Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

『This is why I love my wife…』

Vritra nodded with approval as he gently stroked his chin.

Everything around him seemed frozen in place.

It wasn't that he'd stopped time or anything like that.

This was just how the young lord experienced the world because of his incredible speed.

To him, everything and everyone moved slowly, like watching an hourglass where each grain of sand took ages to fall. He could hear every breath, notice every little movement.

Nothing escaped his attention.

『She never listens to me when I tell her not to worry about those sick people. After all, she's a heroine. It's like trying to convince a snobbish, rich guy to care about the poor—it's just not in their nature. But I can't complain, can I? It actually works out in my favor.』

Vritra glanced to his left and saw Butler Neron standing there with a calm expression.

The old man nodded at him.

Taking a few steps forward, Vritra positioned himself between the Serathen knight and Luciana, who had already stepped back in fear.

『Tch, silly woman…』

She was brave, but the idea of death—especially being cut in two—would scare anyone.

『Now, let's see…』

As time remained slowed down, Vritra focused on the knight's face and felt the texture of his armor and sword.

『Just like I expected, the armor of the Serathen knights is as strong as the tealstone that Duranzia uses for making armor. But in the end, it's all the same… weak.』

Shaking his head in disappointment, he effortlessly pressed a finger against the armor, watching it slowly compress as if he were pushing his finger through butter.

『Alright then…』

In an instant, time snapped back, and a powerful surge of wind burst in front of the knight, sending him flying like he'd been hit by a train.

BOOOOOOM!!

This sudden movement shocked not only the princess but also Sophia, who had only just drawn her sword.

"Wait, what──?!"

"Wh-, When did he…?"

One moment, the knight was about to strike down Luciana, and the next, he was rolling on the ground like a ragdoll, five of his fingers broken and his jaw snapped.

They couldn't believe their eyes.

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It felt as if they had skipped a frame or two in time, suddenly arriving at this surprising moment.

"M-, MY FINGERS!!"

The knight screamed at the top of his lungs. His broken jaw likely hurt the most, but the pain was overwhelming, so he focused all his anger on that.

ARRRRRGGHHHH!

He held his trembling right hand, staring at his five broken fingers, now purple and swollen. He didn't need anyone to tell him he would never hold a sword again.

"My… fucking fingers…"

Tears streamed down his face as he gritted his teeth, sniffing back the mucus that threatened to run down his nose.

He refused to cry in front of these filthy commoners; it would bring shame to Lord Arcellion's army.

Vritra ignored the painful cries of the knight and walked back over to Luciana.

"Are you okay?"

He draped his arm over her shoulders.

"Husband!"

Luciana quickly hugged him tightly as her tender, pretty face lit up with joy.

Vritra pulled her closer and shot a fierce glare at the knight.

"I have to give you some credit for having the guts to try to hurt my wife, but you won't get any applause from me. The only reason you're still alive is that you're still a bit important, and the only reason your legs aren't broken is that I need you to be my messenger. Go back to Lord Arcellion and tell him I want to have a chat with him."

The knight couldn't hold Vritra's gaze for long and quickly fled, looking like a scared dog.

━ ━ ━ ━

Half an hour later…

The knight still hadn't made it back to Lord Arcellion, but that wasn't their biggest concern right now.

Luciana wouldn't stop pestering him about the health of the people in Kaalen Tower City. Frustrated, the young lord ordered Neron to head back to their magic airship and gather some supplies for the sick residents.

Neron returned with several wooden crates he had stored in his pocket dimension using [Spatial Magic].

Inside were large drums of clean, safe drinking water, much better than the contaminated stuff the locals were drinking.

He also brought dried fruits, grains, and jerky to share, knowing they didn't have enough food to sustain themselves since fresh produce was so scarce.

They received bandages, antiseptics, herbs for healing, and green health potions.

The parents who got these items sacrificed them for their children to help them get better.

