I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

“Did you report to the Chairwoman?”

Did that guy just call her the Chairwoman?

Shin Sohee thought upon hearing those words.

The strange atmosphere hung in the air as the term ‘Chairwoman’ merged with ‘an innocent young girl without a family’ named Sara.

Thinking about it, the very fact that a girl without a family lived in a mansion like this instead of an orphanage was questionable. No matter how much inheritance one received… Isn’t there a limit to the property a minor can use? The truth was, aside from her sexual orientation, Shin Sohee, who was an ordinary teenage girl, didn’t know much about legality.

But even if she didn’t know about the financial aspect, she understood how ugly the atmosphere could become when the phrase ‘Chairwoman’ met ‘teenage high school girl.’ Of course, neither Shin Sohee nor her friends went around meeting a ‘Chairwoman,’ ‘Business Owner,’ or even ‘Oppa,’ but sometimes stories about such things reached her ears through the news or gossip.

… For example, the so-called ‘sponsor.’

As this idea crossed her mind, Shin Sohee felt her mood plummet.

Why? …She wasn’t sure. But she had a feeling that whatever the ‘Chairwoman’ looked like, she certainly couldn’t be normal.

Now, Shin Sohee began to slightly understand the heart of the girl who refused to ride a car just to walk home from school and chose to scale walls.

She didn’t know exactly what story lay behind Sara, but she had a feeling that the girl was more like a puppet held captive by the ‘Chairwoman.’

Living alone in such a large mansion was probably thanks to the ‘Chairwoman’s’ wealth. And being under such tight surveillance while living alone in a grand mansion meant—

…What am I thinking right now?

Shin Sohee let out a deep sigh without anyone noticing. Though her thoughts remained private, her face was flushed with embarrassment.

If this level of daydreaming wasn’t a sickness, then what was? To have such odd thoughts even with the subject right in front of her was absurd.

Even if she could call her ‘Chairwoman,’ it might be because she was her foster daughter, or maybe she was just the child of a friend of the Chairwoman, or a distant relative—logically, there were many plausible explanations to consider, yet she felt like giving her own head a good smack for indulging in such strict imaginations.

“I’ll take the clothes.”

In the end, Shin Sohee was left blushing with embarrassment, feeling shame for the strange noises she made when the maid came to collect the cardigan.

Thanks to that, she accidentally made a sound like “Ah, ugh…” as the maid took the clothes.

The mansion was indeed extravagant. Was it a building that had been a department store a century ago? While it was smaller than the department stores you might think of today, it was still a mansion with more than enough unused space for an individual to live.

It was ornate inside but not excessive. While it looked somewhat sparse since no one was around, honestly, being invited to such a place could be brag-worthy for several years.

“….”

There was nothing strange about showing off living in such a place, but from the moment Sara stepped inside the mansion, her previously expressionless demeanor changed as she kept a neutral face, unlike the way she frivolously tossed around different expressions outside. When speaking to the servants, there was even a chill that could be felt, different from the earlier argument.

Just observing her attitude and expression, it was easy to tell that Sara didn’t particularly like this space.

…That earlier unpleasant thought began creeping back up again.

*

Yoo Ha-neul considered herself fairly clever.

Of course, she had reasons to think so. After putting in considerable effort studying throughout middle school, she managed to gain admission to Hwayoung High School as the top student. Honestly, it didn’t seem like an extremely difficult school to get into. If you had money, you could get in regardless.

However, being number one among ‘wealthy students’ was unexpectedly challenging. While there were many who relied solely on their parents’ wealth and didn’t study much, the top tier students at Hwayoung High were usually those whose parents threw money at cram schools and private lessons, essentially arriving with the answers almost memorized. Yoo Ha-neul was the one who entered as the number one amidst such children.

It didn’t matter if the other students didn’t acknowledge her achievements. She was determined to continually surpass those who looked down on her, through effort after effort.

And because Yoo Ha-neul held such views, she also knew a thing or two about Ye Sara.

The day she built rapport with Sara, she returned home and searched for her name online. She assumed that if the students at Hwayoung High really came from families integral to the South Korean business sector, Sara’s name would be somewhere on the internet.

And she was right.

There wasn’t a ton of information about Sara personally. It was limited to a few photos from her childhood circulating online, tagged with something like “The top 1% beauty in the South Korean business sector.” Until now, she hadn’t understood why there wasn’t much information available. But after experiencing the day firsthand, she did. It was clear that the ‘Chairwoman’ Sara spoke about was controlling her information.

While there wasn’t much access to Sara’s details, there was plenty of information about the ‘Chairwoman’ that Yoo Ha-neul had seen. Choi Na-kyung, the Chairwoman of Eugene Group, ranked number one in the global market cap.

After remarrying the former chairman and Sara’s father, she inherited the shares of Eugene Electronics that were previously owned by the chairman.

…Was she perhaps tormenting another heiress like Sara?

Was it not the case that Sara scaled the wall today to escape from suffocating surveillance?

