The Villainess’s Guide to Winning the Male Lead

“……?”

I accidentally let the tea I was sipping dribble down.

Unperturbed by my reaction, Kabir continued with a smile.

“I think it’s a mutually beneficial proposal.”

Beneficial? It was the worst possible scenario.

I was aware of Kabir’s interest shifting towards me recently, more than towards Selena.

But I never imagined he would consider me as a potential fiancée. It was almost beyond belief.

“…What about Selena?”

“Selena doesn’t matter.”

Kabir met my gaze. There was not even a hint of jest in his eyes.

“You’re the only one I’m interested in now.”

I felt my skin crawl. I was not immune to such words.

What on earth did I do to pique his interest? It was clear that things were seriously tangled.

‘Yes, I do have a conscience.’

Even if I was trash, I never stole someone else’s man. I was sane enough to reject such a ridiculous proposal.

“I’m sorry, but I…”

Before I could finish, a refreshing sound of coins rang in my ear.

[asdf has donated 100 points!]

– If you accept, you get ten thousand points.

“Shall we go pick out a ring first?”

“……?”

Kabir’s expression filled with doubt at my immediate acceptance.

Whether the male lead liked me or not, it didn’t matter now.

What was most important to me at the moment was only the amusement of those people.

* * *

We decided to get the engagement ring later and just accepted the proposal for now, leaving the place.

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Are you really getting engaged???]

[Gold2: That’s bold lol]

As expected, the chat was ablaze with reactions. It made sense for people who liked sensational situations.

“……”

Meanwhile, the manager flicked my hand.

I looked at him quizzically, but he just avoided my gaze, pretending not to know.

I caught the hint and wrapped up the broadcast.

“I’ll be back on air this evening.”

It was early to end the broadcast, which might have upset the viewers, but there weren’t many watching in the first place, and no one complained after such a dramatic event.

As soon as the broadcast was off, the manager approached me.

“What were you thinking accepting that?”

Once there were no more eyes on us, he reverted to his usual tone.

I responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I got points for it.”

“You really do anything for points, don’t you?”

I nodded promptly. The manager let out an incredulous laugh.

“Future clean-up. You’re not really planning to get married, are you?”

“Who knows, it might just work out somehow.”

“You’re not allowed to say that anymore.”

Hmph. I let my shoulders slump in disappointment. I knew I’d get scolded, but this was worse than I expected.

It was an impulsive decision. There was nothing good for me in getting engaged to Kabir.

According to what I learned during the fan meeting, the biggest appeal of my content was managing relationships with multiple male characters.

Many viewers enjoyed seeing me intertwined with various characters. But getting engaged would make that nearly impossible.

“I’ll handle it. I don’t really plan to get married.”

“I wish I could believe that…”

The manager was full of distrust.

* * *

The next day, Kabir and I went to fit the engagement ring.

After arriving in the capital with a teleportation scroll, we decided to take a carriage to the store.

It was just Kabir and me inside the carriage. Silence lingered.

It felt awkward. We weren’t even close, and here we were, getting engaged.

Since it was just the two of us, I asked Kabir something I was curious about.

“Why did you propose to me?”

Kabir answered nonchalantly to my question.

“I told you. Because I became interested.”

“It doesn’t sound like you mean you like me.”

“Of course, it’s different.”

Apparently, it wasn’t unrequited love. It would have been more interesting if it was.

“It was just for fun. It’s better to have someone noisy than someone boring.”

So Selena is the boring one, and I’m the noisy one?

I thought Kabir would prefer the former, but this was unexpected. I thought I had him figured out from the novel, but meeting him in person, he was much more complex than the character in the book.

‘Isn’t Selena noisier?’

Selena was lively and chatty due to her vibrant personality. I was the one who was quiet and reserved. It was hard to understand Kabir’s standards.

While I was pondering, the carriage came to a stop.

I got out of the carriage, escorted by Kabir.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of the capital. The city was filled with elaborately dressed people, and there were some commoners too. Stalls were selling various items, and the street was lined with high-end shops. It seemed like everything was shimmering.

It was my first time visiting the capital. I had only read about it in novels, but seeing it in person was a different experience altogether.

“Don’t plan on staying overnight, so let’s hurry.”

“Do we really need to rush that much?”

Fitting a ring wouldn’t take long anyway. It was just past noon, so we had plenty of time until evening.

