The Villain Bought the Heroine

Chapter 15

All enemies have been defeated.

It wasn’t that difficult. Some enemies were low-level, and Vargan’s basic specs were exceptional, needless to say.

These were suitable specimens to test whether they had become completely natural to use in less than five months.

The artifact obtained from the secret dungeon this time is also useful. It is equal to or even superior to the brilliant artifacts stored in the mansion’s warehouse. The clear distinction is that the ownership of this artifact belongs solely to me.

“Shall we try to predict your thought process?”

In the scent of blood lingering in the battlefield, I managed to stand and spoke to Alicia, who was barely standing on her own two feet. She seemed dazed from the intense experience a while ago.

“First and foremost, a sense of relief would have emerged. The feeling of liberation that you could barely escape death.”

At any time, the most basic human desire is survival. Most creatures react strongly even with a slight touch on that, and Alicia, in her current state, is in a situation where that has been not just touched but completely unraveled. There must have been countless thoughts, but the predominant one was that.

I pointed with my fingers in order.

“Next would be reverence towards me. With your current eyesight, you would have clearly felt it. It’s like a person who has only seen streams their whole life seeing the sea for the first time.”

After feeling safe within oneself, it’s about the emotions towards the situation that immediately appeared. Especially for someone with knowledge about it, they cannot easily turn a blind eye.

“Lastly, questions and interpretations. Your judgments and emotions about what you experienced today.”

The last part is the most important. The former things have either passed her or left remnants.

Following that, an analysis of why things happened like this will take place. Alicia’s personality isn’t crucial here. This is the instinctive flow of thought.

There might be various emotions mixed in, but let’s focus on the main points. The reactions now will determine the detailed schedule ahead.

“…Young lord, may I ask one thing?”

Alicia spoke up. Her eyes were serious and sharp.

“You may ask your question.”

With permission granted, Alicia nodded briefly in gratitude. Then, she raised her head again to look at me directly.

“Did you summon the monsters to this village, young lord?”

It might be possible, but Alicia asked. It’s the most important matter to her.

“No.”

I answered bluntly. While I did confine her to the loop, it was merely seizing the opportunity, not summoning those wretched creatures. As of now, such an act is not feasible, but there’s no need to voice that.

Alicia, who seemed like she could see through me with her incredibly clear eyes, confirmed my answer and nodded. It seemed she had verified the truthfulness of my words in her own way.

“Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, Alicia, tell me your answer.”

Alicia kept her head bowed in silence. Reflecting on our past conversations, organizing her thoughts, carefully considering what to say, she would be meticulously contemplating inside. Eventually, Alicia raised her head quietly.

“…When I first encountered the monsters, I was overwhelmed by fear. It was impossible to think. I couldn’t resist and miserably met my end.”

I know.

Naturally, I anticipated it would happen, and it had to.

Alicia recalled memories dating back to when she could assess her situation. As doubts began to surface in her fear-filled mind, those doubts transformed into certainty.

“Only upon the brink of death did I realize. Faced with a situation resembling past experiences as if they were a mere brush with death, I could surmise this was an illusion crafted by you, my lord.”

There was no one else to whom she had confessed her past. And not long after that conversation, she found herself in a life-or-death situation.

If one were in a state to think clearly, it was as clear as day that I was the one who had put her in harm’s way, even a fool would know.

“But… even so, nothing changed.”

Yes, that’s the crux of the matter. Just because she knows this fact doesn’t mean anything will change. For her, every moment was reality and agony.

To put it plainly, it’s this.

Only upon reaching death could one realize it wasn’t reality. The recent experience was a hallucination, a fake. But this time? What evidence is there that this revived time isn’t real?

Perhaps only on the brink of the ultimate moment of the cycle could one sense a difference in their own state or the mana around them, but until then, one couldn’t even dare to guess. It was partly because I made it difficult for her to sense mana, but also because it touched upon human instincts.

So, one could argue like this.

At the very end of the loop where one can grasp the situation, couldn’t they calculate how many times they had died thus far to determine the remaining number of lives? After all, one can feel the total amount of mana.

However, think about it carefully. The boundary between reality and illusion has collapsed. Could anyone count how many dreams they had in a single night? No, they couldn’t. It’s impossible to accurately grasp the past in a situation where senses are distorted.

Alicia, too, minimized the memory that terrified her as she spoke. Not because she was avoiding the moment out of fear, but because she couldn’t articulate it properly due to not fully understanding it.

“In several lives, I even harbored a feeble hope that you might come to my rescue if my life were truly on the line. But such hopes are quickly shattered amidst eternal agony. Instead, as the end nears, realizing the rapid depletion of my mana and stamina, I ignite a fierce desire for survival rather than cling to feeble hopes.”

Contrary to the illusions she had experienced before, since the total mana was verifiable, what was glaringly apparent to her was the dire state of her current condition.

In the end, fake time held no place for her. Everything became real and intense moments.

“Yes, after such torment, you ultimately chose the path of fighting monsters, rushing in and cutting them down, driven by a desire to ‘save people.'”

Gratitude must be extended to Edel and Frizia. They played a role in guiding her, who had been blinded, so she could walk properly.

“What are you trying to say? Your expression is too convoluted for easy interpretation. Sum it up concisely.”

Alicia sensed the intention. The words she needed to speak were already decided. That’s why she prodded on.

Her blue eyes deepened, reminiscent of the sea. The swirling winds within her subsided as she spoke. The voice that followed from her throat was firm and resolute.

“Please, allow me to stay by your side, my lord.”

Although what she was saying was a request to me, her tone and attitude were straightforward without any frills.

“Please continue to impart teachings and awaken me from my ignorance.”

She spoke. Her true desire, realized amidst the repetitions of the loop. A bitter hatred towards her own incompetence for doing nothing that day.

