I Thought I’d Reformed the Villainous Heroine. But Their True Nature Remained Unchanged, and They Were Still Being Doted On—I Just Don’t Have Enough Lives.

The Guy I Saw on the Cover

Ilza’s own room.

Before, it used to have insect specimens and stuffed animals lying around, but gradually more girly, fancy stuff had started to fill the space. There were clothes shelves and accessory shelves too.

I should probably be happy about my stepsister’s cute growth, but it just meant her acting skills had gotten better.

Honestly, seeing the cat plushie on display gave me the creeps. At least it wasn’t a bear…

The Ilza in question introduced the automaton to me and Myris.

“Please take a look. This is [Big Brother Number Two].”

Ilza stood there with a sweet, innocent-looking smile that fit a young girl perfectly.

Unlike the previous [Big Brother Number One], the material had changed from wood to cloth. It had some kind of support inside, so it stood up firmly on its own. The fingers looked even more detailed, and there seemed to be more joints.

It gave us a little bow in greeting. The movements were smooth too.

“You upgraded it!!”

Ugh, the shock was so big it slipped out loud!

At my shout, Ilza looked delighted.

“Big Brother Number Two sacrificed some durability to improve precision. By adding flesh to the skeleton, the movements became smoother. The creaking sounds are gone now, right? I put a lot of effort into the joints.”

“Even if you explain it, it doesn’t really sink in.”

Number One had finally become Number Two. Would it eventually reach V?

Or maybe the Big Brother series would get mass-produced.

My body and mind were both about to freeze up, but Myris looked like she was having fun.

“Lady Ilza~ can Big Brother Number Two dance and stuff?”

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”

“Of course, Lady Ilza!”

“Hehe, you really are such a fun and cute person.”

Ilza and Myris were smiling at each other.

Those two really do have great chemistry as master and servant…

Myris supported Ilza while still showing her own personality. This maid had become our personal attendant for both of us.

Still, I wondered if Dad and the other servants would sense something weird about the automaton…

“Does Dad… know about the Big Brother series?”

“Yes, he provided the funding.”

“Why?!”

“When I told him it would help deepen my understanding of magic, he happily agreed. He even praised me, saying ‘Wow, Ilza, you’re really serious about your studies.'”

Ilza giggled softly.

I could clearly picture the scene where Dad’s eyes were darting around. Maybe avoiding inconvenient truths runs in the family.

If Dad had given permission, the servants probably wouldn’t object…

“What did Bakudou say?”

“He made a very complicated face… but when I mentioned that it could also serve as a sparring partner for Big Brother, he agreed to look the other way.”

“Teacher! Thank you for always thinking about what’s best for me!”

“Big Brother Gant is really being spoiled, isn’t he.”

Ilza said it with a hint of jealousy in her voice. Why would you get jealous over that.

U-uhh… so it really is going to be a sparring partner someday…

Lately I’d been asking Myris to train with me too, but her combat skills were way too assassin-style and focused on fighting people.

I did want my own dedicated opponent, though.

“Just kill me…”

The power source (undead) inside Big Brother Number Two groaned in pain, then went quiet after Ilza stared at it.

………… ………… …………..

“What a great doll! I was wanting a sparring partner, so this helps a lot!”

“Thank you. I thought Big Brother would say exactly that.”

Maybe because I didn’t reject it, Ilza seemed in a good mood.

Because it’s scary!!

Heh heh, anything troublesome I’ll just throw onto future me!

“…So Ilza, you wanted to show off the doll?”

“I wanted to test the precision of Big Brother Number Two… and from here on it’s a test that combines hobby and practical use.”

“Ah, so that’s what that was about.”

On the terrace seats, there was a canvas set up for oil painting.

It looked old but pretty sturdy. …Come to think of it, that was Mom’s hobby. A heavy chair was placed in front of the canvas too.

“Are you going to paint a portrait?”

“Yes. I’ll have Big Brother Number Two paint a picture of Big Brother.”

“I feel like my identity is fading away.”

“Is that… no good?”

“It’s fine if you want to have it painted, but… whoa?! Myris, don’t push my back!”