While most of these supplies felt like basic necessities they deserved, Vritra grew increasingly annoyed when he saw Neron also giving out soap and disinfectants. Even junior maids and manservants at the Royal Palace didn't have that kind of privilege!

『I swear if this doesn't work, I'll lose my shit… I'm supposed to be the Villain, not a missionary person who helps the poor and heals the sick! Where the hell is that other heroine…?』

He frowned even more.

Butler Neron looked at him and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, young lord, I can see you're not pleased with recent events. I understand your frustrations, but I hope you're not upset with me. I'm just following your orders."

"Well, you seem to be enjoying it…"

Vritra shot the old man a sharp side-eye.

"Oh no, I wouldn't dare, young lord."

Neron chuckled to himself and went back to tending to the sick residents.

Before long, Luciana hurried back to Vritra and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, affectionate hug, snuggling her face against his broad chest.

"Honey, thank you so much~ ♡♡!"

She giggled sweetly, then stood on her toes to plant a small kiss on his chin.

Vritra's sour expression didn't change at all.

"Anything for you…"

He struggled to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Esmeralda, who stood behind the princess, watched the two of them as they expressed their affection. She smiled, feeling happy that the young lord chose to help these people he barely knew.

It was definitely a sign of improvement.

[Ding! Esmeralda's affection for you has gone up by a good 100 points!]

[Luciana's affection has increased by 150 points!]

[+10 Fate Value!]

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile…

In other parts of the lower levels of Kaalen Tower City, the red-haired nun walked around, observing the place and its people. She noticed that many of them were starting to look healthier and, more importantly, happier.

It didn't make any sense.

Just a few hours ago, when she had checked on them, they had looked like they were ready to die and move on to their next lives.

But now, they seemed different.

The change was obvious.

『When did all this happen?』

Some were wearing cleaner clothes, while others were drinking fresh water from new wooden cups. Even the children who still had rotten skin from their awful diseases were running around and playing with their friends.

『Did Sadim do this?』

A wide smile appeared on her face.

[Rosemarie's affection for the "hero" Sadim Goldtouch has gone up by 50 points!]

She quickly tiptoed over to a nearby civilian sitting by the roadside, munching on some dried fruits.

When the man saw her, he nodded happily and held out a piece of fruit with an innocent smile.

"Oh, Sister Rosemarie! Please, have some fruit!"

"No, no, that's fine. You should eat more, please…"

She gently placed her hand on the man's thin, trembling hands and pushed them back. As much as she wanted to enjoy a nice piece of fruit like that, she couldn't accept food from someone so impoverished.

『Besides, if it's Sadim who got them all this, I'm sure he brought me something nice too. Not that I'm desperate or anything… I'm pretty content.』

Rosemarie nodded to herself.

"Was it the Red Rogue who got you all this?"

The name "Red Rogue" was well known in the village. He was the hero dressed in beautiful crimson armor who sometimes brought them fresh food, clean water, and clothes.

It was also Sadim's secret identity.

Any good that happened in the lower levels of Kaalen Tower City was always his doing.

"Haha, it's actually not the Red Rogue this time…"

This time was different.

Rosemarie tilted her head in confusion.

"Wait, it wasn't him?"

"Not at all, haha. He brought us some food this morning, but it didn't reach everyone, and most of the adults, like me, sacrificed their portions for the children."

"I see…"

Rosemarie's eyes narrowed as she hummed thoughtfully.

She looked back at the man.

"So who got you all these? Lord Arcellion?"

It could never be him, of course, but no other name came to mind, especially since the nobles at Kaalen Tower City were even worse than Lord Arcellion.

The old man chewed on his fruit as he shook his head slowly, trying to remember the name of the man who had given them these supplies.

"I think his name was God Dionysus…"

"He's a god…?"

Rosemarie's eyes lit up a bit.

[Ding! Rosemarie's affection for the host has gone up by an impressive 50 points!]