Chapter 2: Chapter 1

“Laura, you’re perfect for being a VTuber.”

That’s what my younger cousin told me.

“What are you talking about? That’s so sudden.”

“It’s your way of speaking. You know it’s not exactly normal, right?”

My cousin, Leon, said this to me.

Of course, I know I’m a bit unusual, but I can’t help it. I spent ten years trapped in the body of a villainess.

Ten years is more than enough time to change a person.

It’s not easy to shake off something that’s been ingrained in you. Besides, I have no intention of abandoning my noble lady’s demeanor.

I’ll continue living like this.

“Is there anything wrong with not being normal? In fact, I’d like to ask you, where else can you find someone as dignified as me?”

“That’s why you should be a VTuber! What was it again, the daughter of a marquess?”

“It’s a duke, actually. There’s a world of difference between a duke and a marquess, so make sure you know that. Otherwise, you’ll become a laughingstock.”

“See, that’s exactly why you should be a VTuber! Why haven’t you used this whole ‘duke’s daughter’ thing to become one yet…?”

Leon was quite passionate.

“You can’t cook, you can’t clean, and you have zero life skills…! No man would ever want to marry a woman like that…! I even have to do your hair because you can’t manage it yourself! You’re only slightly pretty on the outside!”

“Oh, Leon, have you ever seen a noble lady do her own cooking and cleaning? My lack of life skills isn’t a drawback; it’s proof that I’m a treasured jewel of a ducal family.”

“You say that with such a straight face! But your parents are just ordinary office workers!”

“Hmph.”

I took a sip of my tea.

The slightly bitter taste filled my mouth along with the fragrance of the tea.

“And you dropped out of university.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then you should become a VTuber. Laura, you’re born for it. It’s like you were destined to be a VTuber!”

That’s what Leon said.

My cousin treats me like some sort of character obsessed with a concept.

But I feel wronged. I really was the daughter of a duke.

Of course, I understand why it’s hard to believe.

It’s not exactly easy to explain that I was stuck in a game world for ten years.

===

‘The Noble Villainess’ Laura Iris

: A gem of the Iris Dukedom, she is the epitome of grace and nobility.

She carries the bloodline of her ancestors more strongly than anyone else, possessing unparalleled talent and never losing her poise.

#Villainess, #Elegance, #TeaPartyAddict, #Talent

===

I chose ‘The Noble Villainess’ Laura Iris in the character selection screen of the action RPG Labyrinthos, set in a medieval fantasy world.

And then I ended up like this.

For ten years, I lived as Laura Iris, conquered countless dungeons, and ultimately defeated the hidden boss.

After that, I returned to Earth.

Aurora Wu.

When I returned, my name had been changed.

My surname was Wu even before I got trapped in the game, but my first name had conveniently been changed to Laura.

My family and relatives all knew me as Aurora from the start, and every official document, from my ID to my residency records, listed me as Aurora.

I think it might have been a reward for defeating the hidden boss.

Given how messed up my life was, living as a beautiful girl isn’t a bad deal, right?

So, I’m living a pretty enjoyable life as Aurora.

Maybe because my origins are from a game character, Laura Iris’s body is extremely healthy and talented.

Even with little sleep, I never feel tired, always waking up refreshed. I never catch colds or suffer from any minor illnesses.

And let’s not even mention my appearance. It’s a given that the rival character, the villainess, would be beautiful.

Given how strongly I inherited the duke’s bloodline, I could say this body is truly blessed.

However, that doesn’t mean there are no problems.

“…I’m bored.”

I murmured, sinking into my chair.

On the monitor, the word “Victory” was displayed in large letters.

After clicking the confirmation button, I saw my rank score go up along with the game results screen.

A few more clicks took me to the main home screen.

I checked my real-time rank status.

[1st Place] PrideOfTheDuke 3129pt

The score had gone up a bit.

But since the gap with second place was already significant, I didn’t feel much of a thrill. The season was almost over, so maintaining first place shouldn’t be difficult.

When I closed the rank window, I saw a bunch of friend requests.

And along with them, my message inbox was flooded with notifications.

[Wanna duo?]

[Hello! We’re reaching out from the pro-gaming team Genesis…]

[We’re recruiting members for an amateur tournament…]

[Are you interested in joining a clan?]

