Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 16

A white blouse paired with a tennis skirt? What man wouldn’t have his heart race at that?

"Is it... strange?" she asked, hesitantly fiddling with the collar of her blouse as she noticed my intense gaze.

"Ah, no... not at all."

"...It looks really good on you," I said honestly. It wasn't flattery but a genuine thought that came from the heart.

Hearing this, her nervous expression softened into a smile, and before I knew it, she had gently grabbed my wrist.

"Then, shall we go?"

"...Ah, yes!"

Mary was taking the lead... bold.

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

Since we still had time before the tournament began, we decided to explore the festival first.

"Where should we go?" Mary asked, walking beside me. Though her face was as neutral as ever, there was an undeniable excitement in her steps. It seemed she liked festivals.

‘Having fun is one thing, but I need to find that hidden shop...’

For the record, today's festival was one of the mini-events in the game, which only happened a few times a year. And the important part of this festival? The hidden shop, which sold items crucial for clearing an upcoming event quickly.

So, as we wandered through the stalls, I kept my eyes peeled for the shop from my memories.

"This is delicious," Mary said after trying a street snack.

"Mmm, it really is! So good!" I responded, savoring the juicy grilled chicken skewer in my mouth.

Naturally, I wasn’t going to pass up on all the delicious food around us. The fragrant smells were irresistible, pulling me in. After all, the shop wasn’t going anywhere.

While I was enjoying the burst of flavor in my mouth, Mary, who had been quietly watching me, spoke up.

"You look really happy when you eat, Ken."

"Do I?"

"Yes, seeing you like that somehow makes me feel happy too... Do you have a favorite food?"

"Anything with meat is usually my favorite," I answered, drawing from Ken's preferences. After all, it was his body, so our tastes should be the same.

Mary glanced at the skewer thoughtfully and mumbled, "...I see."

What’s that supposed to mean?

After trying several food stalls, we wandered towards street performances and shops selling various oddities.

"Wow! Amazing! I've never seen anything like this before!" I exclaimed, feeling like a child seeing something new.

Adventurers and traveling merchants were displaying unique items not found in regular shops, while street magicians put on small shows using simple magic.

The festival in the game never felt like this—it was always just another event to pass by. But now, being here in person, everything felt so real—the performances, the peculiar items—it all made my heart race with excitement.

"Is this your first festival, Ken?"

Ah, maybe I looked a little too excited for someone my age...

"Well, I've seen them before but never really attended one myself..."

In-game, I must have seen them countless times. But this was the first time I was actually experiencing it firsthand.

There were performers selling magical water balloons to children, merchants showing off strange rings to couples, and kids running around with water balloons, laughing.

Everything—the sights, the smells—felt new and fascinating.

"So, today is your first real festival then?" Mary said as she leaned closer while watching a performance.

Her soft shoulder brushed against my arm.

"...I guess it is."

As I wondered if my excitement seemed strange, Mary added in a soft voice, "It’s my first time coming to a festival with a boy too."

With that, she leaned her shoulder against my arm again, the warmth of her body radiating through her touch. It felt unexpectedly warm, and suddenly, I was all too aware of the contact between us.

‘Why... why am I so nervous?’

Thump.

Thump, thump.

For some reason, my heart started pounding. It was just our shoulders touching, but it felt like my heartbeat would echo through the air.

"What do you think? Do you like the festival so far?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah... It’s nice to do something like this once in a while."

"Right? I usually find noisy crowds awkward, but today’s been fun."

The atmosphere around us seemed to shift. Despite the noise and energy of the festival, it felt like everything was quieting down between us.

In that growing silence, I tried to focus on the performance in front of us, unsure of what else to do.

Mary turned her head and quietly said, "I'm glad I came with you, Ken."

"...I'm glad too."

Her gaze, as she looked up at me, was the same calm expression she usually wore, but I could sense a hint of tension behind it.

"...Ken."

"...Yes?"

Her eyes were like a deep lake under the moonlight, pulling me in.

"Do you, by any chance... have a type of girl you—"

SPLASH!

"Kyaaa! Hahaha!"

"I’m so sorry! My brother threw it by accident! Hey, you! Stop right there!"

The almost trance-like moment was abruptly shattered by a water balloon thrown by a playful child. And the unfortunate victim of the splash?

"...Ugh, waaah."

It was Mary.

"Oh no! A-Are you okay?" I panicked as I looked at her, now drenched and shivering slightly.

Her hair and shoulders were soaked, and her whole body trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'll get you dried off! Let's move somewhere less crowded!"

I quickly led her to a nearby alleyway, away from the bustling festival crowd.

While we were walking, Mary softly murmured to herself, clutching my arm tightly.

"S-Sorry... Ken... I’m so useless..."

Once we found a quieter spot, I carefully took out a towel and began to dry her hair. Fortunately, the water balloon wasn’t that big, so it mostly hit her head and shoulders.

"It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault," I said as I continued drying her hair.

"I-I ruined everything... I tried so hard to look nice," she said, her tears starting to fall again.

And so, the crying Mary returned. I calmly finished drying her off, gently toweling her hair and carefully wiping her tear-streaked face.

"Ken... you're so kind," she said, looking up at me with watery eyes.

"Is that so? I just think I'm being normal."

As her tears slowed, I remembered something.

‘Ah, I have that!’

I reached into my spatial pocket and pulled out the hairdryer I had crafted earlier.

‘Finally, this thing’s useful.’

I turned on the magical hairdryer, and warm air began to blow from the red and green spirit stones embedded in it.

"...Warm air," Mary whispered.

"Do you like it? I made it a while ago."

"...Ken, you're really good with your hands."

"Well, it's just a basic skill anyone can pick up."

As I gently dried her hair, Mary raised her hand and placed it over mine.

"...Thank you, Ken."

"You're welcome."

Once her hair and clothes were dry, we stepped out of the alleyway. Just as we were leaving, someone called out to us.

"Hey, students! Come check out what I’m selling!"

I turned toward the voice and...

‘There it is!’

It was the hidden stall I’d been looking for at the festival.

"Are you interested in this kind of stuff?" Mary asked, watching me browse the items curiously.

To be fair, most of what was for sale did look like junk. But hidden among the clutter was exactly what I needed.

"Ah, this! I’ll take this one!" I said, picking up a rolled-up scroll.

"Do you collect things like that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, well, it's more like... I know someone who’s into this kind of thing," I mumbled awkwardly.

"..."

My excuse probably sounded strange, but there wasn’t much I could say. In reality, this was more about survival than a hobby.

Mary seemed to be considering something, then turned to me again.

"Ken, this person you’re giving it to... are they a wom—"

Before she could finish her sentence, we were interrupted.

"Oh?"

"Ah."

It was someone I hadn’t expected to see.

"Why are you two together...?"

It was Emily, walking with Adrian.