The Hero Stole My Lover, So I Decided to Steal the Hero's Lover Instead - Chapter 22-23

Chapter 22: The Demon King’s POV

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“Ah, hello, Luke-san!”

The moment Alicia spotted Luke, her mood visibly lifted. She beamed with a bright smile and at the same time, her cheeks flushed faintly. Her voice took on a soft, affectionate tone, like one would use toward a beloved lover, sweet and ripe like a piece of fruit at peak maturity.

“Oh. Sharon-san, it’s been a while.”

Her tone toward me was warm and friendly, but clearly less intimate than the one she used with Luke. I wasn’t particularly disappointed, but… There was something about it I couldn’t quite explain… Hmm…

“Yes, it has. Long time no see.”

After exchanging greetings with Sharon, I leaned in close to Luke and whispered.

“GO.”

“Wait, isn’t it way too early to make that call?”

“I could tell in an instant. This is a green light.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

While Luke and I were whispering to each other, Alicia glanced over at us with a slightly concerned, mildly pouty expression.

Is that jealousy? How cute. Don’t worry. I have zero interest in Luke. His body and soul are all yours.

Whether that sentiment of mine reached Alicia or not… I couldn’t say.

“Um, Luke-san, Sharon-san. If you’d like, would you come over to my house?”

“Me too?”

“Yes, Sharon-san, I’d love for you to come as well.”

Hmm…

I considered my options. Was she hesitant about inviting just one man—Luke—into her home? Or was it simply that she was mindful of appearances? Maybe she just wanted to enjoy chatting with me too? …Well, whatever the case…

“Very well. In that case, I shall accompany you.”

After that, Luke and I bought some flowers, then killed time at a nearby café. Perhaps thanks to his frequent visits to the flower shop, Luke had picked up quite a bit of knowledge about flowers. According to him, his house was now lively and full of colorful blooms.

“Lately, the Hero’s party has been doing quests. It seems they’re trying to stall for time.”

“Stall for time?”

“Apparently, they don’t want to go to the Demon King’s territory.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because over there, they have to keep a low profile. They won’t be able to live as freely and openly as they are now. No more playing around in style for them once they reach the Demon King’s territory.”

“In that case, they should just keep playing for the rest of their lives.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

However, if they spent all their time fooling around, they’d no doubt get scolded by the king. If that was all that happened, it wouldn’t be so bad—but there was a chance they could have the Holy Sword confiscated or be stripped of their Hero title. 

Depending on the king’s level of anger, even execution by beheading wasn’t out of the question… Not that I’d mind. That would be very entertaining for me.

“But still, I think they’ll finally set off for the Demon King’s domain soon. I can’t let those bastards go around slaughtering my people. That’s why we have to either take them out now, or crush them before it’s too late.”

“Got it.” 

Luke said with a nod. 

“And now that we’ve got the green light, it’s time for that…”

“『Project NTR』.”

“…Yeah. Time to carry out 『Project NTR』.”

After killing time with small talk, we regrouped with Alicia after her shift ended and headed to her house. Luke looked tense. My heart was pounding with anticipation as well.

The time for our final battle was dawning near.

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Chapter 23

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We arrived at Alicia’s house. Sharon and I went inside and sat down on wooden chairs. 

“I’ll make us some tea.” 

Alicia said and trotted off toward the kitchen.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d visited Alicia’s home. Even though I was an adult, I felt restless and fidgety like an adolescent kid. I couldn’t help being self-conscious.

It reminded me of the time before I started dating my ex-girlfriend, Sheryl—or maybe the very beginning of our relationship. It felt like I’d gone back to my innocent childhood self… Or something like that.

Alicia’s house was small, but meticulously cleaned, with a tidy, elegant atmosphere to it. She had good taste in furnishings, and there weren’t a lot of things cluttering up the place.

“What are you squirming and glancing around for?”

Sharon chuckled softly, teasing me.

“Ah, no… It’s nothing.”

I laughed it off awkwardly.

“You know, even if you were NTR’d, you did have a girlfriend, didn’t you? Don’t act like some shy little boy. Show a bit more composure.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, though, innocence might actually be more to Alicia’s liking.”

She let out a slightly creepy giggle.

“Alicia is pretty innocent herself, after all.”

Alicia came back from the kitchen carrying a tray. On the tray were ceramic cups filled with hot tea and some light snacks—probably scones or something.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She set the cups in front of me and Sharon, then sat down on the chair opposite us, with the table in between. There was something refined about her overall. She carried herself like a noble lady.

“Thank you for the tea.”

When I said that, Sharon followed suit with.

“Thank you.”

Unfortunately, as just a humble adventurer, I didn’t possess any elegance of high noble. But then again, Alicia and I were both commoners.

I wondered—was refinement something innate, or was it something you acquired over time? As I pondered that, I took a sip of the hot tea. I didn’t know much about it, but it seemed like black tea.

Sharon, being a Demon King—the ruler of a nation—certainly carried an air of refinement… Or so I thought. Actually, maybe not. She was munching on scones like there was no tomorrow.

While the three of us were enjoying a little tea time together…

Knock knock.

The door knocker rang out.

A visitor. Who could it be? If it was Cain, that would be very bad. We’d have to make a run for it immediately. But it was unlikely Cain would show up here. After all, he was currently in a town far from Zwein.

Well, I suppose, if someone could use magic like the 〈Teleport Gate〉 that Sharon used, it wouldn’t be impossible… But I doubted Cain had any allies capable of that kind of spell. …Or at least, I hoped not.

“Yes?”

Alicia responded as she headed to the front door.

“I wonder who it could be?”

She murmured as she opened the door and there stood a large man in uniform, holding a package and standing with perfect posture. Judging by his attire, he was a soldier of the Holy Kingdom’s army.

“Are you Lady Alicia?”

“Yes, that’s me…”

“I’ve come to deliver a package.”

The man smoothly held out a wooden box. It looked like a cube, about fifteen cm per side.

“What is this…?”

“It’s a package from Hero Cain.”

“From Cain-san?”

“Yes.”

The man said with a crisp nod.

“What’s inside…?”

“I do not know. I was instructed to have you open it and confirm the contents immediately.”

After inspecting the wooden box carefully, Alicia gave a soft, gracious smile and bowed her head.

“Thank you very much.”

The man returned the gesture with a perfectly straight bow, then left with precise, mechanical movements.

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