A Sweet Girl Won't Be Fooled By The Villainess - [Vol. 1] Chapter 75
[Vol. 1] Chapter 75: Now It’s Mine
Due to the enclosed nature of the small dark room, only a few kerosene lamps hanging on the wall were used for illumination. Therefore, the light was dim, but it was not completely dark.
When Ifia, holding a brick in anger, approached with a vengeance, creating a scene that seemed ready for a life-and-death struggle, the other kidnapped women were frightened and retreated. Even their sobbing stopped, fearing Ifia might launch an indiscriminate attack.
At the door, Fiona continued banging on it, shouting loudly, “Hurry up and let me out! I’ve already said I was forced! You should be catching the real witch!”
“The Ifia in my class is the witch!!!”
As she reached the end of her sentence, her voice was hoarse, as if she wanted to tear her throat apart.
Finally reaching the door, Ifia stopped in her tracks, suppressing her anger. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the absurdity of the situation. Even the tasks assigned by the system to save the world seemed less bizarre than Fiona’s behavior.
Originally, Ifia wanted to ask why she was being dragged into this mess. However, looking at Fiona’s unrepentant demeanor, Ifia suddenly didn’t feel like asking. Reasoning with such a person was futile. It was better to take direct action.
Ifia tried to suppress her anger, silently standing behind Fina. While Fina continued shouting loudly, Ifia reached out and patted her shoulder. At the same time, in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, she said, “Fiona, what are you talking about?”
At the moment Ifia spoke, Fiona’s voice abruptly stopped. She widened her eyes in disbelief, never expecting that the lunatics had actually brought Ifia here.
Fiona couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat on her forehead. The two days of hunger and fear during the kidnapping had weakened her body, and encountering even a slight scare made her tremble all over. However, Fiona’s panic was only momentary. Immediately thinking about Ifia’s refusal to lend her money, forcing her to resort to selling herself to earn money, she quickly pushed aside any feelings of guilt and instead felt self-righteous.
It was all Ifia’s fault. According to what Irene said, the Duke’s daughter, who befriended Ifia, provided her with considerable financial support and luxury goods. She had plenty of gold coins to spend without running out. If she was so wealthy, what was the big deal about lending Fiona a little?
While Ifia was happily enjoying herself, those disgusting men were taking advantage of her. Fiona could only earn a few silver coins at best! It wasn’t even enough to buy a high-end suit for Ronnie.
Thinking about all this, resentment and unwillingness surged in Fiona. Since they were now both locked up together, and considering Ifia’s delicate appearance, she was confident she could win in a fight. The more she thought about it, the more she felt the need to make Ifia realize how formidable she was. Immediately turning around, Fiona sneered and said, “Hehe, you…”
However, before Fiona could finish her words, a brick came flying towards her face. Caught off guard, she took a direct hit and immediately fell to the ground, dizzy and disoriented. Panicking, she reached to cover the injured area on her head, feeling liquid seeping through her fingers. The wet sensation intensified the pain of the wound. With a delayed reaction, Fiona started screaming only after hitting the ground.
The piercing screams filled the room, causing other women to cower in fear. “Shut up!” Ifia kicked Fiona hard, but a single brick couldn’t completely quench her anger. Anyone who was living well and suddenly got dragged into a kidnapping, making them furious and inclined towards violence—this was true for anyone, let alone Ifia, who never tolerated injustice.
Although Ifia didn’t want to stain her hands with the blood of someone as foolish as Fiona, she couldn’t deny the urge to express her anger. Once again, she angrily swung the brick in her hand, intending to make a few more dents in Fiona’s head. Unexpectedly, someone suddenly appeared from the side.
Since they were trapped here with a 99.9% probability of being killed, Ifia didn’t have to personally take action. However, she still needed to release her anger with a few more bricks to make Fiona understand the consequences of provoking her!
A stranger reached out and grabbed Ifia’s arm, preventing the brick from continuing its trajectory towards Fiona’s head.
“Violence won’t solve the problem. Please stop harming this lady!”
Due to the proximity, Ifia could clearly see the face of the stranger. She had an ordinary and refined appearance, with deep blue eyes that almost looked black and red hair twisted into two braids.
The woman’s tightly pursed lips indicated her disapproval of violence. The deep fear in her blue eyes suggested that she was facing an unflinching killer.
Feeling the terrified gazes coming from all directions, Ifia pulled the stranger’s hand away in silence. She felt as if she had turned into the villain in a movie or TV drama, even though she was the actual victim. Despite being nosy, the stranger at least intervened to stop Ifia from causing further harm.
After giving Fiona a taste of the brick and releasing her pent-up frustration, Ifia didn’t want to direct her anger at innocent people. Her fists should be aimed at those who deserved it. Now, looking at Fiona sitting on the ground and screaming, Ifia shrugged and decided not to waste any more punches on her. It was better to conserve energy for the impending escape.
