Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat in an Otome Game, So I Bought the Main Heroine with Money - Chapter 61: Rejection of Light, Hesitation of Darkness

Chapter 61: Rejection of Light, Hesitation of Darkness

《Liese’s Side》

A cold stone floor and a dimly lit room.

The space around me felt stifling, filled with both silence and unease.

Even so, I kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm my trembling heart.

Kiru.

His gentle eyes looked at me, yet deep within them, I saw something—a distorted sadness lurking beneath the surface.

“Liese, you’re safe here. Stay for now. I will protect you.”

His voice was kind.

But there was something unshakable in his tone—a one-sided determination.

“Kiru… w-why are you doing this?”

I asked him directly.

But Kiru simply turned away, as if hiding something.

“You are the most important person to me. My… only light.”

His words sent a shiver through me.

There was something tragic about them—like a plea from someone who had carried loneliness for far too long.

“But… I already belong to Lord Cerios!”

I declared it clearly.

For a moment, Kiru’s eyes wavered.

“You’ve been deceived! Cerios von Egrid imposed heavy taxes on his own people—and when you and your mother were struggling, he saved you with money like it was nothing!”

His accusation left me speechless.

“You… you were the one who helped me see past being just a broken tool. You brought me back to being human.”

“I never saved you… I never—”

I shook my head. I had never thought I touched his heart in any way.

I simply couldn’t turn away when Kiru was in need—because I believed Lord Cerios would have done the same.

“You might think it was nothing. But to me, it was everything! I was nothing more than an empty puppet—unable to feel pain, joy, or anything at all. But the moment I touched you, Liese… I finally understood what warmth was.”

Kiru clenched his fists, forcing out his words with raw desperation.

His voice, his expression—it was painful to watch.

I couldn’t look away.

“I understand how you feel. But I don’t care why Lord Cerios imposed taxes, and I don’t care about his reasons for helping me!”

I forced myself to say it—to speak with courage.

“Kiru… I don’t know why you feel the need to protect me, but please… let me go back to Lord Cerios! This isn’t the right way!”

“Not the right way…?”

Kiru’s eyes wavered, filled with uncertainty.

He looked lost, like someone who had wandered too far from the right path.

“Caring for someone doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself… or hurting others. If you hurt people in the name of protecting me… then you aren’t truly protecting me at all.”

At my quiet words, Kiru froze.

He stood there, unmoving, his gaze wandering—as if searching for an answer.

“Liese… you don’t understand. This world is cruel. Cold and merciless. If I want to keep your light from fading, then I have to bear all of its darkness myself.”

“Even so!”

I cut him off before he could continue.

“Kiru, don’t sacrifice yourself! If you throw yourself away for someone else, then you’re denying your own worth!”

I saw the darkness in his heart—a deep, endless abyss.

I held back my tears, refusing to look away.

Kiru was listening.

And that alone gave me hope.

“I don’t know everything you’ve been through. I may never fully understand. But there has to be another way—a kinder way. Not this.”

Kiru closed his eyes and let out a deep, weary sigh. 

His face twisted with undeniable pain.

“…Liese, you’re stronger than I ever thought.”

His voice was soft, carrying an almost defeated tone.

“I don’t even know if I can believe in your words. But… a part of me wants to try.”

At those words, I smiled gently.

“Thank you, Kiru.”

I had seen it—the faintest flicker of light within his darkness.

And for the first time, I felt a sense of relief.

“But this isn’t over. I still want to protect you. That’s the one thing I can’t change.”

“Then let’s find a way together. A way to do it the right way.”

At my words, Kiru smiled—just a little.

For the first time, it felt like a genuine smile.

♢

《Kiru’s Side》

Walking down the quiet night road, Liese’s words kept circling in my mind.

Her voice—it cut through me like a cold wind.

But somehow… that pain felt strangely comforting.

It was the first time.

The first time someone had rejected me so directly.

And yet—it wasn’t just rejection.

“You want to protect me, but this isn’t the right way.”

Her words wouldn’t fade.

And because of them, I was starting to question everything.

I thought I was acting for her sake—but was I really?

(I don’t have an answer. So what now?)

My thoughts hit a dead end.

I had never lived a life where I made my own decisions.

I had always followed orders.

