Cursed Villainess’ Obsession Chapter 74

"What the hell…."

On the day Lafne left school with Ken, she returned to her dorm, tears streaming down her face after hearing Ken say, “I have soone I like.”

She closed the door to her room and flopped down onto her bed.

Yet, her tears did not stop.

"Why am I like this?"

Lafne couldn’t understand why she was crying. The mont she heard Ken's words, an inexplicable frustration and warmth erupted from her chest, causing her tears to flow.

She couldn't comprehend it.

Just a short while ago, Ken ant nothing to her. He was rely a chubby, timid boy who irritated her, and she often teased him.

But since yesterday, Ken's thoughts wouldn’t leave her mind.

Even amidst her tears, as she felt pain from his words, her heart was crying out that she wanted to see him.

She had never felt any special emotions toward him.

Sohow, she had changed like this.

Confusion enveloped Lafne in this incomprehensible situation.

“Fine, starting tomorrow, I’ll act like I don’t know him.”

Burying her face in her pillow while crying, she made that resolution.

Though she promised herself that in her mind.

“…But who the heck is this person he likes?”

The only thing that ca to her mind was Ken’s words from a mont ago.

“Ugh! So annoying!!”

Thus, Lafne stomped her feet and buried her face in her pillow, waiting for the next day.

And morning ca.

Waking up with swollen eyes from crying all night, Lafne sat up in bed and spoke to herself.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. Why should I care about him?”

Even while combing her hair in front of the mirror.

“Just because he lost so weight and looks a bit better? Hmph, he’s still Ken.”

Then, as she changed into her school uniform and looked in the mirror again.

“Ken is Lafne. Chubby, timid. He cries at the drop of a hat. He’s not manly at all. He doesn’t know how to do anything. Just a foolish fatty.”

As she continued to repeat this, her heart gradually began to calm down.

Noticing the effect, she smiled and told herself even more about him.

“Yeah! Ken! What’s wrong with your head? You were just a bit cute! You’re kind and gentle, and your smile is cool. I just want to bury my face in your soft belly every day and sll you!”

She confidently shouted those words.

But for a mont, Lafne tilted her head.

“…Huh?”

Then she recalled what she had just said.

“W-Why am I like this?!”

Ruffling her neatly arranged hair, Lafne fell into confusion once again.

Eventually, running late for school, she hurriedly left the dorm.

“Why am I like this because of him….”

With her face scrunched up in frustration, Lafne hurried toward the academy.

While she was clearly irritated because of Ken, the thought that she might see him soon made her feel better.

Even that feeling displeased her.

“I’m not going to see him…! I won’t see him!”

Resolutely, Lafne ran.

But deep down, she knew the reason she was running wasn’t just because she was late.

And as she arrived at the academy in no ti, she climbed the stairs with a racing heart that she found botherso.

Unwillingly, she kept looking around.

What if that guy passes by?

As she ascended the stairs, her eyes shining like a puppy looking for a snack, Lafne passed by Ken’s classroom.

Normally, there would be no reason for her to pass in front of this classroom.

Since if she went up the central stairs and headed west, her classroom was right there.

But today, she used the eastern stairs instead.

“…He’s not here.”

She quickly glanced into the classroom while passing, but the figure of the guy she was looking for was nowhere to be seen.

Unintentionally feeling disappointed, Lafne made her way to her classroom.

Just then.

“…Ah.”

In the hallway she was walking, she saw the person she had been looking for at the corner by the stairs.

“…Ken.”

Even though she had vowed just monts ago not to et him, the mont she saw him, that vow vanished completely, and her feet moved toward him without her realizing it.

“…Ken!”

Her steps quickened.

As she rapidly closed the distance between them, she spotted Emily, shyly lowering her head and trying to say sothing.

Seeing that, Lafne froze.

And Ken's voice from yesterday automatically replayed in her mind.

“I have soone I like.”

The sight of those two, coupled with the words she had heard yesterday, made Lafne perceive them as a couple confessing their love.

Ping.

She felt as if sothing had snapped in her mind.

Clenching her trembling hands, she opened her mouth.

“...Is it her?”

At that, Ken turned his head and looked at her.

‘...Crap.’

A warning sound echoed in Ken’s mind imdiately.

The beast facing him exuded a more threatening aura than the ancient dragon Tarloss.

He almost wanted to summon Tirpione.

‘No, no. Summoning Tirpione would be pouring oil on the fire.’

