The Villainess, Josephine.

"AAAAA!" 

Another wave of déjà vu slammed into me the moment I stepped into the path Almodey created. The sensation passed, and I landed—though it was neither soft nor hard. It was just... there. 

I pushed myself up, scanning my surroundings.

'What… is this place?'

From the outside, the tear looked eerie, like a gaping wound in reality itself. I had fully expected to see hordes of eldritch abominations, maybe even an otherworldly god waiting to whisper insanities into my ear. But instead… it was just white. Empty. Nothingness. 

Well, this was anticlimactic. 

"Oh, I'm sorry to be such a disappointment, then." 

A voice. Familiar. Too familiar. 

I turned sharply toward it—and froze. 

It was me. 

Dark raven hair. Crimson eyes. Sharp features that looked both haunting and breathtaking. Pale skin, but carrying an air of chilling elegance. 

Josephine von Konrow. 

The main villainess of "How to Live as the Black Swan of the Cursed Ducal Family."

Her—no, my—lips curled into a smirk. "You've really done a number on my body, haven't you?" 

She took a step closer, her presence suffocating in the all-consuming whiteness. 

"So, that's how it is," I muttered, forcing myself to stand firm. 

Josephine merely tilted her head, watching me like one would a curious animal. Then, with an almost lazy motion, she reached out, lifted my chin, and grinned. 

— 

Somehow, we ended up having tea. 

Yes. Tea. 

Inside an endless void of nothingness. 

Josephine—other me, void-me, villainess-me—sat across from me, delicately holding her cup as she explained the situation. She wasn't just a reflection. She was the personification of the tear itself, a manifestation of what lay buried deep inside those who entered. In my case, it took the shape of Josephine von Konrow. 

"Not Kim You-ra," she clarified. 

Apparently, ever since I inhabited her body, she had been watching. 

She saw everything.

My duel with Peter. The creation of the Philosopher's Stone. My moments of triumph, my failures, my rage, my laughter. 

And… 

"I was shocked, you know?" she mused, sipping her tea. "Hearing you talk about revenge. For Me."

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. 

"But more than that," she continued, setting her cup down, "I had access to your memories too. Your past life as Kim Yoo-ra." 

I nearly dropped my own cup. 

She tapped a finger against her cheek, a contemplative expression crossing her face. "At first, I judged you." 

That made sense. I was used to being judged. 

She leaned forward. "Why didn't you use your achievements? Why didn't you fight to be recognized? To be known by people?" 

I opened my mouth—but she was already shaking her head. 

"But the more I read through your memories… the more I realized I was wrong." 

Her voice softened. 

"You never yearned for love because you had already accepted that no matter what you did, you weren't going to be loved." 

The words hit harder than I expected. 

Josephine von Konrow let out a bitter laugh. "I was different. When I was a child, I kept reading fairy tales about princes rescuing princesses, about families full of love and warmth. I thought I could have that too." Her hands trembled as she gripped them together. 

"I was wrong." 

Her voice cracked. 

"I was born talentless. Dismissed by my parents. And then she came." 

Adele. 

Her smile twisted into something resentful. "She got everything I wanted. Isn't that stupid?"

She clenched her fists, covering her eyes for a moment before looking up again—this time, with sheer, unfiltered rage.

"I tried, you know?" Her voice trembled. "I tried my best. I worked harder than anyone else to earn their respect! And what did I get?" Her nails dug into the table. "A cold glare? Contempt? A ruined reputation?"

She laughed. A short, sharp, broken sound.

"I just wanted to be loved!" she screamed. "So why does everyone paint me as the villain?!"

"Josephine…" I whispered.

She turned to me, raw emotions laid bare.

I had no words.

"...What do you want me to do?"

Silence.

Then, she leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable.

"I've come to realize something," she murmured. "My life… this life… was always a story." Her crimson eyes flickered. "One that was meant to end in suffering. I hate it. I despise it. But I can't change what's already been written."

She exhaled.

"And yet…"

And yet—

A Realization

I won't be loved.

I had already read my story, and I had come to realize that my part was already over.

But—

Josephine's eyes darkened.

"How could you not act like a proper villainess?!"

"Hah? What are you saying?"

"I'm not an idiot," she scoffed. "If you, Kim You-ra, have my memories, then I, Josephine, have your memories."

"Wait, so you're saying—"

"Yes," she cut me off with a smirk. "I'm also a big shoujo fan, you know?"

…What.

"In fact," she continued, nonchalantly swirling her tea, "that's the reason why I wanted to be loved. That 'it feels nice'kind of thing. Ugh, this is so cringe."

This fucking nerd.

"Personally, I would've aimed for the Prince." She sighed dramatically. "He was a textbook bloodthirsty prince, but surprise, surprise—turns out he's a possessive yandere!"

I stared at her. "So you also noticed, huh?"

"Of course." She clicked her tongue. "Why the hell is he even interested in you? And what's with the witch suddenly—wait. Wait." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Are we totally vibing right now?"

Oh no. Oh no.

"Probably because you triggered a flag event or something," she mused. "Anyway, he's totally acting like a dog in front of you, which is kinda nice." She gave me a thumbs up.

This girl. This villainess. This socially starved loser.

[Your understanding of Josephine von Konrow has increased!]

"What about Jane?" I asked.

Josephine instantly deflated. Her head slumped. "...Yeah, I know."

She hesitated, fingers tightening around her cup. "Jane's a sweetheart. She stayed with me even when I was exiled to that spare mansion. I don't hate Jane. It's just that... I'm awkward." Her voice wavered slightly. "Why does she stay with me despite everything?"

Her fingers clenched.

"I became paranoid. I lashed out at her. I thought—if I pushed her away, she'd show her true colors and leave like everyone else. But she didn't."

Her voice cracked. "She still didn't leave."

[Your understanding of Josephine von Konrow has increased!]

I swallowed. "Wait, wait, wait—so you're saying… you don't mind what I do in your body?"

Josephine blinked. "Huh? Oh. No, I don't mind. I mean—" she gestured vaguely, "I'm still you, y'know? I'm always in your consciousness."

"You don't want… revenge?"

"Of course I do." Her expression turned sharp. "But you already promised, right? That you'd show them all."

She leaned back, exhaling. "I'm powerless to change anything now. But knowing you, you'll probably turn everything upside down."

I looked at her.

I am Josephine von Konrow, with the memories of Kim You-ra.

And you are Kim You-ra, with the memories of Josephine von Konrow.

We were different.

And yet, the same.

She smirked. "Basically, I'm the final boss of the tear—the personification of yourself. And in order to close it, you have to defeat me."

I shuddered. "Ugh. That sounds like a pain in the ass."

Josephine crossed her arms. "True. Let's just kill this off already."

"Whoa, whoa—WANNA RUN THAT BY ME AGAIN?!"

She teasingly punched my shoulder. "You know, the reason Ashkart couldn't beat me was because he couldn't face himself."

I frowned.

"He couldn't face the crimes, the guilt, the shame of everything he had to do to kill the Demon King and save the world," she continued. "And let's be real, most people can't do that."

She smirked. "A little cliché, yeah, but who cares?"

Josephine's form flickered. She was fading.

"You've already beaten me a long time ago."

"W-Wait!" I reached for her—but my hands passed through her.

[Your understanding of Josephine von Konrow has reached 100%! Synchronization now initiating...]

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. My body felt heavy. My eyelids drooped.

"Don't worry," Josephine's voice echoed in my mind. "I'll always be here. Call me in your thoughts, talk to me in your dreams. But for now..."

Darkness closed in.

"Rest—"

Her voice was the last thing I heard.

"—and get my revenge on Adele."