The Villainess Wants To Be A Sidekick

[– Variables are not controlled as one wishes –] 

 

“……………What?”

“Hahaha, Senephin, your face is turning red.”

Well, considering that I’m aware of how hot my face is getting, it must be really bad!

Today, my fangirling cells are already at their peak. The best I can do is calm my heart, which feels like it’s about to leap out of my chest.

“That…. um… If I didn’t hear wrong…..”

“Yeah, I’m asking you to dance. You can hear the waltz music from here, right?”

His gray jacket, reflecting the moonlight, looked almost silver. Already, this place feels unreal.

“Uh….. dance with you?”

“You seemed disappointed. Didn’t you actually want to stay at the banquet and enjoy it more?”

I shook my head vigorously. What I’m worried about isn’t dancing but the fact that I’m in a situation where I’m concerned that Velkina might fall for Kalt, yet I can’t do anything to interfere.

This is not what I wanted at all, something so extravagant.

“I’m just concerned about Velkina….”

But right now, what’s bothering me is the hand that’s holding mine, the fact that I can’t control my expression, the way Lumins is smiling calmly unlike me, and the fact that my brain is short-circuiting, unable to process all these situations.

“Did you want to dance with the crown prince, Senephin?”

“What? No way.”

The tone of my voice, which slipped out unintentionally, was so cold that Luminis blinked a few times before bursting into laughter.

“So, you didn’t really want to dance, Senephin.”

“Sort of…….”

“……This is troublesome.”

“Ah, did I somehow inconvenience you, Lumins……?”

When I looked up at him worriedly, Lumins had a slightly lonely expression.

“I wanted to dance with you, Senephin. But now I don’t have an excuse.”

“………………..”

 

When I remained frozen with my mouth agape, Lumins tilted his head slightly, still wearing that lonely expression.

“……Do you not want to?”

“N-no, of course not!”

Asking that with such a face is unfair…..!

“Then there’s no problem. No one’s watching, so there’s no need to be nervous. How about it?”

“………….”

After hesitating for a long while, I carefully took his other outstretched hand instead of responding. Lumins gave a beautiful smile, seemingly satisfied.

“Then, I’ll be in your care, Milady.”

Lumins took the first step in time with the next phrase of the music. Following the flow, I cautiously stepped forward as well.

We spun around between nameless flowers swaying on the trees and small blossoms peeking out from rustling grass. Lumins’s dark hair, kissed by the moonlight, fluttered, leaving shimmering trails in its wake.

In the empty garden at night, the sound of insects blended with the waltz melody, making it feel as if this space was isolated, like a world in a fairy tale.

If not for the slightly chilly breeze typical of spring brushing against my cheek, I might have mistaken all of this for a dream.

Am I receiving too much here? My heart grows uneasy as if it’s in turmoil. The feeling that I’m missing something still lingers.

To erase that uneasiness, I took another step.

As the song ended, Lumins released my hand and stepped back, bowing politely. I also lowered my head respectfully in return.

“Thank you for indulging my persistent request, Milady.”

“….P-please, that’s enough, Lumins. I’m embarrassed. I’m sorry for stepping on your feet since I’m bad at dancing.”

“Think nothing of it. Have you relaxed a bit now?”

“Huh?”

He looked into my face with a gentle smile.

“Earlier, before coming out of the banquet hall, you were so tense after being scolded by the crown prince. You were also very nervous before that and even said you wanted to cry. I was wondering if you felt a little better now.”

 

At that moment, I realized the reason Lumins had suddenly asked me to dance. From an objective standpoint, I must have appeared emotionally unstable, so I could understand his concern.

Though the reasons for my nervousness, my excessive deference to the crown prince, and my disappointment at the end were likely different from what Lumins assumed.

“….So that’s why. You were worried about me….”

“Of course, the fact that I wanted to dance with you was a bigger factor.”

He replied in a playful voice, giving me a slight wink.

Lumins……. how should I put this? My heart is already at its fangirl capacity with moments to preserve forever, so could you tone down the cuteness a bit……?

“L-let’s go! I’m sure Jin is waiting for you in your room, Luminis!”

“Well, I don’t think that’s quite the case….”

Still, I can’t afford to be discouraged for Lumins’s sake either. After all, I knew from the start that the crown prince would be a formidable opponent.

Once again, I reignited my determination to “Overthrow the Playboy Prince!”

Starting the day after the welcome party, there was a three-day presentation schedule. It’s something like an academic conference…. Throughout, there would be various networking events combined with meals, making it a generally relaxed schedule.

Of course, with the appearance of that crazy Crown Prince, the department responsible for checking the ceremony procedures and protocol must be exhausted. And the presentation coordinators too, for that matter.

For a low-level magician like me, who has little to do with cutting-edge research, these three days are a golden opportunity to relax.

Those without presentations or responsibilities could freely attend other departments research presentations, and as long as they stayed within the research institute, they had a lot of freedom. The delicious food available during this time was just icing on the cake.

This also meant that Velkina, who was still a novice magician stuck with menial tasks, was free to move about!

I planned to meet her early in the morning each day to protect her from the playboy Prince as much as possible for the next three days.

“Senephin! It’s been a while!”

….But before that, it was Jin, the ‘Whitey’, who burst in.

Jin, who apparently couldn’t use a doorbell, made his presence known by kicking the dormitory door five times and had shown up at a very early hour today.

