The Villainess Is Too Difficult

Several days have passed since I decided to become a villainess. During that time, I thoroughly studied about villainesses and tried to act accordingly… or at least, that’s what I should have done.

The main reason was that I had to get used to this body first. I wasn’t originally Ariel Walpurgis, so every aspect of daily life was unfamiliar to me.

For example, my eye level had changed, my stride had shortened, and my voice was different. These small elements all came together to make every day feel completely new. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not.

But humans are adaptable creatures, and after a few days, I gradually started to get used to it. It’s not like I’m remotely controlling this body; I’m clearly moving my own body. When I want to raise my arm, my arm goes up, when I want to walk, my legs move, and when I want to speak, my mouth moves.

I adapted to moving my body in less than a day, and what remained was the discrepancy with the sensations I originally remembered. But even that was just a matter of feeling a bit odd, not a case of “Ah, I shouldn’t do this!” followed by a crash. It’s just a slight feeling of awkwardness. It doesn’t hinder my daily life at all.

Yes, I’ll say it again: humans are adaptable creatures. Even if something terrible happens, we can quickly get used to it and even become stronger. So, this kind of thing, I can get over it soon. It’s nothing, right? Right?

“Hoo, hoooo…”

Calm down, calm down. Right now, I’m Ariel Walpurgis. I’m about to enter the academy and countless trials await me in the future. I can’t be this weak now. I decided to become a villainess, didn’t I? I shouldn’t be shaken by something like this. So, so…

“Young Lady, it’s ready.”

“Th-thank you.”

I’m trying hard to maintain a poker face, but I can feel my face trembling involuntarily. No, I can’t help it because what’s in front of me now is a bathtub. And considering this setting, it’s a proper bathtub to an unrealistic, incomprehensible degree.

It looks neat and is quite large. It has hot water and the used water is promptly disposed of – it’s essentially no worse than a modern bathtub. No, in the sense that it completely eliminates the used water, it might even be better than modern bathtubs.

Wow, magic is amazing. The author who created this world line must have tried to include such things somehow. Come to think of it, in the original work, things similar to modern conveniences often popped up under the name of magical tools. This must be one of them.

Of course, it was still in the realm of magical tools, so ordinary people without money couldn’t even dream of it, and it was a luxury that only nobles with considerable wealth could afford… but where am I now? The Walpurgis Ducal House.

First of all, the Walpurgis family is a ducal house. And not just a nominal one, but one with such enormous power that they’re essentially second only to the emperor. Naturally, that power includes money.

Secondly, the Walpurgis family is a famous family of magicians. My father is praised as the empire’s greatest magician, and my brother, though he took the hybrid route of a magic swordsman, is no slouch in magic either. And I was praised as having the talent to possibly succeed my father as a great magician before I collapsed.

This magical family, the Walpurgis. Of course, they had an abundance of magical power, and as a result, they produced a considerable number of magical tools. Everything in this house bears the Walpurgis family name – they’re all, so to speak, brand-name products.

“I’m going to pour the water.”

“Y-yes…”

The sound of water splashing broke my reverie. I was trying hard to think about other things! You tricked me! How could you betray me!

“Young Lady, you should probably open your eyes soon…”

“It’s all done now.”

“I-is that so? Ah, alright.”

This is driving me crazy. How long do I have to live like this? Until I get used to it? No. Anything but that!

For nobles, commanding subordinates is a very familiar task. It’s not just about ordering them around. In the case of manservants and maids, there’s also the purpose of practicing for the future, and leaving menial tasks to servants means that what nobles do are tasks that only those of high status can do.

Don’t hesitate to command your subordinates. This was one of the phrases I heard so often since I opened my eyes that it’s practically engraved in my ears. This applies to household chores, changing clothes, and even bathing like now.

At first, I stubbornly refused. Good heavens, to be bathed by someone at my age! Is this even reasonable? But no matter how much I tried to resist, it was useless. At first, the maids just reacted as if they were troubled, but suddenly Matilda appeared and pushed me into the bathroom with terrifying pressure.

It’s not that I was scared, no. Of course not… But being bathed while fully conscious was absolutely impossible, so keeping my eyes tightly shut and thinking about other things like now was the small act of rebellion allowed to me. It’s rebellion in its own way, after all.

