I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me Chapter 58

Elsez’s golden eyes blinked slowly as she stared up at Tezette.

Then, without warning—

Her fist slammed into his chest.

“……!?”

A sharp gasp tore from his throat.

He stumbled back, clutching his chest, momentarily unable to breathe.

Shock. Pain. Confusion.

All reflected in his deep green eyes as he snapped his gaze to Elsez—only to find her smiling.

A sweet, slow, satisfied smile.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”

Tezette said nothing.

Still stunned.

Still reeling.

Elsez tilted her head, her voice soft—almost kind.

“But you know what? Loving you hurt a lot more.”

Of course, those weren’t her own feelings.

They belonged to the original Elsez—the girl who had once adored this man.

But Elsez, the one who now stay in this body, still felt a sense of responsibility.

After all—

“I’m the one who raised you to be like this.”

She had shaped the person standing before her.

And so, it was her duty to fix him.

Elsez folded her arms, watching Tezette catch his breath.

“People’s feelings aren’t toys, Your Grace.”

“…….”

“Going around, toying with hearts just because of that ridiculously handsome face of yours—”

She reached out and lightly tapped his cheek with her index finger.

“—is absolutely villainous.”

Tezette still didn’t respond.

His gaze simply remained fixed on her.

For the first time, true emotion flickered across his face.

Pain. Frustration. Something deeper.

Elsez felt satisfied.

He had spent his life ignoring emotions.

Dismissing them.

Never once bothering to understand them.

And yet now—

She could see them flickering in his eyes.

Elsez let out a small, amused hum.

“I don’t love you anymore, Your Grace.”

Tezette’s grip on her tightened.

She ignored it.

“So if you want something from me now, you’ll have to put in some effort.”

She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a playful whisper.

“Because in this world, the one who’s desperate has to be the one to bow first.”

Silence.

Tezette’s emerald eyes flickered.

His gaze lingered on her face.

And then, slowly—

He narrowed his eyes.

Not in anger.

Not in irritation.

But in curiosity.

The woman before him was not the same Elsez Rohen.

She didn’t look at him the same way.

Didn’t love him the same way.

And yet—

Why was it that when he looked at her now, for the first time in years, that terrible, gnawing emptiness inside him lessened?

For so long, nothing had been able to fill the void.

Not wealth.

Not power.

Not even revenge.

But her—this version of Elsez—made something stir.

It was fascinating.

Fascinating enough to make him want to understand.

“I don’t know how to read emotions.”

His voice was quiet, his expression unreadable.

Elsez blinked.

“……”

“I don’t know what words to say to make you happy. I don’t know how to make you come with me to the banquet. I don’t know how to make you look at me again.”

“……”

“So teach me.”

“Tell me what I need to do.”

Elsez was momentarily speechless.

Because for Tezette, this was as close to genuine honesty as she had ever heard.

This was a man who had spent his whole life avoiding emotions—

And now, for the first time, he was asking to understand them.

‘Damn it…’

With a face like his, saying something like that…

Was the most underhanded, unfair thing possible.

And the worst part?

He had no idea how unfair it was.

Elsez sighed deeply, running a hand through her hair.

“It’s simple, really.”

Tezette looked at her expectantly.

“Just be honest.”

“……Honest?”

“Tell me how you feel. Tell me you want me to go. Tell me you need me there.”

She lifted her hand and offered it to him.

A demonstration.

Tezette’s eyes flickered.

Then, cautiously—almost hesitantly—

He mirrored her.

Reaching out, his fingers brushed against hers.

“I… want you to come with me.”

His voice was soft.

Hesitant.

“Will you come with me… to the banquet?”

Elsez couldn’t help but smirk.

“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

She took his hand.

Fingers curling lightly around his.

“Alright, Your Grace.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Tezette’s entire body went still.

Not from shock.

Not from confusion.

But because—

For the first time in years—

Someone was smiling at him.

Just for him.

 

****

 

 

 

The next day, Elsez arrived at Rashiel’s private mansion, just as she had for the past week.

Inside the grand library, she wandered the towering bookshelves, carefully selecting a book.

Across from her, Rashiel was also scanning the shelves, his fingers drifting lazily over the spines of various tomes.

‘It’s about time I bring up the banquet.’

Elsez had agreed to attend the banquet with Tezette—not just because he asked, but for her own reasons as well.

‘I need to assess the nobles and the Imperial family.’

So far, everyone connected to the cult trying to revive the Demon God had been nobles.

That meant the remaining hidden conspirators were likely to be nobles too.

And since Rashiel had been publicly declared a traitor, those conspirators were probably lying low.

