There is no villain without a backstory.
For anyone who has often devoured web novels, this can sound like a good thing depending on how you hear it, or like a tired cliché depending on how you hear it.
A villain's backstory is always long-winded.
It may make watching readers sigh, lamenting that the story is just giving the character a spin cycle or whatnot, but—
Conversely, for those whom that backstory touches,
At times, it is used as a tool to evoke sympathy, making them wonder what might have been if that villain had walked the right path.
And I was mostly the latter.
"...Huh?"
And the day I realized such a villain was by my side
was the day I ascended to the realm known as the 7th Circle at the age of twenty-two.
"The Beloved Young Lady."
It was the name of this world into which I had been newly born, and the title of the romance fantasy novel I had once enjoyed the most.
And as anyone who has read a romance fantasy would know,
Within this world, there existed what is commonly called a villainess.
'Liliet Argente.'
My niece, since I am Vaal Argente, and
a character who appeared as the first villain in the original story.
Liliet was a character who tormented the female protagonist, Tiana, blocked her path, and simultaneously served as a stepping stone to deepen the bond between her and the male protagonist, Leon Cardia.
'She was honestly my favorite character.'
Though she was a villain, she was also the character I liked the most.
Because Liliet had a pitiable backstory.
First, I should explain Liliet's background.
Liliet was born the youngest child of the Argente Ducal House, a renowned swordsmanship family even within the Empire.
But tragically, her mother passed away while giving birth to her.
Falling into despair over the loss of his beloved wife, her relationship with her father, Edmund Argente, soured, and her life began to twist from there.
After that, due to various interests at play, a stepmother who had remarried her father began tormenting her behind the scenes.
Even her brother Abel, only two years older and exceptional in swordsmanship—
—was not a good person by nature, and far from protecting his younger sister, he was busy tormenting her alongside the others.
That was how she came to be starved of affection.
Shortly after enrolling in the Academy, she met the protagonist, Leon, and confessed her feelings to him.
But Leon already had a lover named Tiana, so he rejected her.
In the end, the story goes that Liliet, having fallen into darkness because of this, tried to tear the two apart and even attempted to devour her own household, ultimately meeting her death.
'I really cried when she died.'
They say there are no evil people in this world without reason, but
even taking that into account, Liliet's story was truly incomparably tragic.
If you only looked at the occasional glimpses she showed to the male protagonist she liked, Leon Cardia, she clearly wasn't such a bad child.
She simply didn't know how to express love because she had never received it.
And it was largely because she had been awkward when she first met someone who treated her normally.
What if she had grown up under proper parents?
What if there had been someone to protect her a little more?
What if even a single person had stood by her until the end, believing in her?
She was the first character who made me think such thoughts.
That was why what I chose—
"Shall I go meet her once?"
—was to guide Liliet, who had now become my niece, onto the right path.
***
The main house's mansion, which I had returned to after a long time, was still uselessly large.
To the point where I thought, no wonder I used to get lost here as a child.
"Young Master! You've returned. I heard the news. Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Derek. But more importantly, is your son growing up well?"
I asked about his family as if it were nothing, but the face of Derek, the guard, twisted strangely.
Ah.
Right, this wasn't my original personality.
I had acted thoughtlessly not as Vaal Argente, but as I did when I was Yu Sin-u.
But well, what can you do.
Starting today, I had no choice but to bid farewell to the gloomy second son of the Ducal House, who had zero interest in others and spent his days with his nose buried in books.
"Y-yes! He is growing up healthily. He can even speak to some extent now."
"That's good. Then, could you guide me inside?"
Wanting to avoid his gaze sweeping over me with a strange look, I entered without dragging out the small talk any longer.
Had it been about two years since I returned to the main house?
I had left home immediately after coming of age, after all.
There wasn't much that had changed in the meantime.
By the way, even I think I have no patience.
To think that the moment I remembered this place was inside the world of "The Beloved Young Lady," I came to meet Liliet.
This was a level of action comparable to roasting beans with a bolt of lightning.
Was this why, when I read web novels, I always found the protagonists' actions frustrating?
Saying they were anxious about how the future would turn out because of their actions.
Seeing them ramble on with nonsense about not wanting to get involved in the main characters' stories, when there was no chance of that happening, made me want to punch them more than once.
'I just don't have the patience for that.'
Of course, I don't necessarily want to deliberately get involved in the stories of main-tier characters that will unfold in the future.
Rather, I too am probably closer to a bystander.
But I wasn't so patient as to sit idly by and watch even the unsavory developments that would occur in the process.
"It's been a while. Vaal. For you to return to the main house—the sun must be rising in the west tomorrow."
My older brother, Edmund Argente, whom I encountered in the drawing room, welcomed me with a rather gentle smile.
Given the considerable age gap between us,
Since childhood, the distance between us had been strangely distant, yet close.
The dark circles under his eyes showed that his depression and insomnia were still going strong.
How many years has it been since my sister-in-law passed?
It had already been a solid ten years; at this point, I wonder if it's not love but an illness.
Of course, the grief of losing someone you love is not something I can dare to measure.
In a sense, he could be seen as a romantic.
But no matter how you look at it, hasn't he crossed the line?
Those who are meant to leave have left; those who must live should go on living.
