Flag-Breaking Villainess: The Story of How Breaking the Romance Flags of the Otome Game's Protagonist Ended Up Creating New Flags Between the Reincarnated Villainess and the Heroine - Chapter 13.1

In the afternoon, we had a riding lesson that was different from any we had had before. This time, we would ride horses while shooting arrows at targets—essentially, mounted archery.

Mounted archery, known as yabusame in Japanese culture, was a practice introduced in the original story, and not influenced by the creators. In this world, the aristocratic hunting culture took this form. The use of magic on the arrows sets it apart from Japan’s yabusame, making it somewhat more fitting here, though still slightly different.

I tried to teach Liel, who had no prior experience, but during the class, she failed to hit the target even once. After the class ended, she decided to stay behind on her own, so I didn’t let her ride the horse again, opting to have her practice with regular arrows first. While she still couldn’t hit the target, she was getting closer, and just as I was about to suggest wrapping up for the day, she finally hit the target.

I had been standing at a slight distance so as not to interfere when Liel ran toward me, her face lighting up with a bright smile. She was as innocent and excited as a child, with joy radiating from her whole being.

“Lady Lilia! I did it! I finally hit the target!”

“Congratulations, you did great.”

Her joy was so adorable. I didn’t just praise her with words; I gently patted her head as well. Part of the reason I did that was because I wanted to touch her, but Liel smiled contentedly and closed her eyes in pleasure.

Just as I was enjoying the moment, a voice called out from behind us.

“Hey, little one, you’ve got some guts.”

Oh, here we go…

When I turned around, there he was—Vein Harmet, the second prince, with his distinctive red hair and red eyes. This was a random event triggered after a stat-boosting action related to my physical abilities.

I had been trying to avoid getting involved with him, but just the other day, Allen had called me and thanked me for saving his mother with the elixir and for introducing him to Shiroe. He had said she wanted to repay me somehow, so I made it a large favor. If I didn’t take advantage of that favor, it would be as good as wasted, and it would likely lead to an invitation to the castle where I might meet Vein and become entangled with him.

“What do you want?”

Considering the situation and the likely outcome, I decided not to use polite language. I stood my ground firmly.

“I’m not here for you. I’m more interested in the lady behind you, so I thought I’d come over and introduce myself. I’m Vein. Let’s be friends.”

His blunt attitude made me step forward to block his view of Liel.

I felt a subtle touch on my back as a hand brushed it. Liel seemed uneasy about the attention, so I stood my ground to protect her.

“Hey, don’t interfere. It’s none of your business.”

“It is my business. The lady behind me… she’s mine.”

The hand against my back jerked slightly in response. My sudden declaration clearly took her off guard, but I wasn’t about to back down. I needed this to go in the direction I wanted, so I stayed silent, hoping she wouldn’t resist.

Before anything could escalate, Liel suddenly spoke up.

“I’m Lady Lilia’s, and my body and heart are her toys to do with as she pleases!”

That wasn’t exactly what I said… but since Liel joined in, I decided to let it go.

“So, your name’s Liel, huh? Quite an interesting relationship you two have. I’m the type who gets fired up when there’s a challenge, so this should be fun.”

It seemed like she wasn’t planning on backing down. I had no choice but to pull out my trump card. I needed to steer the conversation to the upcoming duel, which would lead to the key event in the original story.

“If you want Liel, then challenge me. If you win, I won’t say anything if you flirt with her. But if I win, you’ll have to give up.”

“You’re playing it sneaky. If I lose, I lose my chance, but even if I win, I don’t get her. That’s a bit cheap, don’t you think?”

“As a bonus, if you manage to defeat me, I’ll give you one hundred elixirs. Surely that’ll come in handy for your adventurous pursuits, right?”

Vein had a reputation for exploring dangerous forests and mountains, despite the royal family disapproving. He often ventured out on his own, using his limited funds to buy the necessary medicines and tools. Given his love for adventure, this offer was likely much more enticing to him than his interest in Liel.

“Heh… So you know about my hobby. Did Allen tell you?”

“I’m not sure, maybe.”

“You’re tough to crack. But it’s not a bad deal. I’ll accept. What are the terms of the challenge?”

“Since we’re here, let’s make it a mounted archery contest. We’ll do three rounds, following the usual duel rules.”

The mounted archery contest was a key event in the original story. If two characters had similar affection levels and met the conditions for their respective routes, this event would occur near the end of the common route. Afterward, the story would branch depending on who won.

“Alright. If it’s mounted archery, then I’m confident I’ll win. The contest will be in three days. Get ready.”

“There’s no need to wait. Let’s do it now. The targets are already set up after class, so it’s perfect.”

If we waited for three days, the event would likely turn into a spectacle with other students watching. In the original story, this caused a commotion, and if things escalated, the student council might get involved, potentially leading to a connection between Liel and Makios, the student council president. To avoid any romantic flags with Makios, it was better to challenge Vein right away.

A sinister chuckle escaped as I smirked at my frowning opponent.

“Did it really take you three whole days just to come up with excuses for your inevitable defeat?”

“Tch… You sure know how to run your mouth.”

With a sharp smack, he slammed his fist into his palm.

“Fine. I’ll take you up on this. I’ll make sure your mouth is full of the bitter taste of defeat.”

