Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 12

Then came the time she had to endure, standing there in her wet, heavy clothes. Her body would start to shiver from the cold. Her teeth would chatter, and her legs would tremble, but she couldn’t move. The only way to escape this punishment was to either present the correct answer or collapse.

Cough, cough.

Oddly enough, the days when she caught a cold were almost a relief. At least then, her father wouldn’t scold her. But even lying sick in bed drew his disapproval.

“You’re weak.”

She feared her father’s gaze. The memory of those cold, wet punishments haunted her. She believed it was all her fault, the result of her own weakness and fear.

And she hated herself for it.

“You see, when you try, you can do it.”

So Mary began to act strong. She pretended to be someone who remained unfazed by any pain or hardship. Someone as cold as ice, who suppressed all emotions and overcame her weakness. Someone who could protect others. That act soon became a new persona for her. A way to shield herself from the wet cold, from her father’s harsh gaze, and from all the things that tormented her.

Thus, the cold, unshakable Mary Hydia was born.

"...I hate it."

But when she got soaked again...

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll do better. I'll try harder. I’ll give it my all. I'm so sorry…"

She would revert to the weak, frightened version of herself. With the damp, clinging sensation of wet clothes, she would lose the person she pretended to be.

‘...I can’t go out.’

And so, Mary came to hate rainy days. The raindrops that filled the view outside her window represented the looming possibility of getting drenched. She couldn’t even take a single step out of the building.

‘I should be going to the academy...’

But she couldn’t. It felt like the rain had cursed her.

After calming Laphne down, I took out my crafting tools. Truthfully, I still had no idea how to help Mary overcome her trauma. I didn’t even know exactly what her trauma was. But when I thought about it carefully, my goal wasn’t to completely cure her trauma—it was simply to get her to attend the academy on rainy days.

The reason Mary avoided the academy on such days was her fear of getting wet. So, if I could prevent that from happening...

‘If she doesn’t get wet, that should solve it, right?’

A simple but effective solution. So, I decided to give crafting a shot.

"Laphne... hey."

"..."

By the way, while Laphne had calmed down, she was still sulking. Normally, she’d be chattering away beside me, but now she was facing away, playing with her dolls.

‘Well, I don't need her help with fire right now, so it should be fine.’

Eventually, once I kept coming to the tower, the misunderstanding would resolve itself. Besides, I wasn’t exactly someone girls flocked to, given my current appearance…

After organizing my tools, I took out the materials I had gathered: the leather from the [Albino One-Eyed Giant].

‘Not sure if this will work.’

This crafting project was different from the last time I made a dagger. Back then, the skill had automatically provided me with a blueprint in my mind. But this time, I was trying something experimental.

‘I’m going to try making something that doesn’t belong to any existing category.’

If this worked, the potential for crafting would be limitless. If I could create something without it being predefined in the skill’s catalog, there would be so many possibilities.

And my first test would be...

‘I’m going to make a raincoat.’

With that thought, I picked up my cutting tools and focused, channeling my will into the leather.

‘Item crafting.’

I felt the skill activate, and various options appeared in my mind. However, this time, I didn’t select any of them. Instead, I opened my eyes and brought the scissors to the leather.

‘Amazing… It’s like my hands are moving on their own.’

Luckily, the skill worked as intended, and the scissors smoothly cut through the leather. Unlike crafting the dagger, this time I had to imagine and calculate every step myself. I racked my brain for any knowledge I had from before I came to this world, trying to recall how to make a raincoat.

One by one, I stitched the pieces of leather together with needle and thread. Though I had never done any sewing before, my hands worked with incredible speed, connecting the leather into a garment.

The giant's hide, which had once been just a lump of raw material, was now transformed into a perfect coat.

‘Now for the finishing touch.’

I attached a brooch-like item to the collar of the raincoat.

‘Done!’

[System: You have successfully crafted an original item not listed in the crafting catalog. Bonus experience awarded.]

[System: You have crafted 'White Leather Raincoat.']

[System: Raincoat blueprint added to crafting catalog.]

The crafting was a success.

A few days after the rainy day when Ken and Mary had gotten soaked...

Tap!

Rain was pouring down once again.

Tap!

‘…What’s that sound?’

Mary was curled up on her bed as usual on rainy days, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of how she should be attending the academy. Then, the tapping sound caught her attention.

Tap!

It was the sound of something small hitting the window. Mary hesitated as she moved to open it. Outside, countless raindrops were falling. Just looking at them made her body tremble.

Tap!

‘A pebble…?’

As Mary stared at the window, she finally saw the source of the noise: a small stone. Someone was deliberately throwing it.

‘…Who is it?’

After gathering her courage, she reached for the window. With trembling hands, she pushed the glass open.

“Kyaa!”

A gust of wind blew in, carrying some raindrops with it, causing her to shrink back in surprise.

“W-Wait! Are you alright?!”

A familiar voice called out, full of concern. Encouraged by the voice, Mary cautiously peeked outside.

“Over here!”

Standing below, holding an umbrella, was Ken.

“What brings you to the girls’ dormitory…?”

Surprised by Ken’s sudden visit, Mary quickly dressed and went down to the dormitory entrance. As per the rules, Ken couldn’t enter the dormitory, so he stood outside the gate, smiling and waving.

