The Villainess Who Accidentally Stole Their Hearts - Chapter 1
Chapter 1.1
Bang!
The sound of a fist slamming against the desk echoed like thunder.
‘It’s a miracle the desk didn’t crack under that fist.’
That was all I could think as I watched Akain, who was seething with anger.
It was nothing new for my second brother, Akain, to be mad at me. He’d probably throw the newspaper and start yelling again, just like always.
Thud!
“Look at the disgrace you’ve brought to the Grand Duchy of Delosif with your stupid actions!”
‘As expected.’
The newspaper that hit me and scattered to the floor. Inside, it was filled with scandalous headlines.
[ Lady of the Grand Duchy of Delosif Fails to Awaken! ]
[ Nikaearsha Delosif, the 〈 Strongest Awakener 〉? Was it all just a lie? ]
[ The ‘Fake’ Nikaearsha Delosif Who Fooled the Entire Continent — Where Is the Real Awakener? ]
It was all about me.
Akain gritted his teeth and glared at me murderously.
“I even put up with the nickname ‘crazy troublemaker’ and being called the ‘Witch of Delosif’.”
“….”
“I tolerated the dozens of petitions that came in every day because of all the evil things you’ve done.”
“….”
“But now you’re not even an Awakener? Are you saying even that was a lie too, Nikaearsha?”
A thunderous shout shook the entire room.
The servants turned pale and lowered their heads, while even the knights struggled to hide their uneasy expressions. My cousin Mikarin glanced nervously between me and Akain, her face full of worry.
“Brother, please stop. I’m scared that if this keeps going, you’ll both wear yourselves out…”
She was desperately trying to calm Akain.
“Sister, please, just apologize. Alright?”
“My lady, this isn’t something to be stubborn about…”
Not only Mikarin but even the butler tried to pacify me. They must have thought I would stay silent and tremble like I always did. Then, they’d probably expect me to throw a tantrum afterward, demanding, ‘Bring me every reporter who wrote this trash!’
But today, I was different.
I answered calmly.
“It’s not my fault, is it?”
“What?”
“It was the former High Priest who said I had incredible potential and would become the ‘strongest Awakener’.”
“…So?”
“I trained for years because I thought I’d become an Awakener as well. So, I’m the real victim here.”
“Ha…”
Akain’s face twisted in disbelief.
However, it wasn’t just him. The servants, the butler, and even Mikarin all stared at me, eyes wide.
‘Well, I guess that reaction makes sense.’
Even though I had the reputation of being a crazy troublemaker, I never once stood up to my family.
“I thought you were mute when it came to family. So your mouth does work after all, Nikaearsha.”
“My mouth has always worked just fine. The only reason I didn’t bother talking to Father and my brothers is…”
I neatly folded the scattered newspaper and set it on the desk.
“Because you wouldn’t believe me even if I did.”
“…What?”
Akain’s expression turned strange, but I turned my back, preparing to leave the room. That was right, they never believed me anyway, no matter what I said.
A crazy troublemaker, a notorious villainess, the Witch of Delosif.
I hadn’t done anything to earn those titles. I really hadn’t. Even when I cried and pleaded, they didn’t believe me.
‘So, of course, they would never believe me if I told them I’ve returned to the past.’
Yes, I had returned to the past.
And—
“Brother. What your sister said makes sense. Please calm down, okay…?”
Mikarin, who was now clinging to my brother’s arm and looking on the verge of tears.
‘—Thanks to you.’
My sweet cousin, who was still standing by my side even at this moment.
‘Because you killed me, I couldn’t even close my eyes in death.’
It wasn’t just Mikarin. My husband, who had an affair with her, and my childhood friends, who were like siblings to me, were all part of it.
Yes, I returned because I was murdered by the people I once loved.
‘I guess I should be grateful in a way.’
“Hah… I can’t stand looking at you. Get out.”
At the sight of Akain waving his hand dismissively as if exhausted, I quickly left the room. Now that I had returned to the past, there was so much I needed to do.
As I made my way back to my room, one of the maids I had seen earlier that morning approached me nervously.
“I-I’ve returned all the books you requested to the library. They were all stories about main characters who return to the past… right?”
“Yes.”
The maid looked at me for a moment. But when I met her gaze, she quickly dropped her head, looking flustered.
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Ah, um… I was just curious why you were reading novels that are popular among commoners… Oh, no! I-I didn’t mean to say that!”
“I was wondering why they regressed.”
“Yes?”
Returning to the past made me wonder why was I the one who got sent back? So, I started reading stories where the main character traveled back in time, and I came to a conclusion.
“There’s always a reason for a regression.”
“Oh, that’s right. Like saving the world, defeating the demon king, revenge, or…”
“Or punishing cheaters.”
“…Pardon?”
It seemed that was the reason why I was sent back.
My husband, who cheated on me with my cousin.
My cousin, who had an affair with my husband.
And my cousin, who, while cheating with my husband, also had affairs with my childhood friends.
Yes, the purpose of my return was obvious.
‘It’s God’s will for me to deal with every cheating sc*mb*g in this hell of infidelity!’
I smiled brightly, imagining roasting those pests in the pits of hell.
It was my first genuine smile in years.
̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊
There were three types of people in this world.
1. Ordinary, normal people.
2. Those with special powers, known as 〈 Empowered Ones 〉
3. A rare few, known as 〈 Awakeners 〉, who could awaken the power of the Empowered Ones.
I was born into a bloodline that guaranteed I’d become an Awakener. Even the former High Priest acknowledged me, saying I possessed ‘immeasurable potential.’
‘Because of that, I lived quite a glamorous life.’
A wealthy family.
Childhood friends who were like family.
And a kind, loving fiancé.
‘Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.’
They say fame and gossip go hand in hand, and in my case, that was certainly true. I was surrounded by all kinds of rumors—like how I supposedly crippled a child just for walking past me, or how I gave a young lady an irreversible scar on her cheek just for glancing at my fiancé.
‘I admit my personality isn’t the best, but it wasn’t to that extent.’
It was true that a child was startled when they saw me, fell down the stairs, and broke their leg. But I didn’t break it ‘just because they dared to walk past me.’
Despite the fact that these twisted rumors caused a rift between me and my family, I still had people I cared about to lean on.
“Don’t let rumors get to you, Nike. We know who you really are.”
—said my fiancé and childhood friends.
Even though I didn’t awaken as an Awakener, it didn’t matter because I married the person I loved, just as planned.
I thought everything would be okay.
At least until the night of our wedding, just before I stepped into the bridal chamber.
“I’m truly an awful woman.”
There was someone who had entered the room before me. Her voice trembled as she spoke, tears rolling down her face.
“I resented God. I was so envious of my sister, smiling by your side in that dress…”
I froze on the spot.
That voice was all too familiar.
It was a voice I’d heard all my life.
The one my father and brothers cherished more than me…
“Mikarin.”
—It was the voice of my cousin, Mikarin.
The man who had been my fiancé, now my husband, gently caressed her cheek.
“I only married her for the sake of our future together.”
He smiled sweetly at Mikarin.
…The smile I had once loved with all my heart.
⸝⸝ Nabi’s Note: ˚ ༘☆
Noted that the chapters for this novel are going to be split in half, which will also lessen the pressure on the translating staff involved. However, they’ll be numbered normally to make things simple. Since splitting into parts like this lessens the pressure on the translator, I’ll update more often to compensate for the length!
Thank you as always for your constant support and understanding! ♡
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