ITHTJ 01

Chapter : 01

 I Wanted to Become a Villain (1)

I am Elsie Blumhaier.

Somehow, after mistakenly believing I would become the greatest villain in the world, I was reincarnated as Extra Number 3—the one who gets completely crushed by the original female lead.

And then, to someone like me—

“Let me be blunt. Elsie Blumhaier, I would like you to take charge of my younger sister Lynette’s magical education.”

“…Pardon?”

One day, I received a job offer.
As the magic tutor of Lynette, the original female lead.

Huh? What did you just say? You want me to personally teach the heroine who’s destined to wipe the floor with me?

Why me? Are you insane?

And on top of that, the man offering me the job was—

“I heard that you saved my sister’s life.”

He was Eclipse von Ledeir—the original heroine’s older brother and the final villain.

The problem was that I had nearly been caught trying to scam that man.

Wait. More importantly—what? I saved who?

Gasp… don’t tell me.

My eyes widened instinctively, and I hurriedly clapped a hand over my mouth.

The woman I had saved was Lynette, the heroine.

I had saved the younger sister of the man I’d been planning to swindle for a big payoff…!

Can coincidences really line up this perfectly?

I recalled the moment I had rescued a woman who was being threatened by thugs.

That very night—the night I had secretly broken into Eclipse’s office, without even knowing I had reincarnated as a mere extra in a novel.

A few days before the job offer from the Grand Duke of Ledeir.

Back then, I was a day-to-day survivor—a commoner among commoners, with no house, no money, nothing at all.

“What should I do… I didn’t sell a single thing today.”

Yes. A poor witch whose business failed yet again—that was me.

“Am I going to starve at this rate?”

Looking at my masterpieces lined up on the stall, my eyes stung with tears.

I carefully cradled the most expensive item among them in both hands.

Inside the glass bottle, purple powder shimmered in the sunlight.

“My babies… because of your useless mother, you can’t even shine properly… I’m sorry.”

Don’t be discouraged. You’re excellent magical tools.

The reason you can’t see the light of day is all because of your good-for-nothing mother.

If only I were a little more capable—just a little—then you wouldn’t have to suffer this humiliation.

“Someday, someone will recognize your true value. I believe that. So please—just sell one of you. Okay? No matter what, I need to at least afford food.”

If just this one sold, I’d be set for a while.

My poor child—too expensive for anyone to buy.

“I have to survive too, you know.”

While I was having this heartfelt conversation with my unsellable magical tools—

“Hey, instead of this, why don’t you join me under that boss? Looks like he’s planning a big job soon.”

“What? Are you crazy? What if you get caught?”

“So what? We die, that’s what.”

“You lunatic.”

I overheard some trivial chatter from nearby merchants.

Well… could this really be called trivial?

Sounds like a matter of life and death.

But eavesdropping is always the most interesting.

Pretending to tidy up my stall, I strained my ears toward their conversation.

“Still, it’s better than living like this. Think about it—if you grab even one decent piece of gold, you won’t go hungry for a year.”

“…A year?”

What? A whole year?

The scale of it was so enormous that even I felt tempted.

I perked up my ears like a wary rabbit and listened closely.

“They say we’re hitting some baron’s house this time. You know—the arrogant nouveau riche. Tons of money, awful personality. Apparently, their security’s weaker than you’d expect.”

“…Really?”

“If you’re interested, come to the place I told you tonight. This miserable life isn’t much better. Even if people call you a villain or criminal, at least you’ll eat.”

After their serious discussion, the merchants disappeared somewhere.

Left alone, I silently prayed for the repose of today’s coworkers and tomorrow’s colleagues from another industry.

No—maybe they wouldn’t even be alive tomorrow.

Either way, I probably won’t be seeing them much longer.

My prediction was spot-on.

The people who always guarded Windelton Street No. 7 alongside me vanished.

One day, two days, three days, four days… by the fifth day, I was convinced they were dead.

