When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 15: Different from the Rumors

Chapter 15: Different from the Rumors

There was only one commoner who had enrolled in the academy, a place usually attended exclusively by nobles. 

Her name was Luna, the only daughter of a major trading company that was now well-known across the continent—and one of the heroines of this story.

In the original scenario, Yulis targeted her because she was a commoner, bullying her relentlessly. 

It wasn’t just verbal abuse; sometimes, he would go so far as to harass her in inappropriate ways. And when she ignored his advances, he even tried to ruin the business she was running out of spite. This drove her to exhaustion—until she eventually met the protagonist.

Well, with all those dirty actions, it’s no surprise that she sought revenge. She quickly became one of the girls Yulis needed to be particularly wary of.

This girl, Luna, had planned to return to the royal capital today after visiting a region where she was setting up her first business venture.

However, on her way back, she was attacked by bandits and abducted.

She wasn’t careless—she had heard rumors about bandits targeting merchants and had hired several adventurers for protection. Yet, the real problem lay in the sheer number of attackers and the surprise nature of their assault.

No one knew how the information had leaked. 

But from beginning to end, the bandits seemed focused solely on capturing her, and amid their overwhelming numbers, she was taken away.

—She was terrified.

There was no way she couldn’t be scared. Even if the bandits were only after ransom, there was always the risk that they might harm her at any moment. These were people who wouldn’t hesitate to attack.

She was thrown into the middle of a group of bandits, all alone. 

They kept talking about her. She tried her best to stay calm, but before long, they knocked her out suddenly.

Yet—she thought she heard a voice.

“There’s no way I’m losing in this pest extermination (rescue mission)!!!”

And so, she couldn’t help but wish—

“Please, help me…”

As she gradually regained consciousness, the words slipped out of her mouth on their own.

“Huh? Are there still enemies around?”

“!?”

Startled by the unexpected reply, Luna instinctively raised her head. 

That was the moment her awareness sharpened.

She felt a faint, cool sensation around her chest, and though she wasn’t walking, her view swayed slowly, moving. It didn’t take long for her to realize—she was being carried on someone’s back.

That realization led her to ask immediately:

“Who…?”

“Yulis Blanche.”

The moment she heard that name, Luna’s heart tightened.

“Well, looking at the situation objectively, with my appearance and reputation, I guess it’s not surprising you’d ask for help…”

Yulis Blanche.

He was known in high society as a disgrace to the nobility.

Because of his dealings with many nobles, even a commoner like Luna had heard of him.

It was impossible not to be surprised or wary, so Luna instinctively tensed up.

But, for some reason, beyond that, a sense of relief welled up inside her.

Maybe it was because his voice sounded like the one she thought she heard earlier.

“…Did you save me?”

“Glad you realize that. If you had mistaken me for a kidnapper, I’d have had to spend a lot of time clearing my name.”

Yulis was wearing a uniform.

It was the kind worn by knights often seen around the royal capital.

She understood that he had saved her, but she didn’t understand why he was dressed like that.

After all, she had assumed he was going to attend the same academy as her.

She had even worried about being mocked by him for being a commoner.

(But, how did he manage to take on so many…?)

There should have been many rough, strong-looking men among the bandits.

If he saved her, that meant he must have defeated all those men.

Yet, standing before her now was Yulis, all alone.

(Is Yulis really that strong?)

Questions filled Luna’s mind.

But Yulis, without paying much attention to her puzzled expression, spoke up again.

“Let’s hurry up and regroup with the others. My partner—the one who’s great at playing with building blocks (my maid)—is probably done by now, but just in case, be ready to jump back into the fight, alright?”

“Well, I’ll protect you for sure, though,” Yulis muttered casually.

Luna couldn’t help but feel puzzled by those words, and before she realized it, she spoke up.

“…Um.”

“Hm?”

“Why… did you save me?”

Anyone who had heard of Yulis’s bad reputation would have wondered the same thing.

It was strange enough that he had become a knight—a job focused on protecting others.

But asking such a direct question was incredibly rude.

Questioning the intentions of someone who just saved you, especially by saying, “I can’t believe it,” could easily be seen as disrespectful.

So, right after she said it, Luna regretted her words and quickly covered her mouth.

However, Yulis didn’t seem bothered at all as he replied.

“It was just my mission. If someone assigns you homework and you ask, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ the answer’s pretty obvious, right? Not that I expected to find such a cute girl here, though.”

Yeah, he really hadn’t expected it.

He had only noticed in the middle of the fight, thinking, “Wait, there’s a girl here?”

But even if he had known from the start, Yulis would likely have clenched his fist just the same.

After all, if a heroine dies, it could mess up the scenario.

So if he could save her, he would.

And besides—

“If someone’s in danger right in front of you, then you should help them, even if it’s for selfish reasons or anything else. For now, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but just accept that answer.”

Thump.

Luna’s heart jumped as she listened, feeling his words resonate through her.

Even though he had only answered her question, for some reason, warmth crept into her face.

(…He’s different.)

He wasn’t like the rumors.

A scumbag, a disgrace, someone who was called the lowest of the low—none of that fit him.

If she had to describe the impression she had of him right now, it would be—a hero.

Even though he called it a mission, there was a clear kindness in his actions, a desire to reach out and help.

It almost sounded like he was using the job as an excuse to help others.

Feeling embarrassed about her earlier thoughts, Luna pressed her face into Yulis’s back.

(This man… he’s nothing like the rumors.)

—Luna hadn’t actually met Yulis until now.

She had only heard the gossip that spread through high society as a member of her merchant family. She was only meeting Yulis for the first time after enrolling at the academy.

So, she didn’t really know him at all.

Yet, she had made up her mind about him based on the stories she had heard.

And now, she felt ashamed of that.

Yulis’s back, which she thought would feel cold, somehow felt warm.

Unable to calm the rapid beating of her heart, Luna murmured softly.

“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

After that, Yulis and Luna didn’t exchange any more words until they emerged from the underground.

Only the sound of Luna’s quiet sobs, a mix of relief from being freed from her fear and embarrassment over her earlier thoughts, echoed through the silence.