"Am I really supposed to carry them myself? Even a villain has *pride*!"
"I refuse! You're worse than an actual demon!" Jelly screeched, recoiling from the vials as though they might bite him.
He seemed to have conveniently forgotten who had run out of holy water at the estate in the first place. And who had just paid for these vials. Shouldn't he be earning his keep by carrying my groceries? Ten vials—was that really so many? They weren't even that heavy. Jelly always exaggerated.
"Jelly," I said, my voice dropping to a warning tone. "Carry them while I'm still feeling *kind*."
Only after that threat did Jelly finally comply. He trailed behind me as though bearing the weight of the entire world upon his shoulders, moving his paws with deliberate, theatrical slowness. I did my best to ignore him. After all, he was a werewolf; he'd find his way by scent if he fell too far behind.
---
As I exited the Temple, I spotted a familiar figure in paladin armor—and a nun walking stiffly beside him.
"Sir Rafaela?" I called out.
"Yuriel!" the paladin responded, his face lighting up with genuine joy.
Upon seeing Yuriel, Rafaela immediately forgot his feigned seriousness and bounded toward us like an excited puppy. But what about the nun? Why had he abandoned her? Judging by her expression, she wasn't pleased with her companion's behavior.
I understood her perfectly. I'd had a friend like that myself once—the type who constantly stopped to chat with every acquaintance they encountered, leaving you trailing awkwardly behind.
"And... Lady Lohanson?" Rafaela turned to me, curiosity brightening his features.
_How does he know me?_ In the world of romance novels, it seemed even the most sociable people maintained their networks of informants.
I nodded in confirmation. Rafaela beamed and executed a graceful bow. His movements possessed the practiced elegance of a true knight, but his face glowed like a puppy reuniting with its beloved master.
"Rafaela, knight of the Order of Palaros. We've met before—do you remember?"
_No, I don't remember at all! Did we meet? It must have been before I entered this body._
"I was there when the fire happened," he continued eagerly. "And I also accompanied the Commander when he visited the Lohanson estate! He didn't allow me inside to greet you properly."
"So we only know each other through correspondence," I replied with a polite smile. _If you'd known the real me before, you probably wouldn't be so friendly._
Even after just a brief conversation, I understood why Gabriel had assigned Rafaela to escort the nun. This restless, cheerful paladin literally *drained* my energy.
_The main character's enthusiastic assistant..._ He probably played the role of matchmaker, offering advice to the withdrawn, romantically inexperienced Gabriel. No doubt he occasionally blurted out something inappropriate, inadvertently sabotaging Gabriel and drawing readers' ire. A typical supporting character.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you!" Rafaela exclaimed.
_Now it all makes sense._ Rafaela was clearly attached to me because Gabriel had fallen in love with *me* instead of the heroine. So his loyal assistant was trying to ingratiate himself accordingly. What dedication.
"Nice to meet you," I replied coolly.
_But I'm sorry—I have no desire for a romantic entanglement with a book character! Forgive me, Rafaela, for depriving you of your reason for existence!_
I tried to answer as casually as possible, but Rafaela didn't seem to notice my reserve.
"You came at the Commander's request? Thank you very much! Have you seen our Temple yet? It's so majestic and beautiful! When I first laid eyes on it, I was simply *speechless*. What can I say—I'm still in awe of it!"
Rafaela continued chattering without pause. Was he truly unafraid of anything? Or had he served the Order so diligently that he hadn't heard of Evangeline's notorious reputation? Since I'd entered this body, Kanna was the only person who'd spoken to me without fear or servility.
Unable to bear it any longer, Yuriel interrupted:
"Sir Rafaela, shouldn't you be heading to the reception area? Where exactly are you going?"
"Ah, the Commander told me to escort the nun."
"Then don't make her wait any longer. Hurry up."
"Heh-heh... I was just so glad to meet you both..."
Having received his reprimand, Rafaela scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. After saying goodbye, we finally prepared to go our separate ways—but Rafaela suddenly stopped.
"By the way, the nun... I believe she worked at the Lohanson estate. Do you remember her?"
"Sir Rafaela, that's *impolite*!" Yuriel snapped.
_Worked at the Lohanson estate?_
"Your face does seem familiar..." I stepped closer, wanting to examine the nun more carefully—but she recoiled as though I were made of fire.
Her entire body was trembling. Her head hung low. It seemed she might collapse to her knees at any moment.
"Did you work at the Lohanson estate?" I asked, keeping my voice gentle.
"Yes," the nun answered, barely audible.
Her voice was quiet and trembling—as if she'd been forced to speak at gunpoint. The realization struck me like a blow: this former servant was simply *terrified*. She had worked at the estate. She knew what Evangeline was capable of.
