The Hero Stole My Lover, So I Decided to Steal the Hero's Lover Instead - Chapter 58-59

Chapter 58

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Sharon and I went over to Alicia’s place. We were chatting leisurely over tea when the door knocker sounded. I figured it was someone delivering another communication crystal again, but…

“…Oh?”

Alicia tilted her head as she opened the door to greet the visitor. Standing there were a man and a woman I didn’t recognize. The woman had red hair, the man had blue. Their facial features were similar, but the aura they gave off was quite different. They both looked to be around twenty years old.

“Hey there!”

The woman said cheerfully.

“Hello.”

Said the man.

“Um… and you are?” 

Alicia asked, clearly confused. It didn’t seem like she knew them. I didn’t either. Which meant they were either complete strangers or acquaintances of Sharon’s.

“Oh! If it isn’t Elna and Elma!”

Sharon stood up and walked over to them. So the woman was Elna and the man was Elma? Judging from their similar names and faces, I guessed they were twins and they were probably Sharon’s subordinates.

“Come in, come in.” 

Sharon said, as if it were her own house.

“Then, if you’ll excuse us.” 

Elna said politely.

“Excuse us.”

Echoed Elma. After bowing to Sharon, the two of them stepped inside without hesitation. They tried to sit down in the vacant chairs, but since there was only one open seat, a minor scuffle broke out over who would take it.

“I’m the older sister, so I should have it.”

“Precisely because you’re the older sister. You should give up the seat to your little brother.”

In the end, they decided to share the same chair. Alicia had tried to offer them hers, but they turned her down.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Elna, De—Sharon-sama’s subordinate.”

“Likewise, nice to meet you. I’m Elma, De—also a subordinate of Sharon-sama.”

Then, in perfect sync, they both said.

““Pleased to meet you.””

They called her Sharon-sama rather than Demon King-sama, likely because Alicia didn’t know Sharon was the Demon King. If I recalled correctly, Sharon had introduced herself to Alicia as just an adventurer. Yeah, that was it. An adventurer and childhood friend.

Hmm? But still…

“Sharon-san’s… Subordinate?” 

Alicia asked.

“Indeed! They are my subordinates!” 

Sharon declared, brimming with the kind of intensity that dared anyone to question her further. Her attitude radiated a proud confidence that said, “There’s nothing suspicious going on here at all!”

Honestly, at this point, maybe we should just come out and tell Alicia the truth,”Sharon is actually the Queen of the Demon Kingdom… She’s the Demon King herself.” Even if she found out now, I doubted it would really change how she treated Sharon.

Well, whatever.

Still, I wondered. Why had Sharon’s two subordinates come here in the first place? Were they bringing some kind of report? Did they just want to see Sharon? Or maybe they came to introduce themselves to Alicia and me?

“So, what brings you here today?”

“We’re here to give Sharon-sama our report!” 

Elna said brightly.

“A report? So that means… There’s been movement on his end?”

“Yes. Quite a lot has happened over the past few days.”

She replied. Sharon smiled  dauntingly and said. 

“Alright. Let’s hear it.”

Elna and Elma each took a sip of tea, and then began to speak.

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Chapter 59

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“I see.”

Sharon listened to the two as she crossed her arms.

What Elna and Elma reported was basically this. Cain had killed Sheryl. Cain was also seriously injured in the process (though he was now fully recovered?). The Hero’s Party set fire to Sheryl’s house and the two of them extinguished the flames, and they handed over a recording crystal capturing the arson scene to the arriving guard.

Furthermore, the Hero’s Party had been handed over by the guard to the national soldier, and was currently being transported by carriage to the royal capital, Seintill.

“That concludes our report!” 

Elna said energetically. The most shocking part for me was, of course, that Sheryl had been killed. Sheryl had betrayed me and gone over to Cain. But then, she herself had been betrayed—or rather, discarded (?)—by Cain, and in her despair, had tried to kill him.

For Cain, the only one who truly mattered was Alicia. Anyone else was equally worthless to him (practically worthless). Did Sheryl not understand that? Or did she understand and still choose to be with him, thinking she was different from others—that she was someone who had value to Cain?

I didn’t know. But it was hard to believe she had gone into the relationship without thinking at all. Sheryl wasn’t stupid. At the very least, she was more intelligent than me. Now that she was dead, there was no way to ask her. I couldn’t ask her. The dead couldn’t speak.

What went through her mind at the end? What was she thinking in the final moments of her life?

“Hmm.”

Sharon let out a thoughtful hum, sounding intrigued.

“So they’ve been transferred to the royal capital. Interesting.”

“They were apparently summoned by the king.” 

Elma said in a flat tone.

“What could be the reason, I wonder?” 

Elna asked Sharon.

“The possibilities are…” 

Sharon said while thinking. 

“…Revocation of the Hero’s title, or perhaps execution of the Hero’s Party… At the very least, it’s unlikely to be anything good.”

“Watching those guys suffer would be a treat. I’m looking forward to it.”

“No, it’d be a problem if Cain had his Hero title revoked, and even more so if he were executed.”

“Why?” 

Elna asked, clearly seeking an explanation.

“If the Holy Sword is confiscated, the proje—ahem, everything up until now will be ruined. And if someone else becomes the Hero, we’ll have to start over from scratch.”

“Ah, I see.”

She replied, nodding in understanding.

“What should we do?” 

Elma asked. 

“As irritating as it is, should we offer some assistance to make sure the heroes aren’t punished?”

“No…”

She shook her head with a look that clearly said,”I don’t want to help them.”

“Leave them be. It’s them we’re talking about. If they’re about to be punished, they’ll definitely resist and try to escape out of sheer stubbornness.”

“How would they resist, I wonder?”

“Maybe they’ll go as far as killing the king or something?” 

Elna said with a laugh. It seemed she meant it as a joke.

“Strangely enough, it’s not outside the realm of possibility if it’s them.” 

Sharon said seriously. Alicia, who had been listening with a puzzled look on her face, turned to me and tilted her head with a gentle smile. I smiled back and tilted my head too.

So, what would become of Cain and the others? Sooner or later, some information would make its way to Zwine. Until then, we might as well wait it out—nice and easy.

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