The Villain Wants to Live a Quiet Life

Have you ever read a romance fantasy?

When I was deeply into web novels, there was a time when female-oriented romance fantasy dominated the market.

At that time, I preferred romance fantasies where I could empathize with the emotions between the protagonist and the heroine, rather than popular genres like hunter stories or academy stories that men typically favored.

I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I didn’t particularly like stories where the protagonist showed off by destroying everything.

Perhaps I preferred emotion-focused stories over plot-driven ones.

And in these romance fantasies, characters called ‘villains’ or ‘antagonists’ usually appear.

A common cliché would be the male character with a broken personality who is the heroine’s fiancé. This was also the type of character I hated the most.

In the last romance fantasy I enjoyed reading, “Swear by the Moonflower,” a similar villain appears.

However, he’s not the heroine’s fiancé, but rather someone who secretly helps the main villain, pretending to be kind on the surface while having a dirty personality that pries into others’ affairs.

His name is ‘Ludwig Aiphretz’. He’s the villainous character who eventually has his misdeeds exposed and meets a horrible death at the hands of the heroine who becomes a sword master, along with the main villain.

Yeah. That was fine up to that point.

The fact that the character I dislike meets his death at the hands of none other than the heroine. How satisfying could that be?

But that’s only assuming it can be dismissed as something in a novel.

‘What a miserable life…’

Looking up at the ceiling while lying on the bed, there are beautifully crafted glass pieces hanging. It must be what people commonly call a chandelier.

The appearance of each intricately crafted glass lamp is truly mesmerizing.

But for me now, it was merely a medium that made me realize my current situation of not being able to return to reality once again today.

My height, which used to be just under 190cm, had changed to a state where it might be just over 170cm at best.

Moreover, my hair, which had never been dyed, was not pitch black but had a subtle navy blue night color.

This is the biggest characteristic and trademark of Ludwig, the villain I mentioned earlier.

That’s right. I ended up trapped in the romance fantasy novel “Swear by the Moonflower” that I used to enjoy reading so much, 12 years ago.

And in the body of a supporting villain whose death was certain, no less.

“Sigh…”

The deeply exhaled sigh might dig into the ground and reach the inner core at this rate.

Having been possessed in this body when it was just four years old, my age is now sixteen.

I had been living quietly for 12 years without being able to return to reality.

In the original story, Ludwig meets the main villain Georg for the first time when he turns seventeen, becomes close to him, and is influenced to grow into a supporting villain.

‘Three weeks… Not much time left.’

Three weeks from today, I will turn seventeen and make my debut in high society, meeting Georg for the first time.

In other words, there are only three weeks left until the day my dead end is determined.

According to the original setting, Georg would entice Ludwig, saying his eyes resemble his own and are full of ambition, making him his subordinate and friend.

‘What should I do? A fake illness won’t be enough.’

Carl Aiphretz, the head of the Aiphretz family and the father to this body, while usually gentle, has an extremely strict standard when it comes to such events.

Even if it’s the son he cherishes like a precious jewel, it would be difficult to dismiss his first entry into high society with merely a feigned illness.

Still, for the past 12 years, I’ve lived trying to stay as unnoticed as possible.

Trying my best to practice what I heard most often during my military service: “Just stay in the middle.”

Neither incompetent nor particularly outstanding. That was the general evaluation of me.

‘I hope it just passes peacefully…’

It’s too late now to research ways to return to reality.

So I chose to progress this story as quietly and ordinarily as possible, and extend my life.

To do that, I needed to fulfill two conditions.

First, avoid meeting Georg.

Even if I don’t walk the path of a villain, he’s different.

If he grows into the main villain and my name is even slightly involved, I don’t know what miserable fate I might meet. Therefore, I had to avoid meeting him as much as possible.

Second, avoid meeting Emilia, the main heroine.

In the original story, she later grows into a sword saint. Using her power, she exposes Ludwig’s misdeeds and directly delivers his death.

She later awakens an ability called the Mind’s Eye, which allows her to see through others’ true intentions to some extent.

It’s not to the extent of perfectly reading minds, but enough to know whether a person’s nature is good or not, or whether they’re lying.

I’ve never thought my nature was dirty, but I’ve never considered it clean either.

So it was important to avoid that route as much as possible and stay out of her sight.

– Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

【Young master. A guest has arrived.】

I half-lay back down after suddenly sitting up at the familiar elderly voice.

Old Hans. He’s an elderly butler who takes care of Ludwig in the original story and a character with a kind personality.

I believe that according to the setting, he advised Ludwig just before he started committing evil acts following Georg.

In the end, the stupid Ludwig didn’t even listen to that advice properly and met his dead end, but…

Anyway, putting that aside, who could the guest be?

“Was there someone scheduled to visit me?”

Befitting my role as a son of a noble family, I receive the day’s schedule from the butler or servants every morning.

But I hadn’t heard of anyone I was supposed to meet today.

I haven’t even entered high society yet, and not many people in noble families know my name.

I’ve lived quietly to avoid rumors, whether good or bad.

【Lady Emilia of the Bayemühren family has arrived.】

“…What?”

Emilia Bayemühren? Is it really the woman I had just marked as someone I must avoid at all costs?

My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden situation and I fell into a state of panic.

‘Why is the final boss suddenly visiting me?’

There should still be 3-4 years left until the main story of the original work begins.

Although I felt anxious, I couldn’t turn away the eldest daughter of the Bayemühren family even if it was a sudden visit.

I told the butler to convey the message saying I would come out soon, but I felt my throat trembling in the process.

I hope it’s nothing serious. I hope God hasn’t already abandoned me who has been living quietly until now.

translator’s corner

allo <3 – sushi