I Became the Third-Rate Villain in My Favorite Novel!

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My heart pounded so loud it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

What the hell is happening?

Just minutes ago, I was… dying. Bleeding out on the road, cursing my luck.

And now I’m here. In this body. In this scene I know all too well from the novel.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

The girl on the floor kept sobbing, shoulders trembling as she tried to shrink into herself.

The same girl the original “me” had cornered and tormented.

What the hell..?

This… has become a bit complicated.

I’ve transmigrated into the story I loved so much…

Even though I liked this novel, it’s not like I asked to be thrown into it!

And to make things worse… it just had to be the guy whose future is as bright as a dying candle.

Gaaah!! I scratched my head so hard it felt like I’d rip my hair out.

I, Hamamoto Haru, have somehow ended up inside the very novel I’d been reading since middle school.

Just moments ago, I was still in Japan, enjoying my last summer break of high school, heartbroken over the fact that the novel ended.

But never, not once, did I wish to be transported here after dying.

And certainly not as ‘Cale Vincent.’ The notorious troublemaker. A third-rate villain.

The character who was only there to deepen the bond between the protagonist and the heroine… and whose fate was to be disowned and executed.

And right now… I’m already halfway down that doomed path!

“I-I’m sorry, forgive me…!”

Her trembling voice snapped me out of my spiral.

Ah right. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I’d completely forgotten about her.

“A-Ah, my apologies, Lana! Let me help yo-”

I reached out, trying to gently help her up.

Holy she’s even more beautiful up close… like she’d stepped right out of the illustrations. Even at her disguise, she was breathtaking.

Up close, she was even prettier than the illustrations. Soft blonde hair, flushed cheeks, delicate features and eyes that shimmered like emeralds, it’s like she didn’t belong in the dusty storage room we were in.

She was more stunning, even more so than the illustrations itself.

But the moment my hand got close, she flinched and scooted back, tears spilling down her face.

She’s terrified… she’s traumatized.

Just how far had this bastard gone in bullying her before I showed up!?

“I-I’m sorry! Forgive me…!”

I bowed deeply, as sincerely as I could, hoping she’d at least see I wasn’t that same person.

Right now, I needed to get on her good side, otherwise my end was pretty much guaranteed.

She looked at me, face full of doubt and hesitation. Like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

‘Cale can apologize…?’

I offered my hand once more, gently, silently asking her to trust me.

But she slapped it away, her gaze cold and hateful.

Damn it… as expected. She’s furious.

Before I could say anything else to calm her-

‘BANG!’

The door to the janitor’s closet flew open, slamming into the wall.

I turned around, heart skipping a beat.

And there he was.

“Isaac Weiss-!” I say his name, with a relief tone.

The main character himself.

I called his name, hoping, naively, that maybe he’d help me calm Lana down.

But before I could say anything else, he lunged forward, grabbed me by the collar, and slammed me into the wall.

My head hit the wall so hard my vision blurred. His hand closed around my throat, pinning me like I weighed nothing.

Crap, I forgot! I’m the villain he despises!

His grip was strong. Unnaturally strong.

T-This is… the protagonist’s strength…!

One of the reasons I’d liked this guy so much was how fast he’d take action when it counted.

But right now, that decisiveness was very bad for me.

“CALE VINCENT!!”

He shouted my name, voice dripping with rage.

I could barely breathe, his fingers crushing my neck.

Isaac was a commoner, but he’d trained with the sword for years and includes a fantasy world, it was no wonder he had this monstrous strength.

My lungs burned. Spots danced in my vision. I clawed at his hand, trying to pry it off, but it was useless.

Is this really how I go…?

Just as my consciousness was about to slip, he loosened his grip. His eyes darted to Lana, still trembling on the floor.

Finally, he let go, and I dropped down, gasping, clutching at my neck, desperate for air.

“You bastard of a count’s son!” he spat, voice shaking with anger. “You use your title to trample over commoners, and now even Lana?!”

