The Villainess’s Guide to Winning the Male Lead

“…You think you know?”

I asked, but Ian just smiled without elaborating.

“Brunch B set for two is ready.”

Amidst our conversation, the staff brought over the brunch plates they were holding.

The brunch menu was standard. Square butter was placed on top of fluffy pancakes. The toast dipped in egg was properly charred and looked crispy. Alongside it were salads with corn, hash browns, and fruits. Although the plates were small, they were filled satisfactorily.

“What would you like for a drink? Coffee or juice?”

“One coffee and an orange juice.”

As expected, Ian ordered orange juice, knowing my preference. It felt quite unsettling how well the other person knew about me.

“Try it. The brunch here is delicious.”

“…Thank you.”

The conversation seemed to drift, but for now, I decided to eat the brunch Ian ordered.

I cut a piece of pancake with a fork and took a bite. The slightly egg-flavored pancake was soft and disappeared quickly in my mouth.

“Good, isn’t it?”

Ian asked with a satisfied smile after seeing my expression. I smiled awkwardly.

The conversation that followed was very casual. It was similar to the ones we had during fan meetings. Although we only met through chatting, it felt comfortable as we had known each other for a long time. It was so natural that there was no awkwardness.

After finishing the meal, we left the brunch cafe. Ian checked his watch.

“I have to go back to work. Do you want to come along?”

“No, I was thinking of stopping by the house while I’m here.”

“Alright, then.”

I knew the way. Ian didn’t seem particularly worried and easily let me go.

After parting with Ian, I headed to the house I had been introduced to before.

A small two-story house located in an alley. It felt good to see it again.

As expected, the door was unlocked. It’s surprising that such a nice house is left open without any thieves. Maybe that’s possible in the Celestial Realm.

The house was the same as before, except for a bit of dust.

‘Maybe I should clean up.’

There was nothing else to do. It was practically my house, so I should take care of it.

In fact, there wasn’t much to clean. It seemed enough to sweep the floor with a broom and wipe the furniture.

As I was focused on cleaning, the doorbell rang.

“…”

I took off the mask I was wearing while cleaning.

If any angel was to come here, there was only one who would.

I opened the door with the mask hanging on my chin.

“Nuna!”

As expected, it was Carrot. As soon as I opened the door, Carrot hugged me tightly.

“How did you know to come?”

“There are ways to find out―”

Carrot put his hands on his waist and spoke proudly. It was a very cute sight.

“OnlyFinley and Poppopo will be coming soon too!”

“…Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I’ve finished my tasks, and those two from the other department are not that busy, so it’s fine for them to step out for a bit. Plus, it’s almost lunchtime.”

Well, if they say it’s fine, then it must be.

“Were you cleaning?”

Seeing me in an apron, it must have been obvious, especially with a broom lying on the floor.

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve been here, and it was a bit dusty. I hope it was okay to touch things?”

“Of course, it’s your house now! We deliberately left it untouched, worrying someone might come in. Maybe I should have called the cleaning service.”

“No, this is better.”

It was originally a dormitory, but now that I was assigned here, I wanted to manage it as I pleased.

“This time it was the assassin’s doing again?”

Carrot seemed to have been curious, asking me directly.

“Did Gabi tell you?”

“No, asdf did!”

“…You bumped into each other.”

That explains why he knew I was here. He must have met Ian on his way back.

“How was asdf? You even had lunch together!”

“What can I say… he seemed nice.”

It was a safe answer.

Despite his cool first impression, he was a kind person, certainly more than when I saw him in the chat.

“Ian?”

Carrot tilted his head, puzzled.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Jiha!”

The newcomer was OnlyFinley. Just like Carrot, OnlyFinley hugged me tightly upon seeing me.

“I missed you!”

“Me too…”

OnlyFinley, seemingly thrilled, hugged me and jumped up and down on the spot. It was hard to match her energy.

“You really came?”

Following her, Poppopo appeared. It was good to see these familiar angels after a long time.

“So you were enchanted by magic this time?”

“Can you please speak softly about that… It’s embarrassing.”

Even though it was just us in the space, it was a shameful story for me.

“This is not the time, we need to wrap this up quickly before we have to go back to the office!” OnlyFinley exclaimed enthusiastically.

Wrap up? Wrap up what?

As I looked at OnlyFinley with a puzzled expression, she smiled broadly and said,

“Jiha’s clothes shopping!”

…My clothes?

I suddenly remembered the previous conversation about going shopping together.

I thought it was just a casual remark, but they were serious.

“I’m only staying for a short while, I don’t really need clothes…”

“No way. I wanted to give you a gift since you’re here—”

“You see how excited they are, why not just go along with it?”

