Cursed Villainess’ Obsession Chapter 77

━ Taang.

As the door closed, a scene I had never seen before unfolded before my eyes.

“…….”

This was clearly a room I had never encountered.

Yet, for so reason, it felt familiar.

Lafne had beco trapped in this tower as a consequence of losing a duel against Ken.

No one had inford her how long it would last.

She was left alone here, waiting for a day with no end in sight.

“……You said you liked .”

Tears dripped from Lafne’s downcast eyes.

“…You said you liked .”

Words tinged with resentnt.

Yet the source of her tears was not injustice.

It was what Ken had said to her after he defeated her in their duel.

‘As punishnt for tornting , Lafne, you are now imprisoned in this tower.’

His cold gaze, fixed upon her, resurfaced in her mind.

Why had she forgotten?

She had been the one who tornted him.

Sowhere along the way, she had beco blinded by the tender feelings that had grown within her, forgetting that truth.

As she confronted his frigid gaze, the fact she had overlooked ca rushing back.

Lafne did not feel wronged for being trapped in the tower.

“…Huh, huh.”

It was simply the realization, brought on by his cold gaze.

The fact that the happy future she had envisioned with him could no longer exist.

That thought pained Lafne’s heart.

“Why did I do that…?”

Now, looking back, she regretted her past actions.

“…Huh, how foolish.”

She sank to the floor, shedding tears without restraint.

She felt more resentful toward herself for tornting him than toward the man who had imprisoned her in the tower after claiming he liked her.

“Really, I’m so foolish…”

Until just recently, she hadn’t felt such emotions at all.

But now, her thoughts were completely filled with him.

Overnight, she had dread of becoming his lover.

Forgetting everything she had done in the past.

And then, suddenly, Lafne gazed into the empty space before her.

Though there were enough furnishings necessary for living, the space felt empty for so reason.

“…Why does it feel like this?”

Her shoulders trembled as she looked at the desolate space.

For so reason, this place was unpleasant.

There was a sickening sensation creeping up from her chest.

But Lafne couldn’t comprehend what this feeling was.

It was undoubtedly a new sensation, yet it felt all too familiar, evoking fear within her.

“…Ah, ah…”

Suddenly, that sensation grew larger.

“I, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it━…!”

She wrapped her arms around her head, curled up, and lay face down on the cold stone floor.

At that mont, she began to understand what the source of this unpleasant sensation was.

An overwhelming loneliness crashing down like a tidal wave.

And the pain of being rejected by everyone.

Her parents, her family, her friends, the academy, and even her country.

No one ca looking for her.

Everyone turned their backs on her.

Forgotten despair surged forth.

“Huh, ugh…”

For so reason, Lafne trembled in panic at that familiar sensation and kept seeing his face from earlier.

“…Ke, Ken…. Huh, Ken!”

Tears fell, soaking the floor as she called out the na of the person she yearned to see.

When everyone turned away from her.

Only one person.

The one who had co searching for her.

And the more she desperately sought him…

‘I’ll never abandon you….’

Fragnts of mories she had never experienced before began to surface in her mind.

“What is this…?”

With tears streaming down her face, Lafne gazed around the room.

There she was.

Crying, clinging to soone, begging them not to leave.

And in front of her was a figure she longed for.

A round, clumsy-looking body, but one that treated her kinder than anyone else.

“Stop crying now. I’ll co again tomorrow.”

A gentle smile looked down upon her with affection.

When they were together.

As long as they could be together.

It made her indifferent to whoever rejected her.

Such a precious person.

Such precious mories.

“……What is this…?”

Lafne watched the scene unfold with a blank expression.

‘Will she be alright?’

I found myself lost in thought as I stared at the moon rising from my dorm room.

My mind was filled with Lafne.

She had, once again, been trapped in the tower as I intended.

When I contemplated a shocking situation that would jolt her mory during my consultation with Alicia.

The tower imdiately ca to mind.

The cause of my eting with Lafne.

And that space existed largely within her lost mories.

I recalled the first ti I t Lafne.

Her fragile state, desperately clinging to , begging not to leave.

“…I wonder if she’ll be alright.”

That’s why I was worried.

Lafne truly hated being alone in that place.

That’s why I made the pendant, so she could break her curse and escape the tower.

“…Hah.”

I carefully brushed my fingers over the pendant resting in my hand.

Having made it once, I could convert my mana to replenish the insufficient materials and recreate it.

Of course, now such an item was unnecessary for Lafne.

Still, it was the result of our efforts when we t.

‘…She must be struggling.’

Although Lafne had no mories, feelings from the past easily resurfaced.

If so, being trapped in that tower would also bring back those emotions.

I looked again at the dark sky and the shining moon.

And I envisioned Lafne trembling alone in that tower.

“…….”

No, this won’t do.

I jumped right out the window.

━ Tak.

My light body landed softly on the ground.

