The Perks of Being a Villainess

When working at the Information Guild, Isidore wore a bracelet enchanted with magic that altered his appearance and voice. Because of this, no one knew that the master of the secret organization was actually the heir of the founding noble family, the Viscontis—no one except Miguel.

"How should I approach them, you ask? Why would I worry about something like that with a face like this?"

Isidore pointed at his handsome face with his finger and asked back with a puzzled expression. Miguel, whose lips had been trembling with the urge to curse at that face, finally lowered his head in reluctant surrender.

"My apologies. I just asked the most useless question in the world."

Though it left a bitter taste, he couldn't deny it. Using that face to charm others was simply cheating.

Isidore was so incredibly handsome that it was hard to describe him in words. More than ten portrait painters had broken down in tears and run away, claiming they couldn't possibly capture his dazzling appearance with just brushes and paint.

And that wasn't all. At parties, ladies fought over him so fiercely—pulling each other's hair—that the strands torn out could probably be used to make hundreds of wigs.

Moreover, he was remarkably tall with overwhelmingly long legs and broad shoulders, possessing both delicate beauty and intense masculine charm at the same time.

Due to Isidore's overwhelming presence that rendered other men practically invisible, Miguel often felt like he was in hiding—even when he wasn't.

"Miguel, that expression is insolent. Got something to say?"

"No, my lord."

"Good. So you should start preparing to enter the academy as well."

At Isidore's veiled threat, once again asking him to be the sidekick, Miguel nodded with a gloomy expression.

"Ah."

Isidore, no longer acting as the Guild Master but now as the heir to the Visconti family, suddenly paused for a moment before putting the bracelet back on.

'I need to revise the color grading and quantity of the diamonds.'

He planned to slowly introduce diamonds of three different colors to the market.

Pink, blue, and green.

Among them, pink would be released in the smallest quantity. But the moment he received Deborah's second request, he swiftly changed his plan.

Casually recalling the violet hair that flowed like the night sky over a crescent-moon-white face, he tapped the table lightly.

"Miguel. I'm going to add one more diamond color. Call the Vice Guild Master."

"What color?"

Resting his chin on one hand, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"A color that resembles lavender."

***

'Time really flies.'

It had already been ten days since I returned from the deal with the Master of Blancha.

Things had been peaceful in the meantime. Duke Seymour had left the capital for a while due to matters in his territory. Belec, who had been pushing for my engagement, seemed to have hit a snag in his research and holed himself up in the Magic Tower, barely coming home.

During that time, I'd been spending my days in the capital's shopping district, supposedly for market research. But in truth, I was just wandering around, playing and indulging myself with my father's credit.

'Desserts like cakes are already a red ocean.'

While eating a cake piled high with custard, I crossed off another item that lacked market competitiveness.

'This alley's too secluded—no foot traffic. Out.'

Sometimes, I'd space out on a terrace like a sloth while observing the flow of people. It was essentially a foodie tour and healing time disguised as market research.

'Nice weather.'

The weather was getting warmer by the day, signaling the arrival of spring. And with it, the Imperial Academy's new semester was right around the corner.

Even here, spring meant school starting.

"Sigh…"

At least the bright side was that I didn't have to obsess over grades like I did in my previous life.

Although the term 'academy' might sound like a prestigious educational institution, the empire's academy prioritized socializing over education. Most noble children received proper education from private tutors, and attended the academy solely for networking.

To understand why the academy turned into a place for socializing rather than studying, we have to go way back into history.

In the early days of the Asteia Empire, local lords had a weak sense of national unity, often causing trouble in regions beyond the imperial family's reach.

The second emperor, in an attempt to control those unruly regional lords and influential nobles, summoned their children to the imperial capital's academy as hostages, instilling in them a sense of belonging to the empire.

The problem is that even though the empire is now stable, the laws created at the time haven't been revised and are still fully enforced. Even now, the sons and daughters of families designated by the imperial court are required to attend the academy.

Still, the academy is generous toward high-ranking nobles—so as long as they meet the attendance requirement, they can graduate. Those from mid-tier families or with little to inherit must pour blood, sweat, and tears into showing results at the academy to get a government position or gain favor from the upper class. But that has nothing to do with me.

More importantly… I started to feel uneasy at the thought that I might soon run into the female lead.

'I hate getting tangled up with people like that.'

Among readers, Miya Binoche had earned the nickname "magnet for lunatics." Of course, the biggest lunatic among them was none other than Deborah.

'In that sense, the Master of Blancha is trustworthy.'

Even though the novel is still ongoing, the Master is one of the few characters who, after over a hundred chapters, has never flirted with Miya—meaning he's far less likely to cause any drama.

'Now that I think about it, I should stop by Maison De.'

Since my attendant was always the one buying desserts, I hadn't gone to Maison De myself. But it's been ten days—so I figured it was time to check on the progress of my request.

