The Villainous Noble Lady, who looks like a Young Girl, is in the Arms of the Fearsomely Cute Crown Prince - Chapter 4

My name is Enzo, personal attendant to Lady Juliana Rosier.

That is my life now.

Before coming to this world, I was just another overworked salaryman.

I barely managed to land a job at a soul-crushing black company right out of high school. By my second year, I already looked half-dead—a twenty-year-old with permanent dark circles under my eyes, glued to my computer screen, mindlessly typing away.

I have no idea how I ended up in another world. But when I came to, I was here.

And the moment I realized that this was the world of a game I had been obsessed with, was the moment I spotted eight-year-old Juliana in a corner of the royal capital.

(Before you judge me—yes, I was a twenty-year-old man obsessed with an otome game. But hey, I fell for the strong-willed villainess at first sight.)

When I first arrived, my strange clothes made me an instant outcast.

Villagers were wary of me, unwilling to even hear me out before chasing me off.

With no options, I survived by taking odd jobs—plowing fields, washing horses, hitching rides on wagons—until, after five grueling days, I finally made it to the royal capital.

And that’s when I saw her—Lady Juliana—and it all clicked.

“Wait a minute. This is that event! The one where the prince lures her out with a fake letter!”

The letter, written by the prince, was a blatant deception:

“How can you claim to be a true noble without understanding the lives of commoners? Take a walk through the city alone. I do it all the time.”

Complete nonsense.

But of course, Lady Juliana, fiercely competitive as always, took the bait immediately.

If I hadn’t been there, a thief would have snatched her bag—and inside it, her most treasured possession: a brooch from her late grandmother, a gift from a former king.

Had she lost it, her reputation would have been ruined.

An eight-year-old noble girl wandering the city alone?

That’s a disaster waiting to happen.

I must’ve muttered my frustration aloud, because before I knew it, my own voice was echoing through the alley:

“That damn prince—what an absolute idiot!”

A sharp gasp rang out.

Juliana stood there, her violet eyes wide in shock.

Even at eight years old, she was strikingly beautiful—her porcelain skin smooth, her expression regal.

“Oh crap. Did I just commit treason?”

Then, to my surprise, she laughed—a bright, unrestrained laugh.

“Oh my! In that case, I suppose I am guilty of the same offense.”

“Huh?”

“Because I am thinking the exact same thing about that prince! Fufufu!”

She laughed so freely, without pretense—like a rare, radiant flower.

“She’s adorable…”

“You speak in such an odd way. But you’re quite amusing. What’s your name?”

“Uh… En—Enzo. Yeah, just call me Enzo.”

There was no way my real name would make sense in this world, so I came up with something on the spot. And honestly?

I kinda liked it.

“Enzo. What brings you to the royal capital?”

“Ah… looking for work. Couldn’t survive in the village.”

“I see. Then—why not become my attendant?”

I nearly jumped at the offer, but then reality hit me.

I was an unknown foreigner with no status, no money, and no background.

“I’m just a commoner. I doubt the duke’s household would accept me.”

“Do you have any skills? Magic? Swordsmanship? If you have something rare, I might be able to vouch for you.”

Even though I had just met her, something felt off about how easily she was willing to trust me.

“Why me?”

“Because… you helped me.”

For a brief moment, her expression darkened.

“No one around me ever questions anything. They only say, ‘Follow His Highness’s orders.’”

“That’s… ridiculous.”

I had read the game’s backstory. I knew her father kept her at a distance because her intelligence made her a threat even to him.

“No one ever helps me. But you did. I thought maybe… you wouldn’t mind staying.”

A duke’s daughter, apologizing to a commoner?

That was unheard of.

And it told me everything I needed to know—she had no one she could truly rely on.

“Then… give me two years.”

“What?”

“I’ll train. I’ll make myself worthy. You start attending royal tea parties at ten, right?”

“You even know that?!”

“By then, I promise—I’ll be at your side.”

I knew what was coming.

By the time she turned ten, she would be thrown into the brutal social battlefield of the royal court, where her villainous reputation would take root.

Not because she wanted it.

Because she had no choice.

Juliana had no interest in the prince. She wanted the throne—not out of ambition, but because she genuinely wanted to rule justly.

But instead, the court pushed her into the role of the villainess—just so she could be an easy target.

A Knight’s Vow

I knelt before her, just as I had seen knights do in the game.

Placing my right hand over my heart, I lowered my head.

Juliana gasped softly, then hesitantly reached out and placed her hand on my left shoulder—a silent acceptance of my oath.

“Enzo… promise me?”

“I swear it.”

And with that, I left the royal capital—on a mission to prepare for the future.

There’s no way I’ll ever acknowledge that cutesy, fake noble lady as the protagonist of this world.

I don’t get why the knights and ministers fawn over her in the game. What’s so special about her? She’s just an airheaded girl with a big chest.

Lady Juliana is far superior—more intelligent, more compassionate, more beautiful.

