A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

"Hello, Mr. William. It's a pleasure to meet you," Avendial said, extending his hand.

He shook hands with the head of the William family, completely disregarding Aria's presence.

'Haah… Haah… N-no,' Aria thought, her mind swirling in chaos.

Overwhelmed by her senses, she struggled to lift herself, feeling her legs grow increasingly numb.

Only moments ago, she had been cornered by despair, acutely aware that her father's life hung in the balance.

Fighting back tears, she barely managed to hold onto her composure when the man she had longed to see finally arrived—yet he wasn't alone.

It felt as if the very fabric of history was attempting to repeat itself.

Exhausted, she gazed at a man radiating such tremendous strength that his mere presence seemed to reverberate throughout the building.

Yet, in that moment, the destruction unfolding around her felt trivial compared to the shattering of her own world.

When he had finally come during her time of distress, her eyes had lit up with hope, but that flicker faded the instant it landed on the woman beside him.

A tidal wave of emotions surged through her, overwhelming her senses.

Unexplainable fear tightened its grip around her mind, reaching its peak when she recognized the title that loomed ominously above the woman's head.

This time, however, the woman was looking back at her.

The fear she felt was incomprehensible, yet it numbed her entire body.

Even in this moment of panic, a deep-seated sense of despair washed over her, as though history were repeating itself yet again, with those clad in the mantle of heroines re-entering her life, seemingly intent on taking away what was rightfully hers.

Aria found herself questioning whether she was being greedy or selfish for wanting to hold onto someone who had simply offered her support in her time of crisis.

The only memory etched in her mind was the staggering bid he had placed; at that moment, she didn't care about his wealth—his presence alone was more than enough when she desperately needed someone to lean on.

But seeing him alongside that woman sent her senses spiraling into numbness.

She could no longer hear or process anything except the looming dread that this woman would inevitably take him away from her.

Just as Amrita had arrived, bearing the same title of heroine and initially capturing Leo's attention, Aria had been naïve to think she could change her fate.

She had been utterly mistaken.

Now, yet another woman weighed down by that same title had invaded her life, seemingly intent on snatching her only source of hope.

Overwhelmed by the tumult of events, she clenched her forehead and shut her eyes tightly, forcing herself to stand despite the numbness in her feet.

As the air thickened around her, she declared, "Y-you can't take him away! He is mine!"

Boom!

In the background, the sound of clashing kept resonating, but it seemed to serve as a backdrop, having no influence on the individuals who were engaged in conversation.

"Eh?" Aecilia, who had been observing Aria with curiosity—her terrified expression a stark contrast to the calm, composed demeanor described in the information she had received about her—was caught off guard by Aria's outburst.

"A-Aria?" The head of the William family suddenly became aware of his daughter's shout, confusion etching his features.

Turning his gaze toward her, he noticed her placing her hands on her knees for support, her brows furrowing as she looked at the member of the Sertsul family standing before them, a clear expression of anger on her face.

This bewildering scenario left him utterly perplexed.

"....." Avendial kept looking towards Aria for a moment before turning his gaze back towards the head of the William family, as if trying to push her more to her limits, as if wanting her to do something.

He wanted her to understand that she really loved him—not a deep, true love, but more like in this fleeting moment where her mind pieced together all her feelings for Lin and projected them onto Avendial, her savior.

It is a natural human instinct: when someone expects support from a loved one but instead receives it from someone else, they momentarily equate that savior with their loved one.

Avendial needed this moment—a moment to help Aria realize her true potential, a potential he sought for his own purposes.

And to get a moment of alone time with Aria, where he would try to awaken her hidden potential.

He needed her to, for a moment, forget everything in this world and just think of him, even if it meant this was all due to the effect of Aecilia's heroine title or her mental state not being composed.

'!?'

'N-no? Why are you ignoring me?' Aria's emotions churned within her, intertwining with memories of Lin, whose behavior had consistently sidelined her whenever Amrita was involved.

This forced Aria to confront a familiar pain, one she'd endured before.

The man she once viewed as her guiding light was now shutting her out.

But this time, unlike before when the reasons eluded her, she understood.

"It's… all because of you… haah."

Despite her trembling limbs, Aria steadied herself, her feet grounding her as she fought to regain composure.

Her gaze blurred, lifting toward the woman who resembled Amrita so closely.

It felt as though both women had entered her life to take away what was rightfully hers.

All the suppressed emotions she'd long harbored for Amrita now concentrated on this new arrival.

"Huh? Excuse me?" Aecilia narrowed her eyes, observing the young woman in front of her, visibly unwell.

Aria seemed overwhelmed, as if consumed by a mental seizure, haunted by emotions she could neither process nor understand.

'.....' Aecilia glanced at the man beside her, who remained oblivious to the turmoil unfolding.

She couldn't fathom why Aria was gripped by such fear whenever she looked at her.

One thing was clear: Avendial was well aware of the cause, given that he was deliberately ignoring Aria's distressed state.

Just a day ago, he had kissed Aria in the park, and now, here he stood, acting as if she were a complete stranger.

This intentional ignorance only deepened Aecilia's frown as she watched Aria stumble toward her, struggling to maintain her balance.

"What are you doing, Aria?" Aria's father appeared bewildered, attempting to assist her, but she brushed his hand aside.

Confusion swirled around him as he witnessed his daughter caught in an emotional storm, glaring fiercely at the woman from the Sertsul family.

"What happened to her—?"

Aecilia turned toward Avendial, seeking an explanation for Aria's alarming behavior, overwhelmed by such intensity of fear and emotion.

swish

But her inquiry was cut short when she noticed a shadowy hand approaching her.

Before she could react, Aria's hand shot out, aiming a slap directly at Aecilia.

"Leave him alone!"

The shout erupted with the force of her pent-up emotions, fueled by fear and turmoil.

Her mind raced, forming thoughts and words before she could process them calmly—a complete deviation from her usual self, all born from the dread associated with the Sovereign heroine title.

But Aecilia, due to her reflexes, grabbed her hand in mid-strike.

"Huh? Did you just…?"

Aecilia's grip tightened around Aria's wrist, confusion washing over her at this unexpected act of aggression from a girl she didn't even know.

This sudden assault only served to infuriate Aecilia.

'She certainly need an eye-opener,' Aecilia mused as she observed Aria.

The girl gasped as if under the influence of a fear-inducing drug—even though Aecilia knew that was impossible.

The terror was palpable only when Aria looked at her.

Taking responsibility into her own hands, Aecilia raised her own free hand and gave Aria a sharp slap across the face.

Smack!

One strike from Aecilia, and Aria's body lost its balance and fell directly to the floor.

Thud

Unconscious.

"Aria?!"

The head of the William family was taken aback by this shocking turn of events.

"S-sister?!"

Billie stared wide-eyed at her sister's unexpected action, equally shocked by the unfolding drama.