I Became the Secret Mastermind in a Romance Fantasy Novel

[The Villainess Turns Back Time Again Today]

Commonly known as Akshidole.

When I first started reading this novel, I thought it was just a simple romance fantasy.

A modern woman reincarnates as a villainess, changing the people around her to avoid the bad ending that awaits her—a really common villainess story.

However, this story has two key differences from typical romance fantasy villainess tales.

First, the protagonist knows almost nothing about the original story.

At most, she knows that the villainess she has possessed gets executed, thanks to some details from a friend who read the novel.

Second, the protagonist possesses a cheating ability of infinite regression.

A save point is randomly created, and if she desires or dies, she can return to that point.

At first glance, one might think the protagonist is a overpowered troublemaker..

“More like a tragic story.”

Before reincarnating, the villainess was already marked for death and would do anything to survive. In the process, dying or being tortured was just part of her daily life.

Now that I think about it, I wonder what kind of grudge the author had to put the protagonist through such torment.

Knock, knock.

As I was lost in thought, a knock sounded at the office door.

“Come in.”

The door slowly opened, revealing an old man in butler attire.

With snowy white hair and a face full of wrinkles, he looked frail at first glance, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk.

His name was Allen. He had been serving the House of Hardenberg since I was a child.

“What brings you here?”

“Well…”

“Whatever it is, just say it.”

At my words, Allen hesitated for a moment but slowly began to speak.

“The Countess Este has arrived.”

“…Oh?”

Is it already that part of the story?

No, I guess it’s not strange; I reincarnated as the male lead almost 20 years ago, so it can’t be considered too early. As I pondered, Allen continued.

“What shall we do?”

“Tell her to wait until I finish my work.”

“Understood, Duke Hardenberg.”

Allen bowed and left the room. As I watched him go, I turned my gaze to the documents on my desk.

‘So many.’

In the past, dealing with a single document was a significant hassle.

Back then, I was just a seven-year-old kid, yet my father used to lock me in my room for two days without food as an excuse to teach me.

Thinking back now, it’s a seriously nauseating memory. No matter how much I was born after my mother died, how could a parent abuse their child like that?

Not only that, he didn’t stop at mere confinement; he also beat me to the point of death under the guise of training.

The sensation of facing death at that time is something I can never forget.

“Ugh..”

If I hadn’t had the memories of my past life, I might have gone insane. The original Duke Hardenberg himself felt like a yandere whose mind was broken.

Honestly, I can’t say for sure that I’m not mentally unstable now. Most people with mental illness don’t even realize it.

‘Am I overthinking?’

I guess I was feeling overly sentimental as that part of the original approached.

I stopped my useless thoughts and processed all the documents before finally leaning back in my chair.

I sighed into the somewhat stiff backrest, stopping my lean. The chair I used in my past life had been at least more comfortable than this one.

No matter how luxurious a chair is, it doesn’t measure up to my standards. Just as I was thinking this, I sensed a presence at the office door.

Knock, knock.

A comedic smile crept onto my face as the knock coincided with my finishing work. Could it be that Allen calculated my finishing time? Truly an outstanding butler.

“Come in if you wish.”

Allen opened the door and entered.

“Are you finished?”

“Yes. Where is Countess Este?”

“She is in the reception room.”

“Tell her to come in.”

“Understood.”

Allen bowed toward me and then left the office.

‘Is it time for that part now?’

This is the scene where the protagonist, after experiencing all sorts of tragic developments, goes to meet the Duke Hardenberg, who was mentioned in the story as the main antagonist.

In the original story, the infamous villainess from high society becomes the subject of intrigue for Duke Hardenberg, who grants her an audience with him.

Through various returns, the protagonist manages to pull Duke Hardenberg’s interest using information gained through her regressions and the peculiarity of her family, eventually succeeding in a marriage contract with him.

A classic cliché from common romance fantasy novels.

From this point on, the protagonist began to make her mark, and the story transitioned into an empowering narrative mixed with romance.