Then I ran along the familiar path to that nostalgic place.

Originally, I had planned to leave Lafne alone in the tower for a few days.

Perhaps if the ti was short, her mories wouldn’t return.

But wanting Lafne to find her mories was rely my own selfish desire.

Was it alright for her to suffer in the tower because of my selfishness?

I had just imprisoned her there today.

It was absurd that I was running back out of worry so quickly.

‘…I’ll just check on her condition a bit.’

Before long, I arrived under the familiar tower.

Still old, shabby, and simple in structure, the tall tower lood above.

“Hm, I’m sure it’s difficult to sneak a peek from the door…?”

I looked up at the tall tower.

The only opening was the window of the room where Lafne was.

In the past, I could never have imagined doing this.

Now, I planned to scale the tower's outer wall to approach the window.

I had the strength to take down even a field boss by myself.

This much wouldn’t be difficult.

━ Ta-at.

First, I carefully jumped from my place to avoid making any noise above.

I reached about halfway up the tower and placed my hands in a suitable position.

As expected of an old tower, it was easy to grip the outer wall thanks to the gaps.

Before long, I reached the top floor of the tower, my intended destination.

━ Thak.

I carefully gripped the window fra and lifted myself up.

It was now late at night.

If it were the usual Lafne, she would probably be asleep by now.

Judging by the absence of sound from inside, it seed she wasn’t crying.

I cautiously raised my head above the window to check the state of the room.

‘…She’s not on the bed….’

Then I spotted Lafne collapsed on the floor.

“L, Lafne━!”

Seeing her, I inadvertently shouted and imdiately climbed through the window into the room.

Was it too cruel to trap her in the tower?

It might have been too hard for her to endure in a space that was already difficult for her.

I rushed to pick her up.

“Lafne━! Wake up━!”

Her body was warm, and her breathing was steady.

But her expression was pained.

“…Umm.”

I cradled her with one arm and shook her shoulder with the other, and slowly she opened her eyes.

“Ken….”

As Lafne opened her eyes and saw holding her, her pupils trembled.

“……Ken.”

She raised one hand to my chest and clutched my collar.

As if to say she wouldn’t let go anywhere.

Then her hand gradually moved up, and soon she wrapped both arms around my neck.

I felt the familiar warmth of Lafne and she buried her face in my neck.

“L, Lafne… Are you okay?”

She didn’t seem to have any injuries.

But her condition was strange.

She held onto for a mont, remaining silent.

Then, at so point, she suddenly spoke.

“Ken… do you hate a lot?”

Her voice trembled.

It was uncertain and frightened, a stark contrast to her usual boldness I had heard recently.

‘Is it because I trapped her in the tower…?’

I couldn’t find the words to answer.

Even if I said otherwise, the fact that I had imprisoned her in the tower under the pretense of punishnt was undeniable.

I could only stroke Lafne’s hair gently, filled with pity.

“You see… I know that I’ve done things that would make hated.”

Then Lafne continued her words.

In a voice on the verge of tears. A voice that seed about to spill over.

She lowered her face that had been resting on my neck and looked at .

As I expected, small tears gathered in her eyes, looking at sadly.

“But I keep thinking about you.”

“Lafne….”

Eventually, the tears that had ford in her eyes grew larger, rolling down her cheeks and falling to the floor from her chin.

“I know I’m bad, but… I can’t help but keep thinking about you, I want to see you.”

Then she lowered her head, as if it was hard to et my gaze.

“…And that’s why I t you like this. I t the you I’ve wanted to see.”

Then she shook her head.

“No….”

“……Not so?”

What did she an by that?

I had thought it was natural for Lafne to seek out.

After all, it had been like that even before she lost her mories.

But she was saying I was not the one she wanted.

“What I want to see, the Ken Feinstein I’ve been longing for… is not this version of you… huh.”

“…Lafne, you.”

“I want to see you. Surely the you from before you lost weight was not like this… But I miss that you too much….”

Finally, Lafne buried her face in my chest and started to sob.

‘This…’

It has an effect.

While she had a strong desire to seek before being trapped in the tower, Lafne was now undoubtedly searching for the from her mories.

Not the one whose appearance had changed from weight loss.

But the who had continually co to see her while she was imprisoned in the tower.

However, she hadn’t fully recalled the mories.

Sothing was missing.

While parts of her forgotten mories surfaced in the trauma of being trapped in the tower, the mories of the past hadn’t returned completely.

“Lafne.”

I called her na as I gently stroked her hair, which was buried in my embrace.

Then I softly grasped her shoulders, drawing her back to look at her tear-stained face.

“Even though my appearance has changed a lot… The Ken Feinstein you’re looking for is definitely .”

“…….”

“I will prove it to you now.”

Lafne stared at in silence.

In fact, when I heard about the shock therapy from Alicia, this was the first thod that ca to mind.