“If the world won’t protect my favorite character, then I will!”

I already knew where to find Castehelmi, the Witch of Time—after all, I’d cleared this part of the game before.

Getting through the trap-filled forest was another matter. I got banged up pretty badly, but I eventually reached her hidden home.

Then I spent three days camping outside her door, shouting, “Please see me!” nonstop.

By the time she finally opened the door, I was covered in bug bites, starving, and suffering from a splitting headache.

I’d been surviving off rainwater I collected in leaves. Thank god I used to watch survival shows.

“Hmm. You don’t seem to be a threat. You, who came from another world.”

As expected of the Witch of Time, she immediately recognized that I wasn’t from this world.

“Wait, you can tell just by looking at me?!”

Even in my weakened state, I was stunned.

She gave me a bored stare.

“Of course. Name?”

“Enzo.”

“Enzo. Why have you come?”

“I want to save Lady Juliana.”

“And why is that?”

“I don’t need some grand reason. She’s my favorite character.”

“…Favorite?”

I went on an impassioned rant, explaining how pure-hearted, brilliant, and unfairly mistreated Juliana was.

“…A mere commoner dreaming of possessing a duke’s daughter? Impossible.”

“What?! No, no, no! That’s not what I meant!”

I wasn’t trying to possess her.

I just wanted to stay by her side and see her happy.

Then, I told Castehelmi everything—about the events that would unfold in this kingdom and Juliana’s inevitable tragedy.

“I see… You’re mostly correct.”

“Mostly?! Oh right, you’re the Witch of Time…”

She nodded.

“Enzo. Do you realize that by intervening, the prince and that marquis’s daughter will suffer misfortune instead?”

I swallowed hard.

She had a point.

But I was done caring about those two.

“Then they can fight their own damn battles.”

I had no sympathy for people who used the game’s script as an excuse to trample over others.

They had status and power. They could deal with their own consequences.

“…AHAHAHAHAHA! You’re absolutely right!”

Castehelmi burst into laughter, her voice echoing through the forest.

Then, before my eyes, she lowered her hood and removed her veil.

I froze.

Because the face beneath…

Looked like a Japanese man in his thirties.

He had an intelligent yet gentle gaze, an expression far too kind for a so-called witch.

“Welcome to this world, Endou Kenzou. So that’s why you’re called ‘Enzo.’ Pretty cool name.”

“Wait—you’re a man?!”

“Fufu. I was brought to this world long ago. Just like you.”

“You’re kidding.”

“The only difference is… I was the game master. Died of overwork before I could see the final product released, though. Glad it made it out!”

I almost dislocated my jaw from sheer shock.

“But there’s a problem. A bug was found, and this world is starting to collapse.”

“…What?”

“I tried fixing it as Castehelmi, but it’s beyond me now. So I need your help, Endou.”

“What the hell?! This is way bigger than I signed up for!”

“Fufu. If Juliana finds happiness, the world should be fine. Probably.”

“You just said probably!”*

Castehelmi cackled at my exasperation.

“Alright, let’s get started on your training—”

“Finally!—”

“After you bathe and eat. You reek.”

“HEY!”

“Seriously, it’s awful. I had to leave you outside for three days to make sure you weren’t a threat, but damn.”

“YOU LEFT ME OUT THERE ON PURPOSE?!”

“I’m a shut-in, okay? Strangers scare me.”

“I don’t care! Let me inside! It’s cold!”

Once I knew he was Japanese, all my hesitation disappeared.

I marched straight in, eager to get under a proper roof, bathe, eat, and collapse into a real bed.

“Whoa. You just barged right in. Classic Kansai attitude.”

“That’s a stereotype, and I’m offended.”

As I settled inside, I had a thought.

Maybe I had been summoned here by his desperate plea for help.

But did I hold a grudge?

Not one bit.

I had no attachments to my old life.

This world was where I belonged.

And my purpose here—

Was to save Juliana.

I endured two years of hell.

I learned magic, mastered swordsmanship, and nearly died a hundred times.

As expected of the game master, Castehelmi knew this world inside and out.

“If the Duke refuses to take you in, give him this.”

Castehelmi handed me a small pouch. Inside was something called the Crystal of Time.

“It allows you to rewind time just once—only slightly, though. It’ll also serve as proof that you’re my apprentice.”

“Got it.”

“Well, I’m gonna go back into hiding until all this is over.”

He had isolated himself, fearing his influence might destabilize the world further.

“Fine. When this is all over, we’ll grab some tea or something.”

“AHAHA! Tea sounds great!”

With a final laugh, he sent me off.

And so, I returned to the royal capital.

By the time Lady Juliana turned ten, she had already begun walking the path of a villainess.

She stood alone, her once-bright spirit dimmed by relentless expectations and isolation.

But when she saw me—

Her eyes lit up.

And she smiled.

“You came back.”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

This was where I belonged.

And I would never leave her side again.