Staying here would only result in being tied up and burned. Only a fool would choose not to run!
However, she wouldn’t foolishly take on the title of a villain. So, she addressed the woman, saying, “Do you know who I am? I am Ifia, the Ifia framed by this woman!” After saying this, Ifia didn’t wait for the woman to respond and went back to her original spot, sitting down.
The ruthless act of smashing heads with a brick had made the other women extremely wary. Seeing Ifia sit down, those nearby quickly moved away to other places, creating a vacuum around her. Except for her, there was no one else.
Ifia wasn’t angry about it. In fact, she found it comfortable. She didn’t like strangers lingering around her.
[Host, you looked quite fierce just now. I thought you were going to kill her!]
[Humph, I won’t break the law for someone like Fiona. She’s not worth it!]
The system didn’t expect its casually assigned host to be so law-abiding. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a bad thing. At least there was a moral bottom line. Hosts without boundaries, unrestricted and taboo-less, were like ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment.
As a system, it preferred stable types like its current clueless host. Despite occasionally lying flat and being indifferent, this host was sincere with people and things, maintaining the right principles. It wasn’t a person with negative motives against society.
No wonder it caught the attention of the villainess, not being despised. Devils loved innocent and kind-hearted people the most.
While the system was expressing its admiration, Ifia didn’t want to focus on irrelevant people. She didn’t continue the topic and started to inquire about the important matters.
[System, given the current situation, if I can’t escape from here, I’ll be burned alive, and your mission won’t be completed… So, can you provide some hints? For example, has this witch-hunting organization appeared in the original plot?]
Although the drugs on Ifia hadn’t been taken away, relying solely on them couldn’t guarantee a successful escape. A detailed plan was still necessary, and with the system present, it would be foolish not to utilize it.
[Host, considering the current circumstances, the system is temporarily granting you partial access to certain permissions. However, once you return to a safe area, these permissions will be immediately revoked.]
Even if Ifia hadn’t asked, the system was prepared to provide some information. After all, the current plot point was too dangerous, and withholding information would increase the risk of death. If the host died, the world-saving mission would fail, and the system would cease to exist as well.
[Regarding the Judicators Organization, it did appear in the original plot.]
[To be precise, this is now one of the crucial plot points. Originally, the person kidnapped by the Judicators was the female lead, Irene, not the host… But due to Fiona’s identification, the host is now in danger.]
[Members of the Judicators Organization firmly believe that gods save humanity, and demons create wicked witches to destroy mankind. Therefore, they pass judgment on young women who are greedy, lustful, and oppress others, calling them “witches to be hunted.”]
[Of course, occasionally, there are innocents like the host, but with no way to survive, they end up bound above the pyre and burned alive.]
In the original plot, members of the Judicators Organization were all a bit crazy. If it weren’t for the female lead, Irene, getting involved, once they finished dealing with this batch of “witches,” they would have extended their sinful hands to young noblewomen. Now, kidnapping commoner women is just a test, marking the Judicators Organization’s first appearance.
Using the brutally burned souls as sacrifices was the first step to gaining notoriety in Dalwa City.
[Ah, so, Irene has also been drawn into this witch-hunting activity?]
After hearing the system’s explanation, Ifia was somewhat surprised. She found herself involved in the original plot again. The frequency of being drawn in seemed unusually high. Moreover, it was by an unexpected person. This feeling was almost as frustrating as being shot while dining out!
However, due to having shared a dormitory with Irene, Ifia understood a bit. Especially after Irene lent money to Fiona, she had very little remaining for living expenses. Irene even had to cut back on meals, and apart from her interest in Prince Carloy, she had no positive feelings towards other opposite-sex individuals. She was just an ordinary civilian student. How could the Judicators Organization consider her a witch?
[Yes, in the original plot, after the cafeteria incident, the female lead and the male lead formally met. During their interaction, Prince Carloy considered Irene a diligent and studious girl. His gifts became the catalyst for her capture. When the female lead went out wearing expensive jewelry, the Judicators Organization deemed her a witch.]
Wait, she received quite a few gifts?
Ah, this! Ifia felt like she hadn’t done much. How did it lead to such a drastic change in the plot? After the protagonist, who had been bullied by nobles in the cafeteria, was replaced by her and was timely saved by Amelia, although the male and female leads got to know each other, their mutual feelings were not as strong as in the original plot. This led to changes in the subsequent plot. However, there was still a question that puzzled Ifia.
[System, was Fiona also captured in the original plot?]
[No, because of the host’s intervention, the noble Britney dropped out, and Ronnie was forced to lose his long-term meal ticket and chose to return to Fiona’s side. After that, he continued to pursue Fiona, causing her to take the wrong path and be caught by the Judicators Organization as a witch… In the original plot, Fiona continued her studies at the academy, hoping to win back her ex-boyfriend’s heart with outstanding grades.]
