Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

Three Days Later…

The world around her felt absolutely colorless, as if someone had taken her soul and left her empty inside.

Luciana lay curled up on her bed, her eyes blank and distant, staring into the air as if searching for some faint sign of Vritra.

"Vritra…"

Her lips moved softly, whispering his name so quietly it was almost impossible to hear.

No one had the heart to disturb her.

Esmeralda sat beside her and soaked a cloth in cold, clean water to gently dab Luciana's forehead.

『Oh, my princess…』

She didn't say a word, just watched with eyes filled with silent sorrow. Seeing her once-lively princess now so broken and fragile, like a flower wilting away, tore at her heart.

She looked over at Head Maid Benita, who was quietly helping, occasionally giving Luciana's hand a little squeeze, as if trying to pull her back from the gloomy fog she was lost in.

"Will she… be like this forever?"

Benita's voice was trembling.

This was a rare crack in her usual calm demeanor.

Esmeralda shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice thick with pain. "But I'll be here for her. I'll stay by her side until she finds the strength to rise again."

━ ━ ━ ━

Elsewhere…

Sophia and Ghislaine made their way toward the entrance of the Gold Rock Dungeon and their resolve was steady even with the tough challenge ahead.

"C'mon, we can't waste time!"

Ghislaine rushed on ahead.

Sophia held out a hand, trying to reach the small-bodied lady.

"Ghislaine… wait a moment!"

She still felt really down and completely angry at herself for being so useless the whole time in the Gold Rock Dungeon.

It was like a scar in her mind and heart that just wouldn't heal.

Every time she closed her eyes to sleep, she could picture aristocrats pointing at her, their faces full of mockery and disappointment, telling her just how useless and unwanted she was. The more Sophia had these dreams, the worse she felt mentally.

But really, what else could she do?

She didn't like coming here either, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

Ghislaine was hell-bent on making make sure they could see Vritra again, and she couldn't let her own fears or doubts get in the way.

Despite the pain in her heart and the constant ache in her head, she did her best to support Ghislaine, who seemed on the verge of losing her mind.

Every stone they lifted, every piece of debris they cleared, was driven by their deep need for answers.

Ghislaine clenched her jaw and tossed aside another rock.

"THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING!"

She grunted furiously.

"…ANYTHING!"

Her hands were raw, her shoulders aching, but she refused to stop. She remembered the day she pledged her loyalty to the young lord… a debt she knew she could never fully repay.

"Please…"

Ghislaine hid her crying face behind her small hands.

"There has to be something… please…"

Sophia noticed the young lady's intensity and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ms. Ghislaine… maybe we should rest."

"NO!"

Ghislaine snapped at Sophia with a fierce voice.

"I can't rest. He's… he's out there. I know it."

Sophia sighed.

『I can't believe this… the one time the Marquis himself assigns me a major task—to guard someone practically immortal—and he ends up dead. It's like the gods of the Central Continent have it out for me in every possible way.』

Her heart weighed down with uncertainty.

『I'm tired…』

She could see the strain wearing on Ghislaine, the fragile pieces barely holding together and fraying a little more each day.

Still, a part of her clung to that same stubborn hope.

She glanced at the Serathen knights that Lord Arcellion had sent to help them.

They moved in a steady rhythm, breaking down rocks with serious and determined expressions. She made eye contact with one of the knights and nodded in thanks.

At least, she thought, they weren't alone in this seemingly impossible task.

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile…

Rosemarie walked through the dirty streets of the lower city as her heart and mind were filled with dark questions and heavy doubts.

『Why couldn't he just have been Dionysus…』

The image of Vritra's monstrous side haunted her, and the truth she'd discovered twisted her thoughts.

The man she'd almost fallen for, the one she'd prayed for countless times… hoping he'd find his way, had almost destroyed all of humanity.

『I can't believe how foolish I was…』

She clutched her rosary tightly, as if the small beads could somehow ease the ache in her chest.

Sadim had known.

That was obvious.

But he had stayed silent, playing his part in the drama he had crafted so well.

A soft, bitter laugh slipped from her lips.

She had trusted him completely, even after all the lies he had told. And even now, she didn't see that the young hero was still lying to her.

"Lady Rosemarie, are you alright?"

She turned and found herself facing one of the townsfolk.

It was a young girl clutching a basket of bread.

Rosemarie forced a warm smile and pushed her grief aside.

"Yes, of course. Just… tired."

She kept her tone very gentle and approachable.

The girl smiled back at Rosemarie and kept walking.

Watching her go, Rosemarie something in bloom inwardly.

A renewed sense of determination.

She couldn't let herself break down now; people depended on her and looked up to her.

『Yes, I have a job to do…』

Taking a deep breath, she got back to her work, caring for the sick and feeding the hungry while praying for those in need.

[Ding! The "heroine" Rosemarie Althea Redwood has acquired an extra Fate Value of 300!]

One thing she chose not to do was join her usual protests in the higher city or send reports about Lord Arcellion and the nobles of Kaalen Tower City to the Vayetran Church.

Those reports often led to trouble, with Lord Arcellion sending his Hunting Knights after her to try to silence her. That was when the Red Rogue would step in to rescue her if things got too dangerous.

But right now, all of that felt pointless.

She just wanted to find a way to get her life back on track.

