I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

Ah, I can’t just let you go like that!

If those male characters could be a trigger to ruin my life with just one misstep, the three heroines would instead be my lifeline. As long as I can build and maintain good relationships, they could greatly help me in the future.

Shin Sohee was kind and always helping others, despite her outward appearance. Just looking at her bright face, doesn’t she seem that way? In fact, she was a character outside of school, and considering that the Shin Sohee route received good reviews as a singular route, it feels a bit distant from the other characters. However, there might come a day when I can receive help from a character who exists ‘outside of school.’ Even just hiding for a day might be possible.

While calculating such things in my mind, Shin Sohee, who had been silently following me for a while, suddenly spoke up.

“So, what’s this meal you’re treating us to?”

She seemed to think I was rich just from our school uniforms, acting casually curious, but it looked like she was actually quite interested. After all, from what I’ve heard, it seemed like the students at Hwayoung High School wouldn’t even touch food that costs less than 100,000 won.

But I easily brushed aside Shin Sohee’s subtle expectations.

“Treating? Who says that?”

“…?”

At my words, Sohee tilted her head.

“But just a moment ago, you said we should have dinner together…?”

“I said that, sure. But I never said I’d treat you!”

I don’t even carry a wallet. Within Hwayoung High School, I just need to show my student ID and they later charge it to my home; outside the school, there was no reason for me to go around alone. There’s no reason for me to pay at all. Of course, I haven’t exactly been out and about before.

…If it were the real Ye Sara, she wouldn’t even be able to buy a one-time subway card. She’s never spent her own money. She knows what cash looks like and what cards are, but to someone who’s lived far from money and electronics, buying a subway transportation card would be nothing short of a monumental challenge.

“So what, are you saying you’ll feed me at your house?”

“Yup.”

At my answer, Sohee, who had been eagerly following me, suddenly stopped.

After a few more steps, realizing she had stopped, I paused as well. When I turned around, Sohee was looking at me with her hands poking into her cardigan pockets and her eyes narrowed.

“Are you saying I’m eating at your house?”

“Well, since I invited you for a meal, I suppose that means so.”

I glanced at Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah, who had been following me.

“What about you two? Is that okay?”

“Oh? Uh, yeah. I’m fine with it.”

“Yeah, I’m fine too.”

Lee Soo-ah seemed somewhat flustered while Yoo Ha-neul quickly nodded in agreement, looking… probably excited. Maybe it’s because being invited by a new friend in high school would make anyone happy.

“But really, it seems super awkward to go to a stranger’s house after just meeting today.”

Shin Sohee made a valid point.

“There will be family members, right?”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry about my family being there. I mean, I don’t live completely alone in that mansion… well, I don’t exactly live alone, but it’s pretty much the same.”

“Uh…”

Sohee was at a loss for words.

Of course, it’s not like I don’t have family at all, but the one family member I do have isn’t related by blood, and honestly, it’s questionable whether she can even be called family since she openly neglects my only adopted daughter.

“There’s nothing to worry about meeting my family. There are a few employees, but they absolutely won’t speak up unless I talk to them first. It will probably be just like dining in a high-end restaurant.”

“Is that so…?”

At my declaration of ‘no family,’ Shin Sohee couldn’t bring herself to refuse my words. Indeed, Koreans are vulnerable to a Talu-ra attack.

In fact, this part put me at an advantage. At least I already knew some information about Shin Sohee. Like Ye Sara, she only had one parent. However, unlike Ye Sara, her remaining parent was a father, and their relationship was very good, which was a significant difference. She also had a younger sister who doesn’t appear in CG.

Having lost a family member, I understood how difficult it was to claim ‘I have no family.’ If someone could talk about it so easily, they must have become somewhat numb to the situation.

…Though I didn’t think that deeply when I said it earlier. It’s just how it is.

Well, at least I could consider this useful information for being careful with my words in the future.

“…”

“…”

Yoo Ha-neul, who had been in a good mood just now, and Lee Soo-ah, who responded somewhat awkwardly, both fell silent, glancing at me. Honestly, they didn’t have to feel that way.

“But speaking of which…”

After a long silence, Shin Sohee finally spoke.

“So, when are we arriving at your house?”

“Oh, about that.”

I opened my mouth with a serious expression.

“Actually, I think I got lost.”

