The Hero Stole My Lover, So I Decided to Steal the Hero's Lover Instead - Chapter 24-25

Chapter 24

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“A package from the Hero…”

Sharon murmured, glancing toward the entrance.

“I wonder what it could be?”

“No idea…”

I couldn’t even begin to guess. The wooden box was a cube, each side about fifteen cm in length. It wasn’t particularly large, but it looked heavy and solid.

Alicia placed the box on the table.

“He said to open it right away and check the contents.” 

Sharon said.

“Yes.”

Alicia slid a few parts of the box, and with a pop, opened the top. The three of us peered inside to see what was in it.

“This is…”

Inside was a beautifully polished crystal sphere.

A crystal ball? What the heck…Maybe it was a small gift? Could Alicia be a crystal ball enthusiast or something…? No, she didn’t seem like that at all. Her expression clearly said, “What is this?”

There was no way it was just a regular crystal ball. I couldn’t imagine Cain sending something that pointless. And besides, he specifically said, “Open it immediately and check the contents.”

Which could only mean…

“Sharon, do you know what this is?”

“Yeah. That’s most likely a communication crystal.”

“A communication crystal? You mean a magic tool?”

Magic tools—items embedded with magical mechanisms or effects. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about them, so I couldn’t say much.

“Right. It’s a single-use item that lets you ‘talk to someone far away.’ It’s a pretty convenient tool.”

“Huh.”

“But, here’s the thing. As useful as it is, it’s also extremely rare and expensive. So for him to send something like this… What on earth does he want to talk about? I mean, really—”

Sharon kept rambling on fluently. As I listened to her, something suddenly occurred to me.

The reason he said “open it immediately” must’ve been because he wanted to talk to Alicia right now. If it were only audio, Sharon and I could just stay quiet and he’d never know we were here. But if it included video… Then we’d be in serious trouble if we didn’t hide—

“Hey, this thing—”

Just then, the communication crystal emitted a flash of light. It flickered several times, as if insisting on its presence.

“Luke! We’re going outside—now!”

Grabbing my arm, Sharon bolted toward the door.

“Wait, uh, Sharon-san!?”

Alicia, clearly confused, called out in a flustered voice. Without turning back, Sharon replied to her.

“Once we’re out, grab that crystal immediately. It’s a video call. If our faces show up, it’ll be a huge problem.”

Well, more like my face would be the problem. Cain probably didn’t know who Sharon was.

“Huh? Why would it be such a huge problem if the two of you are seen?”

“Ah—uh, don’t worry about it!”

Sharon forcefully brushed off the question, her voice leaving no room for protest.

“Oh, and one more thing, don’t mention our names. Or really, don’t talk about us at all.”

“Huh? Okay, understood.”

Alicia still looked unconvinced.

“The Hero is the jealous type. Just talk about yourself.”

Again, Sharon deflected the question with a vague excuse.

“We’ll be waiting outside. Call us when the conversation’s over.”

The moment Sharon and I stepped outside and the door shut behind us—or rather, just a second before it closed—the crystal ball projected an image into the air.

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Chapter 25: The Hero’s POV

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“—Hm?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Cain saw the crystal ball—the communication crystal—on the shelf flickering on and off. He casually grabbed some money from his wallet and handed it to Sheryl. She accepted it with a puzzled expression.

“What’s this?”

“I’m hungry. Go buy me something with it.”

“Ehh, how annoying…”

Despite her complaint, when Cain firmly asked—or rather, ordered—her, Sheryl always complied. She grumbled and muttered complaints as she headed out to shop.

“Good grief… Maybe it’s time to toss her?”

The moment he was alone, he murmured this offhandedly. He had already started to notice it, but she was turning out to be quite a hassle. He had stolen Sheryl from Luke, but now it felt more like Luke had saddled him with a plague.

If Luke ever came to Cain and said, “Please, give Sheryl back,” Cain would gladly return her.

He let out a sigh. Cain took the communication crystal flickering on the shelf and placed it on the table. The communication crystal had finally arrived at Alicia’s place.

Finally…

A smile crept across his face. Communication crystals were single-use item. Once used, they shattered at the end of the call. Despite being a single-use item, they were expensive.

Cain felt the cost-performance wasn’t great.

Would he ever buy one with his own money? The answer was a firm “No.” This was a “gift.” Or more accurately, it might be better to say he “took” it rather than received it—but details like that didn’t matter to someone like him.

“Phew.”

Cain straightened his posture and touched up his bangs. He didn’t particularly care if Sheryl found out about Alicia. It would be less of a hassle if she didn’t, sure—but even if she did, he could just play it off like nothing. 

And if she started whining about it, then he;d toss her without hesitation and mercy! He was already bored of her. He felt no attachment. The only reason he was still involved with Sheryl was because he didn’t feel like doing anything to change the status quo.

“…Hmm.”

For some reason, he felt a little uneasy, so he opened the front door to check outside. Sheryl was gone. Just as he’d told her, she seemed to have gone shopping.

“She’s not here, huh… I knew it.”

He was overthinking things. It had been a while since he’d last spoken with Alicia. The desire not to be interrupted was making him a bit overly sensitive.

With a wry smile, he sat down on the chair.

What Cain absolutely wanted to avoid was Alicia finding out about Sheryl. He had carefully concealed his true nature from Alicia. Other women were replaceable, but Alicia wasn’t. She was the only one who couldn’t be replaced. The one and only—Cain’s girlfriend.

He didn’t want to disappoint Alicia. He didn’t want her to hate him. If she ever came to hate him…

I… I…

Lately, for some reason, he’d been thinking negative thoughts, something that he usually never did. He shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of such distractions.

“Okay.”

After fixing his bangs one more time, he placed his hand on the communication crystal. And then, the image of his beloved Alicia appeared in the air.

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