 

“Has it really been long enough to say ‘it’s been a while’? It feels like it’s been less than a full day….”

“The heart has the ability to either slow down or speed up time. For me, it felt like an eternity.”

I didn’t expect to get a lecture on the theory of relativity in a place like this, but anyway, since I’m the one who provides mana to Whitey Jin, it must be a critical matter for him, who needs his sustenance.

I lifted Jin and brought my hand to his mouth. As usual, he began to lick my palm, absorbing the mana.

After taking in what seemed to be a sufficient amount, Jin nuzzled his nose against my palm a few times before asking,

“Are you going to get breakfast?”

“I’m planning to pick up Belkina first.”

“I see. Luminis seemed busy from the early morning.”

Well, that makes sense….. Unlike me, who has a lot of free time, the ultra-elite Lumins is probably tied up with presentation-related work for the next three days. It’s a bit disappointing that I won’t see him for a while, but I’ll be fine since it will probably take me a week just to process the mental overload of all the Lumins Hardelf moments I indulged in yesterday.

Whitey naturally climbed onto my shoulder, and after giving his head a gentle pat, I set off for Velkina’s room.

It seemed she had left early in the morning, as she wasn’t in her dorm room. Growing anxious, I started searching for places she might be. I first went to the dining hall just in case, but she wasn’t there either. Next, I headed to the office of the department she’s currently assigned to, and fortunately, that’s where I found her.

However, it looked like some of her department colleagues were talking to her.

Not wanting to interrupt, I decided to wait near the entrance with Jin. As we waited, I overheard their conversation.

“Hey, you must have enjoyed dancing with His Highness yesterday~. Are you planning on riding a carriage to the palace now?”

“Well, with looks like yours, it’s no wonder. I’m so jealous, being born beautiful really has its advantages.”

…..Hmm…… They’re not blatantly mocking her like in the early game Senephin days, but it’s still a backhanded compliment disguised as praise.

 

Belkina, as a trainee magician, has been rotating through various departments, spending a few days in each one to learn the ropes. It sounds simple, but for a newcomer, being moved around before they can even adapt to each department is stressful.

To make matters worse, many people look at her with thinly veiled suspicion, thinking she might be getting preferential treatment due to her good looks.

“Haha, I just happened to be near Lumins and got caught up in it. Besides, His Highness danced with many others, not just me.”

“But still, he chose you first, didn’t he?”

“Velkina, don’t forget us when you become someone important later!”

It seems like waiting for their conversation to end would only lead to an endless loop of passive-aggressive remarks.

“Humans certainly live complicated lives.”

“Indeed… This could go on forever. Jin, go ahead first.”

I sighed and placed Jin on the ground. He ran into the office, and I followed him inside.

“Oh, Jin… Senephin!”

“Oh, Velkina. You’re out early today. I went to your dorm, but you weren’t there.”

“I woke up a bit early today! Hehe, thanks for both coming!”

Velkina, looking pleased, picked up Jin and excused herself from the two colleagues who had been talking to her.

“Ah, you’re from the Ancient Documents Interpretation Department…”

“Hello, I’m Senephin Cromwell.”

As soon as they saw me, the people who had been subtly mocking Velkina gave me a half-hearted nod with rather disdainful expressions.

Well… Considering Senephin’s past actions, rumors must have spread, and now that I’m suddenly close to Velkina and Lumins, it’s no surprise that people are talking behind my back.

 

“Did you see it too, Senephin? Velkina danced with His Highness last night, and it was picturesque.”

“Oh, I missed that. I wasn’t feeling well, so I left early. What a shame.”

“Well, with a face as pretty as Velkina’s, it’s no wonder she caught His Highness’s eye. I guess being good-looking is a prerequisite to attracting someone of his stature, huh? Haha.”

They must think I’m on the same page as them, wanting to tear Velkina down.

I noticed Velkina’s expression tighten as if she was holding something back. I had planned to step in calmly and guide her out of the situation, but it seems things aren’t going as smoothly as I’d hoped.

“Ha, do you really think Prince Kalt’s interest was based on appearances alone? It’s far more likely he’s aware of Velkina’s exceptional magical talent.”

While it might seem like he’s focused on her looks, in reality, Prince Kalt is more interested in how he can leverage Velkina’s potential at this stage.

“Pardon?”

“You’ve worked with Velkina, haven’t you? Surely, you’ve noticed her potential. It’s obvious that she outshines everyone else here. Or could it be that your own abilities are too lacking to recognize that?”

“Excuse me?”

“Surely, we don’t have anyone so incompetent in our magical research department.”

I continued, choosing my words to deliberately patronize them.

Their faces turned red with anger. It’s clear as day what’s going on with them, they’re bothered by Velkina’s superior magical talent and try to belittle her by reducing her to just a pretty face, a plaything for the Prince. When I called them out on their lack of skill, they naturally got defensive.

I might be taking out my frustration with the Prince on them, but that’s not my problem. If anything, they should be mad at him, not me.

“It’s funny to hear you say that, Senephin. Wasn’t it you who was secretly tormenting Velkina out of jealousy? Everyone in the department knows about it.”

Oh, so that’s how you want to play this.

“That’s…..!.”

Velkina began to speak, but I cut her off with a broad smile.

“Oh, yes, that’s true. But what does that have to do with you guys?”