I adjusted my hood and stood up. Wearing a corset while going on a foodie tour was far too uncomfortable, so I had been walking around in a hooded robe.

As soon as I arrived at Maison De, I found a seat on the terrace and skimmed through the menu. I let out a dry chuckle when I saw the "Sold Out" sign next to a cake said to be made by a royal pastry chef.

'The Master really has exceptional business acumen.'

After checking out dozens of dessert shops, Maison De was the only one utilizing modern marketing strategies.

'Limited quantity, time-deal marketing.'

Even though they could produce more, they intentionally limit the quantity, and pretend everything is sold out—even when it's not.

People are naturally drawn to rare and hard-to-get items. And nobles, with their inflated sense of entitlement, are even more susceptible. Maison De's success was inevitable—it knew exactly how to play its target market.

'Oh?'

I clicked my tongue, but then my eyes lit up as I scanned the menu again. The very business item I'd been looking for was right here.

Coffee!

However, it didn't seem popular—it was tucked away in the corner of the menu, and there was only one type.

"I'd like this drink, please."

When I pointed at the coffee, the staff immediately looked troubled.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but this drink has a strong bitter flavor and might not suit your palate. It's made from beans imported from a hot region, but it hasn't received much positive feedback, so we're planning to take it off the menu soon."

"That's fine. Bring it with the fresh cream cake."

A little while later, a well-built and handsome waiter came over and placed a cup of coffee and a piece of cake on the table.

'As expected, the Master really knows what he's doing.'

Feeling a bit warm inside, I picked up my fork and reached for the cream cake. Now it was time to balance out the sweetness with a bitter sip of coffee…

'Ugh!'

Why does it taste so bad?

The bitterness was a given, but the aroma was awful too—I nearly spat it out the moment I tasted it.

'Did they roast the beans carelessly? This is a complete disaster.'

With no proper brewing process, it was no better than bitter medicine. The color was jet black too, which must make it seem like poison to people here who are used to transparent tea.

'No wonder it's not popular.'

I put down the nearly worthless coffee and fell into deep thought. I had discovered a potentially revolutionary 21st-century business item, but making it sell wasn't going to be easy.

As if I didn't have enough to think about, my concentration was suddenly disrupted by a group of noble ladies who came and filled the terrace.

'Now that's what you call spring.'

Four noble young ladies in bright pastel dresses sat around a table, ordering cakes and drinks.

"Did you hear that rumor?"

As one of them started in a hushed, secretive tone, I instinctively perked up my ears. No maid in their right mind would dare chatter about high-society gossip in front of me, so I was intrigued.

"What rumor?"

"Charles Orgo is entering the academy this year."

"Oh my, what delightful news."

Whether it was delightful or not, I'd definitely heard of the Orgo family before.

Orgo, like Seymour, was one of the founding noble families of the empire and well-known as a prestigious house of swordsmen. The heir to the Orgo family, Diera, was one of the male leads in the female protagonist Miya's "harem."

Diera Orgo was a naturally gifted warrior—at only nineteen years old, he could already wield aura. Many predicted that in no time, he would rise to the same martial level as the Crown Prince, who was a Sword Master.

"If he enters the academy, do you think we'll be able to catch a glimpse of the knight training from afar?"

The youngest lady among them asked shyly.

"Is there someone you admire among the knights?"

"I just think it would be wonderful to see Lord Diera. I happened to see him during the last Harvest Festival, and he was so dashing."

As expected of one of Miya's many admirers—Diera was clearly popular.

"I'd love to talk to Lord Pilaf even just once. A spirit summoner… that's just so amazing."

"Totally. That fiery red hair of his—it's so cool."

They continued chatting in excited voices.

Talk about high-ranking nobles was always the hottest topic among aristocrats. They were, so to speak, the idols of the noble world.

If commoners admired nobles, then nobles admired high-ranking aristocrats and the imperial family. So when Miya Binoche—the daughter of a fallen noble house—appeared at the academy wearing a pink diamond around her neck and walking alongside Pilaf Montes, the impact was even greater.

'A grand entrance befitting a female lead.'

I nodded as I recalled the beginning of the novel.

"I really wanted to see Lord Belec Seymour, but it's such a shame he already graduated."

"Lord Belec… he's so refined and intelligent, isn't he?"

Refined? Intelligent? Try exchanging even one sentence with that bastard Belec and see what happens.

'They're all fooled by appearances.'

My appetite disappeared instantly, and I put down my fork. But just then, the noble ladies' voices suddenly jumped three octaves.

"Honestly, the person I most want to see is Lord Isidore Visconti!"

"Kyaaa!"

"Lord Isidore! He's. So. Handsome!!"

The sudden squeals pierced my eardrums, and I almost spat out the cake I was chewing.