The Villainesses in the Romance Fantasy Novel Became Obsessed with me

Bang!

The sound of the closing door echoed as Damian disappeared into the art studio.

What on earth just happened?

Charlotte stood still in front of the firmly shut studio door.

“What? What just happened right before my eyes?”

Damian, who had been hesitating at the door, was dragged in by a girl.

Blonde hair, green eyes—the topper of the art department.

Charlotte knew exactly who she was.

“Verdium Nadia. She was a candidate for the top talents.”

According to her informant, Nadia was a seriously disturbed artist, often referred to as an eccentric.

Charlotte quickly lost interest in her. Especially since she was rumored to be involved in subversive activities against the empire.

It wasn’t worth the risk to bring her to the Orsia Kingdom.

“… But why did Nadia drag Damian into her studio? It’s suspicious.”

‘Could it be that my talent is being harmed?’

‘I hope he doesn’t fall for that girl.’

‘Moreover, this is the infamous ‘studio’ that students talk about.’

‘It’s perfectly reasonable for me to check on this.’

‘Artists… When their work isn’t going well… They say they relieve stress by… doing those things…’

Gulp.

“This is all to protect my talent.”

Charlotte stared intently at the studio door.

Then, to minimize noise, she knelt down and gently pressed her ear against the door.

It was an unbecoming act for a princess of the kingdom.

“…”

At that moment, faint whispers came from beyond the soundproof door.

‘It’s hard to hear because of the soundproofing.’

But still, some sounds leaked out.

Princesses of Orsia were trained to have exceptional hearing to extract information from other countries.

Charlotte began to listen closely to the conversation in the secluded space.

– Do you really have to do this?

What did they do to elicit such a response?

– Yes, I’m going to do it my way. I decided that from the beginning.

– But I wanted to have a conversation. This kind of conversation makes me uncomfortable.

What kind of conversation was this?

Could it be…

‘A conversation of the body…?’

The rumors surrounding the studio and the academy’s traditions, combined with Nadia and Damian’s conversation.

Since the information Charlotte learned in the kingdom leaned in that direction, her mind quickly went there.

She pulled her ear away from the door, her face flushed as red as her hair.

“This is… quite shocking. I didn’t expect the talent I had my eye on to do this.”

Yet now, Charlotte thought she had caught a glimpse of Damian’s hidden face.

“Damian clearly likes women. A lot.”

There were women constantly around him, and he had deep relationships with them.

‘Damian and Father… Men do love women, after all.’

Although she failed last time, discovering his preference for women meant there was still a chance.

Charlotte left the art department building, determined.

‘I need to be more seductive. My previous failure was due to my lack of allure.’

She decided to become even more beautiful and to improve her appearance.

‘But thinking that Damian is like Father in his love for women is…’

Suddenly, she felt a bit of aversion towards Damian.

“If he would only look at me and no one else… I wouldn’t want him to have many women like Father.”

Charlotte murmured regretfully but soon shook her head and steeled her resolve.

“No, I’ll make him look only at me. If I make him do that, it will be enough. The old me who relied on others is gone.”

‘The world is for me alone. I must take care of my own life. I am the princess of Orsia.’

“Even if I have to trample on others…”

Thus, Charlotte…

Wearing a mask that didn’t suit her, she walked towards the dormitory.

She rationalized it as something unavoidable, yet she felt as if a thorn was lodged in her heart, causing discomfort.

A bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

***

“Do we really have to do this?”

Nadia put down her brush and nodded.

“Yes, I’m going to do it my way. I decided that from the beginning.”

“I wanted to have a conversation. This kind of conversation makes me uncomfortable.”

A conversation masked with the intention to know each other. However, in reality, it was to hide myself.

Nadia stood me up and deconstructed my appearance bit by bit, using me as a model for a portrait.

As she captured my image on the canvas, she murmured,

“White hair suits you much better than brown. Unusual eyes deserve unusual hair.”

“The white hair is a Sinclair Family trait. It’s unusual. But my eyes aren’t that special. They’re actually quite common. I inherited my blue eyes

from my mother.”

“Really? I don’t think so. Damian, your eyes aren’t common. They’re different from others.”

Nadia stared at my eyes for a while before returning her gaze to the canvas.

“Even if the white hair is distinctive, there were many blue eyes in the Veridium Territory. After you left, I checked all the people with blue eyes.”

“… You called all of them to the estate?”

“Yes. I gathered everyone with blue eyes in the territory. Then, I checked them one by one to see if anyone had the same eyes as you.”

That was a bit creepy.

Despite my unease, Nadia continued.

“Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone who resembled you. But there was a discovery.”

“What discovery?”

“That your eyes are more special than others’. Though many have blue eyes, no one else has the same clear blue as yours, Damian. That’s why I’m certain you’re Damian.”

“… That’s an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

Swish! Swish!

Nadia ignored my words and continued painting on the canvas.

It appeared she had decided to ignore my denials.

