Cross Infinite World Licenses Two New Villainess Light Novels for December

Cross Infinite World has announced licenses for two new light novel series, both arriving on December 31 as digital releases. The first is If the Heroine Wants My Fiancé, I’ll Marry a Yandere Villain Instead! by author Kobako Takara with illustrations by Jun Natsuba. The second is Breaking Up Was the Plan, the Duke Falling For the Villainess Was Not! by author Kotoko with art by Ataka.

The first series follows a protagonist who reincarnates as Cynthia, a wicked noblewoman from a dating simulation game, only to find the game’s heroine is now pursuing her fiancé. Rather than fight for him, she decides to let him go and pursue a fresh start with Siraiya, a notorious yandere villain of noble blood. The story is a reverse Cinderella tale about whether a villainess and a villain can actually find love together. Kobako Takara originally published the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in 2023, and Kadokawa has been releasing the print volumes since February 2024.

The second series takes a different angle. The protagonist reincarnates as Grace, a villainess in her favorite romance novel. Her assigned role is to dump the Cold-Hearted Duke so the real heroine can step in. If she fails, war breaks out and she dies. The twist is that the more she plays the part, the harder the duke falls for her instead. The paperback edition for this one will follow at a later date after the digital launch.

My take: Both of these lean into the reincarnated villainess setup in fun ways. The first sounds entertainingly chaotic, and the second has that satisfying “the plan keeps going wrong in the best way” energy that makes this genre so easy to get hooked on.