The Villainess’s Guide to Winning the Male Lead

Eric’s cheeks were flushed as he spoke those words, seemingly embarrassed by his own boldness.

“Why?”

I asked calmly, not showing any surprise.

Even if we were close, dissuading someone from an engagement with their master was serious, and it would be a big issue if others found out.

“…I know it’s sudden and you might be shocked. I’m sorry. But I―”

Eric’s face was even redder now, his ears glowing in the dim light.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth to speak.

“I, to the lady…”

“Hold on.”

I quickly interrupted Eric.

“Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

“……?”

Eric looked at me, puzzled.

It clearly looked like he was about to confess. I couldn’t deal with such a significant event after ending the broadcast. Surely, OnlyFinley and a handful of Eric fans would have generously contributed points for this moment. I couldn’t miss such an opportunity.

It was past midnight, and I couldn’t start a broadcast now. The best course of action was to postpone this situation.

“But, it’s important…”

“I’ll listen tomorrow. Okay? Good night!”

With that, I shut the door firmly.

I felt a bit sorry for Eric, but it was unavoidable. I knew how many viewers were anticipating this moment with Eric. I couldn’t enjoy this alone without sharing it with them.

Leaning against the door, I took a deep breath.

The engagement ring on my left ring finger glinted in the moonlight.

* * *

The next day, I didn’t leave my room.

Not because I was afraid Eric might confess – I would actually welcome it now that the broadcast was on.

There was only one reason.

[Gold2: Afraid of running into the crown prince?]

[PleaseShakeACarrot: It’s the first time I’ve seen my Nuna scared of someone]

Indeed, the viewers had noticed.

As they speculated, I was apprehensive about encountering Irmin.

The reason for my fear was simple. That person was just too talkative.

Status and hierarchy weren’t important to me at this point. It was just overwhelmingly exhausting to be around someone as noisy and clingy as Irmin.

The thought of Irmin seeking me out every day was daunting enough.

Moreover, I had no idea in what form he would appear today. I couldn’t prepare in advance. It was a headache.

I planned to stay indoors as much as possible today. If I didn’t go out, I wouldn’t bump into him.

I would only leave my room for dinner. I could have breakfast and lunch served in my room.

It had been a while since I had asked the maids to bring breakfast to my room. I lay in bed, comfortably waiting for my meal.

After a short while, a maid entered. She had chestnut-brown hair, a face I hadn’t seen before, or perhaps I had; distinguishing between the maids here was difficult as they all looked plain and similar.

The breakfast was simple: soup, bread, and some fruits. Modest, but it was my favorite breakfast menu. The maid didn’t leave after setting the table.

“……?”

As I looked at her curiously, the maid gave a sly smile.

Ah, no way.

“Hello, Anais!”

“…….”

It was the maid today. So much for avoiding him; I was caught right from the morning.

“…Are you that free?”

“There’s no way. I can’t stay long. Just for a moment, then I must go.”

Why go through the trouble of using precious mana for teleportation and transformation spells just to be with me for this brief moment? I pitied the amount of mana Irmin must be expending for these short visits.

With a grimace, I asked Irmin,

“Why are you doing this to me……?”

“Why, we agreed to meet daily.”

Well, considering the near-death experience. It’s understandable that Irmin would be intrigued. For a moment, I contemplated just giving in and getting it over with.

“There’s my interest in you, and also matters involving Kabir.”

Kabir?

The sudden mention of Kabir’s name made me puzzled.

“Why Kabir?”

“Ah, I have to go now. Time’s up!”

Instead of answering, Irmin left those words behind and disappeared right before my eyes. It was teleportation magic.

He said he would only stay for a moment, and indeed, he vanished in less than 5 minutes.

While I was relieved, it was still somewhat bewildering. It seems he was just content with fulfilling the daily face-to-face quota.

[Stress: What was the point of coming here?]

[Suspicious Viewer: Exactly.]

[Poppopo: Really unique character…….]

When even these peculiar viewers acknowledge it, it objectively confirms that the person is indeed strange. It was reassuring to know my judgment wasn’t wrong.

[LLoading: What about getting caught for coming back to life?]

“I don’t know either…….”

I replied in an enlightened tone, dipping my bread into the soup.

Irmin surprisingly didn’t probe or hold onto the topic. He just came, talked nonsense, and left.

It’s a relief for me, not having to deal with complications. But it would be helpful to know what he’s thinking…….

“Since I can’t go out, let’s just chat today.”

And so, today was yet another day of being cooped up in my room, broadcasting chit-chat. This was becoming the main content of my broadcasts.

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Yay, I like this haha]

[Gold2: Yeah, take it easy LOL]

Despite the broadcast just consisting of casual chats, the reaction from most viewers was positive. Perhaps they understood the recent events I had gone through, and it was a relief they were accommodating. Producing sensational content every day was exhausting, after all.

