"Yowaki MAX Reijō": Shizuka Ishigami voices young Rufus Stan, August visual shows summer scene

The cast of the anime adaptation of "Yowaki MAX Reijō nanoni, Ratsuwan Konyakusha-sama no Kake ni Notte Shimatta" (also known internationally as "Even Though I'm a Super Timid Noble Girl, I Accepted the Bet From My Cunning Fiancé!") has gained another member. As the production committee announced on August 14, 2026, Shizuka Ishigami will take on the role of the young Rufus Stan. The voice actress had already been heard in this role in the voice drama of the series released in December 2022 via the Mimicle service; her voice can also be heard briefly in the first promotional video.

Ishigami expressed her enthusiasm in a statement: "I am Shizuka Ishigami and I get to voice the young Rufus. Ever since the voice drama, I have hoped to see Pia and Rufus animated one day – this dream has now come true." She further explained that Rufus already shows a cunning side as a child, but there are also scenes where Pia means everything to him. "How the two develop is something viewers can look forward to when it airs."

In addition, the team released the seasonal visual for August titled "Aru Natsu no Hi no Futari" ("Two on a Summer Day"). It shows Pia, who has fallen peacefully asleep after a joint fossil hunt, while Rufus is completely flustered by her sleepy surprise. A video with a mini audio drama was also released, featuring Miku Itō as Pia and Shizuka Ishigami as young Rufus; the script was written by series composer Hiroko Fukuda. The monthly seasonal visuals and audio drama videos are part of the fan engagement leading up to the series premiere. For the August motif, there is also a giveaway campaign: on the official X channel, five postcards with the new motif will be raffled off until August 20.

Meanwhile, advance ticket sales for the premiere screening have begun. On September 5, the first two episodes will be shown at Aeon Cinema Itabashi in Tokyo; afterwards, Miku Itō (Pia), Ryōta Ōsaka (Rufus), Rina Hidaka (Caroline Ramsey), and Sora Amamiya (Erin White) will talk about the series. Tickets cost 3,000 yen. The lottery for advance sales runs until August 31, with results announced on September 1 at 6 PM; general sales will follow from September 2 via Ticket Pia.

The series starts in October 2026 in the autumn season. The animation studio is Jumondou, directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi, with series composition by Hiroko Fukuda and music by Moe Hyūga and Natsuki Hamada. In addition to Itō and Ōsaka, the ensemble includes Rina Hidaka, Sora Amamiya, and Haruki Ishiya (Henry Cox). At the end of May 2026, the team had already revealed the October date and further voice roles with the first trailer; the adaptation itself was announced in October 2025.

The source material comes from Hiro Oda, who first published the story on the platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō in January 2020. KADOKAWA subsequently released it as a light novel with illustrations by Tsubasa.v under the imprint B's-LOG Bunko; since February 2021, a manga adaptation by Aji Murata has also been serialized on the KadoComi service under the Flos Comic label. The series has over 1.2 million copies in circulation. It centers on Pia Rockwell, a doctoral student who is reborn as a ten-year-old side-character villainess in an otome game. From her memory of the game, she knows that her engagement to the prime minister's son will be annulled in seven years and she will be banished. However, her attempt to end the engagement prematurely only piques the interest of the cunning Rufus – the start of a romantic comedy in a villainess guise, filled with plenty of affection.