━ ━ ━ ━

Inside Lord Arcellion's Mansion…

Sadim knelt in front of Lord Arcellion and kept his face calm while his thoughts raced about the consequences of his trickery. He was aware that Lord Arcellion could see through most lies like glass, but somehow, this time, his act was a success, even if just by a hair.

"First Lieutenant Goldtouch…"

Arcellion's voice was cold.

"You went into a hidden dungeon, one that none of us knew existed. And you withheld this knowledge from me."

Sadim bowed his head and acted remorse.

"My lord, it was not my intention to deceive. I only… thought it was a personal matter. I never expected the dungeon to be so… treacherous."

"Treacherous or not, you acted recklessly."

Arcellion leaned forward with sharp, gleaming eyes.

"You're highly fortunate I do not strip you of your title for this utter folly."

"Yes, my lord. I understand…"

Sadim spoke softly and maintained a blank expression while feeling a sense of relief bubbling under the surface.

He was walking a thin line—trying to balance between honesty and deceit, trust and betrayal.

He knew he couldn't let himself slip.

『I need more assurance!』

It was such an urgent thought.

"Can I speak, my lord?"

"You may."

"God Vritra also told me to make sure you never found out about this. Of course, my loyalty is to you, but he warned that he would kill not just me but everyone in the higher city and give the lower city a chance to revolt. I was acting in the best interest of our city."

It sounded convincing enough.

Lord Arcellion paused, thinking over what Sadim had said. Finally, he nodded.

"That makes sense. I'll deal with the rest of the story later. After all, the supposed immortal is dead… or maybe just missing. I'll inform the Black Divine General so she can return and decide what to do with the princess of Duranzia."

There was an unsettling joy in his voice.

Sadim lifted his head slightly.

"What do you mean, my lord?"

"I initially planned to take care of Princess Luciana and her friends until the Black Divine General came back, so she could face Vritra herself. But now that that's off the table, we have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing…?"

"The princess is mentally broken, and there's no sign of Vritra. So when the Black Divine General returns, we'll take the princess and her companions hostage and use them to threaten our rival nation, Duranzia."

Sadim's eyes widened at this plan.

Everyone seemed to be scheming behind the scenes, but it looked like Lord Arcellion had gone from being a background player to the one with the most power.

But that was to be expected from a hunting knight. They were incredibly clever, especially when it came to capturing hostages… even if it involved an entire nation that was considered untouchable.

"I… I shall take my leave now, my lord."

"Wonderful."

Sadim left Arcellion's chamber.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Despite all the potential new problems that could pop up at any moment, he let himself smile a little, feeling pleased with himself. He had made it through the confrontation, and nobody had any clue about his bigger secrets.

━ ━ ━ ━

Somewhere in the Manor…

Luciana sat still by her window, gazing at the empty landscape, her mind feeling completely empty and full of sadness.

Esmeralda stood behind her, softly brushing her hair, trying to bring her back to life with little acts of kindness.

Every now and then, Luciana would whisper his name with a drained voice that could barely be called a whisper.

She was a shadow of the person she used to be.

Living… but dead.

"Vritra… Vritra…"

Luciana murmured as her voice trailed into silence.

Esmeralda's heart broke more and more with each hopeless whisper she was forced to hear.

She leaned down to speak softly into Luciana's ear.

"Please, Your Highness. Eat something. Rest. He wouldn't want you to… to suffer like this."

But Luciana stayed still, her eyes vacant.

In her mind, Vritra's face was always there, haunting her, with every memory wrapped in both sadness and sweetness.

She couldn't stand the idea of moving on without him or giving up the hope she had clung to so tightly.

If she did…

『I would die…』

That was her belief.

━ ━ ━ ━

At the Dungeon Entrance…

After hours of hard work, Ghislaine collapsed against the cold stone as she breathed heavily. The knights kept going, but she had run out of energy, her determination barely holding on by sheer willpower.

She closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Experience more on empire

『I'll bring you back, my lord. I swear it.』

Sophia placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and nodded in silent solidarity.

They would dig, they would search, they would do whatever it took until the truth emerged.

━ ━ ━ ━

Gawk…! Gawk…! GAWK!

Loud gawking sounds could be heard as Dionysus passionately sucked the big meat between Vritra's legs with so much enjoyment that she could feel her insides getting warm and wet with desperation for pleasure.

"Urrhmm~ ♡ Sho goo~ooood ♡♡♡!!"

This big, salty meat that was filling her mouth and almost choking her belonged somewhere else, and she didn't waste a second to rub herself hard there as her sticky mouth, full of saliva, went up and down his succulent, veiny shaft.

"Sho fuckin' big ♡ I want mo~reeehhhh ♡♡!"

She continued to gag on his meat with desperate thirst.

Meanwhile, Vritra calmly read some scrolls while eating some grapes Butler Neron had brought him.

"How are the grapes, young master?"

Neron asked with a smile.

"Oh, absolutely fantastic!"

"Good to hear!"

Normally, he would have scolded the young master for making these women suffer like this, but this was his chance to make up for lost time with him.

━ ━ ━ ━

A small rank for people with the current advantage:

• Military Kingdom of Serathen

• Sadim

• Lord Arcellion & Black Divine General

• God Vritra

• Fortress Nation of Duranzia