I immediately hit the bulk delete button.

And then it hit me—I’m not enjoying this game anymore.

“Is it time to switch to a different game?”

That thought crossed my mind.

It might sound ungrateful, but this body is overflowing with talent.

It’s probably because Laura Iris was a villainess.

Villainesses, as rivals to the heroine, need to bring maximum challenge and danger to her.

A villainess without talent would be pointless.

Especially Laura Iris, who, being of ducal blood, had superior potential.

So, I easily get the hang of most things.

Games included.

After all, the skills required for games are just three things: reaction speed, adaptability (playing with a sense), and strategy.

Having spent ten years slicing through enemies, Laura Iris naturally has excellent reaction speed.

Her intellect is more than adequate, and adaptability is something you pick up with practice.

I’ve conquered many games like this, but once I hit first place in the rankings, I quickly feel a sense of emptiness.

Winning all the time gets boring.

“Hm…”

I closed the game window and opened the internet.

I searched for popular games and upcoming releases, browsing through some community posts as well.

Some might say, if games aren’t fun, why not find enjoyment elsewhere?

They’d be right.

There are countless sources of enjoyment in this world. Watching dramas or reading novels could be fun, or maybe exploring various restaurants and indulging in gourmet food would be a good idea.

But those are just temporary pleasures.

What is a villainess?

A character who torments the heroine in a romance fantasy?

Or an icon of defeat who loses the male lead to someone else?

Both aren’t wrong, but I think the essence of a villainess lies in this: the insatiable desire for victory.

Especially in the other world I lived in, a medieval fantasy overrun by monsters, where gates would open and lay waste to lands.

As the precious daughter of a duke, I had plenty of reasons to draw my sword.

I spent ten years in such a place, countless times staining my dress with blood and sweat.

The thrill of cutting down enemies in a life-or-death battlefield was my pride, and crafting that victory into honor was a noble’s duty, while claiming glory and rewards was the joy of my family.

In that sense, this world is peaceful and lukewarm.

Retired mercenaries must feel this way when peace finally comes.

So, I’ve been playing games.

Playing sports would be overkill with this body’s specs, so the only place left to find the thrill of victory is in games.

I’ve been satisfying my “insatiable desire for victory” through various games.

But now, what do I do?

It’s been three years since I returned. I’ve tried almost every game worth playing. Finding a new game is getting harder.

Do I go back to the games I quit before? Or maybe I should join a pro league and look forward to some high-level matches?

“Hm?”

As I was pondering, I saw a post.

===

[General] Why Doesn’t That PrideOfTheDuke Guy Play VR Games?

That guy’s infuriating—hits rank 1, then moves on to another game.

Seeing him top the ranks in both The Abyss and Clockwork shows he’s a talent freak, but he never dives deep into any game.@@novelbin@@

Rejects all pro offers and interviews, so nobody knows what his deal is.

At least if he played VR games, we might hear his voice, but he doesn’t even do that. What’s the deal?

[Comments]

Who is that, you weeb?

ㄴ (OP) Check the rankings, idiot.

ㄴ Don’t care, moron.

ㄴ Then why’d you click the post? Dumbass.

Maybe he’s a cheater and doesn’t want to show his face?

ㄴ I’ve faced him, doesn’t seem like it.

Yeah, I’m curious too.

This guy’s playtime averages 13 hours a day.

ㄴ Cyber ghost…

He’d probably be amazing as a pro.

===

“VR games, huh.”

VR.

Short for Virtual Reality. In other words, virtual reality games.

For the past three years, I’ve stuck to PC games.

And for good reason—my body was originally a game character. Who knows what could happen if I dive into VR?

Sometimes I think about it.

What if, just like when I suddenly became Laura Iris, I end up possessing someone else?

Or what if, just as I suddenly returned to Earth, I wake up one day in another world?

But these past three years, I’ve been living well.

I don’t think I’ll ever revert to my pre-possession body.

And I don’t think I’ll ever return to the “other world” I lived in for ten years.

So, I suppose it’s safe to assume everything’s fine now.

“Then maybe I’ll give it a try. VR games.”

Even if something goes wrong, so be it.

My life is too dull to pass up a little risk.

In fact, embracing risk might just be the most fun of all.