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 15.2

On the night after visiting the art museum with Lady Lilia, I waited until she had fallen into a quiet sleep before silently slipping out of bed. Carefully, I retrieved a sheet of drawing paper and a pencil from my bag, making sure not to make a sound.

Under the dim glow of the night, I sat at the small table near the bed.

As I spread out the blank paper before me, memories of the museum visit surfaced in my mind.

I stared at the empty canvas, a strong determination welling up inside me—I wanted to do something for her.

The subject I would draw was, of course, Lady Lilia.

I wanted to capture my feelings for her, to pour my admiration and love into this drawing, and to give it to the person who meant the most to me.

But a half-hearted attempt wouldn’t be enough. If I wanted to move Lady Lilia’s heart—if I wanted to inspire her to pick up a brush again—my drawing had to be worthy.

That meant I had to practice.

“I can do this…”

I whispered to myself, gripping the pencil tightly as I started to sketch.

What I had produced was a complete mess.

I hadn’t even used paints—just a simple monochrome drawing with a pencil—yet it was this difficult.

But I wouldn’t give up.

Like studying, like training my body, like honing my magic, this was just another skill I could improve with effort.

And if there was one thing I knew about myself, it was that the more I tried, the better I got.

Since enrolling at the academy, I had seen how much I could grow through perseverance. Though, to be fair, a large part of that was thanks to Lady Lilia, who had always guided and supported me.

I would observe Lady Lilia closely, practice endlessly, study art techniques from books, and keep improving.

And for that, I needed a reference.

Turning toward the bed, I studied Lady Lilia’s sleeping form. Since I planned to draw only her upper body, I focused on that.

…Which meant my gaze naturally fell to her chest and above.

Of course, this was purely for artistic purposes.

Yes. Absolutely.

…Alright, I might have had some ulterior motives.

But would it really be so wrong to admire such a magnificent form? Those ample curves, so inviting… was it not more disrespectful not to appreciate them?

…No?

Fine.

From that night on, I dedicated myself to improving my drawing skills.

Night after night, I practiced, determined to get better.

And though I could probably refine my technique even further if I had more time, something inside me told me I couldn’t wait too long.

I had to finish the perfect drawing tonight.

The art book I studied mentioned that to truly breathe life into a portrait, an artist must understand the essence of their subject.

So, what was Lady Lilia’s essence?

When I first met her, when we had just started living together, I had thought of her as someone like a chandelier.

A grand presence.

Brilliant, unshakable, powerful.

So dazzling that I had once felt unworthy to stand beside her.

But now, after all the time we had spent together—after seeing her moments of vulnerability—I realized that wasn’t quite right.

Now, I thought of Lady Lilia as a candle on a cold winter’s night.

A quiet glow, warm and gentle, offering light to those nearby.

Yet, at the slightest breeze, her flame could waver, as though threatening to go out at any moment.

She made me want to stay close, to shield her flame with my hands and keep her safe.

That was the Lady Lilia I wanted to capture.

The one I wanted to move.

“Lady Lilia…”

I gazed at her sleeping form. Just watching her filled my heart with warmth.

“I’ll make this a beautiful portrait—one worthy of you.”

With those words, I pressed my pencil to the page.

As I drew, I found myself thinking about her features.

Her deep red eyes that always held my gaze.

The gentle curve of her lips when she smiled.

Her long, silver hair, flowing like strands of moonlight.

Her soft, generous chest, rising and falling with her quiet breaths.

As each thought surfaced, my pencil moved, bringing her image to life.

My hands weren’t just drawing—they were weaving my emotions into the artwork.

“I want Lady Lilia to love this.”

I poured everything into this piece—my admiration, my gratitude, my love.

And after what felt like an eternity, the portrait was complete.

Holding my breath, I looked down at the finished drawing.

On the page, Lady Lilia’s smile radiated warmth.

Every detail—the kindness in her expression, the quiet strength she carried, the memories of our shared time together—was woven into this portrait.

“I did it.”

Murmuring the words, I let the satisfaction of my work wash over me.

Tomorrow, I would show this to Lady Lilia.

With that thought, I carefully cleaned up, slipped back into bed, and curled up beside her.

I could hardly wait for morning to come.

Today was the day.

I would show Lady Lilia the portrait I had drawn.

And yet, even as the day passed, I hesitated.

Classes ended. We returned to our room. We had tea and snacks together.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to show her.

What if it wasn’t good enough?

What if I could have drawn it better?

What if…?

No.

I had already decided I would step forward.

I wouldn’t let doubt hold me back.

“Um… Lady Lilia, there’s something I want to show you!”

“Something you want to show me?”

I laid the drawing on the table before her.

Lady Lilia stared at it, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the image.

Then, her gaze softened—filled with quiet surprise.

“This is… me? But why…?”

“You once said you stopped being able to paint because you lost the feelings that used to guide your hand. You didn’t know what you wanted to draw anymore. So I hoped… that maybe this would help.

“I drew the person I cherish most. I put all my feelings into it, Lady Lilia. I made this for you.”

Lady Lilia murmured, almost to herself,

“A painting made just for me…”

She then fell silent, simply looking at the drawing.

Finally, she spoke again.