He inherited the household long ago, yet what is he trying to pull acting like this?
"Yes, it has been a while, Brother. Have you been well?"
"Well, same as always. But I heard the news. You've already reached the 7th Circle? Father must be rejoicing in heaven."
"I hope so."
My father, Victor Argente, was a typical martial artist and loyal subject.
He lived madly for swordsmanship and was loyal to the Empire above all others.
That was why he was not particularly pleased with my existence.
Because I was the black sheep of the Argente Ducal House, called the Empire's Sword.
I had not an ounce of talent for swordsmanship—
—nor had I ever shown any great loyalty to the Empire.
I simply lived madly devoted to magic.
That's right.
If Father lived madly for swordsmanship, and my older brother lived madly for love,
Then I was a maniac who lived madly for magic.
For three men in a row to be lunatics—perhaps the Ducal House has seen better days.
"So what brings you here today?"
"I came to see your face after a long while, and also to meet my niece."
"Niece? Do you mean Abel?"
Abel was the first son's name.
His personality was trash, but at least he knew when to keep up appearances, so to speak.
Despite being only twelve, he was the type to always smile amiably in front of me.
If my past life's memories hadn't returned, perhaps even the current me would have thought of him as just a socially adept little kid.
That was how good he was at handling himself.
Not to mention his swordsmanship.
In the original story, there was a time when he was even called the next Empire's greatest swordsman.
He must have been the one and only consolation for Edmund, who had fallen into despair.
"No. Besides Abel, isn't there one more child?"
At my question, Edmund frowned before returning to his original expression.
An attitude as if he were rummaging through a fading memory.
"One more child, you say? Surely you don't mean Liliet?"
"Yes."
"What business could you possibly have with that child?"
"An uncle wanting to see his niece's face—what reason does one need? So, where is the child now?"
"I suppose she would be in her room."
There wasn't even a tone of inference.
It was a statement that said he neither knew nor cared where she was.
Right, this was the kind of man he was.
This bastard who is my older brother.
He didn't particularly hate Liliet.
To be exact, he was indifferent.
He didn't spare her a glance.
When his most beloved wife passed away, and he found the cause within his own flesh and blood—
—Edmund Argente had fallen into ruin.
Anyway, her room, was it?
Then shall I go meet her directly?
"Is that so? Excuse me."
I stood up before the tea had even cooled.
I feel like Guan Yu.
"My good man, it's been a while."
"Oh my, Young Master. What brings you here?"
I raised my hand in greeting to the middle-aged man who had appeared while crossing the hallway.
Gilbert.
He was the steward of our household and a loyal figure who had served the family since my father Victor's time.
That said, he was not exactly a kind person.
Because he was also one of the bystanders who let Liliet fall into such a state.
Tch, thinking of that left a bitter taste in my mouth.
He was originally the person I conversed with most pleasantly upon returning to the main house.
But today, I didn't particularly want to look at his face for long.
"I came to see my niece for a moment. Is Liliet in her room?"
"Did you say...Miss Liliet?"
"Yes."
Gilbert's eyes widened slightly—
—and he stepped aside to clear the path, bowing at the waist.
"She is studying in her room. Allow me to escort you."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yes."
I quietly followed behind Gilbert, having to walk quite a long while.
A room located in a rather secluded corner even on the second floor.
A room that seemed as though someone had deliberately cast it aside, distancing it from outside contact.
That was Liliet's room.
Come to think of it, I had met Liliet a few times, but—
this was my first time coming to her room.
So this was where she had always spent her time, alone.
"Here it is."
"It's quite far away."
"..."
Realizing the implication of my words, Gilbert avoided my gaze in silence.
He then approached the door and carefully attempted to knock.
"Miss Liliet. Lord Vaal has come to visit you."
"—My uncle...?"
"Yes."
"O-okay. It's fine. Please tell him he may enter."
Perhaps surprised by the news that her estranged uncle, who had never visited even the household let alone herself, had suddenly come to her—
—the voice from the other side was filled with bewilderment.
Creak.
Soon, the door opened with a grating sound.
It seemed they hadn't even bothered to oil it properly; a truly unpleasant sound.
As the scenery of the room came into view, the first thought that entered my head was concise.
'How dreary.'
Was this truly a room fit for a little girl in her early teens?
Why were there no decorations in the room?
Was it an attempt to at least give the impression she wasn't being neglected?
Or perhaps because they were using fine furniture befitting the Argente family name, but the wooden furniture such as the bed and wardrobe were quite luxurious.
Perhaps because of that, the sense of disconnect felt even greater.
"U-uncle. It's been a while."
Soon, a girl who had quietly risen from within the dreary room approached me and gently bowed at the waist in greeting.
Unlike my ashy gray hair that hung awkwardly, her silver hair was lustrous and brightly shining.
And the lake-like blue eyes that resembled her mother's.
Though her attitude was precocious and polite beyond her years—
—she couldn't hide the faint ripples that had formed in those lake-like eyes.
Surely, the existence of an uncle reunited with her after so long must be difficult for her.
The way she clenched her tiny hands tightly and tried so hard not to reveal her emotions was precariously fragile.
"Yes, it's been a while, Niece. Have you been well?"
To reassure such a Liliet, I showed her the warmest smile I could possibly muster.