I Was Reincarnated as the Villainous Knight Commander Who Betrays Everyone at the End, So I Plan to Leave the Fake Hero’s Party with the Exiled Girl Who’s Actually the True Hero! ~While Watching Over the Protagonist Up Close, I Somehow Ended Up Destroying the Whole Scenario~ - 11

Chapter 11: The Villainous Knight Commander’s Body Moves on Reflex

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I gathered herbs in the forest and sprinted at full speed back to the city of Handel. On the way, I ran into a swarm of slimes and stopped to help a carriage that was being attacked by bandits. By the time I was done, the sun had completely set and night had fallen.

In a hurry, I carried the full basket of herbs to the inn we were staying at. Then, I knocked on the door of the room where Ciel was waiting.

“Ah, come in.”

Her voice came from the other side of the door. Good. It didn’t seem like she was angry about me being late.

“I’m sorry I’m late—”

The moment I opened the door, I was speechless. The girl who should have been Ciel looked like a goddess. No, this girl was definitely Ciel. But her pure white hair glowed in the moonlight pouring through the window, and her golden eyes shone.

She wore a silver-white dress that suited her perfectly and Mofumaru was sleeping beside her. Ciel leaned back against the curled-up Mofumaru in a way that looked almost ethereal—more beautiful than any work of art I’d ever seen.

“Lars-san?”

“Ah… sorry. What’s with that outfit?”

“…I got caught by a pervert and forced to wear it…”

I understood immediately. She must have run into that woman. In that case, it all made sense. Well, maybe the timing was a little early. Perhaps my presence had caused Ciel’s actions to diverge from the original path.

“Um… It doesn’t suit me, does it?”

Ciel said hesitantly. It wasn’t so much that she had low self-esteem—more like she had no sense of self-worth at all. That was one of her charms, but given her beauty, it almost sounded like sarcasm. And I was the one who made her that way.

Maybe I should help her realize how wrong she is before someone takes offense.

“Is that really what you think?”

“Y-Yes. I mean, it really doesn’t suit me, does it?”

“No. It suits you very well. I’m not exaggerating when I say you look like a goddess descended from the heavens.”

“Th-That’s just flattery, right?”

“It’s not flattery.”

It was enough to move me. The plain, unpolished Ciel had her own charm, but this current version of her carried a mystical beauty. I wanted to praise my past self who wrote her character, and the artist who drew her, with everything I had.

“I-It really suits me that much?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“I-It’s embarrassing, so please don’t look at me too much…”

“Sorry about that.”

But I couldn’t help it—my eyes were drawn to her. Anyone else would have reacted the same way. Ciel’s cheeks turned red, and then she clapped her hands like she’d remembered something.

“Um, Lars-san. Actually, that pervert invited me to dinner. I’m not sure if I should go or not…”

The phrase “invited by a pervert” gave off a seriously unpleasant vibe. But to be invited to dinner…

That wasn’t what I’d expected. She was acting differently than I had anticipated. I should probably avoid doing anything careless and proceed with caution… Still, the most important thing here was Ciel’s will.

“What do you want to do, Ciel?”

“Um… Actually, I kind of feel bad if I don’t go. I mean, she gave me this dress for free and all…”

“I see. Then maybe you should go.”

“But, um, I’m scared to go alone… I was wondering if you could come with me…?”

“Alright, I understand.”

Since I knew exactly who the woman that dressed Ciel up was, there was no real need for concern. Still, Ciel was a girl. Even if the other person was a woman too, it would be scary to dine with someone she didn’t really know.

And besides, I had my doubts too. Ciel wasn’t supposed to meet that woman just yet. There was a small chance this might be a pervert I didn’t know about.

If going together put Ciel at ease and also let me confirm if this was the person I suspected—then it was a win-win. So we headed to…

“W-Waaah, Lars-san!! Th-This place looks super expensive!! I really don’t belong in a place like this!!”

