I Reincarnated as My Favorite Villainess Saint (Magic Marza), So I’ll Use Game Knowledge to Smash Every Doom Flag! - Chapter 1

A bookmark slips between pages.

A cold, glassy sensation touches my fingertips.

The reflection shows an unfamiliar woman.

Lustrous silver hair cascades down her back in meticulously crafted curls.

One might poetically describe it as “molten moonlight,” but its glow feels artificial and cold. Her upturned amethyst eyes hold a piercing sharpness that could paralyze onlookers.

A tightly fitted crimson dress. Extravagant adornments. Every detail accentuates her unapproachable aura.

Who is this? No! I know her. All too well.

“Lady Lydia, your preparations are complete.”

At the voice from behind, the woman in the mirror Lydia flinches slightly. So do I. My heart pounds with an unpleasant thud.

My only solace as a corporate drone OL was the latest otome game, Holy Balance: Scales of the Sanctuary. And within it, my absolute favorite character the solitary, unloved “villainess saint,” Lydia von Kressment.

It seems I’ve become her.

(No, no, no, wait. Isn’t this way too sudden?)

In my mind, my overworked office-worker self screams in protest. I remember crying over Lydia’s tragic ending last night, then being blinded by truck headlights on my way to the convenience store. A classic reincarnation flag, I’ll give it that.

But of all possible timings, this is just cruel.

“Lady Lydia?”

The maid’s voice is puzzled. The reflection shows perfect composure. Meanwhile, I’m sweating bullets yet this poker face is impressive. Not that I have time to be impressed.

“…Yes. Thank you.”

The voice that slips from my throat isn’t mine, it’s a clear, dignified soprano. The same voice I’ve heard countless times in the game.

The maid bows respectfully and heads for the door.

“The graduation ball will begin shortly. His Highness Prince Alphonse is already waiting.”

Prince Alphonse. The name sends a chill through my entire body.

(Bad. Bad bad bad!)

Crown Prince Alphonse, Lydia’s fiancé and the game’s main romance target. And…

Tonight, at this very ball, he will publicly annul their engagement and exile her from the kingdom.

Yes. This is the story’s climax. The moment Lydia’s countdown to ruin hits zero.

(Starting at the climax? What kind of hard mode is this?!)

In Scales of the Sanctuary, individuals are forbidden from hoarding magical power. It’s believed that doing so would revive the calamity that once plunged the world into chaos.

The main heroine, the “Saint of Mercy,” heals and guides the people. Meanwhile, the other saint Lydia uncovers and punishes nobles who illegally accumulate magic. Nicknamed the “Magic Tax Collector,” she is ruthless in her duties.

But she was only doing her job. The nobles had desperate reasons for breaking the law, but in-game Lydia never listened. She judged them coldly, harshly. And tonight, she faces judgment in return.

The crown prince declares, “Your cruelty is unbefitting of a saint,” shields the nobles she exposed, and replaces her with the main heroine as his new fiancée. Abandoned by all, Lydia leaves the country alone.

That ending was too cruel.

I cried over it yet now, I must live through it myself.

(No way…!)

I clench my fist. The delicate lace of my glove presses into my palm.

(If I’ve become Lydia herself then I’ll change fate with my own hands!)

Fortunately, I know the game inside out.

The nobles Lydia condemned, I know why they broke the law.

The duke’s eldest son sought to save his terminally cursed sister.

The border count’s heir tried to protect his people from a mysterious plague.

The knight commander’s son wished to ease the pain of old war wounds.

None acted out of selfishness. In the game, the main heroine solves their problems and wins their favor. Meanwhile, Lydia remains the “villainess,” blind to their circumstances.

But I can do better.

Lydia possesses another power, one never utilized in the game.

The ability to manifest a person’s body or mind as an RPG-style dungeon, then defeat the “monsters” lurking within their illnesses or curses, to heal them at the root.

With this, I might secretly resolve their issues. I might avoid tonight’s condemnation.

“Lady Lydia? Is something wrong?”

I’ve been standing frozen at the door. The maid peers at me with concern.

I can’t afford to get lost in thought. Where I’m headed is practically an execution ground.

I take a deep breath. The sharp amethyst eyes from the mirror, they’re mine now.

The cold, solitary, unyielding “villainess saint.” For now, I must wear that mask.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

I dismiss the maid and push open the heavy door myself.

Beyond it, a flood of orchestral music and cheerful chatter rushes in. Dazzling light burns my eyes.

Alright.

Let the battle begin, the battle to overturn my fate, and Lydia’s.