She had probably fled, unable to bear the abuse any longer. It was hardly surprising. The servants at the Lohanson estate still trembled with fear at the mere sight of me.
"What is your name?"
"You... You don't know my name?"
"I have amnesia," I reminded her.
_This is exactly what the fake amnesia was for._ If I had simply pretended to be the old Evangeline, my deception would have been exposed sooner or later.
"...Daisy," the nun whispered.
_Daisy... I've never heard that name. She must have left before I arrived in this body._
"Did you leave because of me?" I asked quietly, keeping my voice low to avoid attracting attention. I spoke with my lips alone, almost soundlessly.
Daisy remained silent.
She couldn't say no—which meant it was true.
_This is what Evangeline drove people to._ The poor girl was still shaking like a leaf in a storm.
"You must have been very scared," I said softly.
Even though it wasn't *my* fault—not really—I felt sorry for her. But this regret was more an attempt to soothe my own conscience than genuine remorse.
Daisy had no idea that another soul now occupied Evangeline's body. Even if Evangeline had lost her memory, that didn't absolve her of responsibility for her past sins.
But I couldn't simply stand by and do nothing. To shed the stigma of villainy, I needed to take action—no matter how hollow it might seem.
_Silence your conscience!_ I ordered myself. _She's just a book character! Your survival is more important!_
"Are you still afraid of me?"
It certainly seemed so. Daisy didn't look up, her body curling inward as if trying to make herself smaller.
"Don't be afraid," I said. "I can reward you—if you promise not to tell anyone about me."
I was a villain, after all. A sincere apology now would only ruin my carefully cultivated image. Better to buy her silence with money. Money was all Evangeline had in abundance.
But Daisy's reaction was strange.
Already pale, she turned white as a sheet.
_No, don't faint! That'll only make my reputation worse!_
What was wrong with her? Wait... *Really*...?
"Have you told anyone already?"
Silence.
_...It seems so._
And here I'd thought this was a scene of the villain's repentance—her reconciliation with a former victim! Could this actually be a trap? Another plot device designed to denigrate Evangeline further?
"Who did you tell?"
My mind raced. Evangeline already had a terrible reputation, and now we stood in a Temple crawling with priests and paladins. She was already accused of involvement in Donau's death. If her other sins came to light, she wouldn't just be called a villain—she'd be declared a **_witch_**.
_This is, of course, retribution for Evangeline's actions—but why should **I** pay for them?!_
"...Sir Gabriel knows," Daisy whispered.
I exhaled slowly.
_I got away with it._
Luckily, it was Gabriel. He was in love with me; he wouldn't harm me. If the Donau-obsessed fanatics had discovered the truth, I would have been declared an enemy of the people on the spot.
_...Or would I?_
What if Gabriel became disillusioned after learning the truth? He was the male lead. There was nothing I could do to control his character arc.
_We'll deal with that later. Right now, I need to meet with Gabriel and assess the situation. I don't hide from problems—no, absolutely not._
---
While I was conjuring bleak visions of the future, Jelly finally appeared behind me.
_How long can one wolf drag himself along?_
Despite his earlier resistance, he now held all ten vials in one hand as though they were feathers—gracefully, too, balanced on his fingertips like a practiced waiter.
_See? They're not heavy at all!_
"Oh... *you*..." Jelly began, staring at Daisy with unmistakable surprise.
_What is this? How do they know each other?_
Daisy turned even paler than she had when she'd seen me. Whatever she'd done, she was clearly *more* afraid of Jelly than of me.
"I... I'll go," Daisy muttered, her gaze fixed on the ground as she tried to slip away.
Before I could think, I grabbed her wrist.
"Ow!" Daisy cried out.
"Sorry! I think I squeezed too hard." I loosened my grip, sliding my hand from her wrist to her palm instead.
Her hand was unexpectedly warm. She tried to pull away, but I held on.
"If you ever need anything from me," I said quietly, "come find me. I'll help."
Of course, this wouldn't atone for Evangeline's guilt. It was simply another attempt to numb my conscience—and perhaps avoid the fate scripted for villains.
I released Daisy's hand. She immediately hid it behind her back.
"Nun! Allow me to show you the way!" Rafaela called out cheerfully.
"No need! The carriage stand is right nearby," Daisy replied, her voice sharp.
"Well, yes, but—"
Daisy refused his assistance so persistently that Rafaela finally gave up. He watched her retreating figure with a puzzled expression.
"She's gone," he said.
"So it seems." Yuriel shrugged. "Did you manage to speak with her? I covered my ears so I wouldn't eavesdrop."
"Not really. She wasn't eager to talk to me. And I don't remember her myself."
"You don't remember?" Rafaela laughed. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be able to recognize all the servants in *my* household either."
He smiled good-naturedly—but something about it struck me as suspicious.