I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 3

Chapter 3: Henrietta’s Regret

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“My name is Phantom!! I am the fantastic hero who shall destroy everything in this world!!”

I first met him when I was ten years old, at the formal introduction to my fiancé. His reputation was terrible. He was rumored to be selfish, arrogant, and thoroughly an unpleasant person to be with. But with my family on the verge of losing everything, we could not afford to refuse the engagement.

That was why I had been dreading this day…

“…A pitch-black cape and a skull mask… So cool…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?! That’s going to make my approval rating go up!?”

The first time I met him, he was wearing a very peculiar outfit and mask. Somehow, his cape billowed as if caught by a breeze, though there was no wind. He probably was using some sort of magic. Even at my young age, I knew this was not the kind of attire one wore to a formal meeting with one’s betrothed. But something about his free-spirited appearance intrigued me.

“That outfit is wonderful!! It suits you perfectly. Is it modeled after something?”

“No way… My cunning plan to creep you out and get this engagement quietly dropped is…!”

When I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, he groaned while clutching his head for some reason. Even so, he smiled wryly and escorted me gently, looking far more mature than the rumors had led me to believe. We continued meeting, and as time passed, we became friends and began to share our troubles.

“My Unique Skill, 『Purification』, is supposed to be for defeating demons… But swinging a sword is scary.”

“Then gain the power to protect instead. Purification isn’t just for attacking. It can also become the power to protect the people you care about.”

“The power… To protect…”

Phantom’s words strangely resonated with me. I thought that if it was to protect Father, Mother and the boy in front of me, then I too, could become strong. So, under his guidance, I honed my skill. His methods were completely different from my tutors’, but I was happy just to be with him, and I grew stronger and stronger. Eventually, a letter arrived from the royal capital.

“So… Henrietta, you’ve been chosen as one of the heroes to defeat the Demon Lord. That’s great. If you earn a reward, you can rebuild your family’s estate, right?”

“Yes, and it’s all thanks to you for training my skill. Thank you.”

Years had passed since our first meeting. So much had happened in that time. He had saved me when I was nearly kidnapped by bandits, and given me countless pieces of advice when I was troubled over my skill. It was only natural that I fell in love with the boy who was always there to help me.

“But once I go on this journey, we won’t be able to see each other like this anymore. And if I become a hero, other people might try to court me. Are you okay with that, Phantom?”

“Well, yeah… I’ll be lonely. But if you don’t go, Henrietta, the world won’t be saved…”

Of course, I had no intention of accepting anyone else’s proposal, but I teased him just to see his reaction. When I puffed out my cheeks, Phantom made a complicated face and mumbled something under his breath. He sometimes said odd things, but I was happy enough just to hear him say he’d be lonely, so I didn’t dwell on it.

“Then come with me, Phantom. You’re stronger than I am… And most importantly, I’d feel safe if you were there.”

“That’s impossible. You know my skill, don’t you?”

He pointed to his eyes and shook his head apologetically. His skill was the 『XXX’s Evil Eyes』, a cursed power hated for its similarity to the Demon Lord’s abilities. Out here in the frontier, discrimination wasn’t as severe, but in the capital, there was no telling what might happen.

“You’re right… Phantom, when I become a hero, I’ll create a world where people with Evil Eyes like yours won’t be persecuted. That’s my promise to you, the one who taught me how to use my skill the right way.”

“Henrietta…”

“So… When I come back from this journey, there’s something I want to tell you. So listen carefully, okay?”

Did my blushing face get my intent across? When I saw his face turning just as red as mine, I felt relieved and left for the capital. On my journey, we met again when he saved us from danger—and together, we defeated the Demon Lord. Looking back now, I think that was the happiest time of my life.

“Why isn’t Phantom here?!”

After defeating the Demon Lord, returning to the capital, and completing the victory parade, I went back to the castle—only to realize he wasn’t in the room where he should have been waiting. I grabbed the nearest soldier and demanded answers.

“Well…He was speaking with Josef-sama, and then at some point, he left through the window.”

