The Villainess Blooms Chapter 12

The Villainess Dreams I noticed it was a dream almost immediately.

A raging swirl of painful memories acted out by shadows of my past. It was a dream.

All I need to escape this nightmare is will myself awake.

But right now, I’m not thinking clearly. I understand it’s a dream logically but on an emotional level, it is another matter. And my feelings are a mess. That’s the state I’m in now.

“So, how has Sylph-sama been getting on lately?”

Someone in front of me said. I don’t remember this face. It’s a strange feeling, not knowing the person in front of you in your own dream. And the young girl called Sylph tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, in regards to Veensama. Has there been any progress in regards to that?”

“W-what are you talking about? Why do you think that I would…”

Waving her hands, Sylph strongly denies it. Her classmate relaxes and smiles at her.

“B-besides, Veensama has a wonderful fiancée in Arnight-sama…”

Sylph sighs dejectedly. One of her classmates patted her head.

“Well, that’s right. But please do cheer up.”

“…Okay. Thanks…”

Sylph smiled, and it felt like a mysterious sense of healing was spread around.

What kind of dream was this?

As far as I can tell, it seems that this schoolgirl called “Sylph” loves me.

I’m having a dream about someone who likes me? Is this actually about my own desires?

This is embarrassing. So very embarrassing.

Do I really desire to be with another woman like this?

As I deny that shame, the scene warps and changes and the image of a classroom bathed in the evening sun is in front of me.

Inside it was the figure of Sylph.

Sylph sat at her desk, sobbing.

“Veensama, how… How could that common woman just…”

Sylph mutters angrily to herself. That charming face that everyone seemed to love was gone. Her face was low and dispirited, her eyes full of disgust and murderous rage, like she had been betrayed by the person that she loved the most.

I was surprised to see just how much she had changed from the previous scene. Even if this is just an embodiment of my desires, I still felt a pang in my heart.

I then see several scenes. Each one follows Sylph as it warps and changes.

A smile turns to heartbreak. Heartbreak turns to sorrow. Sorrow leads to anger. Anger leads to action. Action leads to consequences. Change.

But, it was all about me.

(What is this? What am I looking at…?)

I don’t understand it. Sylph’s actions are all about me and go far beyond mere self-sacrifice.

On one day, in a rage for me, she shouted hateful things about Mina in the halls.

On one day, feeling sorrow for me, she attacked Mina violently.

And on another day, hoping to smile about me, she raised a toast to me on her own.

And finally, on that day…

When my engagement was broken, and I fled the school. Losing her mind over me, she swore revenge.

But, Sylph was being used that entire time.

By Mina Yukishiro.

She was said to be acting under my orders.

So, this is Sylph’s memory. That’s how I felt. There’s no way to be sure. But it’s just what I felt.

Pathetic. I don’t feel any sympathy for her at all. Of course, I’m glad that someone felt such anger and passion for me. It shows that they think highly of me. It’s hard not to feel happy over such a thing. But this girl was one of the root causes of me falling from aristocratic society in the first place. If anything, she’s her own worst enemy.

And the scene switched again.

And now in front of me, both Sylph and Mina Yukishiro appeared.

“What business do you have with me? Make it quick.”

Mina speaks coldly. Sylph replies.

“Why… Why did you blame Veensama… for what I did?”

Sylph had confessed to Mina that the whole time, she had been acting on her own. Having heard it, that woman had twisted and bent the truth in order to push all the responsibility onto me.

Mina feigns ignorance.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean.”

“…Are you playing dumb? That day, I told you everything in confidence. So why…!”

Certainly, when the engagement was broken in the hall, there was no sign of Sylph. There were only those girls accused of being her accomplices. Perhaps she didn’t want to use the potentially troublesome Sylph for a testimony. Perhaps Sylph herself felt shame for everything she had done and stayed away.

“Sylph, I understand you had feelings for her, but you asked for the impossible. Her crimes were here own, so she had to be punished.”