Poppopo spoke nonchalantly from behind OnlyFinley.

While I didn’t mind receiving gifts, accepting too much felt overwhelming.

But regardless, the visibly excited OnlyFinley and Carrot took me by the sides and led me out.

The day was bright and beautiful. The weather was a perfect mix of warm and cool, almost confusing the season.

“What kind of clothes do you like, Jiha?”

“Anything comfortable…”

“Not interested in pretty clothes? Like that dress over there?”

“Not really… But I’ll wear whatever you give me.”

I was about to refuse, but then thought it rude since I was receiving gifts, so I changed my tune. OnlyFinley seemed even more thrilled by my response.

* * *

Thanks to them, I ended up trying on clothes like a mannequin. It was even more exhausting than when I went shopping for dresses with Kabir.

“Guys, let’s take it easy and rest for a bit.”

Unable to watch anymore, Poppopo stopped the other two. All four of us were holding numerous shopping bags in our hands.

“Why—? We’re having so much fun!”

“Jiha is getting tired.”

“Are you tired, Nuna?”

Asked by Carrot, I slowly nodded. I couldn’t deny it even as a courtesy.

Eventually, we decided to take a break at a café. Sitting down, I felt my energy returning.

“Let’s not buy any more clothes. Her closet is probably full anyway.”

“We’re running out of time anyway.”

Poppopo and OnlyFinley had a conversation. It seemed like it was almost time for them to return.

“What a pity. Will we see you again tomorrow? Sis, how long are you planning to stay this time?”

I pondered over that question.

I hadn’t thought about it, but I guess I’ll have to see how things are over there and decide.

“I’ll ask Gabi about the situation there. If it’s serious, I’ll have to go back and handle it.”

“Right…”

The three seemed to agree with my plan.

“Then come with us. We’ll take you to Gabi!”

Since our destination was the same, we agreed to go together.

After dropping off the clothes at home, we headed back to the office. The three angels accompanied me to Gabriela’s office before dispersing. They were truly kind angels.

After knocking and getting permission, I entered Gabriela’s office.

This space always felt so different, as if it was a completely separate world.

Noticing me, Gabriela was the first to speak, looking puzzled.

“Oh, are you leaving already? It hasn’t even been a day yet.”

I hadn’t been here long. Instead of responding, I approached Gabriela.

“I’m curious about the situation over there. If it’s alright, I’ll stay a bit longer, but if it’s chaotic, I need to return immediately.”

“Ah.”

Gabriela chuckled, seemingly understanding.

“Don’t worry. The manager took care of everything.”

“Trust the manager, always…”

I had hoped things would be managed roughly, but it seemed everything had been truly taken care of. The manager was indeed reliable. Though terse in words, they were always responsible for the aftermath.

“Rest well for a few days. Like I said earlier, you’ve paid a hefty sum for this vacation.”

“……”

I wanted to rest, but I was worried about the manager handling everything on my behalf. I wouldn’t be able to relax completely.

If the broadcast was available here, I could at least communicate via chat.

I tried to turn on the broadcast out of hope, but, as expected, it didn’t work. It must only be accessible from the other world.

Noticing my gesture, Gabriela spoke up.

“The manager will be too busy to come here for a while.”

“I thought so……”

I felt a pang of guilt, thinking of the added workload on the manager due to my situation. They must already have a mountain of tasks to manage here.

Observing my reaction, Gabriela must have thought I was down because I couldn’t see the manager, so she came up with a unique suggestion.

“Or, would you like to visit where he work?”

“…The manager’s workplace?”

I was curious, even though it would probably be just another office, simply because it was the manager’s.

Gabriela, seemingly serious about introducing me, stood up from her chair. I asked, surprised,

“Is it okay to leave here?”

“Haha, you’re asking the obvious. I commute too.”

It felt strange as I had only seen her sitting in her chair every time.

Standing up, Gabriela’s tall stature became even more noticeable. Unlike Ian, who was just tall, Gabriela was large in build, easily towering over two meters.

I followed Gabriela, sneaking glances at her imposing figure.

* * *

The destination was nearby.

As soon as the door opened, a quiet space, unlike the other offices, appeared. It seemed like a personal office.

It was larger than the private office Carrot used, but too small for multiple people. Perhaps, reflecting the higher rank of the manager, their personal office was different.

And there, one person was sitting.

“……?”

The man, who was looking at documents, directed his gaze towards me.

With white hair and pale eyes, his ethereal presence was captivating enough to make me lose my train of thought for a moment.

The man’s gaze met mine, and he greeted me with a calm voice.

“Hello.”