[……]
Damn, it really is the butterfly effect!
For a moment, Ifia didn’t know what to say. However, being in danger at the moment, she didn’t have time to continue lamenting and needed to leave as soon as possible.
[Since it’s the original plot, how does the female lead turn the tables and ensure her safety?]
[Following the development of the original plot, after being kidnapped to this place, the female lead first pretended to be meek and obedient to deceive the guards. She then helped another woman escape, asking her to go to the Pulis Academy to inform Prince Carloy. Later, the male lead, leading a group of knights, came to rescue her, ultimately annihilating the Judicators Organization.]
Listening to the system recounting the original plot, Ifia was like a curious baby. She had another question!
[Huh? Why didn’t the female lead escape by herself? Instead, she helped others leave, leaving the danger to herself and giving safety to others. Is this some kind of altruism?]
[Because the female lead wasn’t sure if escaping on her own would be safe. If she got caught again while trying to escape, she might face immediate death.]
[……]
Well, fair enough! She was being naive. However, even if there was a risk of being caught again while escaping, staying here and potentially being burned alive if the prince didn’t arrive in time wasn’t a better option.
Ifia didn’t want to rely on others for hope. So, she couldn’t adopt the female lead’s approach. Even if there was a risk of being caught again, she would escape!
[Can I follow the escape route from the original plot?]
[Yes, two days later, around noon, the guard will forget to close the window due to a stomachache. Given the host’s size, it’s entirely possible to escape through the wooden window.]
Receiving a positive response from the system, Ifia immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Waiting for two more days was fine as long as she could escape. With a plan for survival in place, Ifia’s mood relaxed, and she remembered the system’s sudden dormancy earlier.
[System, forgot to ask, did you go into dormancy for an upgrade?]
[Host, you’re thinking about eating peaches[1]. Upgrading requires completing the task of saving the world!]
[Then why did you go into dormancy?]
As the foolish host questioned, the system felt a bit uneasy, contemplating how to respond. The reason for being summoned by the main god this time was actually simple.
The main god found the host it bound to be exceptionally interesting! Countless systems and hosts sent before were mercilessly killed by the villainess.
Only the foolish host it was bound to was different. Instead of being killed, she began to shake the heart of the villainess. It was like the process of a weak hunter taming a fierce beast. In the face of such a disparate strength, even the god was looking forward to how things would develop.
Therefore, the main god painted a big picture for it… As long as the foolish host successfully conquered the villainess, causing her to abandon the crazy idea of destroying the world, a special ability would be granted to the host. It was the kind that would make escaping easier.
As for this system, it would upgrade and stay by the side of the main god, serving as the manager, without the need to continue laboring in new worlds. Although the system felt that the main god’s tone when offering the special ability to the foolish host seemed somewhat gloating, the prospect of becoming the manager by the main god’s side was simply thrilling!
Moreover, not having to go to new worlds in the future meant avoiding danger! So, the system happily took a bite of this promised reward and decided to supervise the host in completing the tasks.
However, such matters needed to be kept from the foolish host. It could only come up with a reason to get through.
[Host, after the system issued the second task and saw no progress for a long time, it led to an energy loss. The dormancy was merely to shut down some unnecessary functions and save energy consumption.]
[……]
As soon as it was related to herself, Ifia quickly stopped asking. If she continued, the system might urge her to do the tasks.
She didn’t want to do those weird tasks that poked at others’ sore spots… Especially when the task target was Emilia, she was even more unwilling.
“Hello, my name is Rudeni, I’m really sorry just now.”
While Ifia was thinking about how to divert the system’s attention, the woman who had just stopped her from giving the second bricks to Fiona approached her, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.
The woman had a guilty look on her face, as if she wanted to apologize to Ifia. Seeing this, Ifia raised an eyebrow without responding. The previous experience of being knocked out by the dwarf woman was too painful, and Ifia felt a bit stressed even now.
Don’t talk to strangers!!!
Rudeni, who introduced herself proactively, seemed to have anticipated hitting a wall. She didn’t feel embarrassed because Ifia didn’t respond. Instead, she bowed solemnly to Ifia and said, “I’m sorry.”
Perhaps feeling that she still couldn’t get a response from Ifia, after saying this, Rudeni turned and left, sitting down not far away.
After Rudeni left, Ifia asked the system with confusion.
[System, why do I feel like I’ve heard the name Rudeni recently? It seems like I heard it somewhere in the recent past, but I forgot where.]
[Host, while you were purchasing beets on Roseanne Street, you encountered two women chatting. One of them mentioned her neighbor’s daughter who went missing, and her name is Rudeni.][2]
[Is that the Rudeni?]
