I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 104 – Final Exams (1)

“Just watch! This time, my name will be at the top!”

The villainess boldly declared her intent to claim the top spot.

Her vivid blue eyes sparkled with determination.

It seemed the sting of her previous defeat still lingered, fueling her resolve to redeem herself this time.

An arrogant smile played on her lips, exuding an air of confidence that victory was already hers.

“It’s only natural that I should take the top spot. I am, after all, of noble Vanity blood.”

Despite the setbacks she’d endured, her vanity remained unshaken, an unyielding flame that refused to be extinguished.

With smug mockery, she tried to provoke me, looking at me as if I were a mere loser beneath her feet.

Although her path had diverged from that of the original story, her core personality remained the same.

She was still every bit the egotistical, prideful girl who wore her name like a badge of honor.

‘How delightful.’

I suppressed the grin tugging at my lips.

Her reactions were pure dopamine.

At first, she’d left a terrible impression, but now that I’d seen behind her mask, her flaws and insecurities were laid bare.

She could sneer all she wanted; to me, she was little more than a walking source of entertainment.

'This is going to be fun.'

Just imagining her triumphant expression crumbling into despair sent a thrill through me, softening even the coldest corners of my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I maintained a troubled façade.

It was all part of the act—to lure my prey into a false sense of security.

Feigning hesitation, I let her bask in her delusions of victory a little longer.

Then, at just the right moment, I tossed out the bait.

“How about we make this more interesting with a wager?”

“A wager?”

“Yes. A competition for the top spot. The loser must grant the winner a single request.”

“Are you sure about this? This exam is particularly challenging… You can’t just cram for one night and expect to keep up.”

“Of course.”

“And you’ve been away, missing classes and lessons entirely.”

Though she’d been teasing me moments ago, now that a wager was on the table, the villainess seemed hesitant, even showing a glimmer of concern.

Beneath her pride lay an oddly contradictory kindness.

Still, the confidence in her earlier provocations seemed to falter.

I pressed further.

“What’s the matter? Are you afraid?”

''Afraid?''

That was not a word Emilia Vanity could ignore.

Her expression stiffened.

“What did you just say…?”

To be challenged in the same manner she had been provoking me clearly rattled her.

Her smugness gave way to indignation as she furrowed her brow and counterattacked.

“Afraid? Who’s afraid?! I was only worried you’d lose and end up crying over it!”

“Then it’s settled?”

“Fine! Let’s do this! I’ll crush you thoroughly!”

“Bold as ever, I see.”

“There’s no way I’m losing this. You’d better prepare yourself to face the consequences.”

“I look forward to it.”

I responded with a sly smile.

The prey had bitten the bait.

A tidal wave of dopamine surged through me at the thought of her future humiliation.

The only thing Emilia could do now was put in her best effort to make her impending defeat even sweeter.

I calmly left the scene, the villainess’s fire burning brightly behind me.

***

A week passed.

The short vacation of the school trip was over, and the final exams, held exactly one month later, were now in full swing.

By the time the written exams were over, the results had already made waves.

Rumors circulated about how the difficulty of this year’s exams had surpassed anything in the academy’s history.

Most students had been utterly crushed by the sheer brutality of the questions.

But even in the harshest of times, there are always those who stand out.

Among the small group of elite students, Emilia Vanity shone as one of them.

She had entered the exams brimming with confidence and left feeling just as assured.

She had worked hard not to fall behind, convinced that while a perfect score might be unrealistic, she had done more than enough to secure the top spot.

The villainess smiled, already congratulating herself.

— This time, victory is mine!

The stakes were high.

At the start of the semester, her reputation had taken a severe blow when she had wet herself in front of the entire student body.

To recover from such a scandal, she needed to prove herself through consistent excellence.

This exam had come at the perfect time, too.

Her biggest rival, who had dominated the previous test with overwhelming scores, had been absent for weeks due to personal matters.

Surely, without attending classes or knowing the material thoroughly, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

— There’s no way I can lose.

Any lingering hesitation about the fairness of the challenge had been erased by my taunts.

In Emilia’s mind, all that remained was the desire to deal me a decisive blow.

— There’s no way I can lose this wager.

The written exam results were posted a few days later.

Confident in her performance, Emilia strode up to the board, standing beside me as if to flaunt her expected victory.

But.

“This… can’t be…”

There was one fact she had overlooked.

Among the many chickens in the yard, there is always a crane that stands taller.

And among the cranes, there is a peacock that outshines them all.

Her trembling eyes scanned the rankings.

[Final Exam Rankings – Written Portion]

1. Judas Snakes

2. Emilia Vanity

3. Charlotte Little von Staufen

4. Ruska Vanity

…

1145. Yulia Ferzinas

1146. Janan Crasston

The villainess froze, clutching the back of her neck as though she might faint.

“This… This can’t be real.”

Who could have predicted it?

Even while managing responsibilities outside the academy, I hadn’t neglected my studies for a moment.

Through sheer, unrelenting determination—fueled entirely by the desire to mock her—I had pulled off the unthinkable.

As she stared blankly at the rankings, I turned to her with a radiant smile.

“Lady Vanity.”

“…”

“Second place is still an excellent result.”

“Don’t say it.”

“Second—”

“I’m warning you. If you say it again, I’ll—”

“Place is an excellent result.”

“…”

Emilia bit her lip, visibly trembling as she struggled to contain her fury.

What else could she do?

For both the midterms and the finals, she had been, without fail, second place.

***

On our way back to the dormitories after the results were posted, Emilia was unusually quiet.

Perhaps I had teased her a little too much throughout the day.

The tense atmosphere suggested she was genuinely upset this time.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, I carefully broached the subject, offering an olive branch.

“I may have gone too far with my teasing. I apologize.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

“…It’s fine. Forget it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“'Hey!!!'”

Not an apology—a taunt.

“Is this fun for you? Do you enjoy this?!”

“Very much.”

“Argh!”

“Very much.”

“Be quiet!”

Emilia stomped her feet, her face red with anger.

This had been the pattern of our conversation since earlier.

Mockery was a privilege of the victor, and the loser could only endure the consequences.

I laughed, taking full advantage of my position.

“You’re so childish! Do you really think this will bother me?!”

“Yes.”

“It won’t!”

“Yes.”

“Ughhh!”

Her elegant speech faltered, replaced by uncharacteristic outbursts as her frustration boiled over.

Of course, I wasn’t done yet.

After all, the most important part of the wager had yet to be fulfilled.

“That’s enough teasing. Let’s get to the real matter.”

“…What now?”

“It’s time for you to uphold your end of the wager.”

“…I remember. What do you want?”

With a mischievous grin, I leaned closer and said without hesitation,

“I want to touch you.”

“…What?”

“Exactly as I said. I’ll touch wherever I please, and you’ll remain still without resistance. That is my request.”

“W-What kind of shameless demand is that?!”

“I trust you won’t go back on your word.”

“…I did promise, but… this is so sudden…”

“I won’t ask for anything else.”

“Ugh…”

Her face turned as red as a beet.

The proud, haughty atmosphere that usually surrounded her was gone, replaced by awkward fumbling.

Unable to process the unexpected request, she stood frozen, her arrogance momentarily forgotten.

“I shouldn’t have agreed to this wager…”

Regretting her decision, she sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in resignation.

After some deliberation, she closed her eyes tightly and muttered,

“D-Do whatever you want.”

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]