“Help me become a hero.”

‘If you permit that, I will dedicate all the glory and wealth I acquire in the future to you, my lord.’ With that sentence, Alicia fell silent.

She asserted her future value. She recognized the potential she possessed and used it as a bargaining chip.

Of course, this exchange wasn’t a fair one. Being dependent on me means that her future is intertwined with mine. There’s no need to speak so intricately about it. So, what is Alicia trying to convey? That is.

A declaration of will.

Alicia knows that I will accept this proposal. In fact, I used the term “acceptance,” and rejecting it now would go against the logic of my intentions.

In other words, Alicia is expressing her will to me. What I sought from this incident was a state of overcoming trauma, a resilient mind.

Alicia fulfilled the conditions and indicated that her desire to become a hero was no longer due to my influence but her own longing.

“Very well. A very satisfactory response, Alicia. Your thoughts are correct. I will not reject you, and I will support you as I have done so far.”

That’s how it should be.

Yes, this is the closest to achieving my goal.

Thanks to this incident, Alicia successfully overcame her trauma. Look into those eyes. Those resolute eyes! The disgrace of being called a coward Alicia at Academia is no longer visible. While traces may not have completely vanished, at least she won’t hesitate to cut down enemies.

That’s enough.

That’s what I wanted to get this time!

“Many things have changed through this incident. It must not have been easy to get to this point. …Yes, in celebration of my decision, I will give you a gift.”

Pulling out the item that felt cumbersome every time it moved on his body, he tossed it to her. It was something he had prepared to give her once she confirmed her determination.

Clack. The light toss landed the item in Alicia’s arms, making a characteristic sound. Alicia’s head moved along the length of the sword. Then, as if realizing something, she widened her round eyes.

“Young master… Is this…! Are you saying you’re giving this to me…?”

Her reaction was quite something. There was no need to show such a surprised expression using her whole body.

“Yes, it’s something I don’t need. You are the one suitable to wield this sword. Alicia.”

Even without adorning the hilt, a clear blue light shone brightly throughout the sword. When Alicia was dying in the village, I took Paula and Bram with me into Nias’s secret dungeon and retrieved the only relic in that dungeon, the sword.

A first-grade relic, Nias.

It’s a sword imbued with the spirit of Nias, the water spirit who was once a duke of the spirits.

Originally, when the protagonist Liam would have discovered it, the spirit had died and been demoted to a second-grade relic, but now, the dying spirit within it was regaining the power it had lost.

Once it fully regains its power, it will undoubtedly exhibit the power of a first-grade relic, practically the highest grade of a relic.

“Does that mean… you traveled all the way to the dungeon for me?”

Tsk, thinking about it. Just asking if the reason I live is because of you or something like that.

“Fundamentally, you’re a gloomy fellow, but oddly, sometimes you’re overly positive. Of course, I acted because it would benefit me in the end.”

Whether she heard my words or not, Alicia’s stiff eyes shook as if she was trying hard to hold back something. Then, finding it difficult to bear, she took a shallow breath, regained composure, and expressed her views.

Even though she called herself blind, she understood that this was no ordinary item and refused to accept it. She even harbored unkind thoughts, saying she couldn’t cause any more trouble for me. She was a straightforward person.

“Oops!”

It had been a while since I tossed a sudden question at Alicia. Even though her mind was refreshed, that appearance remained unchanged.

“Just quietly accept it. Why are you talking so much nonsense? This is like an earnest money for us to officially contract. Don’t make a fuss anymore.”

“A contract…? But haven’t we already entered into a master-servant contract?”

“That piece of paper is nothing more than wrapping paper. We will make a more direct and substantial agreement. This is a magical contract with a curse or a definite effect.”

Alicia straightened her disheveled posture. She looked straight at me without any wavering.

“You will officially contract with me to establish a new relationship. Although it may not feel entirely new, one thing is certain.”

“What…?”

“Control.”

From now on, Alicia’s talent will start running wild like a madman released from shackles. So, we must have a special device in place to control and resist it.

“I am a cautious person. I am providing insurance so your blade does not point at me. Of course, there is no room for refusal.”

She had already uttered words that couldn’t be taken back, and her stance, the stance she had taken, and the words she had spoken…

“I will accept the contract.”

Without a hint of hesitation, she replied. She showed decisiveness, demonstrating that there was no need for further explanations.

“…Do you realize you said that even though it might be a curse? Even though you could die right away? Even though you can’t escape the pinnacle of inequality?”

“I am aware. However, if that’s what the young master desires, I will accept it willingly. Isn’t that the first agreement between you and me?”

That’s true.

That’s correct…

Alicia was more sincere than ever. With a firm expression, she had made up her mind. Though her determination was felt, she didn’t expect her to remain unchanged even after hearing the word “curse.”

“Unbelievable.”

When she mentioned the moment of the carriage, the memory of that scene resurfaced. Certainly, there had been times when I was confused because of her. Not many, but every moment I felt bewildered in this world was related to Alicia.

“It seems the expression ‘madness’ is more applicable to the head.”

Alicia knelt down, showing courtesy. She demonstrates the utmost respect when making a contract with me. Assertively claiming she is ready to walk away at any moment.

The image of Alicia, trembling in fear in the carriage, is nowhere to be found. Her fragility melted away and disappeared.

Thud.

I step forward.

I grasp Alicia’s chin, which is tilted down. The crystal blue eyes, more like the moon than the sun, shine brightly.

As unbelievably stunning as when we first met. She doesn’t look like an ordinary farmer’s wife at all, almost as if deliberately designed that way.

Looking at her most beautifully shining eyes, I say, “I already know enough, there’s no need to delay.”

“I accept you.”

My bride, Alicia.