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~ - 4

Chapter 4: Interlude: Layla’s Past, Part 1

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My name was Layla. I was seventeen years old. Due to certain circumstances, I was not permitted to use my family name. Officially, I was the daughter of a baron family. And for some reason, I had taken on the highly unusual position of serving in a marquis household. After all, there was absolutely no connection between my family and Noah-sama’s family, the Maycraft household.

I could not help but wonder how someone like me had even been forced into the marquis household in the first place, but that no longer mattered. Because I had met someone wonderful, someone I wanted to devote both my body and my heart to.

It had been about three years since I first arrived at the current estate. Even back then, Noah-sama had been a person with serious issues. He would find any excuse to hurl verbal abuse at the servants or harass them. It was truly unbearable to witness and this behavior was not limited to the estate. He acted the same way at parties and tea gatherings attended by other nobles.

As a result, the people in the estate kept their distance from him, and nobles in the surrounding area began to whisper things like “trash noble” and “corrupt aristocrat.” It even went so far as to end in a broken engagement. As my coworkers quit one after another, I alone continued to serve right by Noah-sama’s side. Why did I not run away? Why did I not quit? Even I did not know the answer. And yet, for some reason, I could not bring myself to hate Noah-sama, and I alone continued to take care of him.

Several months after I began serving Noah-sama like that, I noticed something strange. That Noah-sama was far too lonely. I had never once met his parents, let alone any friends. When I asked my coworkers, they told me that Noah-sama had been living alone in this estate ever since he was three years old. The only thing his parents provided him was money.

Once I realized that, I felt like I understood Noah-sama just a little. Even after eating warm meals, his heart remained cold. When he was spoken to kindly, his heart felt empty. Every day, looking down at commoners’ homes from the splendor of the estate, they appeared dazzling to him. In the end, I thought he could only vent his frustration and dissatisfaction by lashing out at others. Perhaps because I realized that…

I wanted to be Noah-sama’s conscience, at least. …Of course, that was nothing more than my own selfish assumption. But somehow, a strange conviction welled up inside me… That this person needed me. Getting all fired up on my own, thinking “I’ll do my best!” like that might have been the happiest I had felt since arriving at the estate.

And yet… Why was it, I wondered? Why was it that whenever I tried to do something good, something bad ended up happening? It happened when I received word that foreign merchants had come to the market. After serving as Noah-sama’s maid, I learned that he had a fondness for sweets, especially confections. I used to bake plenty of scones back at my family home, so I thought I would make some for him, and I went out shopping.

The honey and nuts were nearly sold out, but I somehow managed to buy them. At the time, I was thinking that maybe Noah-sama might even smile, and without realizing it, I was humming to myself. But before I knew it, I had been surrounded by vagrants. Before I could even resist, I was dragged into a deserted back alley. The vagrants, leering crudely, stood blocking my escape. Just having their gazes focus on my chest made terror cling to my throat, and I could not breathe properly. What they were about to do to me… Those worst-case imaginings kept racing through my mind and would not let go.

Of course, there was no one around who looked like they would help me. All I could think was, why did doing something for someone else’s happiness lead to this? I felt both anger and sadness at the unfairness of the world. And then, at that moment, Noah-sama came running to me, out of breath.

It is true that sometimes, even when you try to do something good, something bad happens. But even that bad thing can become something good, depending on how you look at it. 

That was something I learned from Noah-sama. After he saved me from the vagrants, when I served him the scones… There was the astonishing moment when he apologized to me while crying, but Noah-sama then smiled and said, “It tastes like happiness~,” as he ate them. Yes. For me, that smile as he ate them was far more precious than his tearful apology.

Did you notice, Noah-sama? The truth was, I was on the verge of crying too. It was strange, wasn’t it? Normally, people would probably be moved by an apology. But what struck my heart was Noah-sama’s smile. I think it was because I had always wanted to touch someone’s heart and wanted someone to touch mine.

I have not told you this yet, but in truth, I was treated coldly in my family home. Being the child of a mistress, I was often told by the lady of the house, especially harshly, not to get carried away. My lord… My father simply looked away awkwardly, pretending not to see it. It was truly awful. Children couldn’t choose their parents. If I was unwanted from the moment I was born, then who would ever love me? And who was I even supposed to love?

Thank you for filling my heart when it had nowhere else to go. When you smiled and said, “It tastes like happiness~,” I felt like I might die from joy, you know? Looking back now, I think I was overlapping my own circumstances with Noah-sama’s. 

Please listen to my story someday too. And please… Love me deeply, again and again. I will return that love hundreds of times over. From the moment you wake up until you fall asleep, entrust everything you are to me. No matter what Noah-sama desires, I will stake my life to make it come true.

Hey, Noah-sama. Your smile became the meaning of my life. Please get to know me better starting tomorrow. So that you will love me, I will work even harder. That is my form of love. So please… Don’t run away, all right?

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