MPBGS 21

Chapter : 21

So… you expect me to listen to that? Even a villainous body possessed has some pride.

“No! You’re worse than a real devil!”

Who do you think used up all the holy water in the mansion? And since I paid for it, shouldn’t you at least act like a servant? Ten bottles of holy water isn’t even heavy—yet she’s throwing a tantrum as if it weighs a ton. She really is unusually dramatic.

“Jelly. Listen when I speak.”

Only after the warning did Jelly curl her tail and lift the holy water. She walked slowly and put on an act of struggling, clearly dissatisfied, so I focused all my energy on ignoring her as we exited the main hall. Being a werewolf, she’d probably track us by scent anyway.

As we walked, I saw a familiar man in a paladin’s uniform coming from the opposite direction. A nun was walking alongside him.

“Lady Raphaela?”

“Uriel!”

When Uriel greeted him, the solemn expression on the paladin’s face melted away, and the knight, Raphaela, ran over to me. But… what about the nun behind her? Look at her face! She looks completely flustered!

I totally understand. It reminds me of when I was hanging out with popular friends—every few steps, greeting someone, chatting, and then looking overwhelmed behind the scenes.

“And… Miss Rohanson?”

How does she know me? Even in a romance-fantasy world, it seems the popular ones have extraordinary intelligence networks.

When I nodded in acknowledgment, Raphaela brightened even more and bowed politely. Her behavior was textbook knightly, but her face had the excitement of a puppy meeting someone on a walk—amazing.

“I’m Raphaela of the Pararos Knights. We’ve met before; do you remember?”

No, not at all! Met before? Could that have been before the possession?

“I was there when the fire broke out previously. And also, when the commander visited the Rohanson mansion last time, I went along! I couldn’t greet you because the commander stopped me, though.”

Ah, so this is a one-sided familiarity. If I’d known the villainous Evangeline before possession, she would have been wary, not this friendly.

By the way, just a short conversation is enough to understand why Gabriel left Raphaela behind. Her energy is so high and lively it drains the spirit.

If she’s a cheerful subordinate sticking close to the male lead, that makes sense. Acting as his aide while giving advice for their romance—a little supporting character that sometimes messes things up by sharing odd information, earning hate in the comments. Definitely a character with personality.

“I’m truly delighted to finally greet you!”

Ah, now I understand why Raphaela seems ready to wag her tail at me. Gabriel is smitten with the heroine, not me. She’s trying to look good in front of me—very diligent in her duty.

“Yes.”

But unfortunately, I have no intention of dating a literal paper-human! Sorry, Raphaela, for rendering your purpose irrelevant!

I tried to cut off her affection with a short reply, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“The commander asked for our cooperation this time, correct? Thank you! Oh, have you seen our temple? Magnificent, isn’t it? I was utterly awed when I first saw it. Honestly, I’m still sometimes amazed.”

Raphaela chattered on without concern. Does she have no fear? Or has she been so dedicated to her knightly duties that she doesn’t know of Evangeline’s infamy? Since possession, except for Kanna, no one has treated me this openly.

Unable to watch Raphaela chatter any longer, Uriel intervened.

“Lady Raphaela, weren’t you supposed to be in the reception room? Where are you headed?”

“Oh. The commander asked me to escort the nun.”

“Then why not hurry instead of making the nun wait?”

“Ha… I got too excited, that’s all…”

Raphaela scratched her head awkwardly, scolded yet embarrassed. After saying goodbye, it seemed like we could finally go our separate ways, but Raphaela suddenly stopped.

“Oh, right. I remembered—didn’t the nun used to work at the Rohanson mansion?”

“Lady Raphaela, excuse me!”

Really? She worked at the Rohanson mansion? Familiar face, but I don’t remember her. I stepped closer to get a better look, and the retired nun backed away, trembling, bowing so low it seemed like she was about to prostrate herself.

“You worked at the Rohanson mansion?”

“…Yes.”

Her voice was barely audible. It seemed she was forced to speak as if threatened with death for silence. Why so submissive? Ah, she must be scared because she worked at the mansion.

