The President Falls for Me

You were scrolling on your phone when you came across a flashy anime character edit, and then you transmigrated.

Bad news: It's 19th-century America, a place completely unsuited to the survival of a 21st-century human raised in the cradle of humanism like you.

Good news: This isn't real history, but the world of an anime set in an alternate 19th-century America, the very one you were just watching.

Bad news: You know nothing about this anime beyond that edit. You didn't even have time to watch the actual show.

Good news: You've got a basic assistant job at the White House, so at least you can make ends meet. If you keep your head down as a background NPC, you should be able to survive.

Bad news: This seems to be a superpowered battle anime, and NPCs die way too easily.

Good news: You've met the righteous protagonist!

The protagonist is here! Now everything will be all right!

You discover that your immediate superior is one of the characters from the edit you watched. When he appeared, the screen had been flooded with comments saying, "My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror. Everything I do is righteous."

That line! So awesome! Even if he's not the protagonist, he must be an important member of the righteous protagonist's team. And someone in the comments mentioned something about a "scheming cripple assassinating the patriotic president." Since your boss is at the White House, could he be destined to become president!?

A righteous protagonist with power and influence: if you just latch onto him, you'll be safe, right? In hot-blooded anime, friendship comes first. Once you're seen as a comrade, you'll never be abandoned in a crisis. You have to forge a revolutionary friendship with him!

Later, you meet another character from the edit. He's paralyzed from the waist down and has a miserable life. You figure he must be the "scheming cripple" from the comments, the future big bad. He looks so pitiful now, and doesn't seem like a bad person, so you decide to step in early, help him, and win him over to the good side. That should stop him from turning evil and taking revenge on society by assassinating the protagonist.

Phew, now everything's settled. The protagonist is your friend, the villain has turned over a new leaf, and everyone gets a happy ending. You can relax and live happily ever after...

Really?

Can someone explain why the protagonist seems to be a scheming wolf in sheep's clothing? And why does the villain seem like a sensitive, fragile, drowned kitten? Does the original author just like edgy characters with contrasting traits?

Wait... which one of them is the protagonist, and which is the villain? Why do they both seem evil...

I'm going to Cairo with Somalia!!!

Before you read:

1. This is a second-person romance novel. "You" have no set name, age, or appearance, so feel free to imagine yourself however you like.

2. Transmigration: soul transmigration. You swap souls with an American woman from the 19th century who looks similar to you (you can think of her as yourself from a parallel timeline). Since she's obsessed with science fiction, she transmigrates into your 21st-century body and goes off to explore the future. No need to worry about her. (This background is just to give you a suitable identity. It's mentioned briefly, has no further connection to the story, and doesn't affect the main plot.)

3. The main story ends with Valentine. If enough readers like Johnny, there will be an alternate-ending bonus story.

4. The timeline does not strictly follow the original. There are creative liberties, so don't read if that bothers you.

5. The technology level and purchasing power of money differ from real-world history. Refer to the original's alternate-history setting.

6. Interpretations of the original characters are subjective, so some out-of-character moments are unavoidable.

Theme: My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror. Everything I do is righteous.