I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 43 - Cleanup (2)

Perhaps it was because she was still half-asleep.

Emilia didn’t pull away from the hand stroking her head. She simply lay there and accepted it, like a child being praised by an adult.

Stroke, stroke—

“Hehe.”

The snake smiled.

Unlike his usual sharp, piercing demeanor, there was something unusually gentle about the way he was handling her now.

It seemed like he was enjoying the drowsy, unguarded reactions she gave him.

The strange scene continued for a while.

As the fog in her mind gradually cleared, the girl finally came to her senses.

A faint sigh slipped through her lips.

"...Ah."

Emilia flinched, turning her head.

Her gaze wavered with embarrassment, and the boy, who had been chuckling softly, withdrew his hand.

His expression was one of satisfaction.

Seeing his eyes curve into crescent moons, the vain girl bit her lip.

"......"

"......"

For a moment, silence filled the space around them.

In the awkward atmosphere, Emilia’s eyes darted around aimlessly.

The snake was sitting right next to her.

There were many things she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak easily.

The silhouette she had seen standing in the shadow-filled laboratory lingered vividly in her mind.

Perhaps, deep down, Emilia was afraid of the boy.

"Oh my... I can’t imagine why you look so intimidated."

Whether or not he noticed, the golden-haired snake shrugged nonchalantly.

After much hesitation, the first question Emilia managed to ask was an empty one, without much substance.

“...What exactly happened?”

“While the two of you were unconscious, support from Gallimard arrived. We returned to the academy without delay.”

“And... what about that giant monster?”

“You already know the answer.”

His reply was vague and cryptic.

Emilia swallowed nervously without realizing it.

—Just like last time... Shall we strike another deal?

The memory remained vivid, as if etched into her mind.

The impression it left was overwhelming.

—Don’t worry.

—As long as I’m here… you’ll never lose, Lady Emilia.

She remembered it clearly.

The warmth of his body as he embraced her from behind, and the electric thrill that had coursed through her entire being.

The shadows that had spread from her fingertips were still fresh in her memory.

—Even if only for a brief moment, I’ll show you a new world.

The vain girl replayed that instant in her mind.

The moment their hands touched, the world turned black, leaving only darkness behind.

In the empty void, a single star appeared.

It twinkled faintly, a shard of light in the abyss, slowly blossoming into thousands of breathtakingly beautiful scenes.

—I know you can do it.

It was a sensation she would never forget.

What he had given her was a power that felt... almost divine.

It was an expression that would make the church faint with outrage, but Emilia couldn’t describe it any other way.

What she had experienced was nothing short of a god-like authority.

"..."

Emilia fidgeted with her fingers.

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Her thoughts were a tangled mess.

Most of them revolved around the boy.

He’s strong.

At least, he was far beyond what her own eyes could measure.

Even with the lowest possible estimate, he was at the level of a professor... perhaps even as powerful as the dean.

The performance he had shown completely defied her understanding of reality.

‘So all this time... he’s been hiding his power.’

It was a meaningful realization.

Despite possessing such overwhelming strength, he had lived his life in secrecy.

A chilling intuition ran down her spine.

"You seem deep in thought."

"..."

"I understand. A lot has happened."

His lips curved into a casual smile, just as they always did.

Watching him act like nothing was wrong, a single question rose to the forefront of Emilia’s mind.

In a barely audible voice, she asked it.

“...Why?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you save me?”

It didn’t make sense to her.

Why had he revealed his hidden strength just to protect her?

What did he stand to gain?

Even though they had made a deal, in the end, it was a one-sided relationship.

She had no choice but to obey him unconditionally.

After all, he held her weaknesses.

The first time her lips had been stolen had been for that very reason.

“You didn’t have to save me.”

It was a choice that only brought him loss.

As someone who always weighed pros and cons, Emilia found it impossible to understand his motives.

While she stared intently at his perpetually squinting eyes, the snake suddenly broke into a playful grin.

“Hehe... After nursing you through the night, you’re going to make me feel unappreciated.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Her blue eyes were clouded with confusion.

A deep sense of dissonance stirred within her.

What could he possibly want from her, that he would go so far as to save her, nurse her, and stay by her side?

What was he expecting from such a worthless, discarded thing?

‘I don’t understand.’

The warmth of his hand, still clasping hers, felt strange.

Their fingers were intertwined as if it were the most natural thing, and yet there was an undeniable sense of tenderness in the way he held her.

Maybe she was scared.

Because she didn’t know what the boy wanted from her.

“I was taught that… there’s no such thing as kindness without reason.”

“Why are you always looking for a reason?”

“Because without one, I couldn’t have survived.”

“That’s... a sad thing to hear.”

“It’s important to me.”

“Hmm.”

The snake seemed to fall into thought for a moment.

After a brief silence, he spoke as if he had come to a decision.

“If you truly need a reason... I suppose I can give you one.”

The boy murmured softly.

“It’s because I hold you dear, Lady Emilia.”

His voice, warm and gentle, tickled her ears.

