Though I Am an Inept Villainess (ふつつかな悪女ではございますが ～雛宮蝶鼠とりかえ伝～)

GENYOU DYNASTY, KINGDOM OF EI

INNER COURT PALACE OF THE GOLDEN QILIN (KOU PALACE)

That is magnificent embroidery, Lady Reirin.

KOU CLAN MAIDEN - KOU REIRIN

Tonight, everyone will be captivated by its beauty.

You're complimenting me too much.

Perhaps you pushed yourself too hard. You're burning up.

REIRIN'S HEAD COURT LADY KOU TOUSETSU

I'm all right, Tousetsu.

I have already steeped and taken my medicine.

I hear that during this year's Double Sevens Festival,

a comet and a meteor shower will be appearing.

It would be wonderful if wishes came true.

INNER COURT THE MAIDEN COURT, SEVENTH PAGODA

EMPEROR - EI GENYOU

EMPRESS - KOU KENSHUU

CROWN PRINCE - EI GYOUMEI

GEN CLAN MAIDEN GEN KASUI

RAN CLAN MAIDEN - RAN HOUSHUN

KIN CLAN MAIDEN KIN SEIKA

SHU CLAN MAIDEN SHU KEIGETSU

Take a look at the Crown Prince and Lady Reirin.

They are beautiful together, like a painting.

As you'd expect from His Highness's favored butterfly.

No doubt she receives all his attention.

The Maiden Court's purpose

is to nurture potential consort candidates for the Crown Prince.

If the result is so clear, they can just disband--

Shh! If the captain of the Eagle Eyes heard that...

CAPTAIN OF THE EAGLE EYES - SHIN-U

In any case, the court "sewer rat" is audaciously glancing at His Highness.

How immodest.

Lady Keigetsu, right?

Her glance is so subservient.

As always, her makeup and clothing are gaudy and tasteless.

That she is under the guardianship of the Noble Consort Shu,

who has the most authority after the Empress,

THE NOBLE SHU GABI

the world really is a peculiar place.

Everyone, the meteor shower can be seen close to the comet.

Aggravating wench, begone!

Where is this...

So you are awake.

Oh, Tousetsu.

There is no reason why you should address me in a friendly manner...

Lady Shu Keigetsu.

Pardon?

The sin of harming our beloved butterfly, Lady Reirin,

shall be paid for with your life.

No, um, Tousetsu, I am--

Huh?

Lady Keigetsu?

Could it be, in that moment...

that Lady Keigetsu and I swapped bodies?

Impossible.

THOUGH I AM AN INEPT VILLAINESS

Tousetsu, um, you may not believe me,

but I--

...am Reirin. Our souls have swapped.

What is going on?

I can't speak one word of explanation.

You don't even have a satisfactory excuse.

What a farce.

How can I get through to her that I am Reirin?

That's right, Tousetsu!

You like sweets, don't you?

You are especially fond of mooncakes with scarlet runner bean filling.

Your favorite fish is the horse mackerel.

You have one younger brother.

He's the same age as me.

That's why when you first started serving me in the Maiden Court,

you asked me to think of you as my elder sister--

Quiet...

...villainess with a corrupt soul.

Tousetsu?

I am already aware that Lady Reirin's diary was stolen several days ago.

What?

But I haven't once kept a diary.

Lady Reirin is bruised all over and is having nightmares from her fever,

but she still confessed to us.

She was afraid that it would be abused in some form,

even if it was highly unlikely.

And just like she feared, you...

Did you think you could become Lady Reirin

by reading the diary and mimicking her words and actions?

That was a foolish mistake!

Wha...

But it really is me!

In the first place, Lady Reirin is pretty, intelligent, and benevolent.

It's as if a celestial maiden descended on land.

It's impudent enough to envy her, and yet you...

C-Celestial maiden?

Isn't that a bit too much to say--

Do you intend on mocking the pure Lady Reirin, you sewer rat?

Yes, I am a sewer rat!

I-I got caught up in the moment and repeated what she said!

What should I do?

Her loyalty is so strong that she will not notice her master in peril.

Right now, you are the suspect.

Following the rules of the inner court, you will undergo the Lion's Judgment.

Lion's Judgment?

A ritual where you will be placed in the same cage as a hungry beast.

If you can survive, you are innocent.

If you die, you are guilty.

And the victim, Lady Reirin, must preside over it as well.

However, she has said that filthy blood splatter is unpleasant

and thus not something she wants to see.

A delicate and benevolent remark.

Is that opinion enough for such praise?

Therefore, this is mercy from Lady Reirin.

Take it.

Poison.

I have already explained it to the warden.

Reflect upon your sins and commit suicide before this candle is extinguished.

Tousetsu.

Am I going to die for the sin of harming myself?

Serves you right!

Huh?

I hear rats and bugs skitter around the dungeon of the Maiden Court so much

that normal women lose their sanity in a matter of hours.

How about you hurry up and put yourself out of your misery?

Surprised?

We of the Shu clan are children of fire.

I am special even among them.

When I control a flame, I can send my image into it.

The Shu clan.

So that means you are Lady Keigetsu after all?

That's right.

And since we've swapped, you've become Shu Keigetsu.

Thanks to my forbidden magic.

Forbidden magic.

And now, you are a great villainess who tried to murder Kou Reirin.

Why did you do something like this?

To make things right.

Make right?

Correct.

I mean, it's unfair.

You're the only one that's blessed.

You were born as the niece of the Empress, who has the most power in the inner court.

You curried the favor of Prince Gyoumei.

All the court ladies love you.

On the other hand, for me...

the kind yet powerless Noble Consort Shu.

spiteful court ladies...

and an appearance that's not enough to draw the attention of His Highness.

I've been living my life in disgust.

You've never been hated before, have you?

Never despised, never treated coldly...

always protected...

and loved.

I can't stand it!

That's why I want you to become extremely miserable.

Oh, right. That body, I put a spell on it

so that you can't communicate any words regarding the swap.

So that's why I lost my voice earlier.

I fabricated the diary theft, too.

That's why you will never be able to prove your true identity.

Oh, sheesh.

"Fragile" sounds charming, but this body is simply feeble!

You got a fever just from a bruise!

Um...

how about you lie down?

In times like this, you cool down the area close to a large blood vessel--

Shut up!

Don't you understand the situation you have been placed in?

You're going to die soon!

I'll tell you something wonderful.

Even if you take the poison,

cowards who commit suicide are dragged out to the ritual site,

and stones are thrown at the corpse.

You will be showered with insults and ridicule by the crowd...

a miserable death.

Farewell, Kou Reirin.

You can spend your time surrounded by filthy rats,

cowering at the footsteps of death.