However, since it was an intensely personal mory for , I had hesitated, unsure if it would apply to Lafne.

But now, it should be fine.

If Lafne was looking for with such desperation.

This mory would surely be special and intense as well.

With that thought, I approached her as she looked at with tearful eyes.

And I kissed her.

“…Huh?!”

As my sudden kiss took her by surprise, Lafne’s shocked voice echoed, yet her trembling hands did not push away.

Instead, she gripped my shoulders tightly as if to say not to let go.

The familiar softness of Lafne’s lips felt so good after a long ti.

And I sensed her warm body and the familiar, comforting scent of her close by.

“……Ah, ah…”

After a mont, I slowly pulled my lips away, and Lafne looked at with blushing cheeks and trembling eyes.

“Th, this, this lips…!”

Her words stumbled out, and her panicked eyes darted around, clearly flustered.

Then, pop.

“…Huh.”

With smoke coming out of her head, Lafne collapsed into my arms.

“W, what?! Lafne?!”

I hadn’t expected her to faint.

Perhaps the intense stress from being trapped in the tower, along with the discrepancy between the from her mories and the reality, and the sudden kiss had overloaded her.

I gently stroked Lafne’s cheek as she lay on the bed, trying to think it through.

‘No fever.’

Fortunately, Lafne, who had been fainting and letting out smoke, cald down after so ti, having been laid on the bed.

Now, Lafne’s face lay peacefully.

‘…I hope it worked.’

There were no more intense experiences I could offer her.

Of course, jumping into a trap in the tower of Tarros could be considered an intense mory.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t go that far.

If possible, I hoped that this would help restore her mories.

As I held Lafne’s hand, I waited with a prayer in my heart.

“…Umm.”

Lafne opened her eyes.

━ Swoosh.

“Lafne? …Is it okay to wake up?”

As soon as her eyes opened, Lafne sat up.

She stared blankly ahead.

There was no response, even when I called her.

Worry crept in as I waited for her to do sothing else.

Then…

“……O, oh?”

Light returned to her blank eyes, and soon her face was filled with bewildernt.

“Lafne…?”

“Ken….”

As I cautiously called her na from beside her, she looked at with trembling eyes, startled.

And for so reason, she gazed at with a frightened expression.

…What was happening?

If it was because of the kiss earlier, she should be embarrassed, not scared.

…Could it be.

“Lafne, did your mories co back?”

“…….”

I asked Lafne about the mont I had longed for, gripping her hand with an anxious heart.

But Lafne seed to ignore my desperate feelings, awkwardly avoiding my gaze.

“, ? What, what mory? Hehe, Ken, wha, what are you talking about? I’ve never forgotten you!”

Her mory has returned.

The Lafne in front of , her deanor, everything is just as it was before the past was altered.

But…

“……Why can’t you et my gaze?”

“Uh, uhm? ? No way? I can see perfectly!”

For so reason, Lafne’s state seed strange.

She looked like she was hiding sothing.

This was the longest ti Lafne had spent with since Ken possessed her. I could gauge her true feelings from her reaction.

“…Wow~ But it’s amazing that you returned from the trip~ It’s strange to wake up and find myself on the bed, hehe.”

In particular, her reaction right now felt very much like Lafne when she was lying.

If her mories had returned…

…Then why was she lying?

More importantly, what was she lying about?

“…Wait, did you just say you ca back from a trip?”

“……Ugh.”

She was probably talking about the timing of her return after conquering the tower of Tarros.

…Did her mories connect from that point onward when they returned?

‘Then what about the mories from when she lost her mories…?’

Just because her mories returned, it shouldn’t an that the mories ford after the past changed would vanish.

Listening to Lafne’s words, it sounded as if those mories had disappeared.

“…Heh, hehe.”

“…….”

I gazed at Lafne, who tried to brush it off with a forced laugh under my watchful eyes.

But as that gaze lingered, she soon began to tremble and then…

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…!!”

Tears suddenly burst forth as she clung to my waist.

“Ugh, I’m sorry…! Ke-en…!! But that’s not what I did…!! All of that was when I had no mories…!!”

Then she looked up at , pleading.

Ah, I see. That makes sense.

When Lafne had lost her mories, she was still in a state where she tornted .

After retrieving her mories, the tornting recollections of her past mixed with the mories of our ti together.

She was likely feeling sorry because she was still tornting even in her second year.

“Ugh, I’m sorry…! I’m so sorry for what I did…!!”

She soon started to sob loudly.

In truth, I had no recollection of what she had done, so I didn’t know what she had done.

But if she was crying and apologizing like this…

…What on earth did she do?

After that, I kept probing about it, but Lafne shook her head and didn’t answer.

Well, from my perspective, it was an event that never happened.

I didn’t pry any further.

Instead.

“I’m glad you’re back, Lafne.”

I hugged her and stroked her hair.

“……Ken.”

Lafne’s mories had returned.