The Hero Stole My Lover, So I Decided to Steal the Hero's Lover Instead - Chapter 8-9

Chapter 8

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“The Hero is quite the playboy, but it seems he’s rather timid when it comes to his actual love…”

“Timid?” 

I tilted my head to the side at that. 

“So in other words… He hasn’t made a move on her?”

“Precisely.”

Sharon nodded, then pulled out a picture—no, it looked more like a photograph—from her pocket and showed it to me. Pictured there was a beautiful, graceful-looking woman. She looked to be about the same age as Cain and me—around twenty.

“When something is truly important to you, you will treat it with care.” 

Sharon said, gazing at the photo. 

“And the things that aren’t, you treat roughly and carelessly…. That’s the kind of man he is, I suppose.”

“So, all I have to do is steal this girl away from him, right?”

Sharon nodded. 

“Her name is Alicia. She’s Hero Cain’s childhood friend, and currently lives in Zwein.”

Compared to my ex-girlfriend Sheryl, I personally thought Alicia was cuter—and more beautiful. Of course, just going by looks in a photo, I couldn’t tell anything about her personality. But she seemed demure and gentle.

Honestly, I thought she was way too good for Cain. Even though he had someone this beautiful, and yet he still fooled around as he pleased…. He even went so far as to steal my girlfriend…

Ahh! How infuriating!

“Oh, by the way…”

“What is it?”

“Is the plan here to weaken Cain by stealing his girlfriend?”

“Exactly.”

“How does stealing his girlfriend lead to weakening him?”

Sure, getting your girlfriend stolen would be a major emotional blow. It’d definitely leave a deep wound. But even so, I didn’t think that alone would cause Cain to become weaker.

“The thing that makes the Hero a Hero is the ‘Holy Sword.’ The Holy Sword is a weapon that’s especially effective against us demons. If I took even a single hit from it, I wouldn’t walk away unscathed.”

Sharon crossed her legs.

“And this Holy Sword… Its power—how effective it is—depends a great deal on the mental state, or rather… The heart of its wielder. Basically, its strength varies greatly depending on how stable their mind is.”

“I see.” 

I nodded. “So if we break the Hero’s mind, the Holy Sword won’t be much of a threat anymore?”

“Exactly.”

With that, Sharon stood up.

“Is your wound healed?”

When she said that, I realized something. Cain had taken a poisoned knife from me and stabbed me in the shoulder. When I looked at the spot where I’d been stabbed, the wound had mostly healed.

“You healed it?”

“Yes. While we were inside the <Teleport Gate>, I cast a healing spell on you. I also made sure to neutralize the poison.”

“Thanks.”

I expressed my gratitude to her. If it hadn’t been for Sharon, I’d probably be dead by now—either tortured to death by Cain or foaming at the mouth from the poison… Either way, I’d be dead.

“You’re welcome.”

Sharon gave a faint smile and activated the <Teleport Gate>. From within the magic circle, a solemn-looking gate emerged. It must have been an incredibly high-level spell.

“Now then, let’s get going.”

“Where to?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To the Hero’s lover—Alicia.”

And with that, Sharon and I stepped through the gate.

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Chapter 9

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The place we teleported to was a deserted alley. Transferring directly to the main street of town would draw too much attention, so this spot must have been chosen with that in mind. Zwein was a small town located on the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom. Cain was born and raised in this town—and it was also where he was chosen to become a Hero.

“Those who know Cain well don’t speak highly of him. But he’s good at putting on a front and apparently hid his true nature from the adults around him. So, all in all, Cain’s reputation in this town is actually quite favorable.”

I see.

There was no doubt about it. The people of Zwein must be swelling in pride for having produced a Hero from their small town.

“Does Alicia know about Cain’s true nature?”

“If she did, there’s no way she would’ve agreed to date him.”

In other words, Alicia didn’t know. Cain had been timid with Alicia, hadn’t made a move on her—in other words, they were in a platonic relationship. I didn’t know Cain all that well, but I just couldn’t picture him in a healthy, platonic relationship.

“Why is he only timid when it comes to Alicia?”

I asked as we walked. Sharon, walking beside me, replied.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? ‘You treat the most important things with care.’ Plus, Cain seems to be genuinely smitten with Alicia. He’s probably afraid that if he pushes things too far and she rejects him, she’ll end up hating him. And unlike Cain, Alicia seems to be very proper and reserved.”

Proper, huh…

That said, if they were in a committed relationship, wouldn’t it be fine to take things further? Or maybe she believed in something strict—like waiting until marriage?

Well, everyone has their own way of thinking.

Perhaps sensing what I was mulling over, Sharon spoke up.

“Cain and Alicia are dating. While it’s true they’re in a relationship, it doesn’t seem to be mutual.”

“Not mutual… So you’re saying it’s a one-sided thing? Just Cain’s unrequited love?”

“Exactly.” 

Sharon nodded. 

“Alicia is only going out with Cain because her parents, her relatives—basically the people around her—told her she should.”

They probably thought dating a Hero was an honor. If they got married, she’d be the Hero’s wife. If they had kids, they’d be the Hero’s children. But all of that depended on the Hero defeating the Demon King. 

If he failed, his reputation would crumble in an instant. And once that happened, all the misconduct he’d managed to keep under wraps would come to light through rumors. No one considered the possibility of a future where the Hero fights the Demon King—and the Demon King wins.

“Alicia herself isn’t very enthusiastic about the relationship with Cain. If anything, she seems reluctant.”

She was probably in a position where she couldn’t say she wanted to break up with him. Or maybe she’d already resigned herself to it. Sharon strode forward with long, purposeful steps. There was no hesitation in her gait.

“Where are we going?”

I mean, I knew we were heading to Alicia, more or less… But what were we actually planning to do when we met her?

“To the flower shop where Alicia works.”

“And what are we going to do there?”

“Why, of course—”

Sharon stopped in her tracks, turned around, and grinned broadly.

“—I’m going to introduce you to Alicia.”

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