I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me Chapter 110

Elsez, who had been slowly blinking with unfocused eyes, made eye contact with Tezette in front of her and screamed.

“Ahh! You scared me!”

Tezette was just as startled by Elsez’s reaction.

Elsez, a beat late, realized the person in front of her was Tezette and let out a relieved breath.

“What, what were you doing?”

“I was watching you.”

Did I drool?

Elsez flinched and touched the corner of her mouth. Thankfully, there was no such sign(?).

‘Or did I sleep with my mouth open?’

Back when she was Ruel, even if they were like family, she still didn’t want to show such a silly sleeping face.

Elsez asked nervously.

“……Was I sleeping weirdly?”

“No. You were sleeping prettily.”

No way. If she looked fine, he wouldn’t have been watching her like she was some strange sight.

“I was going to watch a little longer and then carry you to your room, but you woke up.”

Worried that Tezette had seen her sleeping in a ridiculous way, Elsez quickly stood up.

“I’m going to bed.”

Then she added some scolding for no reason.

“Dry your hair well before sleeping. And also……”

Elsez, who saw Tezette’s abs and chest muscles as he stood up to follow her, quickly looked away and cleared her throat.

“Make sure you wear a shirt too. You can’t catch a cold. You don’t even like medicine.”

“How did you know I don’t like medicine?”

“Ah.”

Right. Elsez wasn’t supposed to know that.

Elsez, who had accidentally said something only Ruel would know, brushed it off awkwardly.

“Since you like desserts… I just guessed you wouldn’t like bitter things. Anyway, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Just as Elsez was about to leave the room, Tezette stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

Elsez looked back at him with puzzled eyes.

“My hair… can’t you dry it for me?”

His wet appearance was undeniably tempting.

Drip. Drip.

Droplets from his damp hair tapped against the back of her hand.

Elsez looked up at him with dazed eyes at the unexpected request.

Back when they were younger, she had dried his hair because he’d go off doing something else without bothering, but now things were different.

She wasn’t Ruel anymore, she was Elsez—and he had grown far too big for her to be drying his hair.

‘No way he knows anything… right?’

Surely, he didn’t know what it meant for a grown man to ask a woman to dry his hair—what kind of message that would send.

Elsez stepped back half a pace and said firmly.

“No.”

“……Why not?”

“Because that’s something you ask someone you like to do.”

Tezette’s pale green eyes blinked slowly, unable to understand Elsez’s words, then faintly twisted.

‘Ugh, I can’t let my heart soften.’

Before she could waver at the sorrowful look on his face, Elsez quickly said goodbye and left the room.

 

 

****

 

 

The morning sunlight breaking through the dawn gloom shone over the ruined imperial palace.

Corpses were scattered everywhere. They were the corpses of dark mages.

Among them was the corpse of Cedric.

Rashiel made his way through the wreckage to approach Cedric’s body. Behind Cedric lay the half-destroyed throne.

Dying in the place he had longed for somehow made him look at peace.

“…….”

Looking at that face, so unlike his own yet similar somehow, Rashiel felt both relief and a horrifying sensation.

He had never once thought of him as a brother, but now that he had killed him with his own hands, the reality hit. Ironically so.

Rashiel stared at the body for a long moment, then closed his eyes, as if to suppress the disturbing emotions stirring inside him.

The image of the emperor, lying unaware in bed, came to mind.

The true root of all this.

He was sick of the imperial family now.

When he opened his eyes again, his usual cold gaze had returned, emotions tucked away.

Rashiel turned his back on Cedric’s corpse.

He wanted to see Elsez.

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached him.

“Sir Rashiel.”

It was the butler.

Rashiel gave him a silent look instead of asking what the matter was.

The butler spoke in a troubled voice.

“Her Highness the Crown Princess… they say she’s unconscious.”

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

The next morning.

As Elsez came out, ready to return to the temple, Jack approached her.

With a sly grin spread wide across his face.

Elsez had a bad feeling as soon as she saw his expression.

Jack pointed with his chin toward Tezette, who was just coming down the stairs, and asked:

“That duke guy?”

“What about him?”

“The one who confessed to Ace the other day.”

“The duke has nothing to do with it.”

