I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead-Chapter 21: A Showdown (2)

[System Notification!]

[Interference Blocked]

[Reason: Norvan is trying to identify the source of Evelyn's change.]

[Warning! His bloodlust isn't just for Raphael. It's for you. Proceed with caution.]

Well, yeah. Kind of hard to miss, considering he's killed me twice already.

If she stepped in now, it would only throw more fuel on the yandere bonfire.

The central conflict of the entire first volume revolved around the catastrophic love triangle between Norvan, Raphael, and Evelyn where two of the most dangerously unhinged men waged war over the most helpless, doe-eyed girl in existence.

That was exactly why this series had been a bestseller.

Brutal love. Violent possessiveness. Sexually aggressive men battling it out for a fragile damsel.

The two stepbrothers basically always tried to murder each other.

The winner was the one who became a green flag first.

It was the ultimate guilty pleasure for an audience of repressed young women who had never felt truly protected in their lives, never fought for themselves, and a strong need for attention.

"To think I once enjoyed this..." Verena mentally gagged. Truly, her past self had been unhinged.

"What's with all the noise?"

It was Raphael. He looked at the commotion with all the interest of someone spotting a stain on his sleeve until he saw Evelyn.

Soaked. Humiliated.

His boredom disappeared.

He strode forward, peeling off his pristine blazer and draping it over Evelyn's shoulders with deliberate ease. "You're making a scene," he said flatly.

The brown-haired noblewoman immediately switched tactics. "O-Oh! My lord, I didn't mean—"

"Enough," he cut her off, his gaze shifting to Norvan. "...You're making a scene too," he added as if Norvan was the real disruption here.

"Oh? So you're playing the noble protector now?" Norvan sneered, his fingers tightening at his side.

Raphael's expression didn't shift. "She looks pathetic."

"And what? You think that makes you her knight in shining armor?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Something in Norvan snapped. His hand ghosted over the hilt of his sword. Raphael had always been the aggressive one, but this time, Norvan was the one who reeked of bloodlust.

Right now, he saw Raphael as the source of the change in Evelyn, the reason she had started resisting him. Avoiding him.

"Oh? You want to duel?" Raphael raised a brow, unimpressed. "How embarrassing." He rolled his shoulders like this was just another minor inconvenience in his day. "But I suppose I'll humor you."

A deadly hush fell over the students, the clinking of utensils and quiet murmurs vanishing into silence.

All eyes fixated on the two stepbrothers at the center of it all. One exuding controlled lethality, the other brimming with unhinged fury.

A heartbeat later, Norvan moved.

The scrape of steel rang out as he unsheathed his blade in a single, fluid motion, aiming a diagonal slash straight for Raphael's torso.

But Raphael was faster.

His foot slid back instinctively, just out of reach.

The cold gleam of Norvan's sword cut through empty air, slicing the fabric of Raphael's uniform instead.

Without missing a beat, Raphael's own blade was drawn in retaliation, parrying Norvan's follow-up strike with an ear-splitting clang.

The impact sent a sharp vibration up both their arms, but neither flinched.

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"You're finally pretending to give a damn, Raphael? What's wrong? Bored of playing warlord and decided to play house with Evelyn instead?"

"House? No. But I suppose even a mutt like you knows a treasure when he sees one."

"It must kill you inside, doesn't it? That no matter what you do, she'll never look at you the way she looks at me."

"And it must kill you to know that the only reason she ever noticed you... was because I let her go first."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[Debuffs have been removed!]

[You may now interfere without immediately dying. Congratulations!]

(Disclaimer: The system is not responsible for any injuries, verbal warfare, or future murder attempts resulting from your actions.)

"Stupid system... thanks a lot, I guess," Verena muttered, finally sucking in a full breath.

Evelyn stood frozen, looking like a deer about to be run over by a carriage.

Meanwhile, the cafeteria had erupted into complete madness.

Students were screaming, scrambling to escape, and furniture was being overturned like this was some barbaric colosseum match.

And, of course, the two lunatic stepbrothers were still at it, locked in a battle of unchecked testosterone.

Infuriating.

But this was her chance.