Until they appeared in front of me with bright smiles.

What the—? They’re alive?

I greeted them with a mix of surprise and relief.

“I’m glad you seem safe. You hadn’t been around for days, so I was worried something happened.”

“Oh, were you? I guess you’re right—we’ve never been away this long since we started selling.”

“Exactly. Did something good happen? You look really happy.”

One of them answered in an excited voice.

“Well, we came into a bit of money recently. Not long ago, this guy and I had a chance to, uh… visit a rich household. And there were lots of expensive things—”

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

“Ahem—ah, it’s nothing. Haha.”

Watching their backs as they walked away—now proper thieves after just five days—I thought to myself:

Villain, huh… Should I try it too?

If I succeeded in one big job like them, maybe I could open a shop in my own name. Maybe even buy a small house.

A dazzling ambition quickly overtook me.

“Alright. If I’m doing this, I’ll become the greatest villain in the world!”

I didn’t hesitate for even a second.

From that day on, I locked myself inside and began planning.

“To become the greatest villain in the world, I’ll need capital first.”

And to secure capital? You need a solid source of funds.

“Then obviously, it has to be the Ledeir Grand Ducal House!”

Isn’t it too reckless to target a grand ducal family from the start?

Nonsense. It’s a strategic choice—to pull off one massive score and disappear.

“First, I’ll brainwash the Grand Duke with magic. Then I’ll make him buy my items at an outrageous price.”

I could steal like those thieves, but that was too risky and had clear limits.

So I decided I’d scam them under the guise of legitimate trade, gather enough money, and then leave the country.

“Purchase price… hmm, about twenty times the value should do.”

If I’m scamming anyway, I might as well do it properly.

I worked tirelessly on the plan, even cutting into my sleeping hours.

And then—the night of execution arrived.

“Yaaawn.”

After staying up night after night, I couldn’t stop yawning.

I rubbed my watering eyes with the back of my hand, but the sleepiness wouldn’t fade.

“Focus. Get it together.”

As midnight approached, my vision blurred.

To drive away the drowsiness, I slapped my cheeks with both hands.

“The plan hasn’t even started yet. Just hang on a little longer.”

According to my plan, only the faint moonlight in the night sky should have been illuminating the darkness…

So why was the Grand Duke of Ledeir’s room so bright?

“Does that man not sleep?”

I crouched there blankly, burying my face in my knees as I muttered.

“At this rate, I’m going to fall asleep first…”

I was currently on the roof of the Grand Duke’s residence.

From a prime spot overlooking his office, I suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.

“Don’t tell me he’s pulling an all-nighter?”

For someone like me, who lived a disciplined life of sleeping after sunset and waking at sunrise, it was unthinkable.

No matter what, shouldn’t a human feel sleepy at this hour?

“Does he sleep during the day and work at night? Or maybe he’s the type who doesn’t need sleep… Gasp, don’t tell me he’s taking stimulants?”

I observed the man, entertaining every possible theory.

I couldn’t see details from this distance, but I could roughly make out the room’s layout.

As I examined the office, something silver caught my eye.

“Whoa—what’s that?”

It was a candelabrum holding no fewer than five candles.

And it was made of silver!

“What kind of candlestick is that fancy?”

The five brightly burning candles contributed greatly to making the office clearly visible even from afar.

Lighting five candles at once—was this aristocratic wealth?

“Wow, that’s ridiculously extravagant. If I were that rich, maybe I’d be the head of the Mage Tower by now.”

What if I had been born into a noble family?

Maybe I’d already made a name for myself.

Actually, it wouldn’t even have to be nobility.

If I’d just been born into a moderately wealthy merchant family, I wouldn’t be living like this.

“So please cooperate and help me get rich, Your Grace.”

I pulled a small bottle filled with purple powder from my robe.

It was my most valuable creation—

‘Dreaming Butterfly Powder.’