“Would you really let some random guy sleep at our guild?”

“He couldn’t go into the temple during curfew hours. I couldn’t just leave him on the streets.”

“Wait a sec. So there’s another guy chasing you?!”

“Ssshh, keep your voice down!”

Elsez quickly brought a finger to her lips to shush Jack.

Jack giggled mischievously and whispered,

“What a sinful woman. So sinful.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Love drama between young people—nothing more fun.”

Elsez gave Jack a sideways glare, but then chuckled in defeat.

Seeing Tezette approaching, Elsez said to Jack,

“Jack, the kid in the tank… take care of them, okay? I’ll tell the Master.”

Jack, sipping morning coffee from the counter, gave her an “OK” sign with his fingers instead of answering.

Elsez left the guild with Tezette and headed to the temple.

Today was the day of the strategy meeting with Dike.

Each time Elsez’s mouth was free, Tezette popped a piece of toast from the guild into it.

Elsez absentmindedly chewed on the toast he offered, then suddenly looked at him curiously.

“You still have more of that? You really brought a lot.”

She didn’t realize most of it had gone into her mouth.

As the two walked toward the meeting hall, they saw priests and holy knights hurrying around, arms full of supplies.

‘What’s going on?’

Wondering about it, Elsez reached the temple building where the meeting would be held.

There, the two ran into a familiar face.

“Why are you two coming together?”

Cassian’s expression clearly darkened as he saw Tezette next to Elsez.

“We slept at the guild toge—”

Before Tezette could finish, Elsez quickly shoved a piece of toast into his mouth to shut him up.

What he was about to say would only make Cassian misunderstand.

Of course, Cassian would figure it out once he went to the guild, but Jack and Perce would back her up.

Elsez forced an awkward smile.

“We ran into each other.”

Leaving out the words last night.

Cassian looked at the two of them with a doubtful eye but didn’t press further.

Instead, his attention shifted to Tezette.

“Still, I’m surprised you came. You’re never at these meetings.”

“…….”

As always, Tezette ignored Cassian’s remark.

Watching the usual chilly tension between the two, Elsez thought,

‘How peaceful.’

Then suddenly, remembering what she’d seen earlier on the way there, she asked Cassian,

“Oh, right. Master, what’s going on at the temple today? The priests and knights seemed super busy.”

“Oh, that. I didn’t know either, but apparently the founding festival season is coming up. Looks like they’re getting ready for it.”

‘Oh yeah, the founding festival happens around now.’

Elsez finally remembered that the festival took place around this time of year.

Back when she was Ruel, if her stay in the Holy Nation overlapped with the festival, they’d all go out and enjoy it together.

A faint summer-night memory.

‘Maybe this year, if we get the chance, we can all go together again.’

It’s not like they’d be strategizing nonstop.

Thinking that, Elsez stepped into the meeting room with the others.

Five minutes before the meeting, Aster entered. On the dot, Dike came in.

Both of them looked surprised to see Tezette sitting beside Elsez.

Especially Dike, who looked pleased to see him.

“I actually have good news to share with everyone, so I’m glad Tezette could come. It’s a bit of a shame Rashiel isn’t here, though.”

“Good news?”

“Yes. I’ve been wanting to share this for a while, but only now can I finally talk about it.”

Looking at Dike’s radiant smile, Elsez felt an odd sense of unease.

“We’re about to face a major battle. So I’ve called someone who can be a source of strength to all of you.”

Not just Elsez, but the three men also looked at Dike in confusion.

Instead of answering, Dike turned toward the door and called out.

“Come in.”

Creak-

Along with the sound of heavy doors opening, footsteps approached from beyond the curtain at the entrance.

All four pairs of eyes turned toward the veil.

With each slow footstep drawing closer, Elsez’s heartbeat grew louder, her unease deepening without cause.

And finally, the figure passed through the curtain—when Elsez saw the face, she let out a stunned laugh.

A woman with luscious chocolate-colored hair and eyes as black as obsidian.

A face Elsez could never fail to recognize. She had lived with it for ten whole years.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

Ruel Iris.

The same woman whose face Elsez had glimpsed beneath the priestess’s mask the night before.