“There’s a lot to do since we’re in the capital.”

“Like what?”

“Rings, your dress, and if you need any accessories, we’ll get those too.”

“All for me?”

“Our estate is so remote it’s hard to even call a tailor, so you always wear the same things.”

That was on purpose. As someone who prefers to wear only what I like repeatedly, that comment didn’t sit well with me.

“And we should meet the crown prince as well.”

“…?”

Why the crown prince all of a sudden?

I had seen him in the novel, but only as a passing extra, so I didn’t know much.

Seeing my puzzled look, Kabir explained.

“We met briefly when we were children, and he keeps sending messages pretending we’re close. Whenever I’m in the capital, I’m expected to show my face.”

“But why am I involved?”

“You’re my fiancée.”

“We’re not even officially engaged yet.”

“It’s a pre-emptive greeting.”

Kabir seemed to have a homebody mindset. If he was going out, he preferred to get everything done at once.

Given Kabir’s tendency to stay in his manor and estate, it made sense.

I recalled Kabir’s character from the original work. He acted just the same there, though his counterpart then was Selena, not me.

When his real self overlapped with the character I knew, it felt surreal that Kabir was a character from a novel.

But could we just visit the crown prince like this? Worried, I asked Kabir.

“Is it okay to visit him so suddenly?”

“I’ve already contacted him, so it’s fine.”

Kabir was meticulous in these matters.

Well, I had no choice but to follow. Introducing new characters always piqued the viewers’ interest, so it wasn’t a bad thing.

* * *

We smoothly fitted the rings and the clothes. It went so smoothly that there wasn’t much material for broadcasting.

The chat heated up a bit when I changed outfits, but other than that, there was nothing special.

“Are we going to meet His Highness the crown prince now?”

“……”

Kabir stayed quiet at my question. He was deliberately ignoring me.

Fine, I didn’t particularly want to talk to you either. I kept quiet and followed Kabir.

We ended up at a tavern.

Kabir and I were both wearing hoods.

It seemed he put these on us because he planned to come here. While we were noticeable due to our distinctive looks, no one seemed to recognize us.

‘But why are we here?’

Kabir, who disliked crowded places, came to such a noisy tavern, which was puzzling.

The tavern was bustling with the voices of people. It was early evening, but already full.

“Just a moment.”

Kabir said and looked around. He seemed to be looking for someone.

Was there someone he planned to meet in this common tavern?

Amidst the noise, an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

“Hey.”

At the sound, Kabir stopped.

Following Kabir’s gaze, I saw a man sitting at a corner table.

He had brown hair, the same color as his eyes. The man was looking at Kabir with a mischievous smile.

He looked quite ordinary.

As our eyes met, Kabir smirked. It was more of an incredulous smile than one of delight.

Kabir pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.

‘Is he asking me to sit?’

Who was this man that Kabir was inviting me to sit at the same table with him? For now, I did as instructed. There was no reason to resist.

Only after I sat down did Kabir pull out the chair next to me and take a seat.

It was only then that the man spoke.

“You look leaner than I remember, Hey.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

It seemed they were quite close, given that the man was using a nickname for Kabir.

Judging by the man’s appearance, he seemed to be just an ordinary citizen. It was puzzling how he could be so close to Kabir, who was known for his narrow circle of acquaintances.

“So you’re the one? The fiancée?”

The man turned to me this time, a gleam in his eyes. He knew I was Kabir’s fiancée, so he likely knew I was a noblewoman too, yet he spoke informally, which was a bit unsettling.

The man scrutinized me, his gaze lingering.

Although I felt uncomfortable, I chose not to show it. I didn’t know the man’s identity, so it wasn’t wise to react rashly.

“Rumors said you were a troublemaker, but you seem quite reserved. I thought a commoner like me speaking this way would set you off right away.”

He seemed well-informed about Anais’s reputation.

The original Anais might have reacted that way, but the situation was different now.

I maintained a nonchalant expression. The man laughed lightly at my reaction.

“Stop teasing.”

“Sorry, just curious. It’s not like you to bring a woman along.”

“……?”

Their conversation was tinged with a strange atmosphere.

“I’m late with my introduction.”

Just as I had a premonition, the man spoke to me.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Irmin Ginger Jekylhyde.”

(tl/n: I know. Wth with the name)

I froze on the spot.