Highlights
- Rae's success in the Otome game is causing tensions as she rises through the ranks and catches the attention of the three princes.
- Rae's unique magical abilities and knowledge of the game's narrative give her an advantage over other characters.
- Despite Claire's initial opposition, Rae becomes her maid and begins to thaw her emotions, but their relationship is still uncertain due to the game's predetermined routes and other characters' romantic interests.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for I’m in Love With the Villainess, Episode 2, "A Maid's Job Is a Labor of Love," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Every Isekai protagonist’s first and foremost predicament is assimilating into the new world and its novelties. I'm in Love With the Villainess' protagonist, on the other hand, seems to have already made herself at home in the Otome game’s universe. From scoring an all-time high score in the exams to catching the three princes’ eyes, Rae is already on track to rise up the ranks and make a name for herself within the academy.
However, Rae has an entirely different agenda as every single move is geared towards achieving one goal – winning over the villainess. For this odd goal, she has taken up the position of being Claire Francois’ maid, a position that is far above a commoner’s social status. As Rae finds another shortcut to stay close to Claire, tensions are bound to arise in this odd love debacle.
Rising Through the Ranks
As the protagonist of the dating sim Revolution, Rae Taylor was bound to be successful in every endeavor she undertook. However, she underestimated the game’s hardwired narrative as even her attempts of tempering with the results and get a lower score couldn’t change the game’s fate, instead leading to her further standing out among the crowd. The results of the magic test categorized Rae in the ‘unmeasurable’ category, revealing the immense magic prowess she possesses.
Prince Rod was able to discern that Rae has access to more than one magic element, a feat otherwise impossible as each character only possesses one out of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air. With the revelation of Rae being a Dual Caster, her worth in the eyes of the three princes has gone up significantly. Rae’s inner thoughts reveal that the protagonist of the game has access to two elements from the very beginning, rigging the game in the main character’s favor.
The game’s protagonist-sided narrative essentially means that Rae will have access to many other powers that are entirely unique to her. Coupled with her in-depth knowledge of the Otome game, it’s only a matter of time before she dominates the entire realm. Rae, however, has entirely different ambitions as she has no interest in rising through the ranks in the academy. Instead, she has chosen a profession that can allow her to remain close to the love of her life.
The Villainess’ Maid
In an attempt to be closer to her love, Rae partook in extensive procedures to become a contender for being Claire’s maid. With her extensive knowledge of the game and a strong sense of loyalty, Rae was able to make it to the final interview of landing the role. However, Claire naturally opposed the notion since she is hell-bent on getting rid of Rae and her odd antics.
A new character has also been introduced – Dole Francois, Claire’s father and a high ranking noble. While Dole initially agrees to his daughter’s wish of not hiring a commoner, Rae somehow manages to convince the noble to hire her against Claire’s wishes. Rae simply mentions the name “Irvin Manuel,” along with the date “3rd March” and a price of 500,000 Gold. Just by these statements, Dole retracts his statement and has a private chat with Rae.
I’m in Love With the Villainess has not revealed the exact meaning or context of these statements, although it’s likely the price and date is related to Dole’s position as the Kingdom’s Minister of Finance. The ease with which Rae was able to convince Dole and land the role of the maid showcases her in-depth knowledge of the game and a stern resolve to pull any card just to be close to Claire.
Thawing Emotions
Despite becoming a maid and taking on the responsibility of taking care of the villainess, Rae’s days of being tortured by Claire are nowhere near over. However, the constant pestering and outward expressions of love have already started to take effect. Claire still doubts the authenticity of Rae’s expression’s of love, especially since she has done nothing but bully and torture the commoner.
After many unrelenting attempts, Claire seems to have started tolerating Rae’s presence. While Claire is still bashful whenever Rae throws in her seductive antics, a level of acceptance has started to become visible, meaning it’s likely the two will bear a less hostile relationship quite soon. Accepting Rae as a maid was the first step in mending their relationship, setting the stage for further attempts to convince Claire.
However, considering how early I’m in Love With the Villainess’ storyline is currently, Claire finally accepting Rae’s feelings is still a far-fetched notion. The issue with the Otome game’s three original routes still remains a predicament for Rae, even more so as Prince Rod has taken an interest in her due to her high test scores. While Rae may not bear any hetero-romantic affections, the same cannot be said for the rest of the characters, meaning Rae is in for a few odd love debacles.