Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 43

“Ken…!! Ugh, Ken━!! Let me go!! Let me go…!!”

The men were blocking the entrance of the room.

The girl was struggling to reach someone precious to her, fighting against that wall.

And behind her, a girl with red hair watched the scene blankly, her eyes vacant.

At that nightmarish sight, Emily felt her legs give way, and she sank to the ground.

“Emily!”

Even at the sound of her friend's worried voice, she merely stared blankly at the reality before her.

No.

…No.

This is a dream.

She had had enough of cruel nightmares.

This was just one of them.

Even as she whispered that to herself, the continuous screams of the girl kept reminding her that this was reality.

“Ke, Ken….”

Tears filled her eyes as Emily struggled to rise.

“Ken, …Ken.”

Calling the name of the boy she desperately sought,

She called out his name, hoping for a reply.

With unsteady steps, she approached the cruel reality.

“Move aside━!! Ugh, I’m telling you to send me to Ken━!!”

━Swoosh!!

And unable to hold back any longer, sharp ice fangs erupted around Mary, threatening the men.

The purpose of those fangs was not merely to frighten them.

It was infused with the intent to truly kill those who were blocking her.

“…━Keennn!!”

Breaking free from the obstacles, the girl with blue hair ran toward the boy she wanted to reach.

And Emily, watching from behind, was hit by the harsh reality she had been denying through the gaps between the men.

“……Ke, …n.”

Emily watched the scene in a daze.

Her eyes were dying, and only lost tears streamed endlessly down her face.

Reflected in her eyes was the image of Mary, crying out and clinging to the cold body of the boy.

‘……No.’

A single voice echoed persistently in her heart as she stared blankly.

No.

No.

…No.

Even as she continued to deny it within her heart, the shocking sight before her confirmed that this was not a nightmare.

“No.”

At that moment, another girl’s voice came from behind Emily.

As she slowly turned her head, she saw the red-haired girl looking at her.

With eyes that, like her own, were devoid of life.

“Ken is not dead, Emily.”

With her lightless gaze, she smiled and spoke those words.

“…Raphne.”

“So there’s no need to be sad. …Ken hasn’t died.”

The girl, kindly holding her hand.

But to Emily, who had once depended on him, was loved by him, and had been saved by him—

She could only speak the harsh reality.

“…Stop it, Raphne.”

“Why? It’s true, Ken hasn’t died. He’s not dead!”

“…Stop, ugh, just stop.”

She knew the girl who had loved him just as she had, who depended on him, who had been saved by him.

Knowing how deeply she couldn’t accept this reality.

Tears flowed down Emily’s cheeks as she embraced her.

“Ugh, …ugh, snif.”

And she could only continue to weep.

If she turned her back on this girl, who was breaking just like her, she wouldn’t be able to face Ken, who was dead.

That’s why she held the girl in front of her close.

She embraced the sorrow that the girl was turning away from.

“…What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

Even her previously bright voice became heavy.

“…Ugh, if this keeps up, …if Emily keeps doing this, …it feels like Ken is really dead…”

Finally, she burst into tears that she had been holding back.

“Uwaaaaah…!”

Emily gently stroked the head of the girl, who was now crying into her shoulder.

In place of the boy who could no longer be there.

Several days had passed since Ken’s death.

The funeral had yet to be held.

His body was being kept in the academy’s shrine while many began investigating the cause of his death.

Only those who had been close to him came to his coffin, sharing in their grief.

And the man who had been his mentor looked forlornly at his coffin.

“…I… I couldn’t keep my promise with you.”

In the past, when Ken had helped him for his goals.

The promise made before the sword he had created for him after receiving a favor from his aid.

No matter what, he had vowed to help him, to protect him and the precious ones they both cherished with the sword he had made.

“Why… did you suddenly have to die like this? …Ken.”

“…Zig.”

Holding the hand that had landed on his shoulder, Ziegfried bowed his head, trembling.

Not knowing how to comfort him, Alice could only quietly stand behind him.

Then, suddenly, her gaze caught a girl.

She saw a girl hugging her knees and sitting by the coffin.

“…Mary.”

“……Alice, …senpai.”

