Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

By this point, Vritra and Rosemarie had explored nearly every corner of the lower city.

They were enjoying themselves, smiling at one another and speaking more kindly now.

For a brief moment, Vritra seemed sincere, watching her from afar without making any inappropriate remarks. But as they arrived at the heart of the lower city, he couldn't help teasing her again.

"Do you think Sadim would approve of you spending all this time with me?"

Rosemarie tensed and gripped her fabric tightly.

『Of course he has to ruin it!』

She gritted her teeth.

"I'm not spending time with you because I want to. I'm doing this for him, to protect him."

"Ah, but still, you're here with me, aren't you?"

Vritra leaned in slightly as his voice dropped into a low and sexily velvety tone.

"Isn't that a bit… dangerous?"

Rosemarie's face flushed with frustration, and she turned sharply to face him.

"Don't twist this around. As I've said before, I'm only here because you gave me no choice."

"True…"

Vritra admitted then stepped back with a teasing smile.

"But that doesn't mean you aren't enjoying yourself. Even a little."

Rosemarie sharply opened her mouth to snap back, but then stopped herself. She couldn't deny that, despite everything, part of her found the banter with Vritra oddly… engaging.

Not that she'd ever admit it.

They kept walking through the lower city, passing crumbling buildings and tents where families were gathered closely.

At one point, Rosemarie paused to help a mother lift a bucket of dirty water from a well.

Vritra stayed back, watching with his arms crossed as a slight frown formed at the corner of his mouth.

[Ding! The heroine's affection for the host increased by 20 points!]

As the day went by, they ended up sitting on a low stone wall, looking out over the city.

The sun was well set by now, casting a reddish light over the desert sands.

"You know…"

Rosemarie said after a long silence.

"This city used to be beautiful. Before the politics. Before everything fell apart."

"I've read about it. Kaalen Tower City was once the jewel of the East. But it fell, like all things do."

The young lord was surprisingly serious.

And Rosemarie deeply appreciated that.

"It doesn't have to stay fallen. Sadim wants to rebuild it. He wants to give people hope again."

"And you think he can do that?"

"I believe in him…" Rosemarie said simply.

Vritra tilted his head to watch her closely.

There was something about her strong belief in Sadim that both interested and annoyed him. It made her less affected by his usual tricks, but at the same time, it made her more of a challenge for him.

He liked a challenge.

"Well…"

Vritra said after a moment, leaning closer to her.

"If you ever get tired of playing love birds with Sadim, you could always join me. I could show you a different way to make a difference in this world."

Rosemarie rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible, you know that?"

[Ding! The heroine's affection for the host has experienced a small increase by 15 points!]

Vritra grinned. "I do."

As the sun disappeared below the horizon, they walked back through the lower city, passing the same struggling families and hungry children.

Rosemarie's heart ached for them, but a small part of her felt… lighter. Even with Vritra's constant teasing and remarks, she had to admit there was something strangely refreshing about being around him. He wasn't like Sadim, but somehow, being with him made her see things in a new light.

They reached the edge of the lower city.

"Th-, Thank you…"

Rosemarie said quietly as she twiddled her thumbs.

"What for?" Vritra asked, genuinely surprised.

"For not being as awful as I thought you were."

Vritra chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

[The heroine's affection for the host has increased by an impressive 30 points!] read-more-at-NovelFire

As they stood there, the desert wind softly blowing through the streets, Rosemarie looked up at him. For a split second, she saw something in his eyes… something deeper than the usual smugness and arrogance.

It was fleeting, but it was there.

"Goodnight, Vritra…" she said, then turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Lovely Rose…"

The young lord replied, watching her walk away.

His smile became softer and less mocking.

━ ━ ━ ━

In the higher city…

Vritra walked through the large gates of the mansion.

He took in the courtyard where the fight of yesterday had happened.

Medics were busy tending to the injured knights, wrapping bloody bandages around their arms and bodies. Servants hurried back and forth, trying to scrub the red stains off the stone walls and cobblestones.

The sharp smell of blood still hung in the air.

He wasn't really bothered by it… he'd seen scenes like this many times before—but something about tonight made him stop for a moment.

『Hrmm, sometimes I forget that the story keeps moving, even when the main characters aren't around. These background characters might seem shallow at first, but that doesn't mean they lack depth.』

Vritra paused for a moment before pushing the heavy doors open and stepping into the main hall.

There, Butler Neron was already waiting for him.

The older man gave a low bow, his keen eyes briefly glancing up to meet Vritra's gaze.

"Welcome back, my lord. I see your excursion was fruitful."

Vritra's mouth twisted into a grin.

"Fruitful? Let's call it that."

Before they could continue talking, the familiar sound of armor clanking echoed through the hallway.

Sophia rushed to see Vritra while she awkwardly adjusted the thin-rimmed glasses perched on her little nose. She looked as calm and composed as always, even after everything that happened last night.

Well… that was if you excluded the way she rushed to see the young lord.

She almost tripped, but no one made a big deal of it.

"God Vritra, I see you've returned safely!"

There was a smile on her face.

The young lord raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? I always return safely."

He noticed the formality in her voice, but there was also a touch of warmth. The way she spoke to him was different from how the other guards did… she was a bit more comfortable with her role as his escort.

Other knights were often angry for no real reason.

Sophia dressed her hair a bit.