But Mary couldn’t smile back.

‘I can’t go out there.’

Ken, respecting the rules, didn’t step inside. He waited outside in the rain, under his umbrella. They stood facing each other, separated by the threshold—dry indoors for Mary, and the pouring rain outside where Ken stood.

“I’ve come to escort you, Mary! Come on, let’s go to the academy together!”

Ken’s bright smile didn’t match the absurdity of his statement.

“…What?”

He clearly knew her situation from a few days ago. Surely, he understood that she couldn’t go to the academy in this weather with the rain coming down like this.

“Ken, I’m sorry, but I…”

“I know. That’s why I’ve prepared something for you. Just wait a moment.”

Ken interrupted her, then reached into the small pouch at his waist. To Mary’s surprise, he pulled out a large piece of clothing from the small pouch.

‘A spatial pouch…!’

Even in the Kingdom of Lilias, known for its trade and technology, such items were rare. But her amazement was brief as her attention shifted to the garment he had pulled out.

“What is that?”

“Well, I eyeballed the measurements, so if it doesn’t fit, I can adjust it.”

“…What?”

Without hesitation, Ken took a step forward. He crossed the boundary from the rain into the dry space where Mary stood. For a moment, she nearly backed away, but then felt something gently drape over her shoulders.

“What…?”

The fabric wrapped around her, easily covering her down to her calves. At first glance, it looked like a cloak.

‘…A raincoat?’

Mary quickly realized what it was: a coat designed to protect someone from the rain, a raincoat to be worn when using an umbrella wasn’t feasible.

‘What’s the point of this…?’

Mary wasn’t unfamiliar with raincoats. She had tried wearing one before, in an attempt to overcome her fear of rainy days. But it hadn’t worked. The raindrops still hit her, and the fear of getting wet remained. Wearing a raincoat didn’t help her at all.

“Now, everything’s perfect! How do you feel?”

But this time, the raincoat Ken had put on her felt different. His gentle hands placed the hood over her head, and he fastened the brooch at her chest. It wasn’t just an ordinary brooch.

‘That’s a spirit stone.’

It was green—the color of the wind element.

“Mary, try channeling some magic into the gemstone on your chest.”

Ken smiled confidently, urging her to follow his instructions. Hesitant but curious, Mary did as he said, gently channeling a small amount of her magic into the stone. The green spirit stone absorbed her energy and began to glow faintly.

“Kyaa!”

A sudden gust of wind swirled around Mary, startling her.

“Maybe tone it down a bit? Just a little less power.”

“…Y-Yes.”

She followed his suggestion, reducing the amount of magic flowing into the gemstone. As she did, the wind around her softened.

“This is perfect! Now, how does it feel?”

Mary could feel the gentle breeze surrounding her body, forming a light but impenetrable barrier.

“I’ve used the wind cloak spell and applied it to this raincoat. How does it feel? Do you feel more at ease now?”

“……”

Mary tentatively hugged her arms, testing the barrier. The breeze pushed her hands away, as if protecting her from outside forces. The sensation was unlike anything she had felt before. Even her own hands couldn’t penetrate the invisible wind shield.

“Or perhaps you should step outside and see for yourself?”

Ken gently took her hand and led her toward the rain. As she walked with him, she took several hesitant steps, but then...

“W-Wait, Ken! Hold on!”

She stopped him urgently.

“Ah, s-sorry! Was that too sudden?”

Ken quickly apologized, understanding her fear. His hand trembled slightly as it held hers, but his touch remained gentle and reassuring.

‘…I won’t get wet with this.’

It was strange. The reason she couldn’t step out into the rain was her trauma—the fear of getting soaked, the cold, wet memory that haunted her. But now, that problem had been solved. Yet she still couldn’t take the step outside.

‘…I’m still such a coward.’

She hated this part of herself. She hated being the kind of person who caused trouble for others, who was always afraid. Even though Ken had gone through the trouble of crafting this valuable item for her, her cowardice still held her back.

Mary pressed her lips together in frustration.

‘I can’t… I just can’t do it.’

Just as she was about to let go of Ken’s hand, he spoke again.

“I guess it’s still a little scary, huh?”

“…What?”

Ken’s voice wasn’t hurried or accusing. It was just gentle and understanding.

“I’m sorry. I guess I thought it would be easier to overcome than it really is. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Despite it being her fault for being such a coward, Ken was blaming himself. He understood her hesitation and accepted it without judgment.

“Then, how about this?”

He smiled again and stepped closer. As he approached, another layer of protection covered her—Ken’s umbrella. He held it over her head, adding another shield between her and the rain.

“If the rain tries to get you, I’ll protect you.”

He smiled gently, with a look that was both mischievous and brotherly. It was a reassuring smile.

“After all, I’ve got the size to handle it! You can rely on me whenever you need!”

“……”

“And now…”

He took her hand again, but this time it wasn’t forceful or insistent. It was just a gentle guide, leading her forward.

She stared at his back as he walked ahead, shielding her from the rain.

“How does it feel? Not bad, right?”

When Mary came back to her senses, she realized she had already stepped outside into the rain.

“…What?”

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella surrounded her. But that was all it was—a sound. Not a single drop touched her. Ken was there, protecting her.