I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, but I’ll Live Honestly ~Because the Protagonist Was Useless, I Ended Up Making the Heroines Smile and Somehow Built a Harem~ - 3

Chapter 3: Noah Becomes Close with Layla

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“U-ugh… sniff…”

A little while after Noah had cried.

“Have you calmed down a bit?”

“Yeah, thank you. I’m okay now.”

Probably because he had cried so much, Noah’s voice was hoarse. His eyes were swollen and bright red.

“That’s good to hear. Noah-sama, please wait just a moment. I’ll brew some fresh tea.”

Layla gently narrowed her eyes and began preparing a new pot of tea.

“Noah-sama, did you know that moon honeybees’ honey was being sold at the market today?”

“Yeah… Well, I just know that you went to buy honey.”

“I see. Then one more thing. Do you know the characteristics of the honey made by moon honeybees?”

At Layla’s question, Noah shook his head. In fact, even in the game, there had been no explanation about moon honeybees’ honey.

“Compared to other honeys, it has a very gentle sweetness. And the aroma as well… Here you are, Noah-sama. It’s ready. Honey milk tea.”

“Ah, thank you…”

At Noah’s words, Layla smiled softly and calmly, saying, “Not at all.” There wasn’t the slightest shadow in her smile. He vaguely remembered that early in the game, the reason Layla was kind to Noah had been written somewhere in the corner of a strategy guide or setting materials, but he couldn’t recall it. Because of that, his response ended up a little vague.

“………………”

After watching Noah quietly for a moment, Layla spoke.

“Noah-sama, may I join you?”

“I don’t mind, but…”

“Thank you.” 

Layla said with a bright smile as she briskly prepared her own cup and sat down across from Noah. Warming her hands around the cup, Layla spoke happily.

“Noah-sama, once again, thank you. No, you truly saved me. When I think about what might have happened if you hadn’t come… It’s terrifying, truly.”

With a wry smile, Layla took a sip of the honey milk tea. She closed her eyes as she savored the taste, and the sight of her doing so looked perfectly natural—almost picturesque. Perhaps it was her beauty that made it so. Even Noah, who was used to seeing her in the game, found himself captivated.

“Mmm… The tea leaves were steeped perfectly, and both the flavor and aroma are exquisite. It might be a little luxurious for someone like me, though.”

“It’s not like that at all…”

Layla gave a small, amused smile at Noah’s awkward response.

“Come now, Noah-sama. Please drink your honey milk tea while it’s still warm.”

Urged by Layla, Noah brought the cup to his lips. From beyond the rising steam, the aroma of the tea reached him, as if lighting a small flame deep in his chest. Perhaps it was the sweet, gentle scent. Drawn in by the fragrance, Noah wrapped his hands around the cup.

“Y-yeah… You’re right. Thanks.”

He tilted the cup and took a sip. A gentle sweetness spread across his tongue, along with just the right warmth, and the tension drained from his body. The cozy warmth spreading through his stomach felt soothing.

“Haa…” 

A sigh slipped out of his mouth without thinking. She must have adjusted everything, like the flavor and the temperature, exactly to his liking.

I feel like I understand Layla a little better now.

Strangely enough, that was how he felt. When he raised his face, he met Layla’s eyes as she smiled happily at him. Her gaze, like that of someone doting on a small child, made his heart flutter just a little, and he instinctively looked away.

“Hehe, you finally looked at me, Noah-sama.”

“Haha… Sorry. Hey, Layla, can I ask you one thing?”

Noah’s awkwardness was gone now, so he was able to ask her naturally.

“Is there anything you want me to do for you? You know, I’ve done nothing but awful things to you for so long.”

He felt that he probably wouldn’t be able to repay even ten percent of what she had done for him over his lifetime. Even so, he wanted to at least acknowledge her hardships, even just a little.

“Noah-sama… Just that feeling alone is more than enough for me.”

She paused there, which meant there was more to come. Noah leaned forward slightly.

“What, what is it? You can tell me anything!”

“There is something I want. To be honest, at first, I was kind to you so that you would arrange a good marriage for me, Noah-sama.”

The way she emphasized “at first” suggested that she had different intentions now.