Rubbing my bruised neck, I wanted to shout

‘I’m not Cale! I’m not that guy!’

But I couldn’t.

Who’d believe something that ridiculous?

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Isaac gently placed his student vest over Lana’s trembling shoulders. Even though she was still shaking, it looked like she felt a little safer now that he was here.

He helped her to her feet, careful and gentle, and they started walking out together.

But before stepping out, Isaac turned and shot me a furious glare so sharp it felt like it could cut through me.

Then they left, leaving me standing there alone in the cramped janitor’s closet.

My whole body fell through the floor and felt like it lost all tension at once, and I let out a heavy sigh.

“So it really is true, huh… I’m really here.”

Everything happened so fast I could barely process it. My mind was spinning.

Right now, I had to take a step back and really think about what just happened.

I… just an ordinary Japanese high schooler, Hamamoto Haru… somehow ended up inside the novel I loved so much.

And not just anyone, but as Cale Vincent, the infamous third-rate villain.

The very guy destined to fall from grace after bullying the heroine.

And speaking of her…

Lana Verde.

On paper, she was just a lower noble. A baron’s daughter, nothing special.

At least, that’s what everyone was supposed to think.

In truth, Lana was hiding her real identity, not because she wanted to, but because of her father.

The Duke.

That’s right. In the novel, the powerful, doting Duke had a daughter named Lana.

Yup… it’s her. The very same Lana Verde. The duke’s daughter, disguised as a baron’s child.

Her father planned to reveal her true status to the world at her coming of age ball a grand event prepared just for her.

That was supposed to be the moment when everything flipped, when the nobles who tormented her would finally realize they’d been bullying the duke’s precious daughter all along.

And why wait until then? Well… it was never really explained in detail, but I had my guesses.

Maybe the duke wanted her to grow up away from the pressure, to choose her own marriage partner freely… or maybe it was to protect her from political danger.

“Haa…”

And then there’s Isaac Weiss. Born a commoner, the true protagonist of this world.

Your classic knight in shining armor type, brave, sincere, quick to act. The kind of guy the story and the world seemed to revolve around.

Isaac was destined to fall in love with Lana, without knowing she was really the duke’s daughter.

It was complicated, but through countless challenges, they were supposed to overcome everything together.

The power of love… or maybe just the power of plot?

“Haha..”

But now?

Now I’ve replaced the third-rate villain whose role was to torment her and then get destroyed for it.

“What a pain…!”

I buried my face in my hand.

If I keep following the same script, my end is already written, disowned and executed.

So all I can do… is try to change.

Not with empty words, but with actions. Actions speak louder than words.

I turned toward the tiny window in the janitor’s closet. Sunlight streamed in, lighting up the corridor outside.

Even just from here, the view looked amazing… this really was another world.

I can’t deny it… even now, part of me is excited.

I’ll change. I’ll support the main characters from the shadows, like the hardcore fan I’ve always been.

If I get to see this world up close… maybe it won’t be so bad.

With that thought, I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The corridor stretched out in front of me, polished floors reflecting the soft light from crystal lamps. Students in neat uniforms bustled about, books in hand, chatting and laughing.

This was the #1 magic academy in the kingdom.

Also known as.. The Star Academy.

It wasn’t just about magic, either, it also taught swordsmanship and even summoning familiar’s. But it was famous for producing some of the kingdom’s best mage’s.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Lana and Isaac again. Isaac was gently comforting her, hand on her shoulder.

Then he noticed me.

His eyes turned cold as ice. That glare could freeze someone on the spot, or maybe even kill them, metaphorically speaking.

Geez… now I get why the villains always looked terrified of him, i thought they were just overreacting.

Just then-

‘Gasp!’ ‘Whispers..’ ‘whispers..’

All around me, I could hear whispers and gasps from the other students.

People were staring.

“Oh no… again?”

“Poor girl..”

“What a shameful count!”

This was already turning into a terrible look for me.