He couldn’t imagine Lafne remaining calm if she saw the cursed sword in his arms.

“You’re asking, ‘Is she the one you want to take responsibility for?’”

“Eek!”

Emily let out a small scream as Lafne's gaze bore down on her.

It was like a rabbit confronted by a tiger.

‘C-Calm down. Right now, Lafne has no mories.’

Even if emotions from before the history change remained, they wouldn’t be as strong as before.

So, he believed he could sufficiently smooth over the situation.

Ken knew that no matter how much he explained now, it wouldn't reach Lafne's ears.

However, if he left it like this, her emotions would only intensify.

‘…No, wait a minute.’

Her emotions are escalating.

‘That ans the traces of Lafne before the history change are becoming stronger, right?’

Ken thought that maybe he could use this situation as an opportunity.

‘In that case, there's no need to deny it. Instead….’

“Emily. Calm down, and when I give the signal, quickly run to the classroom.”

“W-What?”

Emily, trembling, couldn’t understand what Ken was saying.

“I’m asking… is she that girl?”

As a beast slowly approached them.

Lafne.

When she had approached to a certain degree.

“Now! Run, Emily!”

The mont Ken rushed toward her, Emily realized what the signal was.

“I-I’m sorry! Thank you!”

Thanks to his sacrifice, Emily escaped the fear of death and rushed to the classroom.

“Eek! Where do you…!!”

Lafne tried to chase after the fleeing Emily imdiately.

But she stopped moving.

Thud.

‘Gotcha…!!’

She was unable to move due to Ken suddenly lunging at her and pulling her into an embrace.

But that didn’t matter.

She thought she could break free from this restraint with her strength and quickly chase after that girl.

With that thought, Lafne tried to squirm out of Ken’s embrace.

Of course, Ken blocked her again.

“Good, good.”

Seizing the opportunity, Ken stroked Lafne’s hair before she could start thrashing in his arms.

“U-Um?”

Then, without realizing it, Lafne rested her head against him.

‘Lafne is acting according to the emotions that remain now. …So I’ll draw out different emotions.’

The plan was to leave behind the mories ignited by jealousy while drawing out new feelings.

If soone were to ask whether such behavior would work on an enraged Lafne, the answer would be.

It worked surprisingly well.

“Ho, ho….”

Falling into a familiar sensation, Lafne quickly nestled into Ken’s arms and enjoyed his touch.

The scent she had missed so much over the past few days.

The familiar, warm embrace.

Although it wasn’t as soft as the sensation her body rembered, it was certainly what Lafne longed for.

“Phew, that was close.”

After the first period started, I sighed in relief.

Now, I was peacefully sitting in my seat in the classroom, attending the lesson.

As I expected, Lafne, overwheld by her emotions, had been led to feel familiar and positive emotions and had returned to her classroom, feeling light-headed.

This was the effect I was hoping for.

After resolving the urgent situation with Emily, I wanted Lafne to misunderstand the relationship between herself, Emily, and , further amplifying her feelings.

The more the feelings from the past intensified, the easier it would be for her to recall her mories.

‘…Of course, if her emotions grow too intense and go out of control, it would be troubleso.’

Still, my physical abilities were quite strong.

Now, I was capable enough to handle a rampaging Lafne.

Although I wasn't sure what would happen if she unleashed her unique skill.

‘I won’t die.’

At worst, I’d just take a beating.

That would be a good trade-off.

After finishing my morning classes.

I skipped lunch and imdiately left the classroom.

It was to avoid the flock of female students, but also because I had business with soone else.

“Ah, Ken…! What about lunch…!”

“I’m sorry! Mary! I’ll eat with you next ti!”

In a hurry to leave, I spotted Mary coming to this classroom but waved my hand in disappointnt.

I wanted to hear Ken’s opinion as soon as possible.

So, I headed downstairs.

There, the first-years had gathered.

“Wow, who is that?”

“Isn’t that a senior?”

“Oh my gosh, so cool… Do you know that person’s na?”

As soon as I went down to the first floor, the gazes of students gathering for lunch were drawn to .

It wasn’t common for a second-year to co down to the first-year floor.

It was likely due to my changed appearance.

When I passed by here before my diet, there hadn’t been such reactions.

‘This is so awkward….’

Enduring the stares, I scanned the classrooms looking for soone.

As I reached the third classroom.

“...Aah! Alicia!”