Looks like she quit after being harassed by Evangeline. That makes sense—everyone at the Rohanson household still trembles at the sight of me.

“What’s your name?”

“You don’t know my name?”

“I… lost my memory.”

This is why I have to lean on memory loss. If I pretended to be the original body without claiming memory loss, little slips like this could reveal my identity.

“…Daisy.”

Hmm. A name I’ve never heard. She must have quit before I possessed the body.

“You quit because of me?”

I whispered quietly, moving my lips as little as possible—almost ventriloquist-level. Uriel and Raphaela nearby probably couldn’t hear.

Daisy couldn’t respond. She clearly couldn’t deny it. Look at her trembling like a leaf—Evangeline must have been that cruel to make her this fearful.

“You were really scared, huh.”

I didn’t do anything wrong, but seeing her shake made me feel like apologizing. But that apology is only for my own peace of mind.

Daisy probably doesn’t know I’m possessed in Evangeline’s body. She’d still think she’s talking to Evangeline herself. Memory loss doesn’t erase guilt.

Still, I can’t just do nothing. To escape the villain route, I have to apologize one way or another.

Though my conscience hurt, I ignored it. I reminded myself: she’s just words on a page! My life comes first!

“Are you still scared?”

Seems so… her head is down, avoiding my gaze.

“Don’t be afraid. If you want, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Eh…?”

“On the condition you don’t spread stories about me.”

Being a villain, if I apologized sincerely, it would break my character—so money is my compensation. Evangeline’s wealth is modestly enough to cover it. Might as well ask her not to spread rumors.

But Daisy reacted strangely. Her already frail figure now looked like she was about to collapse. No, don’t faint! That would just worsen Evangeline’s reputation! Wait… oh no. Could it be…

“You told?”

…Ah, I guess so. I thought this sudden meeting with a former maid she was bullied by would be a “reformation” event, but no? Was it meant to spread the villainous reputation?

“To whom?”

“Ugh…!”

“To whom did you tell?”

Evangeline already had a notorious reputation, but this is a temple full of priests and paladins. Add to that her past misdeeds being revealed—how would that be handled? If severe, she’d be labeled a witch.

Why do I have to carry that burden?

“…Sir Gabriel knows.”

Phew. At least that’s a relief. Gabriel is smitten with me, so he won’t do anything harmful. If the priests obsessed with Donau’s painting had heard, I’d be declared a traitor instantly.

Or would Gabriel suddenly lose affection after hearing about Evangeline’s deeds? I couldn’t do anything then; he’s the male lead.

Ah, whatever. I’ll deal with that when I get there. Seeing Gabriel now, I can judge then. This isn’t me escaping reality. Nope.

While imagining this grim future, Jelly appeared late from behind. How slow can she be? And she’s holding the holy water with one hand, like a waiter serving a tray! See? Not even heavy!

“Huh? You…”

Jelly glared at Daisy reluctantly. Huh? How do they know each other?

Daisy turned even paler than when looking at me. What did she do to be more scared now?

“I-I should be going.”

Daisy looked down, about to leave, so I reflexively grabbed her wrist.

“Ugh…!”

Sorry! Must’ve held too tightly. I adjusted from wrist to hand.

Her hand was unexpectedly warm. She fidgeted but didn’t push me away.

“If you have a wish, come to me. I’ll grant it.”

Of course, this wouldn’t erase the victim’s resentment. It’s just for my own satisfaction and a minor plot fix in the villain route.

When I let go, Daisy held her hand, hiding it behind her.

“Nun! I’ll escort you!”

“It’s fine! The carriage is right ahead.”

“True, but…”

Daisy refused, grimacing at Raphaela’s suggestion. The carriage wasn’t far, and Raphaela seemed to accept it, helplessly watching Daisy walk away.

“Gone, huh.”

“Indeed. By the way, did you two have a good chat? I kept my ears shut for privacy.”

“Well… she didn’t seem interested in talking to me. Honestly, I don’t even remember who she is.”

“Huh? Ah, true. If I had to identify my own household servants, I wouldn’t know either.”

Raphaela laughed good-naturedly, but why did she seem suspicious even while smiling?