It normally takes five minutes by car, so I had completely let my guard down; however, since we started from a different location, I had actually been wandering without direction since a while ago. It’s truly bizarre that such a large mansion isn’t even in sight.

“…You should have said that earlier!”

In the end, as the sun was nearly set and the chilly night had come, Shin Sohee shouted that out.

*

“…So, what did you just search for?”

Shin Sohee asked Lee Soo-ah.

“Uh, oh… ‘Matsuda Department Store.’”

That’s right. The actual proper name of the mansion I live in was Matsuda Department Store. Of course, it’s not still called that; that was just the name it had in the past.

As Shin Sohee burst into frustration, asking why I didn’t just check a navigation app for the address if I got lost, Lee Soo-ah, who had some knowledge of the business world, immediately pulled out her smartphone and without a moment’s hesitation typed in ‘Matsuda Department Store.’

…It was quite the monumental structure—well over 100 years old as the internet kindly explains. While it looked relatively small for a department store now, being a two-story mansion, it was still quite large enough to be overkill for one person to live in.

After the liberation, the founder of Eugene Group bought it intending to use it as a department store, but after the Korean War turned it into ruins, he astonishingly erected a genuinely massive department store in the heart of Seoul, which turned the mansion—surviving amidst the war—into uselessness, as kindly detailed online.

In the end, it was used to isolate Ye Sara. And while this building was technically Ye Sara’s property…

“Matsuda Department Store, rich people really live on a different scale…”

Shin Sohee exclaimed in awe, looking up at the mansion. Yoo Ha-neul felt the same. The place had some LED lights on the walls to illuminate it at night, giving it a vibe akin to a cultural heritage site.

It was hard to believe that someone lived there.

Only Lee Soo-ah, who had guided us here, wore a slightly anxious expression.

“Let’s go inside.”

I said so and confidently walked towards the closed gate.

“Who… Ah, miss!”

A security guard in a black suit guarding the front gate exclaimed in surprise when he saw me, almost letting his surprise slip. Apparently, he accidentally broke the rule of ‘don’t speak first’ out of sheer astonishment.

“Could you call the maid?”

Upon hearing my request, the guard nodded and began to open the gate. He murmured something with his fingers to his ear.

Creek, the heavy door opened with a sound.

“Come on in.”

As I said this, the three of them hesitantly followed behind, glancing around unimpressively. The guard couldn’t very well stop them.

After walking silently through a lit garden along the path, we stopped as we saw Yang Hye-in briskly approaching us.

“…Miss.”

She seemed to have a lot to say, but upon seeing the three people behind me, she fell silent.

“Sorry for coming in late.”

“…It’s fine.”

“Did you report to the Chairwoman?”

“…”

Yang Hye-in lowered her head in silence. So she did, huh?

Well, judging by the absence of any specific comment, it seems like there weren’t any significant issues. At least, for now.

I shrugged and once more glanced back. Then, with a nod, I confidently walked past Yang Hye-in, who had stepped aside.

As I walked past, Yang Hye-in followed a few steps back.

“Please prepare four servings for the meal.”

“Yes, miss.”

Normally, Yang Hye-in showed slight fluctuations in her emotions, but it seemed she had resolved to completely hide her feelings in front of the three ‘outsiders.’

When we reached the mansion door, two security guards who had already arrived each held one side of the door and opened it.

“Wow.”

A gasp slipped out from somewhere behind, though it was unclear whose it was.

The spacious ground floor lobby with a grand staircase leading up to the second floor looked quite reminiscent of a department store. It was somewhat empty since any counters that would have originally been there weren’t present, but definitely suitable for accommodating many people.

Yang Hye-in casually placed her hand on my shoulder. I instinctively followed her lead and slipped out of my coat.

She also took care of the outerwear of the other three.

“Uh, wait, I can do it myself…”

With a maid personally removing her outerwear, Yoo Ha-neul offered mild resistance, and,

“…”

While feeling a bit awkward, Lee Soo-ah also removed her coat like she was following my lead, and

“A—ah…”

Shin Sohee’s face turned deep red as they, all ended up handing their outerwear to Yang Hye-in. Despite the considerable weight of the collective four coats, Yang Hye-in didn’t change her expression one bit as she bowed slightly at us before leading us to the dining room.

And we entered a dining room with an honestly abnormally large table for just me to eat!

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