“…The lines are uneven. The shading isn’t fully developed. To put it simply, your technique is still lacking.”

“Ugh!”

A brutal critique right from the start.

Of course, I knew I wasn’t skilled, but hearing it so bluntly still stung.

“It’s not a particularly refined piece.”

“Yeah… I figured as much…”

Her blunt critique made my heart sink.

Maybe I should have practiced longer.

Maybe I wasn’t ready to show her yet—

Just as I was about to start doubting myself again, Lady Lilia spoke.

“But… I love this painting.”

A Light Within My Heart

Lady Lilia’s words lit a spark in my heart.

“More than any masterpiece in the museum, this painting has captured my heart. To me, this is the most precious artwork in the world.”

Her gaze remained fixed on my drawing, her red eyes reflecting the image I had created.

And then—she smiled.

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at me.

“Thank you, Liel… for thinking of me so deeply. This makes me truly happy. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

Though my skills were still lacking, she had understood the emotions I had poured into it.

Seeing her so overjoyed made all my late nights practicing worthwhile.

Just as I was basking in the warm, fulfilling feeling of success, Lady Lilia suddenly stood up and pulled me into a tight embrace.

And then—

My face was pressed directly against her chest.

Soft.

Warm.

Full.

I was enveloped in the most divine embrace imaginable.

Her uniform, smooth and impeccably fitted, only enhanced the sensation.

This must be heaven.

No.

This is heaven.

I live here now.

As she hugged me even tighter, the plush softness of her ample curves pressed more firmly against my face.

Ahh—mmph—!

Ahh—wait—oh no—oh, this is—

It’s too much.

It’s overwhelming.

The warmth, the scent, the sensation—

I hadn’t released any tension in days because I’d been focusing on my artwork, and now—now I’m—oh no—

This is too much.

I’M ASCENDING.

Being gently patted on the head while drowning in softness feels incredible.

Eventually, the embrace came to an end, though my body still felt warm.

I was beyond satisfied.

I had no thoughts left.

“Do you have more drawing paper? I feel like I might be able to draw something now.”

…What?

Wait.

Brain.

Function.

“Ah—yes! I bought plenty, so you can use as many as you’d like!”

I quickly placed a fresh sheet of paper and a sketching pencil on the table for her.

“What are you going to draw?”

“The person I most want to capture at this moment… you, Liel.”

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest.

Lady Lilia was going to draw me.

Excitement flooded through me.

How did she see me?

How would she express me on paper?

I eagerly moved to sit across from her, giving her the best possible view—

Only for her to grab my wrist and pull me to her side.

“Sit next to me. I think I’ll be able to draw better that way.”

“…Okay!”

I sat beside her, keeping still as she observed me in deep thought.

Her hand hovered over the paper for a moment—then finally, she began to sketch.

As her pencil moved, I watched in quiet awe, completely captivated.

Her strokes were confident yet delicate, imbued with the same warmth she had given my drawing.

Watching her bring me to life on paper, I felt a deep, unshakable sense of belonging.

By the time the sun had begun to set, Lady Lilia put down her pencil.

“It’s finished.”

She turned to me, smiling.

It was her usual gentle smile—but this one felt different.

There was something more vivid, more alive about it.

“I hope you like it.”

I gazed at the drawing, unable to stop my lips from curling into a smile.

The sheer joy overflowing from within me was indescribable.

“I can’t quite put it into words… but it feels like the version of me you drew is even more beautiful than I am in real life.”

“Liel, you’re beautiful as you are. Don’t say that.”

She reached out and tapped the tip of my nose with her finger, her playful expression so unfairly charming.

It wasn’t just my nose she was tickling—she was teasing my heart as well.

“Ahh… oh… T-Thank you. That makes me really happy.”

This painting—this was my treasure.

It wasn’t something that could be compared to any famous artwork in the world.

This was a masterpiece that belonged to me alone.

“I should be the one thanking you, Liel. You saved my heart.”

She looked at me—deeply, softly.

We simply gazed at each other in silence.

There was nothing else in my field of vision.

Nothing else in the world.

No sounds.

Only our breaths.

For a moment, it felt as if we were the only two people in existence.

Then, Lady Lilia wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close.

My breath hitched as our faces drew near.

Her deep red eyes, so mesmerizing, locked onto mine.

“…Ah…”

My heart raced.

A quiet, impossible hope blossomed within me.

Something that couldn’t happen—something that shouldn’t happen—

And yet, I found myself wanting it.

Just as the moment stretched impossibly thin—

The academy bells rang, shattering our world of two.

Lady Lilia immediately let go, her gaze shifting away as if nothing had happened.

Something inside me tightened.

A sharp, aching squeeze in my chest.

I had been foolish.

I had let myself expect something impossible.

Now, I felt as though I had been rejected—even though nothing had truly happened.

I’m an idiot.

“On our next day off, we should pick out frames for our paintings.”

Lady Lilia’s voice was steady, composed.

As if nothing had transpired at all.

“Yes! And we can decide together where to display them.”

I forced my voice to remain cheerful, but I could feel my own uncertainty creeping in.

As I turned toward the window, gazing at the orange-streaked sky, I let out a deep sigh.

…I really need to change my underwear.