The girl, who called out weakly at her summons, lifted her head.

Her eyes were dull, as if her soul had been drained away.

Emily could hardly imagine how shocking Ken’s death had been for her.

“Are you okay? Have you eaten?”

“…….”

Emily wanted to say something comforting, but seeing her like this made it impossible.

She could only worry that Mary might even ruin her health.

Mary lowered her head again, burying her face in her knees.

“……No.”

A brief response.

There was no way food could go down her throat.

She still couldn’t believe this fact.

The person she had loved was dead.

And it had happened overnight.

Without any sign.

The very person she had shared laughter and conversation with the day before.

“…Why, …why did it have to be Ken?”

“……Mary.”

“Why, …ugh, of all people, why did it have to be Ken…?”

She spat out resentful words, not knowing who to direct them at.

Her voice, hoarse with emotion, struggled to make it out.

With her eyes losing their light, she shed tears.

“…I still haven’t properly thanked Ken…”

Then, at last, she buried her face in her knees.

As if she could no longer face this cruel reality.

Hoping it was all just a dream that would soon end.

“…Hey, Mary. …You know.”

Seeing her in such pain, Alice selected her words carefully in her heart.

“I want to say something…”

Hoping that her words would bring some relief to Mary, she began to speak.

Emily sat in her dorm room.

Huddled on the floor in a corner rather than her bed, she clutched a pillow tightly.

For days, she had sat there, staring blankly at the floor without eating.

Whenever she could no longer endure it, she would faint from exhaustion.

And when she opened her eyes, the unchanged reality would bring her despair, and she would sit back down, hugging the pillow again.

She couldn’t accept it.

His death had come too suddenly.

“…Ugh, ugh.”

Even now, she missed him terribly, but whenever she realized she could no longer see him, tears flowed once more.

Even after crying so much that she thought she might run out of tears, they continued to fall.

“…I still haven’t properly apologized.”

The wrongs she had committed against him.

The days she had tortured him to hide her foolish and childish feelings.

The day he died was the day she had planned to treat him to a meal as a form of apology.

She remembered their last conversation vividly.

“If I had known this would happen… ugh, I shouldn’t have said that…”

The harsh words she had carelessly thrown at him in shock and embarrassment after he had turned her down.

And she blamed herself for not having spoken to him for the last two days.

What on earth was that pride worth?

Why had she turned away from someone so precious?

If she had known he would leave her like this…

At least at the end.

If she had only greeted him with a smile.

If only that had happened, it wouldn’t have hurt this much.

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“Ken…. Ugh, Ken…. Ugh, Ken….”

Calling out his name endlessly, but he couldn’t hear her.

The words she wanted to say to him, the apologies, the love, the thanks—

She could no longer reach him.

As Emily buried her face in the pillow, drowning in her tears, suddenly—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“……”

Emily stared blankly at the door.

Even after waiting, there was no answer.

In a daze, she rose from her seat and approached the door.

Looking at the doorknob,

Although she thought it couldn’t possibly be true, the hope that ‘perhaps’ someone she desired might be standing there spread through her.

Slowly, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

“…Emily.”

“……Ah.”

“Sorry for coming over suddenly.”

To her surprise, standing on the other side of the door was Mary.

“What… what is it? Is everything okay?”

“Is it okay? …It’s strange that you’re asking that. Are you okay, Emily?”

“……Yeah.”

Both of them were not okay.

Having not slept or eaten properly for several days.

Thus, they both looked at each other, feeling sorry for one another.

“More than that, Emily. I came to ask you something.”

“…What is it?”

Even though the last time Emily saw her, her eyes had been devoid of light, now when she faced Emily, Mary’s eyes, though still dull, felt stronger.

It seemed she had made up her mind, and she opened her mouth.

“…Do you know about the Child of Prophecy?”

“…Child of Prophecy?”

At that word, Emily shuddered.

It referred to herself, but—

She had suffered from the pain of having her flesh cut just a short while ago because of that name.

“The Child of Prophecy… why?”

She repeated the question, and Mary fell silent for a moment.

As if she was preparing to say something difficult.

Then her eyes gleamed with determination.

“That Child of Prophecy is said to be the one who killed Ken.”