Reverse Villainess

Revenge.

It might not be love; he's not sure. But since he was 10, Prince Casper has followed Nova everywhere. That black-haired girl with sharp-looking eyes always appeared confident, unlike him. She was a blessed girl; it seemed like she could do everything perfectly, again unlike him.

That fact should make Casper hate her. After all, he has hated himself because he isn't talented enough, confident enough, or good enough, especially compared to the current king, his dad, who has many accomplishments. He had nothing.

Yet, instead of hating or envying her, this super-talented little girl actually captivated him. Probably because she was the only one who saw him as he is.

The first time they met, when their parents decided they would be engaged, Casper said, "I'm sorry if I disappointed you. I'm not like the prince you might think." Nova looked right into his eyes and said, "What are you even talking about? Why are you randomly deciding what I think about you?"

"We-well, I mean... everyone always has an idea of how I should act or what I should do. So I'm sure you had one too," the little prince said.

So what?" Nova said. "You think you need to match yourself to other people's delusions? How stupid."

"B-but if I didn't match your accomplishments, people would say bad things about us," Casper said.

"Who are these people you're talking about?" Nova said. "If someone badmouthed me, I would make them pay."

"I didn't mean someone specific," Casper said. "That's just an example."

"So, just your imagination?" Nova snorted. "If it's not someone real, why even bother?"

Casper was stunned. It was obvious, yet he had failed to figure it out himself. That's true. People might whisper bad things about him, but the most cruel one was himself.

He kept imagining what people said about him and what they expected from him.

This should be it, Casper thought to himself. He had found the answer. He didn't need to follow other people's expectations. He just needed to do what he wanted to do. And he did. Since then, he had been spending a lot of time visiting Nova.

The time he spent with her was fun. She could be harsh at times, but Casper found her cute enough. Everything seemed like it was going to be fine.

But then his brother started to show how exceptional he was. The second prince was the exact opposite of Casper - he could do everything better and faster.

Unlike before, this was a real threat. Everyone thought the second prince was the prince that Casper should be. His anxiety grew worse as he found out that some nobles were starting to form factions in favor of his brother.

The only way he could calm himself was by constantly visiting Nova. He became overly cautious, scared that she would leave him behind for his brother. To the point where it annoyed Nova.