Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 5.1

“Waaah!”

The dress that had arrived from Lord Siegvard was so breathtakingly beautiful that I couldn’t help but cry out in delight.

The gradient from white to violet was mesmerizing. The layered frills at the back, arranged like a ribbon, added depth and elegance, making the dress both charming and sophisticated. Every detail—the corsage, the ribbons, and the delicate embroidery on the sleeves and hem—matched the deep color of Lord Siegvard’s eyes.

It was dazzling yet refined, elegant enough to take one’s breath away.

It was perfect.

And yet…

“U-waaah…”

“…This is…”

Lady Fiona and Sheska exchanged amused glances before giving wry smiles.

“It’s almost as if the dress is declaring, ‘She belongs to me!’”

Claude, as blunt as ever, made the remark without a shred of hesitation.

“Y-you think so?”

“How could I not? The entire ensemble is clearly coordinated to match Lord Siegvard’s eye color. Even the accessories are made of the finest amethysts.”

“…Yeah, I thought so too…”

This was completely the kind of dress one would give to a lover or fiancée.

As my face turned bright red, Claude clapped expressionlessly.

“Congratulations. It seems your conquest strategy has gone well.”

“Y-you really think so?”

“Yes. Though I have no idea how you managed to succeed despite repeatedly displaying your… incompetence. It appears Lord Siegvard has rather peculiar tastes.”

“…You could’ve left that last part out.”

Not that his words made me particularly happy, anyway.

After all, this dress didn’t hold any special meaning.

Lord Siegvard had already said there was someone precious to him—someone he didn’t want to make cry. That was why he was going on the subjugation mission.

I glanced toward Lady Fiona, who was staring at the dress with a deep frown.

…Could that person be Lady Fiona?

“As much as it pains me to admit, the design is flawless. Lady Adelaide will look like a goddess in this dress. But this—this self-assertion! This possessiveness! It’s infuriating!”

“…Lady Fiona, you’re saying that out loud.”

“But Claude! How can you stand this!?”

Lady Fiona turned and glared at him with an intensity that made him stiffen.

“Eh!? L-Lady Fiona, did something upset you?”

He hurried over, looking bewildered, only for Lady Fiona to grasp my hands with an expression of grave seriousness.

“Lady Adelaide… Has Lord Siegvard confessed to you?”

“…Huh?”

I blinked in surprise, completely caught off guard.

A c-confession?

Wait, what?

How did we get to that topic?

“No, nothing like that has happened at all…”

“So he hasn’t confessed—and yet this!”

As soon as I shook my head, Lady Fiona clenched her fists and let out a frustrated cry.

“There’s an order to things! Before claiming someone as his, shouldn’t he be doing something else first?!”

I panicked and shook my head again.

“It’s nothing like that! Lord Siegvard doesn’t think of me that way. I’m sure this dress doesn’t have any deeper meaning behind it.”

“““Huh…?”””

Lady Fiona, Claude, and Sheska all froze, their eyes widening in shock.

“…Huh?”

They just stared at me, completely speechless.

…Wait, did I say something weird?

“W-what? Did I say something strange?”

I looked between them in confusion as Claude and Sheska let out identical sighs.

“This is truly pitiful.”

“For Lady Adelaide to receive such a dress and still say it ‘has no deeper meaning’… How tragic.”

“…Huh?”

I had no idea what was going on.

Why was everyone looking at me like that?

I turned to Lady Fiona for help, but she let out a frustrated groan before suddenly pulling me into a tight embrace.

“Your obliviousness in romance is adorable! Worrying, but adorable!”

“W-wait, what?”

“Never mind that! More importantly—”

Lady Fiona released me, clasping her hands in front of her chest and peering into my eyes.

“Lady Adelaide! Would you be my partner for the Saintess’s debut?”

I was stunned by the unexpected request.

“E-eh?! M-me?!”

“Yes! There’s no rule stating that a woman must have a male partner, is there?”

“Well, no, but… Are you sure I am the right choice?”

I mean… I am a villainess, after all.

Even if she didn’t know about that specific game setting, she must have at least heard about Adelaide’s terrible reputation at the temple.

“Wouldn’t it be better for one of the Knights of the Round…?”

“I don’t care about those people chosen by the heavens! The person who has supported me with the most sincerity, no matter what anyone else says, is you, Lady Adelaide! That’s why I want you to stand beside me on my most important day!”

Lady Fiona’s eyes glistened with emotion as she gazed at me.

“…Do you dislike the idea?”

“No! Of course not!”

Even if my initial motivation had been to avoid a tragic fate…

I had spent so much time thinking, planning, and doing everything in my power to ensure that Lady Fiona wouldn’t be slighted—and so that I could grow closer to her.

And now, in a completely unexpected way, all that effort had been rewarded.

I felt genuinely, overwhelmingly happy.