While browsing through the chat, I felt something was missing and checked the viewer list.

As expected, that person was not there.

“Our regular viewer seems to be missing today.”

[OnlyFinley: Who? asdf??]

As soon as I mentioned ‘regular’, the viewers caught on.

asdf was usually quiet in the chat but always present in the broadcast. However, today, for some reason, he was missing from the viewer list.

[Poppopo: The Celestial Realm might be busy with some important event preparation, so the angels are a bit occupied]

Indeed, the viewer count had halved. Even considering the morning timeslot, the numbers were significantly lower.

It was an opportunity to bond with the fewer viewers. With a limited influx of viewers, it was actually better for building rapport. After all, the angel viewers were well-acquainted with each other.

“So, all of you here have finished your busy tasks?”

[OnlyFinley: Our department isn’t involved LOL]

[Gold2: 222]

[PleaseShakeACarrot: I finished everything early haha]

[Suspicious Viewer: Truly an elite…….]

So, the departments are divided. It made sense; the buildings were huge even when I briefly visited.

[PleaseShakeACarrot: asdf might not be able to come for a while? He’s the head, so he’s the busiest LOL]

A head among the angels. It made sense why he was so generous with points; he must hold a significant position.

“It’s a big deal if asdf doesn’t come. He’s my biggest supporter.”

While he contributed more points than anyone, he didn’t seem particularly attached to me, the host. He was a viewer who enjoyed the broadcast for its entertainment value.

As I brought up asdf, the chat room began their own discussions.

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Why aren’t you considering me a big supporter too? T_T]

[Ungcha: Carrot, you’re still behind asdf in donations LOL]

[PleaseShakeACarrot: (`・ω・́)]

[OnlyFinley: How does he manage to collect so many points just by watching the broadcast?]

[Gold2: We need to investigate for embezzlement, seriously]

[Suspicious Viewer: The manager distributes points, how can there be any embezzlement LOL]

[Poppopo: Well, he’s good at his job, so he must’ve saved up gradually]

“Points are given based on performance, right?”

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Yep!]

[OnlyFinley: Thanks to you, our viewers’ performance has skyrocketed LOL]

[KongKongCorin=3: Thank you…〉〈 Thanks to you, I’ll be promoted soon haha]

[Gold2: Everyone’s working hard. The manager is smart.]

So that’s why Carrot, the elite, is the second biggest supporter.

Points are awarded based on performance, making asdf’s identity even more intriguing.

‘I wonder if I’ll get to see him at some point.’

I had a chance before but missed it.

With his identity shrouded in mystery, my curiosity only grew.

* * *

“asdf?”

After ending the morning chat broadcast and taking a short break, I spoke with the manager, who was currently appearing as Bates.

It was about asdf, just like the topic we had during the broadcast.

“Are you close?”

“Yeah, we’re batchmates.”

“What kind of person is he?”

“What kind of person… Like an angel who watches your broadcast, a bit crazy.”

It seemed the manager had a clear image of the viewers.

“But he’s good at his job. His performance is outstanding…”

“Oh…”

“Something unique about him is… maybe a lack of ambition? He doesn’t have much greed, even gave up a promotion opportunity to me. He seemed to have no particular goals and appeared utterly bored with life, but lately, he’s been smiling more.”

“Because of my broadcast?”

“Where’s that confidence coming from?”

The manager looked incredulous.

However, his expression softened as he quietly added,

“…I don’t know the exact reason. It might indeed be because of your broadcast, or maybe he’s started dating or something.”

“Would someone who’s just started dating spend all day watching my broadcast?”

“That’s a good point… Let’s just say it’s thanks to your broadcast.”

He seemed to reluctantly agree, perhaps out of annoyance.

I leaned against the wall and continued,

“The Celestial Realm seems interesting. The angels seem nice too.”

“Don’t harbor any illusions. It’s incredibly boring there. At least in our department, being swamped with work is the norm.”

Everyone did seem busy. And many seemed worn out by their work.

That’s probably why they watch my broadcast. It’s a unique source of enjoyment amidst their work-centric lives.

“…But your broadcast has brightened the atmosphere at the office.”

Did the manager just compliment me? Surprised, I looked at him, and he awkwardly avoided my gaze.

“I’d like to see asdf and the other angels sometime.”

I hadn’t been away from the Celestial Realm for long, but I already missed it. After all, I had rested well there.

The manager stared at me for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll pass your message to asdf.”

“…Really?”

“Why not? He’s a fan of yours. He’d like it.”

Given asdf’s typically cynical demeanor in the chat, it was hard to imagine him being pleased.

I chuckled and nodded. The manager also cracked a small smile.

It was a relatively peaceful afternoon.

If only I hadn’t ended up dying again that night.