My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Um... So here...
Episode 5 I Visited the Heroine's Parents' House...
Here, you just do this.
Oh, okay! I get it!
Thanks, Miss Campbell!
I should make it through my next class now.
I'm glad.
You write such thorough notes, though.
You're quite a hard worker, aren't you?
No, not really...
If you need help with anything else, you can ask me anytime.
Thanks!
Oh, I nearly forgot.
These are for you, if you'd like.
Did you make all these yourself?
I'd love some!
It's delicious!
Thank you.
Maria-chan and I have grown a lot closer since then.
All the others have been captivated by her sweets, too.
Here you go.
President! Thank you so much!
Delicious.
The student council president makes great tea, doesn't he?
Yes.
I'd never guess that he was the son of nobility.
He beat Nicol to the top of his grade
in both academic marks and magic ability.
I heard his fan club even has more members than Nicol's.
Man, he's fast!
He only had a side role in the game, but he's actually a beast!
Thank you for the tea again today.
You're welcome.
You know, the tea you make...
has a very gentle flavor.
But the truth is that when I'm outside the student council office,
I don't see much of the president or Maria-chan.
And we want to be better friends with Maria!
It seems like she keeps her distance from us outside the student council office.
Oh, Miss Campbell—
Well, you can't blame her!
All these people, including Catarina, are among the highest nobility in the nation.
It's probably hard for her to just strike up a conversation.
In the game, the conquerable characters
approach the heroine more and more as their affection levels rise.
But no one's approaching Maria-chan right now.
In fact, Catarina seems to have the highest affection toward Maria right now.
She always seems to be alone when not in the student council office.
It seems like Maria-san is being bullied by the other noble kids...
That's a huge problem!
Emergency!
Huge problem!
Unthinkable!
Catarina witnessed such a scene once,
but that was only the tip of the iceberg.
We have to do something!
No objections!
Sister, did you need something?
There's something I want to discuss!
H-Huh?
Oh... So that's it.
What can I do to help protect Miss Campbell?
Perhaps... we could stay with her as much as possible?
With her?
Yes.
If she's with you and me,
they won't find it easy to bully her, considering statuses and all.
That's it!
I'll make a move myself to spend more time with her outside the student council!
Thanks, Keith!
All right! It's lunch time!
I'll invite Maria-chan to eat with me.
She always ate lunch out here by herself in the game, if I recall...
You're just a commoner!
Don't get full of yourself just because you joined the student council.
I truly pity the student council members who feel they have
no choice but to pay attention to you.
I bet your score on the achievement test
was biased because your light magic is so special.
Don't get cocky!
Come forth, Earth Bump!
Did you see that?!
That's the power of my Earth Bump, the fruit of my years of training!
Enough with your false accusations!
This school grades students based purely on merit.
There is no bias.
Maria-chan is always working her very hardest,
and her test showed the results of that effort!
Besides, the student council members and I
don't hang out with her just because of her light magic!
We do it because
she's a hard worker who puts her all into everything, and we like her.
If you girls keep this up...
doom will befall you.
Just like it befalls the villainess Catarina Claes in the game!
We're sorry!
They're all such fools.
Maria-chan, are you oka—
Maria-chan?!
I know that was scary... but it's all right now!
Um, Lady Claes... My name...
Your name?
Oh! I'm sorry!
I just started calling you "Maria-chan" as if we're best friends...
No, I don't mind that at all.
In fact, instead of "Maria-chan"... well...
Please just call me "Maria"!
Thanks, Maria!
If you'll allow it,
may I also call you "Lady Catarina," like the student council members do?
Of course! Call me whatever you like!
You and I are friends now, after all.
Wait, what's wrong?!
I never thought they'd go so far as to use magic against her.
Oh!
Come to think of it, the Catarina in the game...
...did the same thing!
One day, during lunch break,
Catarina and the girls she used as her minions surrounded Maria,
and one of them tried to hurt Maria with fire magic!
Then Keith produced an earth doll with this magic and saved her.
And then Keith gently embraced her.
You know, Keith in that part...
He's normally a playboy, so he's not really used to acting like that.
That gap is just so hot!
Emergency!
Huge problem!
Danger!
So did we steal another major event from her?!
First it was Geordo,
and now we've taken a crucial relationship event from Keith...
But maybe that's for the better.
I mean, if those two work out, Catarina could be doomed.
In other words, since the event with Geordo,
we continue to unintentionally maintain distance from our own doom flag.
Am I amazing or what?!
Amazing!
Super amazing!
Amazing... I'm amazing...
That said, I still need to keep tabs on the progress of Maria-chan's
relationships with the conquerable characters.
Which makes this the perfect time for girl talk about relationships!
So, Maria, who do you like?
Huh?
I... am deeply fond of you, Lady Catarina.
Huh?
Me, too! More than anyone else!
Me, too! I feel the same, Lady Catarina!
Thanks, everyone...
That does make me happy, but that's not the kind of "like" I meant...
You're all welcome to have some of these if you'd like.
I'd love to!
Delicious!
Maria-chan's as cute as can be again today.
Even if I swiped a couple of relationship events from her by pure coincidence,
it's just a matter of time before the conquerable characters fall for her.
