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 23.1

After defeating Tarmine, I left the arrests and the finer details of the aftermath to Allen.

We were taken to the royal castle, where a strict gag order was imposed regarding the incident. Given that Tarmine’s faction’s plans could have sparked a war, this was only natural.

Doctors serving at the castle, along with high-ranking members of the Magic Association with extensive knowledge, examined us to determine whether we required medical treatment. Unsurprisingly, both Urs and I were perfectly fine. Liel, the victim, had already recovered thanks to an elixir—aside from some lingering fatigue, she was also deemed unharmed. However, since there were still many unknowns regarding the cursed relics, we were ordered to remain in the castle for three days under observation.

Due to the chaos of the aftermath, I hadn’t had a proper chance to talk to Liel alone, and before I knew it, another day had passed.

We had briefly shared a carriage ride on the way to the castle, but Liel had been so exhausted from the ordeal and the purification ritual that Tarmine had forced upon her that she had fallen asleep almost immediately.

Now, stepping out of my assigned room, I made my way to where Liel was staying.

She was sitting on the bed, and when she saw me, her eyes lit up—but the brightness faded almost immediately. I quietly sat down beside her.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes…”

Her response lacked energy. She hesitated, as if searching for the right words, before finally speaking.

“I caused you so much trouble… I’m sorry.”

“You were only being used. You don’t have to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing—to you. For two things, actually.”

“You, Lady Lilia?”

She tilted her head in confusion.

“First… I read your diary without permission in order to find you. I’m truly sorry.”

Liel’s eyes widened, but then she let out a soft sigh, as if composing herself.

“So… you found out, then. About my feelings.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s okay. Deep down, I think I wanted you to know. I’ve always been too much of a coward to say it out loud myself.”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh, and I gently spoke to her, hoping to ease her mind.

“The second thing involves your feelings as well.”

Liel stiffened, her expression tightening with tension. I steeled myself and continued.

“I took away your choices.”

She blinked in surprise, seemingly caught off guard by my words.

“What… do you mean?”

A tight knot of fear gripped my chest. If I continued, she might come to despise me.

But I couldn’t lie—not to someone I cared about.

Taking a deep breath, I began.

“The truth is—”

I told her everything.

That I was a reincarnator.
That I had knowledge of a past life where she was destined to fall in love with one of the princes.
That I approached her out of self-preservation, hoping to avoid my own downfall.
That, from the very beginning, my actions had been selfish.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but every word is true. I’m not the noble person you thought I was. I was selfish, deceitful, and manipulative—just like Tarmine.”

By using my knowledge of the future to guide her decisions, I had acted no differently than he had.

“That’s why… I don’t deserve your love. I lied to you. I’m sorry.”

The words were finally out.

I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze.

Even though I had prepared myself for this, the thought of her looking at me with disgust terrified me. I didn’t want to see disappointment in her eyes.

“Lady Lilia.”

Her voice was as soft as a gentle breeze.

I hesitantly lifted my head—only to find her looking at me with warm, unwavering blue eyes.

“You had so many choices, and yet… you chose to take my hand. You spent time with me. You told me my eyes were beautiful.”

She placed a hand over her heart and continued, her voice steady and sincere.

“You’ve given me countless moments of happiness. Please, don’t feel guilty. Even after hearing all of this, my feelings haven’t changed. My heart is mine alone, and I know what I want. I love you, Lady Lilia.”

Her words flowed into me like a soft breeze, melting away the fear that had gripped my heart.

She looked straight into my eyes, unwavering.

“I love you more than anyone.”

Heat rushed to my face.

All the fears and worries I had carried suddenly seemed so meaningless.

Liel’s feelings had reached me—clearly, deeply, undeniably.

And I needed to respond.

“I… I love you too, Liel. At first, I approached you with an ulterior motive. But as we spent time together, my heart changed. I fell for you, completely and irrevocably.”

My voice trembled, but I meant every word.

And as my confession reached her, Liel—

Liel’s expression resembled that of a cat in an internet meme from my past life—staring blankly into space against a cosmic background.

She was completely frozen.

Oh, wait. She’s moving again.

“…Thank you. It makes me really happy to hear that. But… I understand that your ‘love’ is different from mine. You meant it as a friend, right?”

…She’s misunderstanding. I need to correct this properly.

“No, I meant exactly what you think. I love you in a romantic way, Liel.”

“──────”

And there she goes—off into space again.

The tender atmosphere from earlier? Completely gone thanks to this exchange.

“Ah, geez.”

I leaned in, placing my hands on Liel’s face.

“W-Wait, um, what are you—”

Too late.

Without giving her a chance to resist, I captured her lips.

“Mmph!?”

Liel gasped in shock, but I didn’t let go.

Before long, she stopped resisting and melted into the kiss.

Once I was satisfied, I pulled away.

“Now do you understand what I mean?”

“I… I’m still… not quite sure. But maybe… if we keep going, I might figure it out…”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re greedy.”

But so was I.

I wanted more.

I kissed her again—deeper this time, our tongues entwining as we sought each other out.

The sound of our lips meeting, the intoxicating feeling of melting into one another, the sweet desire pulling us closer.

Being with someone I love, having my feelings reciprocated—it was exhilarating.

I wanted to feel more of her, so I pressed my body against hers.

As our tongues danced together, Liel suddenly clung to me tightly, trembling.

…Wait.

I pulled back slightly.

“Wait… don’t tell me you—just from kissing?”

“P-Please… don’t say it out loud…!”

Her embarrassment was adorable. Just watching her made me want to tease her more.

I lifted my large chest with both hands, supporting it from below.

“Do you want to go further?”

“I do!!”

Her voice was the loudest I’d ever heard it. And that response? Easily the fastest in my memory.

Still, as much as I wanted to indulge—

“Not here. Once we’re back at the academy… okay?”

I smiled, and Liel, blushing furiously, gave a small nod.

The next day, Allen informed me of Tarmine and his followers’ fate.

Tarmine had been deemed mentally unstable, a condition caused by his exposure to a cursed relic in childhood. As a result, he was sentenced to confinement and ongoing psychiatric treatment. While the elixir had removed the relic’s lingering effects, the years of mental damage couldn’t be undone. Even if his treatment were to succeed, his imprisonment was already set in stone.

As for the others in his faction, they had all acted with full awareness and intent. After extracting all necessary information from them, they were sentenced to execution—not only as punishment but also to ensure their silence.

In exchange for keeping quiet, I requested to carry out the executions myself. Allen readily agreed.

Now, I would be able to personally kill those who had dared to harm Liel. Good. Of course, she would never hear about this.

Additionally, I informed Allen about the cursed relic hidden within the academy, which appeared in the Machius route. He retrieved and secured it, ensuring that another dangerous incident would never unfold. It was best to eliminate any potential flags for future chaos.

And so, with everything settled, we returned to the academy without further incident.