Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!
Chapter 235: Where My Patience Ends

Chapter 235: Where My Patience Ends

The chaos of the engagement conflict had finally settled.

Both Serena and Amelia looked genuinely happy, their smiles warm and content. The tension in the room had vanished, replaced with a strange kind of harmony.

King Aslan, meanwhile, was doubled over laughing.

He approached Envi, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and said with a wide grin:

"I didn’t think you’d actually live up to everything Amelia told me about you, Naoki. At first, I was only testing you... but you’ve seriously impressed me!"

"Haha, I didn’t expect that either," Envi replied, sounding a little too relaxed for my liking. "Honestly, I thought you were really going to cut me down with that sword of yours."

King Aslan leaned in slightly and whispered in his ear with a cheeky smile:

"As long as you love Amelia and stay by her side... I won’t mind if you decide to take on a few more concubines. It’s not uncommon for royalty to have... a larger family."

"C-c-concubines?! Me? A king?!" Envi stammered, visibly caught off guard.

King Aslan chuckled and gave him a firm nod.

"Of course! Once you marry Amelia, I intend to pass the throne to you. What, don’t tell me you’re going to turn down becoming king?"

"W-well... when you put it that way—haha!" Envi gave a sly grin.

"Being king, having a kingdom, and collecting a harem? Sounds like a dream! I’ll take it!"

Inside the System Realm, I nearly exploded.

"You absolute maniac! What nonsense are you spouting now?!" I cursed him endlessly, feeling like I was trapped in some romantic comedy from hell.

King Aslan let out a deep, mischievous laugh.

"You know, I really like you, my future son-in-law! Honestly, having a harem has always been my dream too—but my late wife, Amelia’s mother, shut that down hard. So I’m passing the dream on to you, boy! Fulfill it for me!"

And with that, the two of them burst into laughter together, two absolute madmen bonding over their shared dreams of romantic chaos.

In my head, I groaned.

"These two are insane. King Aslan, the mighty warrior king... is just another romantic lunatic!"

I was completely at a loss for words.

Soon after, the representatives from the Winterfell family prepared to return home.

Serena approached Envi, walking over quietly as Sieg-sama and Lyra waited by the door.

But I could tell Envi had dropped his guard. That was my chance.

"Alright, fun time’s over, you damn system!"

With a concentrated push, I forcefully took back control of my body and sent Envi sulking back into the System Realm.

"Tch. No gratitude at all," he muttered from inside, clearly sulking.

I ignored him completely.

Now face-to-face with Serena, I could tell she was getting ready to say goodbye.

"Nao... I’m heading home now," she said with a soft smile.

"I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. I can’t wait to train together."

I was stunned for a moment. How could she still smile at me like that—so naturally—after everything Envi did using my body? After what we promised each other?

I forced a small smile and gently took her hand.

"I’m looking forward to it too... but Serena, can I see you tomorrow night? I want to visit your mansion. There’s something I really want to talk about."

Her eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.

"Hmm... that might be difficult," she said with a thoughtful look.

"Tomorrow night, my parents are hosting their monthly regional council meeting. There’ll be a lot of people in the mansion—especially downstairs."

I could tell she wanted to see me too, but the situation didn’t allow it.

Then a spark of mischief hit me.

"Don’t worry. I’ll sneak into your room. I am pretty good at slipping around unnoticed."

She giggled.

"Alright... but this time, don’t barge into the wrong room. I’ll tell you exactly where mine is."

She leaned closer and whispered into my ear. Her room was apparently across from Lyra’s, and she made it clear she’d be sleeping there alone tonight—not in Lyra’s room like before.

Then she smiled with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"I’ll be waiting for you, Naoki... don’t keep me waiting, okay?"

That mischievous smile—that smile—it always caught me off guard. My heart raced.

I nodded, face completely red, unable to say anything clever.

She turned and walked back to Sieg-sama and Lyra. Just before leaving, Sieg-sama gave me that look—his eyes cold, sharp, and watchful.

"Yup... he’s still watching me like a hawk. Even after approving the engagement, he’s not letting his guard down one bit."

I chuckled nervously to myself.

"Definitely an overprotective dad... I’ll have to tread carefully."

Soon after, I joined my personal guards, Vivin and Mia, and approached King Aslan and Amelia to say our farewells.

Amelia suddenly came up to me, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Naoki... thank you for today. It meant a lot to me—I’m truly happy."

She leaned in and gently kissed my cheek.

My heart skipped.

Even King Aslan grinned from ear to ear.

Meanwhile, Vivin and Mia turned away, blushing hard, hands over their eyes.

"Amelia..." I was too flustered to speak.

She giggled.

"See you soon, my fiancé..."

"Y-yeah... see you."

As I turned to leave, I glanced back one more time—only to catch Amelia smiling mischievously. Her eyes sparkled like they had little heart symbols inside them.

Oh no...

I almost forgot.

She’s a Yandere.

At least... she’s not mad today.

And so, we returned to the Blackmore mansion, riding a carriage through the twilight streets.

Vivin and Mia sat quietly beside me, the mood calm after the storm.

But in my head, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had just happened.

About Serena... about Amelia... and about Envi, that absolute chaos gremlin inside me.

