I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me

The ladies who attended the tea party at the Countess of Lort’s residence exchanged farewells with the hostess before heading home.“The tea we had today was absolutely delicious. The flavor was wonderful. I wonder where you got such tea.”“If you liked it, I can send some to your home.”“Oh my, you don’t have to go through the trouble.”After the ladies left one by one, the last to remain was Baroness Hervan.Like the others, she approached the Countess of Lort to bid her farewell.However, just as she was about to speak, the Countess spoke first.“Baroness, is something troubling you at home?”“Ah… How did you…?”“You look deeply concerned. If it’s alright with you, would you like to share your story with me?”The Countess led the Baroness to the drawing room of the Count’s mansion.Moved by the warmth of the tea and the Countess’s concern, the Baroness began to share her story, as though she had been waiting for this moment.“You know about my brother’s recent passing, don’t you?”“Of course. It was such a tragic accident. I’m still mourning his death.”“He had one child—a poor thing who lost her mother at a young age.”“Ah, the one betrothed to the Duke of Rittenhouse?”“Yes, that’s right. I’ve been worried about her, so I’ve been visiting often, but I just can’t figure out what’s on her mind.”With a sorrowful expression, the Baroness took a sip of her tea before continuing.“She’s never had to manage money in her life, so I thought I’d handle the family’s assets for her until she was capable of managing on her own… But she treats me like a swindler instead.”“Oh dear.”“I’ve always worried about her because she’s sensitive and frail. Now, after losing her father, she seems completely broken, and it’s really concerning.”The Countess of Lort, listening with a compassionate expression, clicked her tongue sympathetically.“Having lost both parents she relied on so suddenly, the shock must be overwhelming.”“…….”“When I lost my parents, I was already married, yet it still felt as if my entire world had collapsed. I can still vividly recall how miserable and heartbreaking it was.”“You must have struggled a lot back then.”“I did. If only I’d had someone to lean on during those times, like I do now…”As though reflecting on her past, the Countess stared into the distance with a wistful expression before suddenly grasping the Baroness’s hands as if struck by an idea.“I’ve thought of something. For Lady Rohen, having faith during a time like this might provide her with some solace.”“Are you suggesting…?”“If she realizes that when ‘He’ returns, all this grief and material wealth will pale in comparison…”A gentle smile appeared on the Countess’s lips as she mentioned ‘Him.’“I’ll invite Lady Rohen to one of our gatherings and have a talk with her.”“Would you really do that?”“Of course. So don’t worry too much, Baroness.”As the Countess comforted the Baroness, a kind yet faintly unsettling smile lingered on her lips.  ***** Elsez delivered the final blow to the massive pink slime in front of her.The tremendous power of her attack not only defeated Mamarung but also caused the surrounding ground to collapse, ending the battle.Jack, who had followed to ensure her safety, stared at her in awe. After a moment’s delay, he snapped out of it and approached her.“I noticed yesterday, but you’re really strong. How did you manage to hide that kind of power all this time?”Elsez suddenly realized her abilities might seem suspicious and hastily came up with an excuse.“Uh, well, I knew I was stronger than other kids since I was young, but I didn’t know it was this much. Then, recently, I ran into a monster in the forest, and when I had to fight back, I found out I was stronger than I thought.”Though flustered at first, once she started lying, the words flowed as if she’d prepared them in advance. Even to her own ears, the story sounded convincing.Luckily, Jack seemed to believe her.“You’ve been extraordinary since birth. I guess my instincts were right.”“Wasn’t it Perse who figured it out?”Elsez’s remark hit the mark, making Jack flinch as he quickly tried to defend himself.“W-Well, actually, I also sensed something unusual about your aura. But you looked so delicate that I wasn’t sure.”Elsez chuckled at his awkwardness.While she was glad that Perse had recognized her talent, she didn’t feel upset that Jack hadn’t noticed.After all, anyone would likely make the same assumption about a small, frail-looking girl.Then, she suddenly noticed someone was missing and asked.“Where’s Perse? I didn’t see him at the guild earlier. Aren’t you two always together?”“That guy disappears sometimes when someone’s looking for him.”“Someone? You mean family?”“Not family. What was it again? A benefactor’s family or something?”“Ah, I see.”As she listened absentmindedly to Jack’s explanation, Elsez retrieved Mamarung’s core and held it up to the quest scroll.The scroll opened its “mouth” and swallowed the core.The item was stored in the scroll’s inventory, and the quest client was immediately notified.All that was left was to deliver the scroll to the guild to complete the quest.The two split the slime residue evenly.Elsez initially offered all the residue to Jack, as she had kept the core, but he refused, saying he had only watched from the sidelines.She accepted her share and placed it in her inventory.Her pouch, though only the size of a palm, opened wide to swallow the items as she held them near.By the time the two finished dividing the loot and left the forest, the sun had already set.Elsez climbed into a carriage first and called out to Jack.“You go ahead, Jack.”“What about you? Aren’t you going to the guild?”“I have somewhere else to go first.”Jack left, saying they’d meet tomorrow.Elsez got into a rented carriage and gave the coachman her destination.“To the Roby Viscount’s estate.”As the carriage began to move, Reti slipped out of her inner pocket, which had been silent all day.Since they had been with others from the guild to the battle with Mamarung, Reti hadn’t had a chance to emerge.Now, sitting opposite Elsez with arms crossed, Reti glared up at her.Though an expressionless doll, Reti’s posture alone radiated displeasure.“Why did you agree to help that guy? I don’t like him.”“That guy?”It took Elsez a moment to realize Reti was referring to Astaire.“Is it because your attributes clash? You really seem to dislike him.”Watching Reti’s clear aversion to Astaire, Elsez suddenly remembered something she’d been meaning to ask.“By the way, Reti, I wanted to ask you something.”“What is it?”“You heard what they said at the guild earlier, right? About people trying to revive you.”“I heard it.”“Do you have anything to do with them?”“I don’t even know who they are. I returned to this world without needing help from humans.”Reti seemed deeply offended at the idea that she might have relied on humans.Seeing this reaction, Elsez was convinced the mysterious group wasn’t acting under Reti’s orders.Then Reti suddenly spoke, as if recalling something.“But there’s one strange thing.”“What is it?”“When we returned to this world, I started sensing strong energy from another dimension.”“What about before that?”“Before, there was nothing. Without that energy, I might have died alongside you.”Elsez narrowed her eyes at this revelation.A group trying to resurrect a demon.The dimensional rifts that had begun appearing recently.And her own return to this world around the same time.The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.