Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Villainess
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Villainess.
I was offended.
However, I didn't let it show on the outside.
Frowning or anything like that was amateur hour.
-You okay?
"Huh, did I do something wrong?"
But the holy sword and Chloe reacted to me immediately.
Maybe it was because we'd fallen into a medieval era. Things weren't working out as I'd hoped.
'To think I've lost my social skills.'
A somewhat shocking result.
But in situations like this, I should've been even more brazen.
"It's not great to speak carelessly about others."
"Ah, sorry. I just... thought maybe."
Chloe kept bowing her head repeatedly as she apologized.
I stared at her intently.
She's ordinary.
Ordinary compared to any existence I'd thought of so far.
No sense of the extraordinary you see in protagonists.
Ermé has that unique protagonist something.
Whether it's her regression or her ability to see the future.
She gathers information ahead of time and strengthens the entire party.
Veronica, of course, and what about Clara?
Veronica is already a saintess.
Clara may be inferior to her.
But if Veronica dies, Clara inherits all of Veronica's abilities intact.
'If there's anyone worth comparing her to.'
Teresa, our team's vanguard.
She had even less presence than her.
-That guy's pretty talented in his own right. More like one of those guys on the edge of genius, though, not a full prodigy.
That's what the holy sword said.
But could someone like that become a protagonist?
Or.
'Maybe she has a system window like me.'
The system had muted itself when referring to that girl.
As if it couldn't show it to me.
Or.
'Something the system can't comprehend.'
If so.
What kind of existence is Chloe?
I gazed at her steadily.
Under my gaze, she turned her head and bowed deeply.
"P-Please don't stare at me like that."
"......"
She gets like this just from looking.
What could I even say?
I sighed inwardly, and only then did Chloe look back at me.
"But... I've been thinking this since earlier."
"What?"
"You're really handsome."
"......"
Was she beating around the bush just to say that?
I narrowed my eyes at Chloe.
"N-No, really... I've never seen anyone as handsome as you, Yuseong."
"There are plenty around here."
[Cradle] has labyrinths, systems that awaken mana, and such.
Mana's influence was huge.
In other words, most people here had good skin and distinct features. They each had their own charm in some way.
Of course, my looks stood out among them.
But that didn't mean Chloe should react this much.
-That's not it.
The holy sword strongly denied my thought.
-Mana makes handsome men and beautiful women common by default, but you're on a whole different level.
'Hmm...'
I pondered the holy sword's words.
Was it that much?
Admittedly, I felt a strange pride every time I looked in the mirror, and I could feel women's gazes from all around.
Still, could it make someone fall at first sight?
-This guy still doesn't get women.
'I don't want to hear that from a being over a thousand years old.'
-You bastard!!
The holy sword bellowed, making my head ring.
I winced slightly and popped a cookie from the table into my mouth.
The sweet taste filled my mouth, calming my mind and body.
As I sat there, I sensed someone approaching.
"Chloe... miss...?"
A man appeared.
An androgynous look that could pass for either gender, around 170 cm tall.
Long golden hair and blue eyes behind glasses, making it hard to distinguish.
He looked like he was saying, I'm a scholar.
"Who's that guy?"
His eyes flashed with wariness as he looked at me.
Stepping in front of Chloe like she was his woman.
"Ah, this is Han Yuseong! Say hi, it's Racter!"
Chloe beamed as if it was perfect timing.
"......Racter."
He introduced himself in a somewhat gloomy voice.
"I'm Han Yuseong."
As we shook hands, Racter gripped mine tightly.
What was this? Was he trying to arm-wrestle or something?
'......This is kinda ridiculous.'
It was extremely unpleasant. But crushing his hand here would be amateurish.
I smiled casually and sat back down.
-What're you gonna do?
'You know when a guy looks the ugliest?'
-Hmm... When his pride gets shattered?
'When the girl he likes despises him and goes to the guy he's jealous of.'
-You don't mean.
'If it doesn't work, oh well.'
With that vibe, I turned to Chloe.
Calling Lucia a villainess.
It had pissed me off big time.
'But let's find the connection instead.'
My mind cleared.
Chloe had called Lucia a villainess.
I didn't know where that rumor started.
'The protagonist of this world.'
And the girl my friend back home had raved about.
A guy who was usually indifferent, yet he obsessed over her. There had to be something.
'The narrative or whatever.'
I gazed steadily at Chloe.
She blushed and bowed her head deeply.