Of course, it was short-lived, and soon after, the tragic developments began anew.

The sudden shift brought a flurry of reader complaints occupying the comment section, but the author ignored them and pressed on with the tragic developments.

‘..I guess it’s annoying, huh?’

Despite being a tragic story, the writing is surprisingly good, so I ended up finishing the work. Looking back now, enduring the tragedy of that story and seeing it through to the end was a significant move.

If not, I might have ended up like the original story as well.

Knock, knock.

“The Countess Este has arrived.”

‘..Is this the actual beginning?’

As that thought crossed my mind, I spoke.

“Tell her to come in.”

*

‘..How many times has it been now?’

I can hardly remember anymore. No matter how many times I regress and try different actions, my ending never changes.

Even if I become close to the protagonist, I get trampled in some way by the protagonist’s follower or the Crown Prince.

And if I approach one of the other male leads in the original, all I receive are disdainful glances.

Noble society is surprisingly cruel; once a villainess loses favor in the social sphere, they don’t even get the chance to stand back up again.

Even if that villainess happens to be the daughter of a count.

In the end, after countless regressions, all that remained for me was just enough magical ability to protect my own body.

Assassinations are just routine; poisons and even kidnappings have happened to me. I only worked on improving my magic skills to fend off those incidents.

No matter how much I desire to regress, if my save points are set at strange times, it would be hopeless.

“The Countess Este. The Duke has instructed that you wait until he finishes his work.”

“Understood.”

Normally, it might be seen as rude even within noble circles. However, the other party is a Duke, while I’m merely a count’s daughter.

Besides, since I didn’t announce my visit in advance, I had no grounds to complain about rudeness.

‘By the way, it’s rather grand.’

Is this truly the House of a Duke?

The chandelier crafted from silver and the luxurious wallpaper. And magical enhancements make the chairs rather fluffy.

Though they aren’t as comfy as modern chairs, I’m grateful for this level of comfort.

Portraits of the heads of the House of Hardenberg hung on the walls. My gaze was drawn to the portrait hanging on the far right.

Ashen hair, gray eyes, a scarred face, and a flamboyant outfit.

No doubt about it.

It was the image of Abel Hardenberg, the character from the original who became the main antagonist and successfully cornered the protagonist.

‘..And I’m going to make a deal with him.’

It feels like stepping into a tiger’s den. Despite having regression abilities and the information he needs, he is undoubtedly not an easy opponent.

Swallowing hard and feeling nervous, the old butler approached me to speak.

“Please follow me. The Duke’s work will be finishing soon.”

At his words, I steadied my ragged breath and slowly stood up. The old butler began walking towards the office where he was.

Though the extravagant hallway greeted me, my focus was elsewhere.

I couldn’t help but feel anxious, thinking that he might be the only key to changing my bad ending.

How long did we walk? The old butler stopped before an elegant wooden door and raised his hand slowly to knock.

Knock, knock.

“The Countess Este has arrived.”

Despite the butler’s announcement, no sound came from the office.

Could it be that he left the office to toy with me? Given my reputation as a villainess, it wouldn’t be too surprising.

As ominous thoughts crept in, a voice finally came from the office.

“Let her in.”

The door opened, and I stepped slowly into the office.

What greeted my eyes were antique wooden furniture and a man sitting at a desk in the center.

Ashen hair, gray eyes, an appearance so sharply beautiful it seems almost otherworldly.

For a moment, I found myself staring blankly at his remarkably handsome face, far exceeding the one painted in the portrait.

“..What’s going on?”

With a slightly annoyed tone, Abel spoke, snapping me back to reality.

“I apologize for my rudeness. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Hardenberg.”

“Well, it’s fine. I wasn’t particularly looking to reprimand you, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you for your generosity.”

“So, what is your business?”

‘Now it begins.’

From here on out, I need to somehow win him over to my side. For that, I’m prepared to use my regression ability hundreds of times if necessary.

---