[Yes, after the system’s analysis, Rudeni, like the host, is also an unfortunate victim who was mistakenly captured. Rudeni works to earn money for her long-ill mother’s medicine. On the day she went to collect her salary, due to the rain, Rudeni borrowed a colleague’s coat to wear home. This led the Judicators, who originally intended to capture her colleague, to mistakenly capture her instead.]
[……]
Ifia is also frustrated with this Judicator organization. An organization that can even capture the wrong person as the target—why can’t the Imperial Police catch them? Is it because the Imperial Police are even more incompetent?
Thinking about this, Ifia asked, and the system only responded with one sentence.
[The Judicators have internal background and connections, you know.]
Understood. No wonder they are so arrogant!
Although Ifia learned from the system that Rudeni was also an unfortunate victim, it doesn’t mean Ifia has to actively get to know her. In the escape plan, she is the only one, and there is no time to consider others. As mentioned before, within the safety zone, Ifia can help others without burden, but once outside the safety zone, she has to prioritize herself.
Being self-reliant in poverty and contributing to the world when prosperous. The wise words of our ancestors do hold truth. In anticipation and tension, two days quickly passed, and the day of escape arrived.
“Damn witches, come get your food!”
After being confined to a small dark room, although her hands and feet were not bound with ropes, she only received one meal a day. The issue of drinking water was even more exasperating—water was directly poured into a large barrel, shared by over a dozen people. In such extraordinary times, Ifia had to ensure her physical strength to keep up with the escape. So, she had to adapt to the environment, just as lunch was a piece of black bread.
Oh, familiar old friend!
After the door of the small dark room opened, the disdainful guard began distributing black bread. Ifia took a piece of black bread among the crowd, but this time, she didn’t eat it immediately. Instead, she stashed it away. When the door of the small dark room closed again, Ifia walked up to Fiona, snatched the black bread from her hands.
“Ifia, that… that’s my lunch.”
“Now it’s mine.”
Ifia’s previous act of grabbing a brick and smashing it directly on the head was too crazy, completely shattering the conventional impression in Fiona’s mind. Hence, even though her lunch was taken away now, she dared not say much.
Can only cover the hungry stomach with her hands, looking at Ifia with resentful eyes, cursing in her heart why those people didn’t just burn Ifia alive! However, Ifia completely ignored Fina’s gaze. In order to have food to eat during the escape, she wished she could snatch all the bread from everyone.
But the principle she had always adhered to warned her not to forget her own code of conduct. Do not involve innocent people. Taking Fiona’s bread was her own fault, but she had no grievances with others.
Although insisting on principles at such times might seem laughable, she had the assistance of the system and a plan to escape. Now, it wasn’t a time of desperation. The reason humans are called humans is because they have principles. Once they cross that line, there is little difference from beasts.
When Ifia grabbed Fiona’s black bread, the women around them distanced themselves, indifferent to the situation. Even Rudeni, who had previously stepped forward to intervene, remained silent.
Therefore, Ifia could quietly finish eating the black bread while silently observing her surroundings. When she had eaten enough, she noticed that, apart from her and Fiona, there was no one else around. She then strolled leisurely toward Fiona.
Her black eyes stared directly at her, a cold and indifferent gaze that made Fiona involuntarily shiver. The wound on her head, where the bleeding had stopped, began to throb. Fiona dared not meet Ifia’s eyes, let alone continue casting resentful glances.
“I think, Fiona, you are truly pitiful and hateful.”
“But, whatever happens to you is none of my concern.”
“So, goodbye.”
While speaking, Ifia took out a handkerchief, sprinkled with a sedative, and covered Fiona’s nose. In just a few seconds, Fiona slumped to the ground. Confirming that Fiona was unconscious, Ifia dragged her to the side.
Although Ifia could have simply left without bothering with Fiona, she couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling of having been slandered by Fiona before. She didn’t want to experience that again, so as a precaution, Ifia chose to sedate Fiona. Even if it meant wasting some sedative, it provided her with peace of mind.
With everything ready and the waiting time elapsed, Ifia, following the system’s guidance, approached the side of the small dark room. She gently pushed the wooden window used for monitoring the interior, and it turned out it wasn’t securely closed, creating a small gap that she could push open.
[Host, please be extremely careful. It’s dangerous outside. Follow the route provided by the system, and only consider it safe once you are beyond a certain range!]
[Got it. When it comes to escaping, I’m pretty capable!]
While mentally communicating with the system, Ifia continued to exert force on the window cautiously. After creating a gap large enough for her to slip through, she released her grip and climbed up using the window sill.
Now, the perilous journey of escape begins!
TL Notes:
It is a common Chinese idiom that means “to be thinking about something that is pleasurable or desirable.”
Vol. 1 Chapter 63