While Urs prepared the match, I took the time to review the rules in my head. There was only one target, and the time taken from the start to hitting it was measured. The faster one won, and the first to claim two victories would be the winner. The starting order alternated between rounds in a best-of-three format. Only the front of the target was valid; hits to the back or sides were invalid. Magic could be used freely during one’s own turn but not during the opponent’s. Each round, the distance from the start to the target changed. That was the gist of it.

“Lady Lilia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Liel looked apologetic, but this wasn’t her fault. The blame lay with the random event—a mere matter of luck.

“You did nothing wrong, Liel. Just believe in me and pray for my victory.”

“Yes! I believe in you, Lady Lilia! You never lose!”

“Today, I’m invincible. After all, I have the graceful goddess of victory by my side.”

This wasn’t just for show. It was a declaration grounded in the original story’s event. In the original scenario, the competition would always be tied after the second round, leading to a final deciding match. At that point, a choice would appear, and the character whom Liel wished to win would ultimately emerge victorious.

I gently placed my hand on Liel’s cheek, accepting the blessing of her faith.

“L-Lady Lilia…”

Her face flushed red with embarrassment, yet she leaned into my touch like a kitten seeking affection. How adorable.

With preparations complete, both my opponent and I mounted our horses. My horse had been raised within the academy, while her was a handpicked thoroughbred transferred from the royal stables upon his enrollment.

“I’ll be going first.”

The first round’s course had a straightforward path, with the target positioned on the left. Urs raised her hand as a signal, and as soon as it dropped, my opponent spurred her horse forward.

Slow.

She deliberately held back, refraining from using magic as she loosed his arrow. Upon his return, his smug expression made it clear she was underestimating me.

Now it was my turn. I simply rode my horse forward, drew my bow with normal strength, and released a shot that struck the target.

“Huh. So, you at least know how to ride a horse properly.”

“Too bad for you. Your defeat is already set in stone.”

“Tch… Say whatever you want. The warm-up’s over.”

For the second round, the course was extended. In racing terms, it was like turning the first corner and approaching the second. The target was positioned on the inside of the curve.

With the starting order reversed, I was up first. At the signal, I urged my horse forward at full speed, clearing the straightaway and corner with ease. I drew my bow with a moderate amount of force, infused the arrow with a simple wind spell to increase its speed, and hit the target. The competition-grade target was magically reinforced, so it wouldn’t break from the impact.

Then came her turn. This time, unlike before, she raced ahead at a breakneck pace. The difference in our horses was undeniable—his thoroughbred easily outpaced mine, allowing him to clear the corner first and ready his shot.

“Now we’re talking! Fire Arrow!”

She shouted the spell’s name, unleashing a flaming arrow at the target.

In this world, naming spells isn’t necessary for activation, but many people find it helps with stability. Since I had trained rigorously, I didn’t need to chant anything.

With that, she won the second round. If we competed purely on horseback skills, the gap in our mounts’ abilities would be impossible to overcome.

“You get it, don’t you? No one can beat me when I’m riding this horse. You might as well dismount and start preparing the elixir you owe me.”

“I will win. No matter what you have or what you do, you will come to understand my strength. Losing to me is something you can’t even fathom, is it? I’ll make sure you do.”

“Tch… Not cute at all. You sure love running your mouth.”

The final course was even longer, stretching past the second corner and into the straightaway, with the target positioned on the left. From the starting position, only the back of the target was visible.

With the turn order switched again, she went first, shooting as she had in the second round.

Now, it was time for the decisive match. I took my position at the start as Urs raised his hand.

What makes a winning strategy in competition?

Simple. Anything that makes the opponent feel like they’re playing a rigged game.

The moment Urs’ hand fully dropped, I infused my arrow with magic and notched it. The target was behind me and at a great distance, but I took advantage of my superior stats and fired with brute force. The arrow tore through the air at incredible speed, bypassing the target.

Just as it passed, I activated my magic. First, I created a reverse wind current from the arrowhead, slowing it down until it hovered in midair. Before gravity could pull it down, I generated a wind current from the arrow’s center to rotate it, adjusting its angle precisely. Finally, I created a propulsion force from the fletching, guiding the arrow into the front of the target.

Victory was mine.

Completely unfair? Perhaps. But it was still within the rules.

I dismounted and faced my opponent.

“Damn… If you can pull off something like that, of course, you’d be confident in your win.”

“Oh? I’m surprised. I thought you’d whine about it being unfair.”

“It wasn’t against the rules, and honestly, your magic control was insane. I can’t even complain. Though, if I had thrown a fit, what would you have done?”

“If you insisted on a rematch after a clear outcome, I would’ve only accepted it as a physical and magical duel. No second archery contest.”

“Yeah, that’d just end with me getting flattened in seconds.”

She let out a resigned sigh.

At that moment, Liel, who had been both a spectator and the prize, rushed to my side, eyes shining with admiration.

“You were incredible, Lady Lilia! That was amazing!”

“This victory is for you, Liel. Will you accept it?”

“I will… with all my heart.”

My opponent cleared his throat, drawing my attention.

“Well, a deal’s a deal. I’ll give up on Liel. But… what about me? Do I stand a chance?”

“I like strong people.”

“Yeah, that means I’m out. Bummer.”

She didn’t seem particularly heartbroken, as if she had expected rejection.

I pulled out an elixir and tossed it to her. She caught it effortlessly.

“A consolation prize.”

“For who?”

“Both of us.”

With a laugh, she turned and walked away, waving lazily as she left. As expected of a romance route character, she knew how to make an exit.

Thus, the Vein route and its related flags were successfully broken.