Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

Five minutes ago…

Ghislaine changed into a thin, white dress that Vritra had apparently prepared for her. The flowing robe was neat and had a fresh scent. It covered her down to the knees, but her smooth skin was visible through the gaps in the fabric.

It wasn't really surprising that Ghislaine had such nice skin, though it was still a bit unexpected.

It was only surprising because she wasn't the most organized person, and her hygiene could be questionable at times… especially when she'd dig through trash just to find something fun to play with.

But it was also expected, since Ghislaine was part demon, specifically a succubus. Everyone knew her kind always had striking looks, with skin smoother and whiter than porcelain.

"Wh-, What do you think?"

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

Prince Vritra glanced at her briefly.

"Hm. You look very nice…"

He returned his attention to his tea.

Ghislaine's face lit up with a smile, clearly pleased.

She had spent most of the day gathering information in every corner of the lower city she could think of, and now it was time to pass that information to the young lord.

There were few people who could survive the intense heat of the Red Desert, so Vritra knew Ghislaine was the best choice for the job, especially over Neron.

If he had sent Neron, the old man would likely have gone door to door, bullying and roughing up every poor person he met.

As helpful as Neron was, Vritra was fully aware that, like many of his associates such as Demon King Rohan, Lilith, and others, Neron wasn't fond of humans. In fact, "hate" might be a better word to describe their feelings toward humans.

『And honestly, I can't blame them…』

Vritra shrugged slightly.

Vritra noticed Ghislaine holding the back of her right hand with her left.

"Is something wrong with your hand?" he asked sternly.

Ghislaine quickly took several steps back, waving her hands frantically with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, ha~ha…"

"Show me your hand."

The young lord's eyes narrowed.

This was no longer a request.

With a small sigh, Ghislaine slouched a bit and reluctantly raised her right hand. The skin was scraped and red.

"I… I'm sorry for not telling you, young lord. While I was out gathering information for you, I got injured helping some commoners with their work. I also met this nice nun named Rosemarie, who told me a lot about Kaalen Tower."

She realized how foolish she must have sounded.

The young lord had sent her to gather information, not to assist commoners. She knew he had already provided them with ample resources, yet she still chose to help.

"I really am sorry…" she said, bowing her head.

Vritra gave her a side-eye, sipping his tea.

"I see. That sounds like something she would do."

He groaned softly.

"Still, you don't have to apologize for doing a good deed. Now you're making me look like some heartless monster…"

"Well, young lord, ehehehe…"

Ghislaine chuckled nervously.

"What?"

"You… kind of are?"

Vritra sighed, lowering his head.

"Hrmm… fair enough."

Ghislaine gave a bashful smile.

"B-, But don't worry about it, God Vritra! It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"Your healing abilities don't seem to be working well."

"Ah… well, I haven't been healing as quickly lately. I think it's because I'm in the Central Continent. The barrier here messes with my powers a lot."

"Hm. That makes sense. After all, you're only part demon and not directly from my bloodline."

"Yes, it seems so!"

Ghislaine's smile faded into a slight frown.

Vritra looked at her thoughtfully.

『Is that the price she has to pay for being a mud-blood? That's a really tough restriction. I keep forgetting she's someone I should focus on developing properly, but I just haven't had the opportunity yet. Sigh~ I guess I can't rush it in the end.』

With a sigh, Vritra reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a potion then offered it to her.

Ghislaine's eyes widened in surprise, her hands trembling as she took it.

To her, this was no ordinary potion…

It was a gift from her god.

For this young woman, God Vritra had meant everything to her ever since she was banished from House Lumont. She wasn't just cast out for being the illegitimate daughter of an unfaithful lord, but also for being the child of a demon. Both the people of the Central Continent and the Hell Continent rejected her because she didn't truly belong to either.

The only place she belonged was with God Vritra.

『He's all I have left…』

Clutching the potion tightly, she held back her emotions.

"Thank you so much! I will treasure this my entire life!"

"No, use it when you need it, all right?"

"YES, GOD VRITRA!"

There was a brief, uneasy silence.

Then, out of nowhere, it happened.

… BOOOOOOM!!

A powerful explosion shook the entire mansion, knocking the small-framed Ghislaine off her feet. She was about to slam into a wall, but God Vritra moved swiftly and caught her in his arms.

By the time the shockwave settled, the room looked like a tornado had torn through it.

The bed was pushed into one corner, oil lamps lay shattered on the floor, curtains had fallen, and even the decorative paintings that had been securely hung were smashed to pieces.

"Are you okay?"

Vritra looked down at Ghislaine, who was curled up in his arms like a small child.

The white-haired, one-eyed beauty looked up at him, but she couldn't find the words to speak. She was still in shock at how much Vritra had been caring for her lately.

『Why has the young lord been treating me so well lately? I really love it, but I can't shake the feeling that he wants something from me. That doesn't make much sense, though, since he's already taken my first time, and he could order me to do anything, and I wouldn't say no. Maybe the young lord is just being nice to me? Or does he have a soft spot for women?

If that's the case, I don't think I could compete with more capable women like Esmeralda and Luciana.』

It almost felt unreal.

『But… I want to believe it…』

Blushing deeply, Ghislaine snuggled closer into his arms, rested her head gently on his chest, and smiled.

"I-, I'm fine, God Vritra ♡…"

"Good."

With one gentle release of his arms, Vritra let go of Ghislaine, and she fell to the ground like a heavy rock.

"OWWW!"

Her eyes watered up as she held her head tightly to ease the intense pain she was feeling.

"Young lord, my head!"

She bit her lower lip to hold back tears, whimpering like a dog that had just been hit by its owner. But that comparison wasn't far off when you fully considered the fact that Vritra treated Ghislaine like a cute little dog from time to time, patting her head and giving her little treats.

Rather than petting her or even responding, Vritra walked over her and watched the entire courtyard from his window.

There was a mild smile on his face.

"How wonderful… it seems the hero has finally come out to play, keke. I'm going to enjoy this."

Vritra's eyes flashed blood-red.

[Ding! You've been assigned a side-quest.]

… Hm?

[Mission: Stop the Red Rogue.]

[Description: You've just found out the real identity of the "hero" Sadim Goldtouch as the Red Rogue. He's come to steal more supplies to feed the poor people in the struggling city, which will possibly make the "heroine" Rosemarie Redwood, fall even more in love with him. As the villain, you cannot let that happen.]

[Time Limit: 30 minutes]

[Reward: 50 Fate Value, Special Gift Pack x1!]

Vritra's grin turned venomous.

"Perfect…"

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile…

In the large courtyard, a figure in fierce red armor shot out of the thick black smoke like a dark red streak, moving faster than a bullet.

"Wh-, What's that?!"

"He's moving too fast!"

All the guards in the courtyard quickly drew their weapons, aiming them at the man in crimson armor, who looked like a demon sent from above.

His red and gold armor gave him a royal appearance, and he held a powerful sword that hummed with an ancient draconic energy… something every guard in the area could sense.

His aura felt oppressive.

They could feel his overwhelming power weighing down on their very souls.

It was the Red Rogue.

"No…"

"It's that bastard again!"

"He must've come to steal from the young lord!"