I Picked up a Corrupted Heroine (The Secret Boss), and When I Spoiled Her, She Became Uncontrollably Affectionate With Me - Chapter 26-27

Chapter 26: The Witch of the End Doesn’t Forgive Cheating

“But seriously, why did you come to my house, Rusty?”

I suddenly asked Rusty what was on my mind.

“Hmm~? I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in. This house was bought with party money, right? So I figured it was okay for me to hang out here a little.”

“Well… yeah, that’s true.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

Then Ria looked around the house and muttered quietly.

“So that’s why the house is so big… because it’s shared…”

“Yep. But the rest of us started basing ourselves in other towns, so it was just sitting here unused.”

“And now I’m using it under the excuse of managing it.”

“Hmm, I see…”

Ria said it thoughtfully, then suddenly turned to Rusty with a sharp look.

“So, Rusty, what’s the real reason you came to Asta’s house?”

“!? W-wait, huh? Like I said, this is the party’s shared house and—”

“That’s not it. The ‘just passing by’ part. You’re lying, aren’t you, Rusty?”

“…”

Ria’s sharp red eyes stared at him, and Rusty stepped back like he was flustered.

“A-Asta… This kid is no ordinary girl… A ten-year-old shouldn’t have eyes like that…”

“Well, I kinda agree, but—more importantly, Rusty, what do you mean you’re lying?”

“E-even you, Asta…!? W-wait a second… I’ll talk, I’ll talk…!”

Rusty raised both hands like he gave up.

“So, what’s the real reason?”

“The reason I came here is…”

Rusty slowly turned his gaze to me. Then he spoke carefully.

“Asta, won’t you become a knight for my family?”

“K… knight?”

It was such an unexpected thing to hear.

I thought he was joking, but Rusty’s face was completely serious.

“Yeah, a knight. More specifically, my personal knight. Of course I’ll pay you well. How about twice what you’re making now?”

“T-twice…”

“And I won’t work you too hard. You’d get two days off a week, and I’d cover your living place too.”

“…What time would work end?”

“Hmm, around 5 p.m. Pretty normal, I think…?”

It sounds super easy…!

W-what should I do? I’m really interested. But—

I glanced at Ria, who had anxious eyes.

“I can’t leave Ria behind and go somewhere.”

“Asta…!”

“…Yeah, I figured you’d say that…”

Rusty gave a bitter smile and dropped his shoulders.

“…Just asking, but if you could bring Ria along too, would you come?”

“Well, if that’s the case—”

“You won’t accept, right?”

“R-Ria…?”

Ria stared at me with eyes that had no light in them. I felt like I could see a bottomless darkness deep inside them.

A cold sweat ran down my back without thinking.

“Before, when I said ‘I’ll handle the money,’ you turned me down. But now you’d accept? That’s weird, isn’t it? Were you lying?”

Ria leaned over my lap and grabbed my arm tight. Then she smiled sweetly and asked again.

“Asta… You won’t accept, right?”

It wasn’t really a question anymore. It felt more like a threat.

“…Y-yes… I won’t accept…”

“Hehe, good…!”

Ria jumped into my chest and hugged me tight with her small body. It was warm and soft… I should have felt happy being hugged, but…

…I don’t feel alive right now…!?

“…Ah, he’s already completely under her thumb… Looks like the day I get to see Asta’s kid isn’t that far off…”

Somewhere in there, I thought I heard Rusty mutter something pitying to himself.

—

Chapter 27: The Witch of the End Makes Up Her Mind

[Ria side]

“Um, sorry about this. I’m gonna go pick some flowers real quick.”

I told the two of them that and stepped out of the living room for a bit.

“…I gotta calm down…”

I leaned against the door and took a deep breath.

‘—Asta, why don’t you become my knight?’

I thought Asta would turn down Rusty’s offer for sure.

After all, when I told him I could handle the money so he could quit his job—

—’If I don’t do it, the Adventurer Guild won’t be able to keep going.’

He turned me down flat.

But… Asta actually seemed ready to accept Rusty’s invitation.

“Asta… why…?”

Before I knew it, I was biting my lower lip.

One possibility kept spinning around in my head.

—Asta might actually like Rusty.

That’s what I kept thinking.

Rusty is a noble, so he fits the “high-class person” condition perfectly.

They used to be in the same party too… so it’s totally possible Asta fell for him during one of their adventures…

“Ugh… oh man… Asta…”

Jealousy burned through me and messed up everything inside my heart.

I don’t want to tie him down or anything… but the second I think someone might steal him, I lose all control.

“…Maybe I should just ask him straight up if he likes Rusty…”

No… that’s a bad idea.

If he actually says ‘I like Rusty,’ then this time for sure—

—I won’t be myself anymore.

I’d probably stop caring about how I do things…

“That’s the one thing I can’t do… I need to calm down…”

I pinched my cheek lightly to get a hold of myself.

It hurt… but I felt a little clearer.

“What should I do now…”

Even if I don’t ask about Rusty… I hate the idea of just watching quietly while Asta goes to another girl…

I need some way to keep him with me—

“…Make it a done deal…”

A bad idea flashed through my mind.

Throb~~~!

N-no, that’s going too far, right…

…Yeah, I’ll save that as a last resort.

“But… then what should I do…”

No…

Why am I even thinking up all these roundabout plans anyway?

There’s a much simpler way.

“Can’t I just… make Asta fall for me normally…?”

It was wrong to expect anything from him in the first place.

I shouldn’t have hoped that Asta’s favorite person was me.

So instead—

“I’ll corrupt him completely… and make him mine…!”

Does Asta already have someone he likes?

That doesn’t matter…!

I just have to make him like me way more than that person.

It doesn’t matter if I’m in Ria’s form, Sia’s form, or Alicia’s form.

I’ll use every single form I have and make Asta fall for me no matter what…!

“Hehe, hehehe. Asta, you better get ready.”

As I thought up my plan to corrupt him, a laugh slipped out naturally.

—◇—◇—◇—

[Asta side]

“Man, I just got the chills for some reason…”

For a second, a cold shiver ran through my whole body.

Rusty looked at me with worry in his eyes.

“You okay? Asta, you coming down with something?”

“N-no… I don’t think so…”

While I was wondering what that was about…

“—Oh yeah, Asta. …What happened with that ‘person you like’? Did you give up on her completely?”

Rusty asked like he just remembered.

The person I like… he means Alicia.

“Give up? Why would I do that?”

“Well… I figured since you took in an orphan, maybe you gave up on having your own kids…”

Rusty trailed off, sounding unsure.

“No way. I’m not giving up at all. Actually— I ran into her by chance recently, and it hit me again. I really want to spend the rest of my life with her…”

“I see… that’s good then.”

Rusty let out a relieved breath and touched his chest.

Then—

“—But if that’s how you feel, I think you should become my knight even more.”

He smiled at me brightly.

“R-Rusty? How does that follow…”

“Because you said it yourself, right? The person you like is a ‘high-class person.’ So she’s a noble, yeah? Then becoming my knight and raising your status a little would be better for you.”

“Wha…!?”

I hadn’t thought of that.

He was right…

If he put it that way, I could only nod.

—At least, a few days ago I would have.

“—But sorry. I still can’t accept your offer.”

I turned down Rusty’s invitation.