"P-Please, I have a favor to ask. C-Could you not look at me like that?"
"......"
Why did she keep making a fuss?
-No idea what it is, but you're halfway successful.
'To what?'
-What you said. Look at that guy's face.
I looked at Racter.
He was glaring at me with burning eyes.
Like he'd pay a fortune to bury me if he could.
'Well, look at that.'
I smiled brightly.
I didn't know what it was, but good results were all that mattered.
Misinterpreting my smile, perhaps.
"Huh, do you like me or something?"
What was with this girl?
Delusions of grandeur?
*
I must've caused some weird misunderstanding.
But on the flip side, Racter's expression was quite the sight.
Maybe because [Thief's Extremity] had evolved into a new realm.
I could read expressions pretty well now.
The shock of Chloe betraying him.
And he was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.
'This is kinda fun in its own way.'
But where had I heard the name Racter before?
It felt really familiar.
As I pondered.
"My, my."
A familiar voice rang out.
Somehow seductive.
An alluring voice.
It was Lucia's.
"Well, if it isn't them. The person I most want to see, paired with people I can't stand the sight of."
Lucia smiled brightly.
At her appearance, both of their faces stiffened.
'Why is she mad?'
Maybe from hanging around her so much.
I could tell she was extremely uncomfortable right now.
This might sound arrogant coming from me.
'I don't want to make her blush for no reason.'
Let's think of those two as leeches.
As I started to stand.
"Already forgotten your place and found another man?"
Racter's seething voice.
His face red as he glared at me and Lucia.
Lucia made an "oh my" expression.
And then.
She licked her lips and wrapped her arms around my neck from behind.
"That'd be nice. I'm pretty interested in this guy myself."
Lucia smiled brightly.
Chloe's face darkened.
"Let's go, Chloe. Talking long with someone abandoned by her family who doesn't know her place will just give us headaches."
Racter shoved his chair back and stood.
I looked at Lucia. The soft sensation and her strangely alluring scent.
No, that's not the point.
'She doesn't seem too bothered by the family talk.'
-Quite the messy relationship. It's common for kids abandoned by their families to gain power challenging the family to earn recognition.
Chloe reluctantly got up.
Yet her posture seemed like she wanted to keep me in her sight.
Looking at Chloe.
"Hmm."
Lucia made an odd noise as she eyed her.
"It's obvious she's not interested in my ex-fiancé and has her eyes on this one."
"What are you saying to Chloe!"
"Even a blind man can see your faces don't compare. He's tall, great proportions. Compared to you, who can't leave Mommy's skirt, our Yuseong is way more dashing and attractive, right?"
Lucia said with a bright smile.
Who knew she could say stuff like that.
"You have a fiancé, so why flirt with another man?"
Stimulated by Lucia's words, perhaps.
Chloe bravely shot back at her.
Lucia toyed with her lips with a finger and said to them.
"What other people do is none of your business. Oh, if you're sorry about stealing Racter, just take him and scram. I have no plans to marry that guy."
"But you said he was your fiancé."
"Clinging to someone else's fiancé, now showing interest in him, does other people's rice cakes look bigger? Oh, and get the term right. Not fiancé—ex-fiancé."
Lucia smiled brightly.
Gazes were starting to gather on us.
Some felt familiar.
'......When did that old man get here?'
Volkan and the Black Nether Duke were there, munching on popcorn he'd gotten from somewhere, watching us with great interest.
"Well, well, quite the interesting scene."
"I've seen that. They call it love and war."
"It's a hit play in the capital. Love triangle fights are always entertaining."
His daughter must've picked up weird stuff from there.
It wasn't even a love triangle to begin with.
That Racter guy chose to break off with Lucia—who was trying to make the family alliance work.
'And picked Chloe.'
But it was still weird.
Chloe had her own charms, sure.
'But she's extremely ordinary.'
I couldn't understand why that guy was so hung up on her.
'If anything, Lucia's way better, right?'
-No "if." Objectively, this girl is far superior. Even looking at potential and such.
The holy sword's words.
I had the system, but I suspected she had something too.
'The world's —— , was it?'
What could that mean?
Since she's the protagonist, maybe something fateful.
As I thought that.
"Whatever, what do you want?"
Lucia snapped irritably at Chloe.
Then she let out a short "ahang."
"Mwah."
And pressed her lips to mine.
"This is our relationship. Now that you get it, scram."
She smiled brightly at the two.
......Huh?