Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

”Oh, hooray!” Julie’s eyes lit up, and she started humming happily. Through the rearview mirror, she saw Joanna Kennedy looking at her phone.

”The two fanbases are really going at it. Once the promotional video comes out, they’ll all be eating their words,” Julie said. ”Sigh, Jojo, with things getting this heated, why do you think mimniu’s official account hasn’t clarified anything?”

Even if they didn’t want to say it was Joanna Kennedy, they could at least clarify that it wasn’t Ivy Nash or Shirley Shepherd.

Julie’s eyes filled with confusion. Joanna Kennedy didn’t answer directly, just smiled faintly and said, ”Maybe someone hired an online mob?”

”An online mob? You think mimniu did?” Julie nodded. ”That’s possible.”

After all, having this fight trend online was basically a wave of free advertising. The official mimniu account was probably thrilled to get publicity they didn’t have to pay for.

The more Julie thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Joanna Kennedy, however, remained silent. ’A high-end luxury brand like mimniu isn’t stupid,’ she thought. ’They wouldn’t risk offending two fanbases by hiring trolls at such a critical moment.’

’With all this uproar now, when the promo video drops and the fans realize it isn’t their favorite idol, they’ll just fly into a rage out of embarrassment.’

’The only ones who would hire an online mob would be Shirley Shepherd or Ivy Nash, the ones with the most hype right now. It’s a common tactic—using public opinion as leverage to poach an endorsement.’

’It’s happened before. A brand had already picked their spokesperson and was just waiting for the trial period to end to sign the contract. But then, because the public clamor for another celebrity was so loud, they switched spokespersons the night before the signing.’

’Whoever hired the trolls was probably hoping for that same outcome. But for all their scheming, they didn’t count on one thing: mimniu didn’t have a trial period this time. They signed the contract directly with Joanna Kennedy.’

The promotional video shoot was scheduled for three days from now. All Joanna Kennedy needed to do in the meantime was get herself into peak condition. mimniu demonstrated its absolute commitment to the partnership, sending over a host of new outfits and accessories.

Joanna Kennedy was in the middle of trying on the outfits at the villa when the doorbell rang. The housekeeper was busy cooking in the kitchen, so Joanna went downstairs to get the door herself.

The moment she opened it, she was pulled into a massive bear hug.

”Little Jojo, I missed you so much! Why didn’t you come see me? You broke your promise!”

The woman held her tightly as she spoke. Caught completely off guard, Joanna felt a hand press the back of her head, plunging her face forward. Her vision went dark as her nose was buried in something soft and fragrant.

Realizing exactly where her face was buried, Joanna’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She struggled, stammering, ”Y-You... let me go first...”

”Why?” the woman asked, her tone genuinely puzzled, her grip not loosening in the slightest.

Joanna felt like her face was about to burn off. She quickly gasped that she couldn’t breathe, and only then was she finally released.

The first thing Joanna saw was the woman’s pale, exposed skin. Despite the cold, she was wearing a short skirt underneath a long, black trench coat. Her golden hair was pulled into a high ponytail, making her look both gorgeous and effortlessly cool. ’No wonder they call her ”the sexiest woman,”’ Joanna thought.

”Little Jojo, you’re really out of shape. You need to work out.”

Joanna rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head. Hearing Heidi Kim’s comment, she almost rolled her eyes. ”Well, it’s not like I’ve been to a special training camp...” she muttered under her breath.

”What did you say?” Heidi Kim leaned down, her face so close it was almost touching hers.

A downward glance would give Joanna an unobstructed view. Remembering the earlier sensation, her face instantly flushed red again. ”N-Nothing.”

’Good heavens,’ she thought. ’In my past life and this one, I’ve never been this intimate with another woman, let alone a goddess-level beauty like Heidi Kim.’

「Ten minutes later.」

At the dining table, watching the certain blonde, blue-eyed bombshell wolf down her food, Joanna couldn’t help but ask, ”Haven’t you eaten in days?”

After two bowls of rice and three bowls of soup, Heidi Kim, now gnawing on a steak, managed to say, ”I’m out of money.”

Joanna: ?

’If I remember correctly, isn’t Heidi Kim’s family in pharmaceutical R&D?’ she thought. ’Did they go bankrupt that quickly?’

Seeming to sense Joanna’s confusion, Heidi Kim reluctantly paused her feast. She unceremoniously wiped her greasy mouth with the back of her hand and explained, ”My brother is trying to force me to go back home. I refused, so he canceled my credit card. It’s the only one I have for use in Celestria.”

Heidi Kim said this with an expression that suggested this was a common occurrence. Joanna was speechless.

”...So what are you planning to do now?”

As soon as Joanna asked, her eyes met Heidi Kim’s bright, shining gaze, and a sudden sense of foreboding washed over her. Sure enough, the next second, Heidi said, ”Little Jojo, you should take me in! You’re a celebrity, right? I can be your bodyguard.”

Joanna: ”...My name is Joanna Kennedy.”

Heidi Kim: ”Okay, Little Jojo.”

Joanna was at a loss for words. ’Just like her brother,’ she thought. ’She’s completely incapable of understanding plain language.’

’Ugh, no, that’s not the point.’ Joanna pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to refuse tactfully. ”You’re too beautiful. If you were my bodyguard, you’d steal my thunder.”

”That’s fine. You can just use makeup to make me look hideous,” Heidi Kim said, lowering her voice. ”I heard that the makeup skills in Celestria are called ’Asian Sorcery.’”

Joanna: ”...............”

’How can anyone be this clueless?’

While Joanna was still trying to figure out how to refuse, Heidi Kim, now full and satisfied, flopped onto the sofa without a second thought and began to catch up on her sleep, her long, pale legs on full display.

Joanna: ”...............”

”...Don’t sleep here, you’ll catch a cold.”

”It’s fine, I have a strong constitution,” Heidi Kim said, not the least bit fussy.

Joanna opened her mouth, but she honestly didn’t know what to say. The housekeeper stepped in to save her. ”Miss Kennedy, shall I prepare a guest room?”

Heidi Kim suddenly sat up, looking at her with a hopeful, pleading expression. Joanna sighed. ’What can I do? I’m a sucker for a pretty face.’

When Simon Lockwood returned from a business dinner, the first thing he saw was Joanna Kennedy sitting on the sofa, head tilted back, staring blankly into space.

He took off his dark gray overcoat and set it aside, walked over, and ruffled her hair. ”What are you spacing out about?”

Joanna’s eyes shifted. The moment she saw it was him, her lips formed a pout. She threw herself into his arms with a pitiful look. ”Simon Lockwood, our home has been invaded by a foreign power...”

Simon Lockwood: ?

After the housekeeper explained the whole situation, Simon Lockwood’s expression darkened. ’A foreign power, indeed,’ he thought grimly. He took out his phone and made a call. The person on the other end was a foreigner, speaking what sounded like Dreslandic; Joanna couldn’t understand a word.

「Half an hour later.」

Heidi Kim, still fast asleep, was carried out to a car. The leader of the group, a Dreslander, gave Simon Lockwood a grateful handshake.

As the car drove away, Joanna asked curiously, ”Why doesn’t her brother want her to come to Celestria?”

”She has a rare genetic disorder. When it flares up, she can’t tell the difference between reality and hallucinations. Her body goes rigid, and she requires regular medical check-ups,” Simon Lockwood said slowly after a moment of thought.

Joanna was stunned for a moment, clearly not having expected this to be the reason.

An image of Heidi Kim’s dazzling, carefree smile flashed through her mind. A pang of unease settled in her heart. ’So even the sun in Berlyn casts shadows.’