Coming out and returning to my room, I was promptly seated in front of the dressing table by the maids’ hands. I’m not sure which era this dressing table is from, but does it really fit this setting? No, I mean, this isn’t me escaping reality, it’s purely out of curiosity. Human curiosity is a natural instinct that has continued since ancient times…

“It’s done, Young Lady.”

At the maid’s words, I finally opened my eyes and met the gaze of a girl staring blankly at me in the mirror. Well, even if I say it like this, the fact that that’s me doesn’t change.

My hair, so long that it seems it might be heavy, has been neatly groomed by careful brushing, and my skin, though I’m not sure what they did, maintains a flawless appearance without a single blemish.

Yet, if you ask if it looks like I’m wearing makeup, that’s not the case either. There’s no lipstick or eyeshadow, and from the outside, you might even doubt if this is really a bare face. It’s a meticulous grooming that even a layman like me can easily recognize.

“Why is it necessary to go to such lengths?”

I finally couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked, but the looks I received in return, as if they were seeing a rare animal, made me unconsciously curl my tail and shut my mouth. Is this an uncompromising line for women? Honestly, I’m not sure.

Despite being all dressed up, I don’t particularly go anywhere. When I cautiously asked, I was told that if I were to go out, they would put in much more effort, which scared me so much that I didn’t even dare to think about it. There’s no particular schedule anyway.

So what do I do after bathing normally? Nothing special. Just doing what needs to be done. For example, eating.

“Are you going to the dining room today as well?”

As I walked down the corridor at a pace neither fast nor slow, Muriel, who was following behind, carefully asked.

“Yes.”

“But Young Lady, in the dining room…”

Muriel trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. I fully understand what she was trying to say. It’s probably along the lines of, “Why bother going when there won’t be anyone there anyway?”

I know. I know very well that nothing will change even if I go to the dining room like this. I know very well that no one will come there.

Since becoming Ariel, I’ve eaten in the dining room every single day without fail. The only exception is when I’m concentrating on studying. At those times, I would ask a maid to bring me something simple like a sandwich.

But when it comes time for a proper meal like this, I always come to the dining room and eat alone. As if I don’t care whether anyone comes or not, as if it’s perfectly normal.

Father always eats in his study, and my brother doesn’t even come home. The unnecessarily large dining room has become a place that I practically have all to myself.

Usually, eating in such an environment might drive one crazy. The unnecessarily large space. The silence where only the clattering of utensils can be heard. If you keep staying in such a place, how should I put it, you might get a dizzying feeling of being alone in the world.

But I don’t mind. After all, only social butterflies can’t eat without someone beside them. For a professional loner like me, eating alone has long since become not just familiar, but a part of daily life.

If I were told to eat only in my room, I could do that too. But there’s a big difference between eating in the room and eating in the dining room. Unless it’s convenient portable food, proper meals must be eaten in the dining room! It’s a small, insignificant stubbornness.

No, this isn’t just stubbornness, there’s a proper reason for it. The food here is incredibly delicious.

I’m not exaggerating. As expected of a ducal family, the chef’s skills are amazing. Eating such wonderful dishes in my room? That’s an insult to the food, an insult. And my room is quite far from the dining room, so the food might get cold on the way.

Most dishes taste best when they’re warm. With the anticipation of what today’s meal will be, I don’t spare the effort to go to the dining room and show my face every day.

And in these few days since I’ve been coming here to eat, no one has set foot in this place. Not father, not brother.

I don’t particularly have anything to say about it. I’m used to eating alone, and there’s nothing incomprehensible about it. Father must have his reasons. Brother might not feel the need to come home since he usually lives in the dormitory.

Perhaps I’ll keep eating alone forever… but I thought that might not be so bad. I’ve been eating alone for how many years now, why should I care about this now? It’s more beneficial to read one more book in that time.

“Muriel.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“Is Father in his study today as well?”

“Y-yes…”

A flash of sympathy passed through Muriel’s eyes as she spoke apologetically. But I really didn’t mind. It’s not like I’m doing this as some kind of protest. I asked about Father’s location simply because I was curious. I’m just wondering how long he’ll keep this up.

“I see.”

I nodded to indicate that I was fine and started cutting the steak that was served for the meal.