It was an answer that wildly deviated from her anxious expectations.

“...What?”

A question mark hung over the girl’s head.

But the sweet voice carried on, completely unperturbed.

“At first, I didn’t think much of it.”

His tone was calm and matter-of-fact.

“I thought we were just passing acquaintances. Our first meeting was a complete disaster, after all.”

He seemed to be referring to that day.

The day they had first encountered each other.

“I thought you were prickly.”

“...I was prickly.”

“I also thought we wouldn’t get along well... but my thoughts changed over time.”

“...”

“That’s thanks to the new path you’ve chosen, Lady Emilia.”

The snake smiled softly.

Emilia, holding her breath, listened intently.

“At first, I simply wanted to know you, then I wanted to watch you... and now, I feel the desire to protect you.”

So that you can write a new story.

I want to be by your side, giving you strength.

Just as I loved the tale from that old fairy tale, this time, I hope your name is written within it.

“Because you’ve changed.”

The air between them felt fresh and delicate.

Before Emilia realized it, her face had flushed red.

It was a reaction to the sudden shift in the conversation.

"......"

Though Emilia was utterly inexperienced in such matters, even she couldn’t miss what was being implied.

Her knowledge from books finally came in handy.

This was undoubtedly...

Those sorts of words.

The kind a man says when confessing his love to a woman.

Emilia was stunned by the sudden bombshell.

“Wh-wh-what... All of a sudden, why...?”

Her mind went completely blank.

Without meaning to, she blurted out a frantic response.

“Why, why are you saying something like that all of a sudden?!”

“Didn’t you ask?”

“Th-that’s true, but...!”

Of course, she had asked why he saved her!

But she never expected the conversation to take this direction.

Flustered, Emilia bit her lip, fidgeting awkwardly.

The infirmary, which had been filled with an unsettling atmosphere until just a moment ago, now carried a much lighter mood.

The snake spoke calmly.

“The deal... What I said back then, I meant it sincerely.”

“...”

The deal.

Emilia finally understood what the boy wanted.

A few of the words he’d said came back to her.

—All I ask is that you live for me.

—Stay by my side... so that I can watch your story unfold.

That was what he wanted.

The snake had saved the vain girl because he wished for her to stay by his side.

Although the boy’s words up to this point were devoid of any selfish intentions, Emilia had no way of knowing that.

And so, she misunderstood.

She began to think that the boy in front of her... loved her.

“...I-I.”

Thump, thump.

Perhaps it was because she was so unfamiliar with the situation.

Her pulse began to race oddly.

Trying to calm the heat rising in her face, the girl shyly expressed her thoughts.

She felt a little worried.

“I’m not sure if I can do it.”

She had learned that feelings never go as planned.

Even though she had promised to stay by his side, she didn’t know if her heart would ever match his.

It was a mystery.

“As I said before, I have no experience with this... I don’t know if I can live up to your expectations.”

But.

“...I’ll try.”

She had already received his help.

After owing him her life twice, she thought she should at least make an effort to uphold her end of the bargain.

She intended to try, at the very least, to grow fond of him.

“I might not be able to give you everything you want.”

“I understand.”

“I’m really clumsy.”

“Everyone is.”

“If you’re okay with that... I’ll do my best.”

Emilia muttered softly.

The snake stared at her for a moment, then let out a faint laugh.

“Pfft... That makes me happy.”

He patted her head, as if she were adorable.

This time, she didn’t avoid his touch.

She simply squeezed her eyes shut and stayed still.

“......”

“Hehe.”

In truth, the two of them had completely different interpretations of the situation.

Emilia, having wrestled with her thoughts, had made a serious vow.

But to the boy, it merely sounded like she was promising to try hard for his sake.

And so, as the misunderstanding deepened—

"Ugh... my head hurts."

A rustling sound came from nearby.

Following it, they turned to see a pair of green eyes, as though someone had just woken up.

"Wh-where am I? There was a monster... wasn’t there?"

Pink, messy hair.

The girl, still dazed and glancing around, suddenly locked eyes with the two watching her.

“You’re awake, Miss Regia.”

“Commoner... Seems like you’re finally awake.”

“...Huh?”

Regia was understandably confused.

One was someone she thought had died.

The other was someone she had barely escaped death with.

The girl’s sleepy gaze soon trembled violently.

“M-My Lord? Lady Vanity...? Am I dead?”

“......”

“......”

She seemed to be mistaking this for the afterlife.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

In a teary voice, the girl asked softly.

“...Did you die too?”

"......"

"......"

It seemed she was convinced she was in the afterlife.

Tears began to stream down the girl’s face.

“Hic... What do I do! Poor Lord, sniff, Lady Vanity...!”

It appeared she was more upset about their supposed deaths than her own.

In any case, it was an awkward situation.

“Now, now! No more crying!”

“We’re not dead! Pull yourself together!”

“Sniff, hic, waaaah!”

The sobbing pilot.

For a while, the snake and the vain girl had to sweat it out trying to calm her down.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]