not...it’s all the same. People only care about l-looks. B-But...I don’t have any substance. There’s nothing on the i-inside that I can be proud of.”

“Lilia,” I interrupted, grabbing her chin in my hand. Her amber eyes looked up at me.

When you listen to a woman’s woes, there’s an order you have to follow: You always give her validation, sympathy, agreement, and even more validation. Giving advice should be avoided in almost every situation. In most instances, it’s just a whole lot easier to smile and nod along. But in Lilia’s case, she’d never received anything but validation, so I knew I had no choice. Still, I knew I’d have to tread carefully if I didn’t want to offend her.

“Personally, I think you’re beautiful both inside and out. But if you want to improve, I think you have the potential to be even more captivating,” I said slowly, making sure to pick my words with care. “If you think there’s something you’re lacking, then find a way to bring it into your life. If you feel like you’re empty on the inside, then find something to fill the space with. That’s just my opinion, though.”

“Y-You only say that because you’ve always been handsome and gallant, Sir Burton.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that. You might be surprised by how much work I’ve put into that,” I replied.

I found myself breaking into a smile. Honestly, I was delighted to hear she thought I was handsome and gallant. It meant that all my hard work was paying off. Of course, as a playboy archetype, I couldn’t let anyone know just how hard I worked.

“Start by picturing the kind of girl you want to be. I’m sure you can think of some qualities you admire, right?” I said.

Lilia looked down at the floor, as if trying to avoid my gaze.

“It’s okay if you don’t embody those qualities yet, or if you feel like you’re lacking in some areas. That’s normal. You just have to fake it till you make it.”

As I stared at the whorl in her hair, I thought about how my advice mirrored my own journey. I’d been playing the part of a love interest this whole time, and it was only this year that I’d actually become one. All in all, the first half of my life—well, hopefully I wasn’t quite halfway through it already, but I digress—hadn’t been so bad.

Anyway, it’s better to put your goals into action than to just sit there and think about them. Even if you’re only putting on an act, and even if you only look the part, just getting up and moving always goes a long way. If you just keep pushing, then at some point you’ll realize you’re not even ruminating anymore.

“Somewhere along the way, you will start embodying those qualities you admire. One day, you’ll realize that you’ve been subconsciously making the decisions that the idealized version of yourself would make. You may feel like an empty container right now, but one day, you’ll find that it’s actually full—and that it didn’t get that way just from empty wishes. One day, you’ll be able to look at your actions and say, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what Lilia Douglas would do.’ And you’ll say that with pride. That’s what I think.” I took her hand, which had been lying on the table, in mine. Then I kissed the back of her hand, gave her a playful smile, and winked. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you get there, Princess.”

Lilia blushed. She lifted her head up and met my gaze. Her amber eyes were wide open, sparkling as they reflected all of the light in the room.

“Y-You’re the first person who’s ever said anything like that to me, S-Sir Burton.” She looked so bashful as she said this, like a rosebud that had just begun to open. I was captivated by how lovely she was.

She’d taken my advice better than I’d expected. Privately, I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d managed to pass this critical juncture. Even better, I had a feeling that her opinion of me had improved even more.

Guess my older brother was right: even girls love knights.

I was particularly pleased with myself for the kiss I’d laid on the back of her hand. That was always a hit with the ladies.

“I-It’s funny...” Lilia said. “Even though you’re a boy, I don’t feel uncomfortable around you.”

“Th-That is funny!” I found myself stammering in response.

It’s probably because I’m a girl! I added privately—but of course, I couldn’t say that part out loud. That’s weird, though. I could’ve sworn I told her my name. And I’m pretty sure most people recognize “Elizabeth” as a girl’s name...

But as I racked my brains, trying to remember when I’d introduced myself, I began to wonder if I’d ever actually had.

Now that I think about it, I feel like I got interrupted by Christopher and Robert...

Well, this was embarrassing. What kind of playboy forgets to introduce himself to a lady? As I was mulling over how I might tell her my name and break the news to her, I suddenly changed my mind. I had a feeling this wasn’t the time for that. It certainly wasn’t worth interrupting her heartfelt life story for.

For the record, there is almost nothing that’s worth interrupting a lady for. No matter the situation, it’s a bad move.

Well, that’s that on that, then. I’ll tell her when the time is right. Until then, I’ll just let her think I’m a guy. I’m sure someone will set the record straight for her before long anyway.

“I-I actually...don’t really know what kind of girl I want to be. Maybe a p-princess? I... I’ve always wanted to be a princess. A princess has a-a soulmate, I guess. She has a prince wh-who loves her. I’ve always wanted that, but I feel so uncomfortable around men.”

The word “prince” immediately conjured the image of a real prince like Edward or Robert, but I banished the thought immediately. I was sure that the “prince” she was talking about was some kind of Platonic ideal—the kind from storybooks that would ride in on a white horse to save his damsel in distress. After all, that was every girl’s favorite storybook archetype.

Oh, c’mon... You’ve been reincarnated into the world of an otome game, not a children’s picture book. Dream a little bigger.

“I don’t know...if I could ever actually be a princess. B-But...when you called me ‘Princess,’ I thought, maybe—even if I might not ever be worthy of that title—I can at least be normal. When I’m with you, Sir Burton, I feel like...I don’t want to be a weird girl anymore,” Lilia muttered, trailing off and growing quiet as she ended each sentence.

I gave her an inscrutable smile. I’d leave it up to her imagination whether or not I’d heard everything.