When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 18: A Lap Pillow in the Room

Chapter 18: A Lap Pillow in the Room

Yulis was a noble.
Before his reincarnation, he’d lived a modest life in a typical household, but after being reborn, he found himself in a life of luxury.
Over time, both his body and mindset had become accustomed to the lavish lifestyle of a noble.
So, when he learned he’d be living in a dorm as part of the knight order, he mentally prepared himself, thinking, “Alright, here comes the pigsty. I’ll deal with it somehow.”

But then—

“It’s… huge!”

After being shown around by Celia and settling things for the day, Yulis and the others were finally sent to their assigned dorm room.

The room was more like a luxury hotel suite.

It had a massive living area, private bedrooms for each occupant to maintain privacy, and even a fully equipped kitchen.

It was nothing like the cramped and dingy quarters Yulis had braced himself for.

Staring in disbelief at the grandeur, Yulis felt tears of joy welling up.

“Well, it is the top knight order in the kingdom. No wonder it’s the kind of place everyone would aspire to join.”

Unlike Yulis, Lieselotte wasn’t particularly surprised. She sat elegantly on the sofa, calmly surveying the room.

Her lack of amazement could be chalked up to her noble upbringing—she blended into the luxurious setting effortlessly.

Meanwhile—

“Master, I’ve finished unpacking your things!”

“Where’s your sense of wonder!? You’re way too composed about this!”

A capable maid is capable no matter where she is.

Despite becoming a knight and technically being on equal footing with the others, Iris continued to fulfill her duties as a maid flawlessly.

“By the way, since we have one extra room, let’s use it as storage.”

“Huh? An extra room? How does that even happen?”

After all, the three of them had been assigned to a three-person room, without any say in the matter.

Each person already had their own private space within the suite, so the idea of an extra room didn’t make sense.

Puzzled, Yulis tilted his head as Iris opened one of the doors to reveal what she meant.

Inside was a neatly organized room with Yulis’s sparse personal belongings—and an adorable collection of stuffed animals.

“I’ll be staying in the same room as Master!”

“Haha… what are you even saying?”

“So it’s decided!”

“Reaffirming it doesn’t change anything. Pack this up immediately.”

Sharing a roof with two beautiful girls, even with private spaces, was far too dangerous.

Smiling awkwardly, Yulis firmly shook his head.

“You’re so cold, Master…”

Iris puffed out her cheeks in frustration and begrudgingly began packing up the personal belongings—including the stuffed animals—she had just arranged.

Watching her back as she worked, Yulis couldn’t help but chuckle. Does she really want to stay with me that much?

(Still… what should I do from here?)

After a long day of work, fatigue had set in.
However, being suddenly told, “You can call it a day now!” left Yulis feeling unsure of what to do.
It’s human nature to feel a bit lost when there are no plans and you’re adjusting to a new environment.
With nothing else to do, Yulis sank into an empty sofa and lay down sideways.

That’s when—

“Bored?”

Lieselotte leaned over to peer at his face.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Then why don’t we chat? We’re going to be working together as equals, so we need to get along.”

To be honest, Yulis wanted to avoid getting involved with heroines as much as possible.

But it was clear that avoiding them entirely wasn’t an option anymore.

Much like with Iris, it seemed wiser to keep things friendly—and avoid situations where he might metaphorically get stabbed in the back.

“…What should we talk about? Just so you know, I can’t hold a conversation about tea parties or whatever noble ladies enjoy these days.”

“Fufu, that’s fine. I’d rather talk about swords than that kind of thing anyway.”

Lieselotte gave a slightly mature smile, then gently lifted Yulis’s head and placed it on her lap.

“Let’s see… how about favorite foods or something?”

“Wait a second—what’s with this position!?”

“We’re building communication to get along better, aren’t we?”

“If becoming friends required a lap pillow, there’d be some really horrifying scenes of guys doing this somewhere that couldn’t even be broadcasted!”

Yulis tried to sit up.

But Lieselotte gently held his head down, smiling down at him.

“I’m just teasing. But, since you were the one who contributed the most today, I thought you deserved at least a little reward.”

“…………”

“I mean, I didn’t really get a chance to shine today, unlike a certain someone.”

In this mission, Yulis had defeated the most enemies and even rescued an unexpected victim.
On the other hand, Lieselotte had only acted as support for Iris.
The difference in accomplishments and effort was clear.
If they were to work as equals moving forward, she wanted to close that gap.

Perhaps sensing this intention in her smile, Yulis felt a bit embarrassed and turned his face away from her.

“…You don’t need to do this for a fellow rookie, you know.”

“Oh, but it’s not like I’d do this for just anyone. If you want reasons why I’m doing it for you, I could list plenty. But for now, how about you just say something?”

“…I’m very grateful.”

“Good. Honest answers are always appreciated.”

Despite saying she wanted to chat, Lieselotte didn’t speak much.
Instead, she gently ran her fingers through Yulis’s hair, humming softly in a cheerful tone.

The soft sensation of her lap, the warmth of her hand, the soothing atmosphere, the sweet and tantalizing scent, and her elegant face so close to him—all of it made Yulis’s heartbeat quicken, sending a flush of heat to his cheeks.

(Damn… this is why heroines are way too powerful.)

There was no way he wouldn’t feel happy about getting a lap pillow from a girl.

But the fact that the girl in question was a heroine—the kind who would never favor someone playing the role of a villain—filled Yulis’s head with a swirl of conflicting emotions. The joy of the moment was tainted by the harsh reality of the situation.

(Ugh… Iris does this too, but why do heroines keep doing things that make it so easy to misunderstand their intentions?)

In the end, Lieselotte’s lap pillow lasted until Iris finished putting away all the luggage.