I had never questioned anything.

And now—when I was finally forced to think for myself, I didn’t know what to do.

Then, a memory surfaced.

The time I infiltrated Duke Everett’s estate.

The Duke hadn’t discarded me like a mere spy.

“Someone like you is quite interesting. If you ever need help, just ask.”

His words had been laced with mockery.

And yet, I couldn’t ignore them.

Because I knew—Duke Everett wasn’t driven by mere cruelty.

There was something more.

Something calculated.

(If anyone has the answers… it might be him. Rather than clinging to worthless pride, maybe it’s worth taking the risk.)

I stopped walking and looked up. 

I had never cared for the sight of a star-filled sky.

But right now, its cold indifference was strangely comforting.

“Guess there’s only one way forward.”

With that thought, I made my decision.

I would go to Duke Everett.

Slipping into the Duke’s estate was easy.

There was no need to walk through the front gate—I vaulted over the back wall, blending into the shadows.

I already knew the weak points in the security, the perfect time to move—my past infiltrations had taught me that much.

“Been a while, huh…”

A strange sense of nostalgia hit me as I moved deeper into the estate.

Every step was familiar.

Nothing I had learned had gone to waste.

Soon, I reached the Duke’s office window.

A faint glow spilled from inside—he was there.

I placed my hand on the window frame and knocked lightly.

“It’s me. Kiru.”

The sound inside stopped.

A moment of silence.

Then, the window creaked open.

Standing there, bathed in the dim light, was Duke Everett.

His usual calm and composed expression hadn’t changed.

His eyes, however, were sharp—piercing straight through me.

“…Well, this is rare. Someone like you, coming to see me directly?”

His gaze was cold, calculating. But I met it head-on—without flinching.

“I need some advice.”

“Advice, huh? From someone like you? Now this is interesting. Come in.”

Surprisingly, he let me in without hesitation.

I stepped into the Duke’s office and gave a slight bow.

“So, Kiru. What brings you here, of all places? This is quite the unexpected turn.”

Duke Everett leaned back in his chair, watching me with amused curiosity.

That calm confidence of his… strangely, it made it easier to speak.

“To put it simply, I don’t know what to do anymore. I wanted to protect a woman named Liese. But she told me… I was doing it the wrong way.

“Hou… Liese, you say?”

“She’s just… a good person. The only light I’ve ever known.”

For a moment, the Duke’s lips curled slightly.

Not quite a smile—something between mockery and intrigue.

“Light, huh? That’s quite the dramatic sentiment.”

“Laugh if you want. I don’t care. It’s all I have.”

His expression shifted.

For the first time, his eyes truly studied me, as if something about my words had caught his interest.

“Kiru… I never expected you to say something like that. But tell me—what is it that you want from me?”

I took a breath, then met his gaze with unwavering determination.

“All my life, I’ve been nothing but a tool. But the moment I met Liese… something changed. And now, I don’t know what to do. So please, give me an order.”

The room fell into silence. 

Then, after a long pause, the Duke finally spoke.

“What you need isn’t an order. You need to find your worth—not as a tool, but as a person. If you truly wish to protect Liese, then first, you must become someone worthy of standing by her side.”

“…Worthy?”

“That’s right. If you want to protect her, brute strength alone won’t be enough. You need to change.”

The weight of his words pressed down on me.

I lowered my shoulders, feeling the crushing pressure of his truth.

“But… how do I change?”

“That’s something only you can figure out. I have no intention of guiding you. But I will tell you this—look at what Liese truly wants. Not what you want. Not what you think is right. But what she desires.”

I had no response.

I clenched my fists and lowered my head.

“Kiru, no matter how much you were treated as a tool in the past—That’s all it is. The past. Your future is still yours to decide.”

His words cut deep—so deep they felt like they had been etched into my chest.

I slowly stood and gave a small nod.

“…Thank you.”

“Hmph. No need to thank me. I’m just curious to see whether you’ll actually be able to change—for the sake of this woman you speak so highly of.”

I left the Duke’s office, stepping once more into the cold night air.

(Liese’s wishes… Can I really understand them?)

With those thoughts echoing in my mind, I began walking again.

I didn’t know where these steps would take me.

But for the first time—I was willing to find out.