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 19

I stand silently, looking down at Liel.

Dressed in ceremonial attire instead of her usual gown, she has been bound to a magically reinforced platform for hours, unable to move. The leather straps digging into her wrists and ankles have left deep, reddened marks, evidence of the relentless pressure they exert.

Her dim, lifeless eyes meet mine, but I ignore her and turn to my subordinate.

“What’s the progress?”

“Slower than expected. We haven’t even completed the purification of the first artifact—the Wolf Ring. At this rate, it could take until morning.”

“Do we know the cause?”

“According to our research, the ideal candidate must possess light-attribute magic while also harboring a deeply impure heart, despite being young and physically healthy. She doesn’t fully meet those conditions. Her body is fine, but her heart hasn’t completely succumbed to darkness.”

I click my tongue in irritation.

The plan was to give her hope, only to later shatter it—revealing that she had been deceived all along, plunging her into despair. To achieve this, I had her touch the artifact on the day we met, disrupting her mental equilibrium. I even orchestrated situations to stress her further, bribing some students to torment her. And yet, it wasn’t enough.

“What about the analysis?”

“It’s still incomplete. Using her for purification is simply inefficient. However, in order to develop a new purification spell by analyzing the phenomenon, she must be in the ideal state—which she is not.”

How troublesome.

Purifying the artifacts using her light-attribute magic puts a severe strain on her body. If I continue to use her as she is now, she will undoubtedly die before I can cleanse all the artifacts I need. That’s why I must decipher the purification process and create a specialized purification spell.

Once perfected, the spell will allow me to use light-attribute mana stones instead, enabling me to purify as many artifacts as I wish. This will make it possible to create a vast arsenal of purified, stable weapons that no longer run the risk of losing control. Yet, because she still clings to hope, the analysis is progressing far too slowly.

To be hindered at the very brink of success by the very tool necessary for my research—it’s infuriating.

“How can I break her spirit…?”

Just then, my eyes catch sight of the hair ornament she wears.

When my subordinates changed her clothes, she had briefly regained consciousness and desperately resisted, crying out, “Please, anything but this! This was a gift from Lady Lilia!” Since the ornament had no bearing on the ceremonial attire and I had no interest in dealing with her tantrum, I allowed her to keep it.

“If that ornament represents a fragment of her hope, should I destroy it in front of her? No… that alone might not be enough. Wait… of course.”

The one who gave her that ornament was Lilia. And the person she holds dear is also Lilia. Even during the purification process, when she still had the strength to groan, she called Lilia’s name.

Her hope is Lilia.

“That’s it. I’ll kill Lilia in front of her. I’ll have my subordinates violate her, then force her to watch as Lilia’s lifeless body crumples before her eyes. That should erase every last shred of hope in her heart.”

Even in her weakened state, her eyes twitch ever so slightly. So, she understood me.

“Ah, such a delightful reaction. Don’t worry, I won’t lay a finger on your precious ornament. It will make for a far more exquisite masterpiece when the very source of your hope is torn away before your eyes.”

Now then… how should I lure Lilia to my estate? I suppose I’ll give it some thought tomorrow.