Yoo Ha-neul imagined it. In such a vast world, surrounded only by the people chosen by the Chairwoman, forced to see only their faces, unable to choose her own route home… a life where her only reliable companions were a few friends from school.

After such thoughts, the vast mansion now felt like a tiny cage.

“I’ll take the clothes.”

While she was lost in thought, someone suddenly interrupted her from behind. When she turned, a woman in a maid uniform with a cold expression was looking at her. With Sara’s coat daintily draped over her left arm, she was gazing at her politely—but for some reason, the eyes didn’t seem so polite.

It was like she was scrutinizing her.

Yoo Ha-neul had often felt such moments in her life. A sudden tingle would shoot through her as she sensed someone’s gaze upon her. She was quite good at noticing the negative feelings of others directed at her. Though the frequency varied, she had never regretted acting based on her instincts.

“Um, well, I can—”

Having never experienced someone taking her clothes for her, Yoo Ha-neul instinctively responded like this but quickly turned away upon seeing the maid’s penetrating gaze.

It seemed best to follow the rules in here for now. She barely knew anyone in the mansion to feel comfortable around. Not just the maids, but even those waiting by the cafeteria doors or the men in black suits surveying the entrance were all sending shivering glances her way.

…Had Sara lived her life in this ice-cold environment all this time?

Yoo Ha-neul contemplated as she glanced at Sara’s face, which seemed devoid of any emotion.

If one day, Sara told her directly that she wanted to escape this place, she made a silent vow to lend her whatever small strength she could offer.

*

‘Admiration’ comes from the fact of ‘not knowing.’

A child who admires firefighters and wants to become one often knows little about the mortality rate of firefighters or the treatment they receive. Those who dream of working at a big company envy the salaries, yet know little about the social injustices they face. Those wanting to become prosecutors or judges are often horrified by the ugly truths they’re exposed to once they finally achieve those positions.

The same goes for money. Those who lack it admire those who possess it, but they can only guess at the side effects that come with wealth.

Lee Soo-ah was no different.

Even an oblivious child could easily sense that something malicious was happening behind Ye Sara. Just from what she heard from her father, she could already guess what kind of actions that ‘Chairwoman’ was engaged in.

Of course, she couldn’t know the full extent of the reasons. Adults didn’t seem keen to share severe and graphic tales with their children, and Lee Soo-ah’s father was no different.

However, children are not thoughtless either. Besides, growing up beneath wealthy adults, they often catch on to the happenings from the slightly less graphic stories they hear.

So… Well, as with most things in this realm, it was highly probable that Sara’s problems stemmed from wealth.

After marrying the Chairwoman, the Chairwoman passed away. The inheritance is divided between the daughter and the new wife. The daughter is still a minor, and minors cannot freely use the inherited property. Thus, someone must manage it.

Following that line of reasoning, it seemed quite likely that Choi Na-kyung, Chairwoman of Eugene Group, was seeking to manipulate her foster daughter, Ye Sara’s fortune.

Although she didn’t understand why those actions led to personal isolation.

However, at least looking at the current situation, that plan seemed to be a complete failure.

Even in such circumstances, Sara did not lose her self-confidence. She was always assertive in her actions. In fact, she acted as if she had no interest in the other children who ostracized her.

Moreover, the barriers surrounding Sara were slowly beginning to crumble. Of course, whether those barriers would eventually collapse entirely or if they would reinforce themselves around the few people who had just started to emerge remained uncertain.

Perhaps in that barrier, Lee Soo-ah herself might also end up trapped. In fact, since she started hanging around Sara, her relationship with friends from middle school began to dwindle. Her parents seemed to be unaware, but if things continued like this, they might confront her just as they did in middle school.

…Admiration naturally begins with ignorance.

Lee Soo-ah still didn’t understand how harsh and rough Sara’s experiences had been. She didn’t fully grasp how lonely it was to live alone in such a big mansion.

Yet she admired Sara, who had not lost herself while living such a life.

Unlike herself, who had agreed to make someone an outcast because she was frightened by a few adult words, Sara stood boldly before her fears, which Lee Soo-ah found exceedingly admirable.

Therefore, she resolved to admire her a little longer. To follow her a bit more.

“I’ll take the clothes.”

Though not as natural as Sara, Lee Soo-ah tried her best to confidently hand over the clothes, mimicking Sara’s previous actions.

She felt the maid’s eyes briefly glance over her face.

Was it a nervous expression? It probably was.

To remain calm like Sara would likely take a much longer time.

Honestly, she didn’t know how long she could keep following Sara. Maybe just experiencing half of what Sara had gone through would make her want to run away.

But.

Lee Soo-ah hoped.

That one day she could stand before Sara, with a confident appearance and attitude, repenting for the things she had done. She wished for that.

At this moment, what kind of feelings coursed through Sara’s expressionless face as she followed the maid?

*

Ah, today had been exhausting. So much running about, scaling walls, getting lost.

It had been a burdensome day for Ye Sara’s body.

…Perhaps since she was so hungry, she might be able to devour another slice of steak today?

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