It was one of the top two most luxurious restaurants in Handel. The customers going in and out looked very wealthy. Some of them even looked at us—or more precisely, me—and sneered.

“I’m the one who’s out of place here.”

Right now, Ciel looked like a proper princess. You could take her anywhere and she wouldn’t bring any shame to you. But next to her stood me—in plain pants and a shirt, wearing a single-horned helmet, and carrying a huge shield and spear on my back.

Sure, my shirt and pants were new, and I’d polished my helmet, shield, and spear, but I still looked out of place. Ugh… Now I really didn’t feel like going.

I wouldn’t care if the rich snobs in this fancy restaurant laughed at me. But if they laughed at Ciel just for being with me… Then the restaurant and my spear would be soaked in red. What should I do?

“Woof!!”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Arf!!”

“Uh, he says not to worry about it.”

I couldn’t believe I was being comforted by Mofumaru. Well, Mofumaru, like Ciel, was perfectly dressed with a neat black bowtie around his neck. He probably couldn’t understand the feelings of a guy in a shirt, pants, and a helmet.

“Well, worrying about it won’t help, I guess.”

It’ll probably work out somehow.

Or so I thought—but just as we were about to enter the restaurant, a man in a black suit who looked like a security guard stopped us.

“Excuse me, but you can’t bring weapons inside…”

“Is there a problem?”

“N-No, I mean, um, it’s just that your outfit isn’t really appropriate for our restaurant… We’d like you to leave…”

Normally, guys like this were big, muscular, and tall so they could scare off customers who didn’t belong in the fine establishment they worked at. Unfortunately for him, I was taller.

And I looked more muscular too. The guy was clearly intimidated. Still, getting stopped like this… Maybe I should just leave Ciel’s protection to Mofumaru and back off.

As I was contemplating that, the sound of heels clicking approached from the restaurant. A curvy woman with an hourglass figure appeared. Not quite on Ciel’s level, but still a stunning beauty with long silver hair.

“Excuse me. Those two and the little dog are my guests.”

“Y-You’re…!”

The beautiful woman addressed the black-suited man. He looked completely shocked, staring between us and her. The other guests were doing the same.

“Tiana Dressline.”

“Oh my, to think even the famous Knight Commander of the Azure Kingdom knows my name—I really must be famous now.”

“Former Knight Commander. …There’s no one who wouldn’t know. You’re the head of one of the Seven Great Merchant Guilds that govern this neutral trade city—Dressline Trading Company, which controls fashion across the entire continent.”

“Eh? Th-That pervert is that important!?”

Oh boy, it looks like Ciel didn’t know about her.

The surrounding guests were stunned, their eyes on Ciel after she called Tiana a pervert. Tiana herself looked at Ciel with a disturbingly delighted grin on her face.

“Mmmf, guhuhuhuhuhu…”

“Eeek.”

Ciel paled as Tiana grinned while breathing heavily.

“You came, my little angel!! Aah, and you’re even wearing the dress I hand-picked for you!! So cute!! You’re not just an angel—you’re my goddess!!”

“D-Don’t come any closer!!”

“Aaaah!! Don’t run away!! Onee-san will give you a big huuuug!! Or would you prefer kisses instead?”

“Neither!! I don’t want either!!”

Tiana advanced with a lecherous look, and Ciel quickly hid behind me. 

Let me say this in advance. I absolutely did not mean to. I had zero intention of doing it. I only acted to protect the trembling girl behind me. I truly meant no harm. 

So please… Don’t get mad. My body just moved on its own. Truly.

“Nuuhn!!”

I grabbed Tiana’s arm, gave her no time to react, and threw her. A textbook shoulder throw. Tiana, still wearing that creepy grin, spun through the air… And slammed head first into the ground. The black-suited man and the bystanders all screamed.

“Ah—sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

A suffocatingly heavy silence fell over the area.

I’m not the bad guy here… Right?

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