Chapter 11
“Sir, to me?”
Why is the male lead trying to impress the villainess? Did he feel grateful because I saved Kanna?
“Yes. Dare I, to you.”
The male lead lowered his gaze. Could he be shy?
No way, this can’t be the ‘I’m just a villainess who wants to live comfortably, why are you doing this to me!’ route, right? Last time we settled on rivals fighting over the heroine. Well, yeah, I decided that on my own…. Thinking about it, it feels unfair? After glaring at me like I was a ghost.
His voice, which seemed unshaken even by a sword to the throat, trembled slightly. This was definitely a flag. My romance-fantasy experience confirmed it.
We’re screwed! I was showing off to escape the villainess role, and now the male lead’s fallen for me. Am I an idiot?
“Idiot. You don’t know your place.”
Right. I should’ve known my place. I underestimated villainess possession stories. But we’ve only met once. Is the male lead just dense? Well, most romance-fantasy characters are pretty dense anyway.
Anyway, disaster. I thought I’d only stolen the heroine’s favor, but I took the male lead’s interest too.
Fine. It’s a romance-fantasy, so I get it. The problem is my two days of all-nighters planning a villainess escape turned to trash. Yeah. What’s the point of my careful plans? Becoming the heroine is the fastest, surest way.
But I have zero interest in dating the male lead? He’s a paper doll; I’m real.
“I have no interest in you.”
Oh no. In my rush to shake him off, I blurted ‘I’m not interested in you.’ I’m such an idiot! My subconscious must want the romance-fantasy route. Once a flag’s raised, pushing him away will make him cling harder.
“Yes. I assumed Lady has no interest in humans.”
The male lead replied as if it were obvious. What’s this reaction? Shouldn’t he snap, ‘You dare say you’re not interested in me?’ And ‘interest in humans’ sounds weird.
But the weirdest is he has zero lingering feelings despite my rejection. Wasn’t he into me? Did I misread? But he’d get roasted in comments for letting it go so easily—‘You’re missing the cues!’
“It doesn’t matter. I’m just curious about you.”
See! I knew it! Don’t underestimate my romance-fantasy veteran status!
The male lead said those cringy lines without flinching, like sugar water ran in his veins instead of blood. It gave me chills just hearing it. Of course, Evangeline’s body had romance-fantasy blood too, so even overly sweet lines didn’t faze me much.
Romance-fantasies are scary. Trembling inwardly, he pivoted like he’d read my mind, continuing with more details on the drawing.
Looking at the moth drawing again calmed my nerves.
“This circle. We didn’t notice until clearing the body, but it was more like a pattern than a halo.”
The male lead pointed to the crumpled line like moth antennae and pulled out another paper. Broken, so why’s it a circle?
Then I gasped at the new paper.
‘Crazy, what’s this! It’s the Summoning Circle Donau stole from me!’
I thought it burned with the house!
Tears of joy at the reunion. But something felt off on closer look. No footnotes below, and the paper looked brand new….
“This is the pattern. I copied it, then burned the floor one.”
Ah. He drew this too.
Wait. You drew this? You copied it perfectly, so why’s the other one a moth? Art major?
Calming my excitement, I focused. His drawing skills weren’t the point.
So this isn’t my paper—it’s his copy of what Donau drew on the floor. Original burned. Guess I’ll never read the incantation. I’d let go thinking it was gone, but just the drawing returning left me hollow. Farewell, Spirit King….
“By chance, does the painter’s drawing of Donau’s body show this pattern clearly?”
“Same, except the part covered by the body.”
Damn, spreading my isekai cheat key without permission. Irritated at the unknown painter, I cooled off. With part obscured and my own failure, I couldn’t summon without the incantation anyway.
Seemed that was all he had to say. Now he just stared at my mouth, waiting for my story.
Pondering his annoyingly handsome face and the Summoning Circle, I decided to spill. Not because of his looks, obviously.
“I went after Donau not because Kanna was kidnapped. Because she ran off with my drawing.”
“This?”
“Yes.”
“Lady.”
Hena called worriedly. Don’t worry! I’ll package it nicely.
Need that paper back too. No gain fighting the male lead. He says he’s on my side—might as well trust him.
Given the situation, he seems smitten, so he won’t screw me over. Actually makes him more trustworthy.
“Could you explain what this pattern is?”
“It’s a Summoning Circle.”
“What does it summon?”
“Well….”
Of course, I couldn’t outright say spirits, so vaguely…. Not fire spirit—what then?
What do isekai romance-fantasy folks believe? Sun god Rahel? Near holy kingdom level. No choice—go with that.
“Looks like it summons an angel or something.”
The male lead stared long, then slowly nodded.
He actually believes? Doesn’t buy Donau’s blessing but accepts angel summoning? Just because someone he likes says it?
Isekai romance-fantasy male lead for real?
***
She was exceptionally pale. With eyes closed, you’d believe she was a statue. That pallor played no small part in making Evangeline Rohanson seem alien, beyond mortal realms.
Her series of motions—lifting the teacup from the table, sipping—seemed natural at a glance, yet staged somehow.
“…I want to help you.”
As Gabriel finished speaking.
Evangeline Rohanson, languidly savoring the tea’s aroma, set her cup down. Echoing her mood, it clinked harshly against the saucer without care. The tea rippled as if to spill, then settled.
As the surface stilled, silence fell.
All around seemed to hush, watching Evangeline Rohanson. Birds halted mid-flight and plummeted; petals refused the wind, refurling into buds.
The grand orchestra ceased; only heartbeats remained in the world.
“Sir. To me?”
Evangeline echoed as if he’d said the world’s dumbest thing.
At her voice, held breaths burst forth in a cacophony.
The clock resumed ticking out of sync with heartbeats. Its second hand dragged. Gabriel realized soon it wasn’t slow—the heart racing was his.
“Yes. Dare I, to you.”
Words barely emerged. Each one left him breathless.
“Idiot. You don’t know your place.”
Evangeline Rohanson sighed.
The indoor lights couldn’t flicker, yet shadows shifted, her darkness pooling over Gabriel.
“I have no interest in you.”
Indifferent eyes flared anger; red lips twisted in contempt. Honorifics vanished, revealing disdain for humans.
Gabriel affirmed it.
Do humans care for ant swarms in the garden? Not crushing them on a whim was mercy deserving thanks. Even squashing them unaware incurs no sin.
Evangeline raged at a worthless ant invading her home.
“I’m just curious about you.”
Even negative, drawing emotion from Evangeline Rohanson was encouraging. Like barren deadwood blooming impossibly.
Her anger resonated; the table shook, teacup rattling. As if to collapse, then it stopped.
Evangeline sipped tea again, as if never fierce. Yet her gaze stayed on Gabriel.
Good—she’d keep the Evangeline facade. As she calmed, the near-fainting maid beside sighed in relief.
Gabriel continued explaining.
***
Gabriel eyed Rohanson Mansion. Gloomy despite midday, unfit for afternoon. Many servants, yet eerily silent, lifeless.
Only cherry blossoms bloomed vividly red in the garden corner. Gabriel quietly watched rags fluttering from branches, pale dangling feet.
“Commander, you’re late?”
Raphaella, waiting by the carriage outside, greeted him. Glancing at the tree, she added,
“Big tree. Do cherry trees grow that huge?”
As she said, unusually thriving—whatever fertilizer used.
By the time Gabriel looked again, the doll on the tree was gone. Hallucination from drooping petals?