That was when I realized his belongings were gone, too. I had heard he refused to take part in the victory parade because of his Evil Eyes. The Evil Eyes’ power resembled those of demons after all. 

That was why we had been planning to appeal to the king, to tell him that it was thanks to Phantom’s power that we could defeat the Demon Lord, and to change public opinion about him. But without him here, it was meaningless.

“Where is Josef-sama? I need to hear the details!”

“Well…”

“My, my, what’s the matter? Why the rush? This is supposed to be a day for celebration, yet you sound so frantic.”

As I was nearly snapping at the soldier, Josef approached with a sly smile. He had always hated Phantom for having Evil Eyes, but I never thought he would do something suspicious on such a day.

“Phantom left. Said, ‘Someone with Evil Eyes like mine isn’t fit to be a hero.’”

“That’s a lie… He would never leave without telling me…”

After all, he was my precious childhood friend and he was also once my fiancé before circumstances forced us to break it off. I could say with certainty that the reason I was now a holy knight was thanks to him. I had been planning to confess my feelings to him…

“Which way did Phantom go? If I leave now, I can still catch up to him!”

“Are you sure? If you skip the celebration, it means rejecting your reward…And without that, your domain might be confiscated.”

“You… You planned this from the start…”

Josef’s smirk told me everything. The country wanted a hero’s story: a noblewoman who had nearly been forced to marry for survival defeats the Demon Lord and restores her domain. It was exactly the kind of tale they craved.

“Phantom withdrew for the sake of our glory. You should respect his wishes.”

“Cain… Are you serious? He was your best friend!”

I didn’t know when he’d arrived, but my party member, Cain, stepped forward to say such a thing. As the third prince of the kingdom and one of the heroes who defeated the Demon Lord, I had hoped he would side with me—but he spoke as if Phantom leaving were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course I’m serious. Do you remember what I told you before we fought the Demon Lord?”

“You mean about becoming your wife? I’m not in the mood to talk about that right now, and I have no intention of accepting.”

Because the one in my heart was not the man before me, but him. And besides, I knew Cain had made the same offer to two others as well. How incredulous.

“Cold as ever… But you’ll attend the celebration. It’s to honor the heroes who defeated the Demon Lord. If one of them disappears, even my gentle father might feel insulted and then who knows what will happen to your domain?”

“…You’ve changed. You used to support Phantom.”

“People change. Just like you, who used to cling to him, but now weigh him against your domain.”

His sneering words irritated me, but they weren’t entirely wrong. Before the journey, I would have chased after him without hesitation. But after traveling the world, I had learned many things. I knew that countless people struggled to live and that their fates rested in the hands of their lord. In the end, I chose to attend the celebration. But the only heroes present were Cain and me…

“Another dream, huh…”

I kept dreaming of that day—of the moment I didn’t run after him. And when the celebration ended, I had rushed to search for Phantom, but there had been no sign of him. In the end, I rejected Cain’s foolish proposal and became the ruler of my domain.

“Phantom… Where are you…”

His homeland bordered mine, so I had continued exchanging information with them, but there had never been any trace of him.

“Please…Come see me again… We’ll talk, and you can teach me more like you used to…”

When I touched the mask he had once given me, tears began to fall.

★★★★

“I’ll teach you what’s great about a girl~♡”

“Gob gob?”

Tia struck a pose to emphasize her cleavage, but the goblins only exchanged bewildered glances. Their expressions clearly said, “What’s with this crazy one?!” 

Well, of course. In this world, goblins didn’t attack for reproductive purposes like in a certain Goblin Slayer’s world. To them, she probably just looked like some other species going into heat.

Well, we don’t exactly get aroused by monkeys either… Tia is basically the monkey in heat in this case…

“Gustav-sannnnnn! Are you sure this will work?! Isn’t this just an excuse for you to enjoy my cute poses?”

“Trust me. Tia, you will become much stronger once you master charm perfectly.”

“Fine, fine! I’ll do it!! With my cuteness, even goblins will be head over heels. There, how’s this?”

Frustrated, Tia winked at the goblins—only for them to look even more confused.

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