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~ - 35

Chapter 35: Abel Loses His Way

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(Abel’s POV)

It was just after Abel, having been driven out by Freya, returned home. A loud crash echoed through the room. It was the sound of Abel smashing a vase in a fit of rage.

“Damn it… Damn it…! That bastard Noah keeps doing things that have nothing to do with the game’s scenario…! And Freya too! What the hell was that!? If she’d just stayed quiet, I would’ve protected her…! What do you mean you want to become strong like Noah…? What part of him is—damn it, I remembered something unpleasant.”

What surfaced in Abel’s mind was the duel he had fought with Noah over the incident involving Flora. Just recalling it made Abel’s cheek throb with pain.

“Shit… What exactly is wrong with me, huh? I stayed close to the hurt heroines and treated them kindly, just like the scenario said… Huh?”

Something snagged in Abel’s thoughts.

“The game’s scenario…”

As the chosen one, I reincarnated into this world… But could it be that I’m not the only reincarnator?

Abel suddenly realized it.

“—Noah is a reincarnator too!”

One by one, the events up until now connected in Abel’s mind.

“That’s right… When I tried to save Layla from those vagrants, Noah got there first because he had knowledge of the game.”

Abel clenched his back teeth.

“…I could’ve gone too, if I really wanted to.”

The moment he muttered that, Abel lowered his head. Two grown men. He knew it was impossible. That was why he went to call for help, nothing more than that.

“Flora and Freya too… Because Noah had knowledge of the game, he took advantage of those girls’ harsh circumstances and lived however it suited him…”

As if he couldn’t forgive how despicable Noah was, Abel’s fist tightened.

“Unlike me, who was chosen as the protagonist, he was chosen as Noah the villain… I bet even in his past life, he was a trash-tier human being.”

Because of that, the unpleasant fantasies wouldn’t stop.

“He’s just pretending to be a good guy right now… Sooner or later, he’ll show his true colors. Layla and the others are idiots, so they won’t listen to my warnings at all… But I’m the only one who can save the heroines…”

Muttering to himself, Abel organized his thoughts.

“If Noah really is a reincarnator, then I’ve got my own plan… Get ready, Noah Maycraft…!”

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(Noah’s POV)

It was a few days after Noah had failed the Knight Qualification Exam. When Noah learned that the Present family had formally accepted an apology from him—more precisely, from the apology from the Maycraft family—

He spoke to Layla while drinking the tea she had brewed for him in his room.

“Still, I wonder why the Present family suddenly accepted the apology? I didn’t do anything… I keep thinking, was it really okay for them to accept it?”

More than gratitude, his heart was filled with lingering unease.

“Who knows? I don’t understand it at all either.”

Faced with Noah’s cloudy expression, Layla smiled brightly, looking quite pleased. She wore an expression that suggested she knew something.

“…Really?”

“Yes, really~”

“If you’re going to dodge the question, could you at least do it a bit more seriously?”

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to keep that a secret.”

Layla apologized with a soft chuckle.

“Well, if that’s what you say, Layla, then fine… But, you know… You get why I still feel uneasy, right?”

“Yes, I do. But please don’t worry, Noah-sama.”

Layla’s gentle smile softened her cheeks, as if warm evening sunlight had melted into it. Then she muttered quietly under her breath.

“…That’s probably exactly it.”

Her narrowed eyes glistened faintly. Wrapped in that smile, Noah felt warmth slowly spread deep within his chest and at the same time, he felt unbearably embarrassed. So he ended up turning his gaze away from Layla. Perhaps finding that endearing, Layla’s smile deepened.

“I don’t think you need to worry, but if you still feel unsettled, I think it would be good if you reached out a hand when Freya-sama is in trouble.”

“Y-yeah… thanks. But I think you might be overestimating me a bit…”

From Noah’s perspective, he didn’t understand why Layla looked so happy. Even so, he found himself thinking that as long as Layla was smiling, that was enough.

“That’s not true at all. But Noah-sama, please don’t ever forget those feelings. There are many nobles who never reflect on themselves.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Honestly, Noah-sama, you’re far too serious. You’ll have a hard time in THE noble society like that.”

“Ehh, you don’t need to lecture me at a time like this…”

Layla chuckled softly at Noah’s puffed-up cheeks.

“No, I’m praising you.”

Saying that, Layla stood up and moved behind Noah. With a gentle narrowing of her eyes, she pulled Noah back against her chest, embracing him. Stroking his head affectionately, Layla spoke happily.

“I’m truly happy to be able to serve you, Noah-sama. We’ll be together until the day we die.”

“W-wait! What’s with this all of a sudden!?”

Noah’s face turned bright red as he flailed, his voice panicked.

“Nope~. I told you earlier, it’s a secret, remember?”

“Okay, okay! I get it, so let go already! I won’t ask anymore!”

“Well then… If you give me a kiss on the cheek next time, I’ll let you go.”

“That’s all it takes—no, no, no, that’s not normal!”

“Noah-sama is such a cheapskate!”

Somehow, Noah managed to free himself. And that day, the two of them talked late into the night, with Noah keeping company with Layla, who remained in an exceptionally good mood.

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