Heroines, Villainesses, and the Hero's Yandere Harem? I want them all!
Chapter 38: A Deal

Chapter 38: A Deal

"Haah,"

I sighed after we finished eating.

She reached over with a rag and gently wiped my mouth.

Hm.

This again... that strange sense of déjà vu. Like I’d lived this moment before.

Maybe because it had happened once already. Back on Earth. With Sasha, after the accident.

I leaned back, eyeing her. "Alright, I ate it. Now tell me—what happened next?"

I felt a little ashamed asking. Like a kid begging for a bedtime story. But I was curious. Genuinely.

She smiled, a quiet hum in her throat. "Hmm... let’s save it for next time."

"The hell we will. Tell me what happened." I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t tell me you tricked me into eating."

Wait a second.

Was this whole thing even real?

Did I just get gaslit into finishing a meal?

She laughed lightly. "Alright, alright. Stop being such a grump."

Tsk.

She stood, dusting off her skirt. "Well... let’s just say, I realized the thing I hated so much—it wasn’t any better off than I was. That crazy thing... it hated itself more than I ever could. It was tormented its whole life. Just needed... someone. Someone who cared, even just a little."

"You keep calling it ’it.’" I frowned. "Is it even human?"

Or could she be talking about herself?

...Nah.

Couldn’t be.

"I wonder that too," she said after a pause. "Can someone really bear that much pain... and still care? Still want to be loved even after convincing themselves they didn’t? Still act like they’re smarter than they are, but at the end of the day—just broken, lonely, and desperately hoping someone would see them?"

Then, just as casually, she leaned in and pecked my cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?! That’s sexual harassment!" I flailed—or, well, tried to. Hard to do much when you’re

I sighed after we finished eating.

She reached over with a rag and gently wiped my mouth.

Hm.

This again... that strange sense of déjà vu. Like I’d lived this moment before.

Maybe because it had happened once already. Back on Earth. With Sasha, after the accident.

I leaned back, eyeing her. "Alright, I ate it. Now tell me—what happened next?"

I felt a little ashamed asking. Like a kid begging for a bedtime story. But I was curious. Genuinely.

She smiled, a quiet hum in her throat. "Hmm... let’s save it for next time."

"The hell we will. Tell me what happened." I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t tell me you tricked me into eating."

Wait a second.

Was this whole thing even real?

Did I just get gaslit into finishing a meal?

She laughed lightly. "Alright, alright. Stop being such a grump."

Tsk.

She stood, dusting off her skirt. "Well... let’s just say, I realized the thing I hated so much—it wasn’t any better off than I was. That crazy thing... it hated itself more than I ever could. It was tormented its whole life. Just needed... someone. Someone who cared, even just a little."

"You keep calling it ’it.’" I frowned. "Is it even human?"

Or could she be talking about herself?

...Nah.

Couldn’t be.

I sighed after we finished eating.

She reached over with a rag and gently wiped my mouth.

Hm.

This again... that strange sense of déjà vu. Like I’d lived this moment before.

Maybe because it had happened once already. Back on Earth. With Sasha, after the accident.

I leaned back, eyeing her. "Alright, I ate it. Now tell me—what happened next?"

I felt a little ashamed asking. Like a kid begging for a bedtime story. But I was curious. Genuinely.

She smiled, a quiet hum in her throat. "Hmm... let’s save it for next time."

"The hell we will. Tell me what happened." I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t tell me you tricked me into eating."

Wait a second.

Was this whole thing even real?

Did I just get gaslit into finishing a meal?

She laughed lightly. "Alright, alright. Stop being such a grump."

Tsk.

She stood, dusting off her skirt. "Well... let’s just say, I realized the thing I hated so much—it wasn’t any better off than I was. That crazy thing... it hated itself more than I ever could. It was tormented its whole life. Just needed... someone. Someone who cared, even just a little."

"You keep calling it ’it.’" I frowned. "Is it even human?"

Or could she be talking about herself?

...Nah.

Couldn’t be.

"I wonder that too," she said after a pause. "Can someone really bear that much pain... and still care? Still want to be loved even after convincing themselves they didn’t? Still act like they’re smarter than they are, but at the end of the day—just broken, lonely, and desperately hoping someone would see them?"

Then, just as casually, she leaned in and pecked my cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?! That’s sexual harassment!" I flailed—or, well, tried to. Hard to do much when you’re

"I wonder that too," she said after a pause. "Can someone really bear that much pain... and still care? Still want to be loved even after convincing themselves they didn’t? Still act like they’re smarter than they are, but at the end of the day—just broken, lonely, and desperately hoping someone would see them?"