With a smile on her face, Myris pushed me from behind and led me all the way to the terrace.

She sat me down on a big chair that was too large for a kid’s body, and I straightened up properly. Then Ilza quickly sat down on the same chair.

“…Ilza? W-why the same chair?”

“I never said it would only be Big Brother. I’ll have my picture painted together with you. …That’s why I chose a chair big enough for both of us to sit on.”

Ilza said that and leaned her body against mine.

“Hehe, Big Brother, you’re too tense. Please relax more.”

“No, but isn’t this a bit too close…”

“Think of me as a cat. Meow~”

Ilza flashed her pure white teeth and smiled.

It wasn’t just sitting together… it was more like she was pressing so close I could feel her body heat all over… The silver-haired angel smiled adorably at me, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Just kill me.”

Big Brother Number Two held a brush and observed us.

…If Ilza weren’t Ilza, I probably would have been really excited.

“Young Master, try not to move too much~”

“Myris, you’re joining too, of course?”

“Oh? Is it okay for me to be in it too?”

“Of course. If you refuse, I’ll dispose of you.”

“Nice~ The way you sound half-serious is great! Then I’ll stand behind you two~”

Myris grinned and took her place behind the chair.

Even though dangerous words kept slipping out, the fact that those two got along so well was kinda funny…

“Big Brother Gant, come on, make a haughty face.”

“H-haughty?”

Whispered to in that sweet voice, I ended up trying to make a haughty expression.

“Young Master Gant, a more arrogant way of sitting would be better~”

“Eh, arrogant? Like this?”

I shifted my arms and legs and tried sitting in a villainous way.

Both of them looked really happy watching me do that.

“Hehe, Big Brother, you look wonderful.” “Young Master Gant looks super cool~”

“Eh, you think so? Haha.”

I sat there in a pose that screamed villain.

…Ah?!?!?

This is exactly the kind of pose I saw on the cover of those villain-type light novels!!

The protagonist sitting all villain-like, with the heroine beside him and the maid standing behind!!

Wait a second! I’ve been kinda feeling it, but… aren’t you guys trying to turn me into the villain?! Why?! Am I the scapegoat?! Are you planning to make me the boss of a front company?!

“Big Brother Gant, Big Brother Gant, Big Brother Gant.”

Ilza pressed even closer and started rubbing against me.

My heart was flipping over from the tension.

“W-what is it, Ilza?”

“Nothing really… I heard that the Royal Yggdrasil Academy allows young students to enroll if they have talent. At that school… it seems we could be in the same classroom as Big Brother.”

“Heh, is that so. I didn’t know that.”

I knew. I knew it extremely well.

In the original story, Ilza attended together with the original Gant.

She was doing a ton of secret maneuvering… though that was a few years from now.

“Young Master Gant, do you know about it?”

From behind, Myris asked in a soft, coaxing voice.

“…About the academy?”

“Yup yup. It seems servants can attend together to take care of the noble children. That way I can look after you two up close~”

“Heh, is that so. I really didn’t know anything about it.”

I knew. I knew it super well.

You attended the academy because of that, right.

You were doing a ton of secret maneuvering… though that was a few years from now.

The faint unease I’d been feeling all along started to swell up. Our personal relationships had changed, but on the bigger scale, things still seemed to be following the same path.

In the end I was becoming the villain… and it looked like I was heading into the academy route…

Even in games there are many endings, but the fate doesn’t change that much… probably because of production resource limits…

Then Ilza started singing lightly.

“Spending our youth at school~♪ I wanna go~ to the same academy as Big Brother~♪”

Myris joined in right after.

“Spending our youth in dark caves~♪ I wanna bathe in the bright light~♪ I wanna take care of you two~♪”

Feeling their passionate gazes, I started singing loudly too.

“Ah, our~ our~ Royal Yggdrasil Academy~♪”

“””Ah, our~ our~ Royal Yggdrasil Academy~♪”””

Our three voices synced up perfectly, but only my heart was out of tune.

No no no!!

I have to avoid the academy route no matter what!! There are way too many worrying elements!! I have no idea how anything will turn out!!