Lean having no interest in Dante, it seems that she is safe from any kidnapping attempt. And it’s also good news for Cecilia. But now that Dante knows Cecilia’s secret, he can’t help but hang out with this interesting girl. And just as interesting are the reactions he gets whenever he’s around “Cecil.”
But Cecilia’s days as Cecil might be coming to an end – well, her days as Cecilia might be coming to an end, as she ends up being kidnapped by Dante’s old band!
According to the volume endnotes, this volume takes readers to the end of the first light novel, and it has that “climatic moment followed by a new arc” feel that would have made me guess that anyway. Cecilia reveals her true identity to Lean when the latter is about to be kidnapped, so since Cecilia is of a higher rank, the kidnappers take her instead. She knows that Lean would have informed Oscar and Gilbert, but whether they can act on their positions and/or know where to find her is another story.
Kidnapped-Cecilia is undoubtedly the best version of Cecilia. Dante’s old group, led by her mother, holds her for ransom. As she is escorted into a cell, Cecilia spots a fallen knife near the dining room and manages to tuck it away in her shoes. She manages to knock out a guard and steal his things. She bluffs on Gilbert’s sacred treasure in order to save the person helping her. Yeah, she makes a stupid mistake, and she’s not alone when she escapes, but otherwise it’s hard to believe it’s the same dumb protagonist who doesn’t realize that Gilbert and Oscar are all the two in love with her and think of flirting with classmates. in a guy’s clothes is the best option to save his life.
But of course, after the kidnapping, Cecilia returns to her normal self, but at least there’s a new development to help turn Cecilia’s school life upside down: Lean. As readers have no doubt gathered, Lean is also reincarnated – Cecilia/Hiyono’s best friend from her old life, in fact. While Lean might opt for the full heroine experience, like Cecilia, Lean has no intention of becoming the Blessed Virgin. So now the two girls are looking for another candidate to fill (read: impose) the position.
I don’t know how it will turn out, but I’m glad the truth about Lean is out there. Lean is acting both in her own best interest (BL fangirl) and as Cecilia’s best friend, and she already has someone she wants to hang out with. So the heroine-villain dynamic here is going to be refreshing compared to most similar stories, and I give Wicked transvestite Cecilia Sylvie two thumbs up for that.
I’d keep those thumbs up if we could see more of Cecilia trying to keep a cool head when Lean is attacked and even when surrounded by her greatest fear. I know there’s no shortage of villainess stories where she trained to be strong, but it’s not so much physical strength that I want to see Cecilia demonstrate. For such a big secret that she carries, several people have already discovered it. Kidnapped-Cecilia shows she has brains and talent, which makes her lack of foresight with the whole Cecil affair even more bizarre than before.