But…

If they were attending the banquet to gauge the Empire’s response, then there was a chance Elsez could identify them.

A lead on the masked man.

‘If I can find even one of them…’

Elsez had no solid proof that Rashiel was behind the recent events.

She had questioned him repeatedly, but he only gave her vague answers.

So if she couldn’t get the truth out of him, she had to dig deeper elsewhere.

Which meant—

The banquet was a crucial opportunity.

From behind the bookshelf, Elsez’s golden eyes flicked toward Rashiel.

She took a deep breath, stepped around the shelf, and called out—

“Sir Rashiel.”

His violet eyes shifted to meet hers.

“Can I take tomorrow off?”

“Why?”

“The Imperial banquet is tomorrow. I was invited, and…”

She trailed off, choosing her next words carefully.

“It’s difficult to refuse a direct invitation from the Crown Prince.”

If Rashiel was truly connected to the Demon God’s revival, then he had every reason to be suspicious of her attending a high-profile noble gathering.

Would he refuse?

Would he interrogate her about it?

Would he—

“Go.”

“Huh?”

She blinked, momentarily thrown off by his casual approval.

She had expected resistance.

Doubt.

A test of loyalty.

But instead, he just, let her go?

“Really?”

“You said you believe in me.”

Elsez froze.

Rashiel closed the book in his hand and slid it back onto the shelf before turning fully to face her.

“If you truly believe I’m not a traitor… then I have no reason to doubt you either.”

Elsez stared at him.

For a fleeting moment—

She wondered.

‘Maybe… he also wants someone to believe in him.’

The thought unsettled her in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

But instead of voicing it, she simply smiled.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Rashiel held her gaze for a moment longer before tilting his head slightly.

“Are you attending with your husband?”

“My husba—”

Elsez almost blurted out, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ before she remembered.

She was supposed to be Anna Ritz.

A married woman.

She barely caught herself in time.

“…Yes. Of course.”

A strange chill settled in Rashiel’s violet eyes.

“What kind of man is he?”

Elsez hesitated.

‘Why does he care?’

She quickly concocted an imaginary husband.

“Oh, he’s kind. Hardworking.”

“And?”

“Tall. Strong. And, well… handsome.”

There was a brief silence.

Then—

“I’m tall. Strong. Hardworking.”

“… What?”

“Handsome, too.”

Rashiel smiled.

A slow, lazy curve of his lips.

Then he leaned down—

Just slightly.

Just enough that his silver hair spilled forward, brushing against his shoulder, his earring glinting in the dim library light.

It was an intentional move.

A man fully aware of his devastating effect.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Elsez found herself staring.

For just a second.

Her mind blanked.

‘…Holy hell, why is he so unfairly good-looking?’

She snapped out of it, swallowing hard.

‘No. No. This man is dangerous. I am NOT falling for this.’

The narrow space between the bookshelves suddenly felt way too small.

The air too heavy.

She needed to escape.

“Wow! You’re the perfect husband material, huh?”

She forced out a bright, exaggerated laugh, stepping backward before she could get caught up in his pace.

As she turned away, she missed the way—

His smile faded.

His eyes darkened.

“Where are you going?”

“I need a ladder. The book I need is on the top shelf.”

That was a lie.

She just needed a reason to leave.

Unfortunately, Rashiel wasn’t letting her off so easily.

“Which book?”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll get it for you.”

Elsez internally cursed.

There was no book.

She had to pick something—fast.

Her eyes darted up to the bookshelf, searching for anything.

“Uh… that purple one.”

Rashiel’s gaze flickered.

A tiny movement—

But Elsez caught it.

Slowly, he reached up—

And pulled down the book beside it.

A brown one.

Elsez frowned.

“Not that one. The purple one.”

For just a second, something shifted in his expression.

But it was gone before she could read it.

Wordlessly, he passed her the correct book.

Elsez accepted it, flashing a polite smile.

“Thanks. I’ll get the rest on my own.”

“Alright.”

Rashiel retrieved his own book from the shelf and left without another word.

Elsez, however, didn’t move.

Her mind was racing.

Because in that brief exchange—

She had remembered something.

The day before, in the garden.

When she had complimented the blue roses.

Rashiel hadn’t looked at the roses.

He had looked at her.

And now—

She had pointed at the purple book—

And he had reached for the wrong one first.

Elsez’s fingers clenched around the book in her hands.

And then, a memory surfaced—

A conversation she had once had with Astaire.

‘Your Grace… is there such a thing as a magic tool that changes eye color?’

‘There is, but… they have severe side effects. In some cases, they even cause vision impairment.’