The Villainess VTuber Tears People Apart

I had been shocked twice in the past three years.

The first time was the day I returned.

I was surprised enough that I suddenly returned to Earth after defeating the hidden boss, but it was even more shocking to find that history had been rewritten with the name “Aurora.”

And the second time was when I heard about the current status of Labyrinthos, the source of all my troubles.

===

[General] Can someone recommend a VR game?

What’s popular these days?

[Comments]

– Isn’t Labyrinthos the top choice?

– Labyrinthos is the best.

ㄴ Best, my ass, you idiot.

– Just play Labyrinthos.

===

…I couldn’t have imagined Labyrinthos would get a sequel. And in the form of a VR game, no less.

Labyrinthos was reportedly the most popular VR game in the world.

I had avoided it all this time, fearing that I might be dragged back into “that world,” but now it seemed like it was time to face it.

Maybe it was fate.

Just as it’s natural for people to feel hunger and the need for sleep, it was only natural for me, born a villainous noblewoman, to feel the “desire for victory.”

This “desire” was something that couldn’t be eradicated.

If I couldn’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it.

And if it was “Labyrinthos,” a game that was practically my life, it would surely satisfy this craving.

That said,

“How do you even buy VR equipment?”

Naturally, to play Labyrinthos, I needed a VR device.

So I searched “VR device” on the search engine, but I didn’t get it at all… Why is it so complicated?

There were so many different types, forms, and a wide range of prices.

The descriptions were packed with unfamiliar terms, making it hard to tell which product had the best specs.

I realized I would need to study this properly.

But then I thought,

“Do I really need to know all that?”

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

I am Laura Iris.

The jewel of the Ducal Family and an esteemed noblewoman.

I had never cooked in the ducal household, nor had I ever cleaned or done any sewing.

Naturally. I was a noble daughter of the Ducal Family.

I had never drawn my own bathwater, and I’d never even heard of how to heat bathwater. After all, a noblewoman only needs hot water to bathe.

Knowing how to boil water is something for the servants. It’s not something a noblewoman like me would ever need to do herself.

That’s why I picked up my phone and made a call.

– ♪♩♬♪♪♩

-♪

[…What is it?]

“Come to my room.”

[…What? Am I your errand boy? Damn, seriously….]

Click.

I hung up the phone and casually tossed it onto the table. Before long, I heard the sound of the door opening.

Without even looking in that direction, I started to speak.

“You’re here, Rion.”

“…What’s with that tone? Why are you suddenly being so formal?”

“Oh my, I must have slipped up without realizing. I used to speak like this in the Ducal Family when I needed to assert my authority.”

“I always think this, but your obsession with your persona is insane….”

“As I always say, it’s not just a persona.”

I glanced at Rion, who sighed.

“So, what’s it this time? Are you going out and need me to style your hair? Or do your makeup?”

“Neither. Why don’t you sit down instead of just standing there?”

“……”

Rion pouted and sat in a chair.

Orion.

As the name suggests, she was my family. Specifically, she was my cousin, the daughter of my uncle.

And she was also my only housemate.

-“Do you remember Rion? She said she has to move out of her apartment. The rent’s going up because the landlord says the housing prices have risen too much.”

-“So let her live with you. Her university is close to your place.”

-“Rion’s really easy to get along with, you know? Don’t you remember how close you two were when you were younger?”

-“You’d only mess up the house living alone, but if you live with Rion, it’ll be a bit better, won’t it?”

I received this message from my parents three years ago.

Sure enough, I needed someone to handle the housework.

I had been raised as a noble daughter of the Ducal Family. Could someone like me be expected to get her hands dirty?

I had even considered hiring a maid, so Rion moving in was a good opportunity for me.

And that’s how Rion ended up living with me, in exchange for handling all the little chores.

“How long do I have to serve you? So why did you call me?”

“I’m buying a VR device.”

“A VR device?”

“Yes. You’re good with machines, aren’t you?”

“…And whose fault do you think that is? It’s not like you ever use the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine, or the dishwasher….”

Rion said in disbelief.

“You even make me change the light bulbs…. So, why exactly are you buying a VR device?”

