Proud to Be the Villainess

For years, Wellmy Ernest has made her half-sister Iora’s life a living nightmare. She forced Iora to obscure her beauty, treated her like a servant, and even stole her fiancé. Their own father and his second wife joined in on the torment, cruelly confiscating Iora’s belongings and forcing her to live in a cold, drab detached building. Now that Iora has turned eighteen, Wellmy is ready for the final insult: marrying her off to Aides Ormirage, the handsome yet heartless mage lord. Tonight, at last, her brilliant scheme will reach its climax at the banquet held by Aides himself. Yet as the villainess prepares for her final act, she is acutely aware that all that awaits her is her own doom.

Months have passed since Wellmy and Aides’s confrontation at the party. Count Ernest and his wife have been punished for their crimes, Iora is free and engaged to Leo, and Wellmy is spending her days under the sweet torture of Aides’s attentions. All’s well that ends well... Or is it? Iora’s engagement to Leo isn’t exactly smooth sailing. Having lost her peerage, Iora’s only path to marry Leo is to complete her magic research, which would grant her a new noble title. And that’s not to mention the detractors who might target her once they learn she’s to be the future crown princess. That’s when Aides and Wellmy come up with a plan: Wellmy will step in for Iora and let everyone believe she is Leo’s fiancée. Putting her villainess mask back on, she prepares to take on this new role—all for her beloved sister’s sake.

Noble society is still reeling from the mind-manipulation case, but Iora is now officially engaged to Leo. To Wellmy, it’s all that matters. Can her beloved sister finally have her happily-ever-after? Maybe...but not just yet. Leo and Iora meet yet another obstacle: they struggle to find ladies’ maids to serve the future crown princess, given Iora’s past and the whispers that follow her. But it doesn’t take long for Wellmy to cook up a plan to select the perfect servants for her dear, dear sister. Is it a little convoluted? Yes, but when have her schemes ever been straightforward? Her plan requires moving into the main Ormirage estate, which Aides readily agrees to as their own engagement is about to be made public. But will Wellmy get along with the many ladies working for Aides, many of whom bear the scars of curses and nefarious items? And most importantly, will she find people worthy of serving her beloved Iora?