"Uhhh, we've taken care of the wounded. The preparations for tomorrow are in place."

Vritra nodded. "Good."

Before he could say more, the double doors to his private chambers burst open with an excited crash.

"HONEY~ ♡♡!"

"MY LORD~ ♡!"

"YOUNG MASTER~ ♡♡♡!!"

Princess Luciana, Esmeralda, and Ghislaine rushed out of the room with affectionate smiles and arms wide open.

They hugged him tightly, showering his face, neck, and even his collarbone with kisses, like dogs greeting their owners after a long day. Vritra barely had time to react before he was completely surrounded by their warm bodies and the gentle flurry of kisses.

"Well, well…" Vritra chuckled, "what's all this for?"

Still clinging to him, the princess pulled back just enough to speak.

"It's because of the gifts, of course! Neron was kind enough to give us everything you set aside."

Luciana twirled a bit to show off the shining blue threads of the [Great Water Robe] that fit her perfectly. The royal outfit shimmered with a soft, ethereal glow, making her look even more elegant.

In her hand, she held the [Great Water Staff, Aquilas], a beautifully crafted magical staff!

"Fits me well, don't you think?"

She asked with a proud smile, and the eagerness in her eyes clearly showed how much she wanted a compliment from her dear husband.

The young lord realized this and nodded.

"You're wearing it better than I imagined."

Gently, he brushed a strand of hair from her pretty face.

Luciana blushed a bit at the compliment and then held up a small crystal ball.

"I… I also love this too, honey!"

It was called [Summoning Crystal], and it could hold the soul of a summon. When you struck the crystal against a hard surface, it would briefly release the summon's soul in physical form.

Inside Luciana's summoning crystal, the distorted figure of Oceanis, a majestic water elemental, swirled. Its watery body twisted and turned, as if it were ready to be set free.

Vritra smiled knowingly.

"Trust me, as a heroine, you'll do great things with it."

"Huh? What… do you mean?"

The princess tilted her head at his words.

"Nevermind…"

Vritra playfully knocked her forehead.

"OUCH!"

Luciana rubbed her aching forehead, trying to hold back tears as she glared at Vritra with a deep pout.

She looked like a little kid on the verge of crying.

『Adorable…』

The young lord thought.

Next to the princess, Ghislaine smiled brightly as she cradled three summoning crystals in her hands.

"Look at what I got!"

She raised them up proudly, showing off the blazing souls of Scorchlord, Hell Worm, and Fire Fox trapped inside.

The flames flickered menacingly within the crystals.

Butler Neron inspected the crystals.

"As a fire mage and summoner, I believe that suits you the best, little Ghislaine."

"I know that, old man!" Ghislaine fired back.

"Don't call me an──!"

The butler bit his tongue, realizing there was no point in arguing with a woman who looked like a child. He swallowed his words and simply stroked his chin as he glanced at the young lord.

『Hrmm, it seems the young lord didn't prepare any gifts for me, haha. That doesn't hurt at all, I'm sure the young lord still sees me as his closest servant, right? 』

If he had a heart, he would have cried.

Vritra's hand reached down and he patted Ghislaine's head as she purred softly.

"Good girl…"

"AYE~ ♡!"

Ghislaine was so happy that it was clear Vritra could give her just about anything, even dirt, and she would still be thankful.

Usually calm and reserved, Esmeralda felt a bit flustered as she walked over. She was holding a single summoning crystal that held the frightening soul of [Necrothar, the Undead Bone Dragon]. Inside the sphere, the huge creature coiled up as its skeletal wings tightly folded against its body.

"I… I don't know what to say, my lord…"

Esmeralda stammered as she looked everywhere but into the young lord's generous eyes.

"This is beyond generous."

Vritra waved a hand dismissively.

"It's protection. You'll need it."

Vritra gently cupped Esmeralda's face and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her forehead. This was the least physical contact she had shared with the young lord, but it made her blush more than anything else.

Standing by the doorway, Sophia adjusted her glasses as her sharp eyes cut through the lovely scene.

"I see God Vritra is equipping his female companions with quite some powerful items. Should I be concerned?"

"Concerned? No. Just… prepared."

Vritra said as he turned to her.

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Prepared for what, exactly?"

The young Asura's grin widened, and he leaned back, folding his arms casually.

"We're going dungeon diving tomorrow."

There was a brief moment of stunned silence.

"WHAT──?!"

The three women shouted together.

Their voices were the perfect blend of shock and disbelief.

Princess Luciana's eyes widened.

"A dungeon? Tomorrow?!"

She sounded half incredulous, half excited.

She wouldn't mind going to the pit of hell if it meant getting some alone time with her husband. But, like before, she knew she'd have to share him with the other women around her, and that thought made her frown.

As much as she didn't want to be selfish, she couldn't help feeling that way.

"My lord, are you serious?"

Esmeralda looked genuinely alarmed.

Even Sophia raised an eyebrow, though she managed to keep her composure better than the others.

However, Ghislaine broke into a bright smile.

She was practically bouncing on her heels.

"A dungeon?! I'm so ready! Let's go right now!"

"Relax, it'll be fun."

Vritra's enjoyed seeing their reactions.

"Fun?" Luciana muttered, still trying to process it.

The only person who seemed to be quiet was Neron.

『I wonder what's the young lord's plan this time. I've known him long enough to know he never does anything without reason.』