“Have you heard of Labyrinthos? I’m thinking of trying out that game.”

“Labyrinthos…? Since when? Weren’t you only into PC games?”

Rion tilted her head. I hesitated for a moment, pondering how to respond.

How could I explain the desire engraved into my very being? I had never told Rion about the ‘ten years I spent in that world.’

The answer came quickly.

It was difficult to explain, so I didn’t need to.

“I got bored.”

“So I needed a new toy. Does that answer your question?”

“…The way you talk, seriously. If it’s like that, renting is your best bet.”

“Renting?”

“Yeah.”

Rion nodded.

“Like how people rent massage chairs and pay a monthly fee. It’s similar.”

“They’ll send someone to set up the equipment when you order. Then you just pay a monthly rental fee. It’s not too expensive.”

“I personally recommend this one. Labyrinthos is a game where quick reactions are important, so you need something with good specs. This one’s a capsule type, so it has fast signal reception.”

Rion explained a bunch of things to me in an excited voice. Was this her area of expertise? She seemed to know a lot about it.

It was like asking an otaku to recommend their favorite anime. In other words, Rion was quite reliable.

Thanks to that, I quickly made my decision.

“But isn’t renting a bit undignified?”

“…What are you talking about?”

I made a lump sum payment.

“W-Wait… Did you just pay for it all at once…?!”

“Is there a problem?”

“Do you have any idea how expensive that was…? I’ve thought this before, but don’t you spend money too recklessly…? Is your bank account okay?”

“But Rion, have you ever seen a noblewoman making payments in installments?”

A noblewoman and rental? Could there be a more mismatched combination of words?

Noblewomen were taught to only set their eyes on precious things and speak of valuable things.

I’d heard it countless times from the Ducal Family: associating with anything vulgar would lower your dignity, so it must be avoided.

So me, renting something?

Not a chance.

“…Ugh, you and that persona. If you go bankrupt, I’m not helping you.”

By the evening, the installers arrived. I didn’t expect them to come so soon after I ordered it this afternoon.

“This is the VR device? It’s bigger than I expected.”

“Ah, unnie. They just finished setting it up.”

As I approached the capsule, Rion, who had been tweaking some settings, stepped aside.

Imagine a cryo-sleep capsule like you’d see in a movie. The design was quite rounded and somewhat cute, but at first glance, it also resembled a coffin.

It wasn’t too far off the mark. After all, it was a capsule designed for a person to enter.

“So what are you going to do? Are you getting in right away?”

“Of course. Let’s start.”

I opened the capsule door and got inside.

【Verifying user’s biometric data.】

【Biometric data verified. Checking real-time health status.】

【Health status confirmed. Registering new user information.】

【Registration complete.】

【Connecting to the virtual reality world.】

***

‘Hmm, looks like it’s working fine.’

Rion looked at Laura, who was now locked inside the capsule.

Seeing Laura with her eyes closed, as if she were asleep, Rion couldn’t help but sigh.

It was hard to believe that this arrogant persona had existed just a short while ago.

With her night-sky-colored hair, slightly exotic features, and fair skin, if there really were a Sleeping Beauty, she would look exactly like this.

Of course, the “princess” part was only in appearance.

Which made it all the more pitiful.

“If I looked like that, I would’ve had a much better life, ugh….”

Rion perched on a chair and stared blankly at the monitor.

Displayed on the screen was the VR environment and an avatar that looked exactly like Laura.

Thanks to the installers who connected the VR capsule to the monitor, Rion could indirectly watch the virtual reality Laura was experiencing.

“I wonder if she’ll be good at VR games too?”

Having lived with her for three years, Rion knew that Laura was a gaming fanatic and also very skilled at them.

She envied that. Rion had often wished she could be as good at games as Laura.

The heavens were indifferent. It was already unfair that Laura had been blessed with beauty, but she also had talent, making it a profoundly unjust world.

But what could you do?

People could only live with what they were given.

“Sigh.”

Rion sighed again and crossed her arms.

She had nothing to do at the moment, and she wanted to make sure the VR equipment was set up properly.

Above all, she was curious to see if Laura would dominate in VR games as well.

And so, Rion kept her eyes on the monitor screen.