Mina sneered, and she looked down on Sylph mockingly.

“…Yes, crimes have to be punished. So, let’s punish the criminals. And have them pay for their crimes…”

Sylph’s hands begin to move forward.

“After I’m done with you, I can deal with Veensama’s brother and that stupid Prince as well…”

Sylph’s face is twisted in a maddened grin. Mina still doesn’t understand fully.

“What are you planning to do?”

“…I’m going to get rid of everyone who betrayed Veensama. I started with those girls who made up lies about her first.”

Finally, Mina showed a reaction.

“Ah, so that was you. You really have gone insane, haven’t you? To murder so many of your peers, you’re truly the lowest of the low.”

“That bunch were no good. Because they betrayed Veensama… Even though they loved her as well…”

That’s wrong. They just used Sylph’s actions to window dress their own false accusations, they never thought of me at all. Somehow, I understand it all.

“But, it’s over now. I’ll kill you, then afterwards I’ll find and kill Glenn and Arnight. After that, I’ll die myself. Once you’re all dead, my revenge will be complete.”

She has lost it. For once, Mina and I thought the same thing.

“Therefore, just stand there obediently and die for me, Mina Yukishiro-!”

Screaming that, she runs at Mina. Her hands reaching for her throat. As she ran, the world began to turn dark. The last thing I saw was a malicious grin on Mina’s face.

Was that the end of it?

What a ridiculous cliffhanger. As to what happened after that, I have no idea. It was then that a pale figure floated into my vision.

“How did you like it, my foolish tragedy? It was a masterpiece, was it not?”

She’s not a face from my memories. But, this is Sylph.

“Tragedy is right, I definitely didn’t enjoy it much either.”

Even though I responded coldly, Sylph replied with a “Right?” and a smile.

“So, what’s this about? What do you expect me to do after being shown this dream? Did you want me to comfort you or something like that? Or, did you want me to take revenge on Mina?”

“Fufufu, I couldn’t possibly. Veensama has a new partner now, does she not? Besides, someone like me could never presume to ask Veensama to do anything. I just wanted Veensama to know the truth. That’s all.”

She responded to me gently.

“Also, I got to see your face at the end. With that alone, I can be satisfied. Really, I suppose I should be thankful to that Dragon.”

Sylph laughed. Her bright and innocent smile is back, just like she seemed at the beginning of the dream.

“Dragon?”

I didn’t quite understand what Sylph meant.

“My full name is Sylph Cocyrtis, my family had been tasked with sealing away that dragon for centuries.”

The pale face of the girl disappeared, and that tiny Dragon was in its place. And so, I understood everything,

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

She sounded happy. Really, that voice must have some kind of healing properties.

“I know it was quite selfish of me to say, but I’m not going to be satisfied if you just up and disappear now after making all that fuss.”

I threw cold water over her happy passing away scene. I wasn’t begrudging her that moment. In my own selfish way, I just didn’t want her to pass on.

Sylph laughed again.

“That’s right. We have to be selfish for the person we love, isn’t that right Veensama♡?”

I woke up.

(…It really is selfish. To show me such a dream and then… What do you expect me to do…)

I attempt to get up with a sigh, but doing so causes the little dragon sleeping on my stomach wake up with a cry of “Graaaah!?” and look around for the source of the attack.

Realizing there’s no danger, it curls back up and goes to sleep. It’s like a cat.

I give the dragon a small pat on the head and it made a small “Kyuu” sound. Ah, that’s cute.

(Now that I think about it, this child also needs a name.)

As I was stroking it, I thought back to my dream.

(…Sylph. That will be your name.)

As I decided on its name, the Dragon let out a yawn.

And thus ends the first part of The Villainess Blooms. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to go straight into the second part or wait for a little while. Although the original story is still going on, it hasn’t been updated since June, so who knows.

At any rate, I might have a chapter for tomorrow or I might not.

Thanks for reading this far, and please enjoy the side story as well.

Also, Adventure Mum is going to be a little late today.