“But along the way, those feelings changed.”

At that, Layla relaxed her expression slightly.

“T-then what is it…?”

“That’s still a secret.”

“A secret…?”

“Yes, a secret. Because it’s not something I can obtain just by saying it out loud.”

Layla answered with a bright smile. From that smile, Noah could almost see her strong resolve. She definitely wasn’t going to tell him.

“Something that can’t be obtained even if it’s put into words…”

Noah crossed his arms and murmured “Hmmmm,” thinking it over, but he had no idea.

“Noah-sama, shouldn’t we think about what comes next first?”

“What comes next…? Not what I’ve done up until now?”

“What are you saying? The future is more important than that, isn’t it?”

“…Huh? Wait, wait. Why are you brushing off my past so easily?”

Noah reacted honestly without thinking. At Layla’s frank words, his mouth hung open. It was probably the first time she had seen that expression on his face, because Layla let out a small laugh.

“Nothing about what you’ve done will change, but the past is the past. It doesn’t bind you, Noah-sama. Isn’t it fine to change from here on? Please, let me help you a little.”

As she said that, Layla placed her hand over his.

“But I—”

As Noah tried to speak, Layla gently pressed her index finger against his lips and smiled.

“You’ve done things that can’t be forgiven just by apologizing, right?”

Noah nodded. Layla’s gesture made his heart skip a beat, and he looked away without thinking. Seeing his reaction, Layla laughed softly, amused.

“I think it’s enough that you understand that. Besides, since I was always closest to you, Noah-sama, I suppose I was the greatest victim.”

She spoke with a wry smile, as if it were no big deal.

“Even so, I forgive you, Noah-sama. Even if no one else in the world forgives you, I will. I believe in the tears you shed when you apologized to me while crying. Isn’t that enough?”

Noah clenched his lips tightly and shook his head without saying anything. He knew that if he spoke, the tears would spill again. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Layla right now. Layla said nothing to such a Noah.

After a short while… As Noah finally raised his face, Layla spoke gently.

“Noah-sama, please eat the scones too. They’re my pride and joy.”

“Yeah, thanks… Ah.”

Noah realized he had forgotten to say something important.

“Sorry. I can’t eat nuts.”

“I’m sorry, Noah-sama. I didn’t know…”

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t tell you either. So I’ll just have the honey one.”

He took a bite of the scone, and just like the tea, a gentle flavor filled his mouth. The attempted poisoning of Noah that drove Layla to suicide. She hadn’t done it because she hated him. The cause was simply that Noah had a nut allergy. That was all. But unfortunately, Noah himself hadn’t known he had an allergy.

Since Noah didn’t know, there was no way Layla could have known either. And that led to the attempted poisoning.

Hey, Noah. Wasn’t it after what happened with Layla that you started stealing other people’s lovers, because you couldn’t bear how you felt?

Of course, that was only Noah’s current speculation. He even wondered whether there was any need to analyze the villain at all. In the game, only his cruelty was ever talked about. Even so, since he himself was now Noah, he couldn’t help but think about it.

The Noah from the game had probably trusted Layla somewhere deep in his heart. Abandoned by his parents, Layla had been the only one he could open up to. And then, to be betrayed by even her (or so he believed) must have shocked him deeply. Not knowing what to fill that emptiness with, he had spiraled out of control and started taking other people’s lovers.

That still doesn’t make his actions forgivable, though.

Incidentally, in the happy ending, the protagonist saved Layla from the vagrants. However, the attempted poisoning still happened, and when Layla tried to kill herself, the protagonist happened to pass by and saved her. After that, the protagonist healed her heart, and the two ended up together.

In that sense, I guess the only thing that worries me is that the protagonist somewhere in this world didn’t save Layla…

As Noah was spacing out thinking about that, his eyes suddenly met Layla’s. She relaxed her expression and spoke to him.

“Is something the matter, Noah-sama?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

There’s a lot I need to think about, but for now, it’s fine… Because…

“Thank you, Layla. These scones taste like epitome of happiness~”

He felt as if the life in the mansion, which he had thought was lonely, was beginning to gain color. And seeing Noah’s expression, Layla’s cheeks faintly tinted as she smiled happily.

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