I had a feeling the days ahead were going to get even more unpredictable.

....

I had finally returned to the Blackmore Mansion.

The night air was quiet, and the familiar warmth of the estate was a stark contrast to the chaos of the alliance meeting.

I asked Vivin and Mia to get some food and rest—after everything today, they deserved it.

I joined Lilia, Mark, and Milly at the dining table. They all looked curious, eyes filled with questions about how the alliance meeting had gone.

I smiled and reassured them, "Everything went well. The three-kingdom alliance has officially been formed. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but this... this is a major step forward."

They all sighed in relief, especially Lilia, who placed her hand over her chest.

"Thank goodness... Your father would be proud if he could hear this," Lilia said, her voice laced with quiet sorrow.

I nodded slowly, my expression softening.

"I’m going to make sure his efforts weren’t in vain. I’ll make this alliance work, defeat the demons... and when he wakes up from his coma, he’ll finally be able to retire in peace."

Lilia looked a little surprised by my words. Her gaze lingered on me, then softened.

"I’m counting on you, Naoki," she said, smiling gently.

It was the first time I’d ever seen her smile like that. All the sharpness in her expression... gone.

Could it be that all this time, the coldness she showed me was just a facade?

Maybe she isn’t such a cruel stepmother after all.

Before I could process that thought further, Mark suddenly spoke up.

"Big bro Naoki, I’ve been thinking... I want to join the heroes’ training program."

His voice was full of determination.

I shook my head.

"No. Not that. I’ll train you myself—once a week, every time I return home."

He looked disappointed at first... until I added:

"And I want Nyssa to join the training as well. I’ll be teaching both of you how to use Dark Magic."

Nyssa, who had been standing behind Mark silently, suddenly perked up, her eyes lighting up.

"R-really?! I’d love that!" she said, beaming.

Mark’s expression changed immediately. A smile crept onto his face.

In my mind, I thought:

"Yeah, I knew it. Mark, you’ve got feelings for her. It’s written all over your face. At least now I can help you grow stronger... strong enough to protect Nyssa, Lilia, and Milly when I’m not here."

Then Milly spoke up with her usual innocence:

"Big bro Naoki, what are you going to do after this? I wanted to ask you to help me with some academy homework..."

I let out a soft chuckle.

"I’ll help you first thing in the morning, I promise. But tonight, I need to train alone. There’s something I need to try."

"Training? Alone?" she pouted slightly. "I could keep you company..."

I gave her a gentle look and said,

"Sorry, Milly. I need absolute focus tonight. Even the smallest distraction could mess things up."

Lilia stepped in, speaking gently but firmly.

"Milly, let him be. He’s not brushing you off."

Eventually, Milly gave in, though she kept her arms crossed and a small pout on her face.

"Sorry, Milly," I thought to myself, "but I lied. I’m not going to train tonight. I’m going to beat someone up."

Suddenly, Envi’s voice echoed in my head, clearly concerned.

"Huh?! What are you talking about, Nao?Is there an enemy hiding somewhere in the estate?!"

I answered bluntly, "You’ll see."

Envi groaned.

"Ugh, cryptic as always..."

Once dinner was over, I excused myself and headed toward the training room.Before leaving, I gave strict orders: no one was to enter the room, no matter what.

Everyone—Lilia, Mark, Milly, the knights, the maids—nodded in understanding.

But I had no intention of training there.

Once inside, I activated [Dark Magic: Shadow Steps], slipping silently out of the mansion like a ghost.

"Hey, idiot! Where the hell are you going now?!"Envi was shouting in my head.

I didn’t look back.

"The forest. Somewhere where no one can see us."

That answer shut him up for a moment.

Even Runa, in the system realm, seemed confused.

A few minutes later, I arrived at a clearing deep within the forest—about 500 meters away from the mansion.

The trees surrounded the area like silent sentinels, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside.

"Why are we all the way out here?! Are demons showing up? If we’re going to fight, you should’ve told me sooner! I’m pumped!!"

Envi’s voice was excited—too excited.

I sighed.

"No... I’m not here to fight demons."

Envi fell silent, confused.

I opened the Grimoire of Darkness and summoned Runa, instructing her to stand guard and keep the area clear of intruders.

She looked puzzled, but nodded. "Understood."

I then activated one of my forbidden spells:

[Dark Magic Manifestation: Second Body!]

A black haze swirled around me, forming a perfect double of myself—only this one housed Envi’s consciousness.

When Envi came to, he blinked in confusion, standing face-to-face with me in the flesh.

"Huh? Why’d you summon me like this? Are we gonna tag team someone?! Oh man, this is gonna be good!"

I slowly rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, stretching my arms.

I locked eyes with him.

"No, Envi... you’re the one I’m going to fight."

The smile vanished from his face.

"W-What the hell are you talking about?! Are you serious?!"

He dropped into a combat stance immediately, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"You’ve gone too far. This time, I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget."

I lunged forward, fist drawn back.

The clearing echoed with the clash of fists and fire.

That night, under the moonlit sky, two souls who had been forced to share one body would finally fight not as enemies...

...but as equals seeking to understand one another.

Even if it meant using pain to do so.

...

..

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