Prologue: If I’m going to Reincarnate let it be as the Heroine, or at least as the Villainess

In the final year of the Heisei period, a new Otome Game was born.

The illustrations were done by Lubin, a famous god painter at the time. The opening animation was done by Saft, which generated a social sensation by working on many renowned anime, while a new band provided the music from the idol company Shiny. 

The game was a huge deal. They played commercials for the game nonstop on television, and Rika Todo, a woman approaching her thirties, was not the only one eagerly anticipating its release. Rika was so anxious to devote her final Golden Week of the Heisei period to the game that she even purchased it in a game shop rather than online on the day of release and was eager to immerse herself in the game’s world completely. 

She hit the start button, captivated by the smooth animations, the band’s singing voices, and the many stunning men designed by Lubin, which rattled one’s heart.

However, she likely wasn’t the only one who later posted to being deceived on the internet.

Shockingly poor game performance.

A Karaoke version Ending Theme featuring no vocals.

A sloppy, unstructured world.

A shabby animation that was only decent for the first minute.

In the end, it was an Otoge. Poor performance was tolerable. Rika was able to tolerate the Karaoke version even though she didn’t like it. 

The world-building had been a little disappointing, but it wasn’t something Rika couldn’t get past, so she didn’t mind it too much. 

When it came to the animation… Rika only discovered afterward, when surfing the internet, that Saft had just done the opening, and a completely unknown company had done the remainder. 

Isn’t this a total scam?  

The thoughts ran through Rika’s mind, but she blamed it on her inability to browse the internet; therefore, she conceded. Others knew about it, so it wasn’t a big deal for her.

The primary issue, though, had surfaced in the game’s plot.

It followed the heroine, a Light Magic-user born as a commoner in the Europe-themed Kingdom of Smol. She had been enrolled in the mixed Royal Smol Academy, attended by both nobles and commoners. Rika wasn’t bothered by the process of falling in love with Lupin’s beautifully drawn characters, which was a common occurrence in Otome Games.

The problem started due to the Villainess’ hopeless character.

It didn’t mean the Villainess had a horrible personality just because she was hopeless. Instead, Liliana Swarov, the Villainess, was a remarkably well-behaved young lady. She was the Swarov family’s only daughter and was known for her unrivaled beauty. Her position in the aristocratic society was presumably not very high due to her status as a viscount; thus, she was kind to everyone and had outstanding grades. 

She attended the academy alongside Clift Lothrigen, a childhood friend and the son of the viscount of the neighboring area. She was also the first to offer help to the heroine when she became lost in the academy. 

What’s up with that?! That’s the main route’s job! 

The game’s objective was to steal the first prince, the chancellor’s son, and the Imperial Guards’ Captain’s second son, all of whom harbored feelings for Liliana since they were children.

Steal… That’s not right! That’s not what Otome Games are about! 

Where the things Rika wanted to shout to the game’s developers. If she could, she would have liked to speak with them.  

Tell them that in an Otome Game, the love should be more genuine. 

Even though the game’s title was Waku Waku Love Academy’s Great War, it had not been exciting at all. Instead, it only made Rika uneasy. 

The heroine appeared to be the antagonist in Rika’s eyes. Rika simply saw the heroine as a lesser version of the Villainess, and she couldn’t see why the prince, the chancellor’s son, or the Imperial Guards’ Captain’s son would fall in love with her. If it were up to her, she would undoubtedly choose the Villainess, Lili. Despite Rika’s wishes, all of the love interests quickly fell in love with the heroine, which Rika thought was sloppy.

For example, the Imperial Guards’ Captain’s son. He fell in love with the heroine after she consoled him after losing in a mock combat to Lili, a master archer. At the time, he apparently told the heroine he wanted to protect the weak. On the other hand, Rika merely saw that as pitiful because he didn’t blame himself for losing to Lili. He apparently also wanted to join the Imperial Guards, which were supposed to protect the king, not the weak.

The chancellor’s son hadn’t been any different. After losing to Lili in the academy’s speech contest, his affection for her had changed to hatred, and he had begun to abuse her regularly. He was also an arrogant individual who would always smirk smugly when speaking with the foolish heroine, as if to say, “Huh, you don’t know this?”

However, the deciding factor for Rika had been the prince. A self-centered, repulsive jerk who simply approached the heroine to get Lili to look his way. He was also betrothed to Alice Salvato, a bit cocky duke’s daughter with ringlets of blonde hair. 

What’s up with that?! The heroine is nothing more than a spoiler!

Despite this, Rika somewhat enjoyed Clift’s route since he still had feelings for Lili. However, because Clift had solid feelings for Lili, she still felt like she was snatching her spouse.

In short, it was a crappy game…

The internet had the same opinion. Comments along the lines of: 

“I was scammed.” 

“Give me my money back.” 

“If only Lili were the heroine.” 

“Lili is no Villainess. Why did you make Alice a side character?” 

“The prince is an idiot!” 

“The Imperial Guards’ Captain’s son too!” 

“The chancellor’s son too!” 

“Conclusion: This kingdom is doomed.” 

In the end, the game was known as Waku Waku Love Academy’s Great War, or Waku Academy for short earned the title of Heisei’s final and Reiwa’s greatest failure!

◆◇◆

“…lice! Lady Alice!”

Alice opened her eyes as the voice called out to her and was greeted by a young girl. The girl had large eyes and blond hair formed into ringlets. The young girl, who had European features and a doll-like cuteness, gazed at Alice with worried eyes.

“Lady Alice, are you alright? Do you feel sick? I understand that today is a happy occasion, but if you aren’t feeling well, would you like me to accompany you to your room?”

“… Lili?”

“Yes?”

“Liliana Swarov?”

“That’s correct… Is there something wrong?”

As soon as Alice saw Liliana Swarov, the 7-year-old girl sitting in front of her… Memories from her past began to flood her mind. 

I see. So I am…

“Alice Salvato.”

“What?”

“Lili, what is my name?”

“U-Um… It is Lady Alice Salvato… Are you really alright, Lady Alice?”

As Alice looked up at her, Lili inquired. Alice then turned her attention to the pasta left on top of the table in front of her.

“…Hahahaha.”

Alice Salvato. The Crowned Prince Zeke’s fiancé, the Villainess, Liliana Swarov’s close relative, and the sole daughter of the Salvato family.

“…Side character…”

I reincarnated into Waku Academy’s side character…

“…Hahahahahahaha.”

“L-Lady Alice? Are you alright?!”

…And to think it would happen while I was eating. Don’t these things typically happen when you have a concussion or a fever? Moreover, of all places, Waku Academy… Well, it’s not Waku Academy’s fault, I suppose.

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