Then, just as casually, she leaned in and pecked my cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?! That’s sexual harassment!" I flailed—or, well, tried to. Hard to do much when you’re

half-paralyzed and stuck lying down like a corpse.

She laughed and turned to leave. "I know you wanted it. You’re just too shy to say it."

"Yeah, screw you and that lame-ass story!" I shouted after her. "Whoever ’it’ was is just a shitty bastard."

But she only giggled as she walked away.

Weird girl.

...

...

"Miss Elanor."

Elanor, who had been walking through the camp, paused at the familiar voice. Turning, she found herself facing none other than Sir Lancelot.

"Sir Lancelot," she greeted calmly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"It’s concerning my offer," he said, his expression solemn.

"I already told you... I can’t. I won’t," she replied.

"Please try to understand. This place... it’s already a lost cause. It’s only a matter of time before the scarcity turns people on each other. Struggles for food, water, safety—it will get ugly," he explained patiently.

"I know that," she replied without hesitation.

"Then come with us. You’ll be safe as we move through the next nightmare. Food, protection—all we ask is your aid. Your healing magic could save many," he said, his voice almost pleading.

"Your offer is generous. Truly. And if circumstances were different, I might have accepted it without hesitation. But—"

"If it’s about the young man you’ve been caring for," Lancelot interrupted, "my lady has permitted him to come along."

Elanor blinked. "Wait... I haven’t even asked since we met, but—who exactly is your lady?"

...

...

"HAAAH!" I gasped, jolting awake.

"Huh?" I blinked up. The sky.

Red.

Right. I haven’t seen the sky since waking up in this part of the Nightmare.

Wait a second.

I’m outside?

I tried turning my head, but I couldn’t.

Ah. Right.

Keep forgetting I’m crippled now.

Even though I couldn’t move, I could feel it.

Motion.

Either the treetops were shifting—or I was.

Most likely me.

"Awake already?" a voice teased, and a familiar face leaned into view.

"You," I muttered. Still didn’t know her damn name.

"Yes, me," she said, grinning like she owned the world.

Fucking smiling bitch.

"Stop smiling. It irritates me."

Her grin just got wider. Figures.

Sometimes I feel like my words have the exact opposite effect on her.

"Flirting with me already?" she giggled.

"I swear, if you’re finally going to kill me—"

Her smile vanished.

Just like that.

Ah. Got under her skin again. Noted.

"We’re heading to safer grounds," she said, moving out of view, her voice trailing off as she walked.

I could hear the sound of many footsteps around me.

Wait. Was I being transported?

"Is this... a cart?" I asked aloud.

No response.

"Hey. Hey!"

Still nothing.

"Stop yelling. She’s at the front now," another voice chimed in—female, unfamiliar.

"...Who are you?"

"Oh, me? You can call me Nora," she said lightly.

Nora?

"Am I in a cart?"

"Well... I don’t know what you call a cart, but if it’s that box thing with two wheels, yeah. You are."

Did that girl seriously walk off just because of what I said?

Tsk. Whatever.

"Hey."

"Yeah?" Nora answered, sounding bored.

"You got potions on you?"

"Well, yeah, but not the kind that can fix you. Those are back home. Forgot to bring ’em. Sorry~" she said, voice full of fake sweetness.

Unbelievable.

She said it like we were talking about misplacing candy, not a spinal cord injury.

Wait... come to think of it, maybe I can ask Anna. Maybe I could buy one. There’s gotta be a potion out there that can fix this.

But first, I’d have to get to the Academy.

"If you were to get out of this world," I said slowly, "could you bring it back for me?"

"That depends. My brother says you should always trade something valuable for something important. So... what will you give me?"

Her brother’s a prick.

"Money. A lot of it."

"I don’t need money," she said casually.

What?

"You don’t need money?"

She sounded almost offended. "Nope."

Great. Probably a noble.

"Then... what do you want?"

"I don’t know yet."

Haah.

What would a noble girl want?

Wait. Freedom?

"Then how about this—I’ll take you on a tour of Alendor. The most beautiful place in all of Micasa," I said smoothly.

No intention of actually doing it, of course.

"Micasa?" she repeated quietly. Then her face appeared in my field of vision, brows knit together. "Isn’t that... another kingdom?" she whispered, like someone might hear her.

Wait.

This face.

Hold on.

Nora.

The real Nora?

....

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!