I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead-Chapter 13: A Duel

Original P.O.V

Beatrice flinched at the sudden shift in Verena's tone, her stubborn excitement dimming into hesitation. She quickly pulled her hand back, afraid that she had probably and unknowingly overstepped.

She only wanted to be friendly. And, in her perspective, who wouldn't want to study the Conduitor of the Lost Zodiac? This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But, as usual, her enthusiasm had gotten ahead of her tact.

"I-I'm sorry..." she mumbled, eyes darting away.

Verena exhaled, forcing a smile. "It's fine," she said smoothly, even though she was still mentally processing. As much as she wanted to push Beatrice away, she was now tied to the heroines. That meant no escape.

"Hold on. Just a moment."

Instantly, Beatrice perked up, smiling widely.

Too easily appeased, this one.

[SYSTEM WARNING!]

[Alert: Sudden Shift In Evelyn's Personality]

[Warning: Death Flag Is Looming In The Air]

Huh?!

Crap. This was bad. Really bad. She suddenly remembered that Evelyn was dangerously co-dependent in the novel.

Desperate for companionship, yet unable to find it anywhere except the two male leads. If her affection dropped now, that meant...

Verena took a step forward. "Evelyn—"

Too late.

Norvan was already there, his gentle, oh-so-innocent smile in place as he smoothly took Evelyn's hand.

"What did you do to Evelyn?"

Like clockwork, Evelyn lowered her head, her movements automatic. She didn't protest. She didn't resist. Just followed.

She had forgotten how their "friendship" worked. Toxic. One-sided.

The classic case of a childhood friend who never learned to let go.

"I didn't do anything."

"Oh? Am I wrong? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're just mad that Raphael was giving Evelyn attention instead of fawning over you."

"Oh, wow. That's rich. You really think I care about that disaster of a man?"

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"I think you care about looking better than him. And Raphael's little 'mistake' gave you the perfect opportunity to swoop in and play hero. What was it you said? Something about respecting women? You're really acting almighty lately. Must be nice, being a Conduitor and all."

"Ah, I see. This is projection," Verena chuckled. "And where did you hear that, anyway? Were you stalking in the corner or Raphael was whining about it?"

Oh my god, I really need to shut up.

Seriously, what was she thinking?

She wasn't at that level yet and didn't even know the full extent of what she could do.

Picking a fight with Norvan right now was like bringing a wooden spoon to a sword fight. And worst of all, Evelyn looked really uncomfortable.

From behind, Beatrice was just... awkwardly standing there, probably wondering if she should intervene or pretend she didn't exist.

Inhale. Exhale. Swallow the ego.

"I'm sorry, I..." she trailed off, forcing her voice to stay even. "See you tomorrow, Evelyn."

And then, before she could make things even worse, she turned on her heel and walked away—quickly.

The next the day, the first official day of the academy had barely begun, and already, Verena felt like she was walking into a courtroom where she was both the defendant and the crime itself.

The stares? Expected.

The whispers? Predictable.

The overwhelming sense of oppression from the sheer weight of their judgmental murmurs? A little excessive, honestly.

She could practically hear them: "That's her... the shameless one..."

"Does she really think she belongs here?"

Whoosh—!

Something small sailed past her shoulder.

...Did someone just try to throw something at me?

When she looked down, she expected a rock, maybe some crumpled note filled with nasty insults.

Instead, it was just a plain piece of paper until a shadow loomed over her.

Verena barely had time to process before a familiar, ice-cold voice spoke.

"You disappoint me."

She snapped her head up, right into Anastasia's unyielding, razor-sharp gaze.

"What?"

No preamble. No explanation. Just pure, unfiltered judgment radiating off the woman like a second aura.

In one smooth motion, Anastasia removed a glove and threw it at her.

A hush fell over the courtyard.

"A duel. You and me."

Oh. Oh, great.

Because clearly, the universe had decided that navigating a social minefield wasn't enough stress for one morning. No, why not throw in a public fight with her idol?

The stares. The whispers. The weight of every single judgmental thought pressing against her skin. It was somehow even worse than yesterday.

What the hell happened while she was gone? Was this what the system meant when it said her death flags had increased?

No, there had to be another variable.

"If I win, you leave the academy. If you win, you get to stay."

"Wait—what? Why are we even doing this?"

Anastasia's gaze hardened. "Don't you get it? Everything you've done has been exposed. The bullying. Evelyn. Every cruel moment you tormented her. The way you've tormented me. Everyone. Everything."

"I—what?!"

"We thought you had changed," Anastasia continued, her voice cold as steel. "But perhaps you truly are the Conduitor of the Erased Zodiac... because you need to be erased."

Okay. What. The. Hell.

She had barely been here for one day. How was she already a public enemy?! Who was writing these rumors, and why were they so good at it?!

What on earth did Verena do that she didn't know about?

"That's impossible... I don't even know what my powers are yet! How can I duel you?" Verena's frustration bubbled up, her hands clenched into fists.

"Oh, I'm sure you know," Anastasia said coolly.

Verena let out a sharp breath. "Then attack me."

Suddenly, everything lurched.

A sickness unlike anything she had ever felt crashed over her, a wave of nausea twisting in her stomach, turning her limbs weak. It was like her entire body had turned against her, her vision blurring at the edges.

But the worst part was that Anastasia's body moved, not of her own will.

Her fingers twitched, then curled, her foot sliding forward like a puppet on invisible strings. A shudder ran through her frame, her breathing turning ragged. For a split second, her eyes widened in horror.

And then, with a growl of pure defiance, Anastasia ripped herself free.

She staggered back, clutching her wrist, her breath uneven as she snapped her gaze to Verena—with fury.

"You...!" Her voice was low, dangerous. "What the hell did you just do to me?"

"...What?"