I found Alicia happily chatting away, surrounded by female students, and called out to her.

It had been a while, and I was glad to see her. More importantly, I wanted to consult with her, as there was no one as useful as her.

When my voice caught her attention, the students in the classroom looked at .

And then, a chorus of small screams erupted from the girls.

“Oh my gosh! Alicia! It looks like soone ca to find you!”

“W-Who is that? Soone you know? Is he your boyfriend?”

“Wow, just as expected, Alicia…! The master of love advice! I respect you! Teacher!”

The friends of Alicia, who spotted , squealed excitedly.

With all the attention on her friends, Alicia was.

“……”

Glaring at with dubious eyes.

‘…Ugh, I guess this might be a bit of a nuisance.’

I had called out to her without realizing it in my urgency.

If I had known this would happen, I should have quietly asked soone to call her for .

It was a small mistake born from not being accustod to this face.

Alicia said sothing to her friends for a mont, then approached the door of the classroom where I was standing.

Then, she grabbed my arm and pulled sowhere.

“W-What! Alicia?”

“Excuse , could you please follow quietly for a mont? Everyone’s looking at us.”

“……”

At Alicia’s words, I closed my mouth and glanced at the passing students.

Sure enough, everyone was staring at us.

Led by her hand, we headed to the academy’s main building's backyard.

It was a quieter place with fewer people.

Once we arrived in the backyard and reached a suitable spot, Alicia released my arm and looked up at .

Crossing her arms, she glared at with a serious expression.

“Haah, so, what’s going on?”

Feeling her unusual atmosphere, I hurriedly brought up my business.

“Well, um. I wanted to consult you about sothing.”

“……”

Alicia’s reaction to my words was subtle.

Her eyes seed to say, ‘What? Is it that again?’

Seeing that look, I tilted my head.

“Uh, I an, I want to find lost mories?”

“Wait, what? You want to find lost mories?”

“Right, is there any chance you can do that with your magic eyes? You know, like hypnotizing soone to retrieve mories?”

Before my reincarnation, I had seen a program where soone recalled their past life mories through hypnosis.

If that were possible, Alicia’s magic eyes might do sothing similar.

That’s why I sought her out for help.

“Sorry, but that’s difficult.”

Alicia shook her head with an apologetic expression.

“Why, why?! With your magic eyes, isn’t ntal interference possible?!”

“I wish it were possible. I can erase mories with my magic eyes, but I can’t retrieve them…”

Alicia added an explanation while holding up her index finger.

“For example, if I use my magic eyes to hypnotize soone and say, ‘Heal the wound!’ the wound won’t heal.”

“What do you an…?”

“Basically, it’s difficult to recover sothing lost, like a mory.”

Afterward, Alicia explained a similar request she had received before.

It was a request to restore the mories of a noble’s child who had lost their mories.

Alicia had tried her best, but in the end, it was useless.

“Ah, now that you ntion it!”

While telling that story, Alicia suddenly smiled brightly as if she had recalled sothing.

“That noble boy eventually found his mories!”

“What? How?”

“Hmm… I heard he recovered after experiencing sothing shocking that resembled the mories he had lost…”

Rubbing her temples with both index fingers, Alicia seed to be recalling the details.

“In other words! He solved it with shock therapy!”

She might have forgotten the details but winked playfully as she skipped over the specifics.

‘But I see….’

Shock therapy.

I definitely had mories of hearing sothing similar before my reincarnation.

A shocking event that Lafne could reenact from her lost mories.

At that mont, fleeting thoughts crossed my mind.

Specifically, my confinent.

And my first kiss with Lafne.

‘No, no. That’s a shocking mory for .’

Of course, it wasn’t sothing I disliked.

In fact, it was a pleasant mory.

“...Ah!”

As I continued to think about my experiences with Lafne, sothing suddenly clicked.

“Oh! Did you co up with a good idea?”

“Exactly! Thank you, Alicia! I’ll definitely repay you for this later!”

“Ahaha! It’s nothing! If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could help with one request next ti!”

“…A request?”

At my question, Alicia’s eyes glinted mischievously as she made a circle with her index finger and thumb to signify money.

“With a face like yours, there must be plenty of matchmaking offers! Then, any gold coins coming my way… hehehe.”

I chose to pretend I hadn’t heard that and imdiately left the scene.

“Ah, ah! You have to help !”

Let’s settle for treating her to a nice al later.