Maria My Love
M a r i a
Maria
Time to beef up my strategy!
I know!
Why don't we all go out somewhere together on our next day off?
Oh, that sounds wonderful.
I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to return to my parents' house on days off.
Then, let's plan something when it suits all of our schedules.
Yes, let's.
You're spending the day off with your family, Miss Maria?
You must be looking forward to that!
Huh?
Y-Yes...
Real fields on real farms are so incredible!
The size and scale of them don't even compare!
Why did we have to come to a place like this on our day off?
Sister?
Why are you dressed like that?
The fields! I'm going to the fields!
The fields? But they're right here.
Not these!
I want to go to a real farm and see a big field!
Huh? Why?
Well, of course...
so I can become a skilled farmer if the need arises!
I don't even know where to start...
I'm disguised as a merchant's daughter so no one will know I'm a noble.
So let's get this undercover observation started!
Right, right...
The undercover plan worked perfectly!
Huh?
Is that...
I believe that's Maria Campbell's hometown.
That's Maria's town?!
If we go there now, maybe we could see her!
What? It'd be rude to show up unannounced!
It's just for a little bit! It'll be fine!
Yay! I get to see Maria! Let's go!
Sister, calm down!
Mom, is there anything I can do?
Oh... Could you go on a shopping run for me?
Sure.
Wow... So this is Maria's town, huh?
Sister, you don't even know where her house is, do you?
Oh, come to think of it, I don't.
Excuse me! Do you know where Miss Maria Campbell lives?
Maria Campbell? Yes, of course I know.
Maria's quite famous in this town.
Famous? Really?
She's been an extraordinary girl ever since she was little.
She's a commoner with light magic, after all.
You're right. She's very special, isn't she?
To get to the Campbells' house, just follow this street,
and when you're past the trees...
This is such a lovely, peaceful place.
Yeah.
You there!
Are you a friend of Maria's?
Then you must know, right? Who is Maria's real father?
Huh?
Her real father?
Come on, now. Don't pretend you don't know.
Her real father is a noble, isn't he?
That's why she can use light magic!
Um... I'm not sure what you—
She's a noble's illegitimate child, right?!
It's no wonder her family fell apart!
We're in a hurry.
You'll have to excuse us, ladies.
Gosh, Keith, there was no need to take off running...
Don't worry about what they said.
Rumors are only rumors.
That must be the Campbells' house.
Hello!
May I ask who's calling?
I'm Miss Maria's friend. My name is Catarina Claes.
I'm her brother, Keith.
Friends of Maria's?
Is Miss Maria home?
I'm sorry to say she isn't right now.
Would you like to wait for her inside?
Thank you!
Here you go.
Wow! Did Miss Maria make these?
What? Ah, no... These were purchased.
Oh... I'm sorry.
I thought perhaps she had made them.
She always shares her homemade sweets with me.
What? She's been making sweets?
Yes! They're really delicious, aren't they?
Huh?
Yes...
I'm back.
Lady Catarina and Master Keith? What are you doing here?
Here we are!
We apologize for coming over unannounced.
No... I'm happy to see you on our day off!
I-I'm sorry...
I suddenly felt hungry the moment I saw your face.
Since you're here, why don't I make some sweets?
Will you?! Yay!
In that case, I don't know if you could call it a favor in return,
but would you mind if I borrowed your field for a bit?
What?
Sister!
Working fields is actually a hobby of mine.
And I brought some great seedlings that I just got my hands on!
I never knew you had a hobby like that...
Of course, I don't mind.
Thank you!
I'm sure Lady Catarina is going to be very hungry.
I'll have to make lots.
Here.
I was the kind of normal child you'd see anywhere.
But after my light magic became active, everything changed.
There are very few commoners who possess magic.
Everyone avoided me and suspected that I was a noble's illegitimate child.
I tried my best to regain my former happiness.
I worked my hardest to not let it all be blamed on my magic.
Before I knew it, I was drawing everyone's attention as a "special child."
But in the end, nothing changed.
What must I do to make them see me?
I just wished that someone, anyone, would look at me...
from the bottom of my heart.
After that day, Maria stopped making sweets.
I couldn't say anything to her.
I was too wrapped up in my own problems.
I couldn't even look at my own daughter.
What a cruel mother I am...
I'm still the same as I was then,
but Maria...
Use these.
I remember these!
I'll help you.
Let's dig in!
They're delicious!
I'm so glad.
Maria makes the best sweets ever!
Indeed!
Thank you so much.
Thank you for tidying up our field so nicely.
It was no problem at all. Thank you for the sweets and tea.
You'll have to look forward to finding out what'll grow in that field.
Please come visit again sometime.
I'd love to.
Goodbye.
Um...
Please continue to be a good friend to my daughter.
Of course!
And thank you for giving me your blessing!
This has been a fantastic day!
I sort of wish I could see our mother now.
Shall we stop by on our way, then?
Mother!
Sister, your outfit—
Welcome home, Catarina.
What an unusual outfit you're wearing.
Well, you can tell me all about that later.
I heard a strange rumor at a tea party for the ladies' association.
A... A strange rumor?
It said that someone had started a farm, of all things,
on the venerable magic academy grounds.
Catarina, why don't we have a little chat in my room?