If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love, Vol. 1

Brigitte Meidell is born into a noble family that expects great things from its members, and those expectations rest on the spirit each of them bonds with by contract. Her spirit turns out to be weak and nameless. Since then she has been treated as a disgrace at home.

She hopes that her engagement to the prince will give her a fresh start. Instead he ends it in public, and she is left with nothing. Her haughty, villainous conduct as his fiancée has cost her any goodwill, so nobody at her magic academy offers her sympathy.

The exception is Yuri, the duke's son, who studies at the same academy. He is feared for his formidable magical ability and his cold manner. With him taking her side, Brigitte's luck may finally be turning.

This is a fantasy romance set in a world of nobles, magic schools and bonded spirits, with the pairing of a disgraced villainess and a frightening classmate at its centre. It is the first volume of a series, and the setup points to a story built on the slow growth of trust between two people other characters avoid.