Unless there was undeniable evidence right in front of her, her firm belief wouldn’t waver.

“It’s done. Take a look, Damian.”

Swish!

Nadia turned the canvas to show me the portrait.

The painting was slightly better than my actual appearance.

White hair, blue eyes—it was the face that had been sitting in the chair just moments ago.

I gave a small, appreciative evaluation.

“You drew it well.”

“That’s it?”

“… You drew it exceptionally well?”

“Are you saying my drawing is just ‘exceptionally well’?”

Nadia frowned.

She was clearly displeased with my short response, her pride wounded.

Sensing a threat to my life, I timidly shook my head.

“No. I see my face every day, so seeing a face exactly like mine leaves me no choice.”

“I see. So, you’re saying my drawing looks just like you?”

“Yes.”

With my answer, her anger melted away.

Nadia relaxed her frown and gave a faint smile. It appeared that, both now and in the past, she always felt happiness when her art was acknowledged.

‘But still…’

There was one thing that made me curious.

‘Does Nadia like me more? Or does she like her paintings more?’

If she had to choose between the two, which would she pick?

‘If she chooses her paintings, wouldn’t that mean she doesn’t need me?’

Art held a significant place in Nadia’s life.

This implied that art therapy could play a crucial role in her transformation.

Observing her condition, art therapy might be integrated as well.

Hence, I decided to ask. A casual question marked with a heavy underlying meaning.

“Nadia.”

“Yes, why are you calling me, Damian?”

“If you had to choose between the man in the painting and the painting itself, what would you choose?”

Without hesitation, Nadia answered.

“Both.”

“… That’s too greedy. You have to pick one.”

“Then, Damian.”

“Damian. Can I ask why?”

Nadia pondered for a moment before answering expressionlessly.

“A painting can never be Damian. But Damian can become a painting.”

“… What do you mean by that?”

“The difference between what’s real and what’s framed. That’s what I mean.”

“…”

Her words were strange, typical of an eccentric artist.

Yet, I understood her intention.

I didn’t even want to imagine that scenario.

‘To truly understand Nadia’s psychology, I need to consider art therapy next time.’

No matter how positively I tried to view Nadia’s mindset…

‘Her way of thinking is one that could drive me to death. She seems like the type who would tear off a bird’s wings to capture it.’

There were three months left.

If I failed, I would undoubtedly become a preserved genius.

***

“Good job today!”

“Th-thank you…! Good job…!”

Just like any other day, Yuri left the training grounds after finishing her class.

She quickly walked towards the locker room to wash off the sweat.

Seeing this, a female student from the swordsmanship department asked, “Why do you bother washing up when the next class is also practical training, Yuri?”

Yuri replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well, I might run into Damian anytime… I can’t meet him all sweaty…!”

“… Is he your boyfriend?”

“N-no! He’s my best friend…! If I call him my boyfriend… Damian might hate it, so don’t say that…!”

“O-okay. Got it. I won’t say it.”

Witnessing Yuri’s intense obsession, the female student quickly left.

Despite her quiet appearance, Yuri was mentally more aggressive than anyone else in the swordsmanship department.

“Since I have some time… I should wash up quickly and go see Damian…”

Her love was blind, hidden in the form of friendship.

Her whole world revolved around Damian.

“Damian’s class is… a major this time… the classroom is on the second floor, so I can get there quickly…”

With that, she washed off the sweat and prepared to change into her uniform.

But when she opened the locker room door, Yuri was left in despair.

“Huh…? I definitely put my training clothes somewhere else…”

Why?

‘Why are my training clothes mixed with my uniform?’

Yuri was puzzled and sniffed her uniform.

Sniff! Sniff!

“… Because it’s in a confined space, it smells like sweat.”

‘This way, I can’t be close to Damian.’

‘We don’t have much time together since we’re in different departments…’

“Who put these clothes here…?”

Clenching her training clothes tightly, Yuri felt anger rise.

“Someone is definitely trying to come between Damian and me…”

At that moment, a face she despised came to mind. The face of someone who had looked down on her.

“Bluebell.”

There was no proof, but Yuri instinctively knew.

No one else would bother her like this except that girl.

It was a woman’s intuition.

“That girl… Her gaze towards Damian was impure… She’s trying to interfere like this…?”

‘In that case, I won’t hold back.’

Recalling past memories, remembering how Damian was severely injured because she held back, Yuri gripped her training clothes with a blank look and muttered.

“To protect my best friend Damian… I won’t hold back anymore… It’s natural to protect a friend.”

Her paranoia was almost delusional.

Regardless of the truth, one thing was clear.

“I will protect Damian… from that awful Bluebell… I hate her…! I hope Damian hates her too…!”

‘Because we’re friends. We’re friends who understand each other.’

“Right…? Damian…? We’re friends, right…?”

Muttering to herself in the locker room, Yuri’s appearance gave some students a slight sense of fear.

‘She’s much creepier than she looks…’