Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 72

But even so, simply speaking his name only intensified the fluttering in her chest.

That fluttering cleared Raphaen's dazed mind.

Immediately, she got up and began preparing to head to the academy.

Once she finished getting ready,

Today, she put extra effort into her appearance, and she stepped out of her dormitory.

‘… Why am I in such a rush?’

Though it was she who was walking, Raphaen herself felt a sense of confusion.

Time was certainly on her side.

Even if she were late, it wouldn’t be a huge concern.

But her footsteps quickened.

And the name that echoed repeatedly in her mind.

‘… Ken, … Ken. …… Ken!’

Unknowingly, she kept thinking of his name, and eventually, Raphaen started running, arriving at the academy in no time.

After placing her bag in her classroom, Raphaen moved swiftly.

She was heading to another class.

Pitter-patter!

As she neared that classroom, a smile began to bloom on her lips.

Upon arriving at the classroom, she swung open the door and shouted.

“Ken—!!”

Surely, Ken Feinstein, who hadn’t been attending the academy lately.

For some reason today, she felt as if he would definitely be in the classroom, so she called out to him with enthusiasm, scanning for his seat with her eyes.

‘… Who is that?’

However, the figure Raphaen was searching for was nowhere to be found.

Only a stranger, smiling brightly and looking at her, sat in his place.

‘… Why is that guy sitting in Ken’s seat?’

Raphaen didn’t like that at all, and with an angry heart, she strode towards him.

As she drew closer, the boy sitting in Ken's place transformed his expression from a bright smile to one of surprise.

“… Hello? … Raphaen.”

‘… Do you recognize me?’

The boy waved as he called her name.

But Raphaen didn’t know who he was.

“Who are you?”

“Who… am I?”

In that moment, I couldn’t comprehend Raphaen's words.

But her gaze, directed at me, made me realize the meaning of her words through my skin.

Her cold stare was unlike anything she had ever directed at me before.

I never imagined she would look at me with such eyes.

“…… I am.”

Even in the midst of confusion, I opened my mouth to answer her question.

I thought if I told her my name, her mood might change.

But somewhere in my head, that thought was denied.

I found it hard to speak.

As the chilly air began to fill the classroom,

Creak.

The sound of someone opening the back door echoed.

I naturally turned my gaze toward the back door, and there stood Emily, making eye contact with me.

“…… Huh?”

Upon spotting me, Emily’s face suddenly reflected confusion as if she had seen a ghost.

“W-What?!”

She pointed her finger at me, blushing and sounding very surprised.

Then she dashed toward me.

“Ken?! Is that you in that form…?!”

“Ken…?”

Hastily coming towards me and calling my name, Emily drew Raphaen's cold gaze as she reacted.

The other students, who had been watching this situation, began to whisper among themselves.

“Ken? Did Emily just call him Ken?”

“Is that really Ken over there?”

“No way, must be a mistake Emily made.”

Their disbelief was apparent.

But Emily, undeterred by the gazes of her classmates or Raphaen's stare, continued speaking.

“You, did you lose weight?!”

“…… Yeah.”

“Does that mean you don’t have to eat so much anymore?”

“…… That’s right.”

In response to my answer, Emily's face suddenly brightened, and she smiled brightly.

Then, as she caught my gaze, she turned her head and cleared her throat, pretending to be nonchalant.

The reason for my confused gaze was simple.

‘They don’t know I lost weight.’

That was true for both Emily and Raphaen.

In Raphaen’s case, she hadn’t recognized me from the start.

So even now, she glared at me with suspicion.

“Are you really Ken?”

“... Yes.”

“Recently, you haven’t been coming to the academy; did you lose weight during that time?”

“…….”

I didn’t answer but simply stared at her.

I felt like I had been hit on the back of the head with the shocking truth.

From the conversation, it was clear.

Raphaen’s suspicious gaze and Emily, who was avoiding my gaze, made it apparent.

They didn’t remember me.

At least, the memories of us conquering the Tower of Tarros were completely gone.

“... Excuse me.”

Just as I was about to ask them something in this chaotic situation.

Creak!

The sound of the front door opening again echoed in the classroom.

“Raphaen! Emily!”

There stood Mary, radiating cold energy filled with anger.

“Ugh.”

Upon seeing her, Raphaen clicked her tongue, and Mary stepped up toward me.

“Are you two… bullying Ken again?!”

Mary moved in front of me, blocking Raphaen and Emily.

I was surprised at her unexpected action.

‘… She recognized me right away.’

She probably didn’t remember anything else, just as the other two had.

That’s because she had just said, “Are you two bullying Ken again?”

It had been a long time since Raphaen had bullied me in my first year, and Emily had also bullied me a while ago.

Yet now, it was as if they had bullied me just recently.

“Humph, whatever. I’ll be leaving.”

After a brief standoff with Mary, Raphaen turned her head and walked toward the front door.

Creak.

As she opened the front door and was about to leave the classroom,

She glanced back at me.

Her gaze wasn’t hostile; instead, it was a very gentle look.

Seeing that, Emily sighed and returned to her seat, plopping down and resting her chin in her hand while glancing at me.

“Ken, are you okay?”

Once things calmed down, Mary looked at me with her usual blank expression.

“… Do you recognize me?”

“Yes? What do you mean…? Ah, now that you mention it, you’ve lost a lot of weight. I was worried since you hadn’t been coming to the academy lately… Did you go on a diet or something?”

In response to my question about whether she remembered the events in the Tower of Tarros, Mary gave a completely different answer.

I scrutinized her closely.

The outfit she was wearing was undoubtedly the magical raincoat I had made for her.

“Then I’ll come by again during the next break.”

Once she confirmed my safety, Mary smiled gently and left the classroom.

Her attitude toward me was still friendly, just as it had been before I changed the past.

‘… What is happening?’

As the morning commotion settled and time passed, classes began, but nothing was sinking in.

All I could think about was Raphaen's glare.

And the reason why she had changed like that.

There was only one thing I could imagine.

‘… The fact that the prophecy child is no more has altered the present.’

Raphaen was originally bound by the curse of being the prophecy child, which trapped her in the tower.

But that fate had been erased.

That meant Raphaen would remain at the academy without being trapped in the tower.

From the reactions of the classmates and Mary just now, it seemed that since the first year, Raphaen had been bullying me all along.

And as for Emily.

The first time we met was when I saved her from the monsters in the forest.

That event was unrelated to the prophecy child, so it likely went unchanged.

Thus, Emily immediately recognized my transformed appearance.

And judging by Mary’s reaction, it seemed that she too had bullied me since then.

The reason for that was clear.

The event triggered by the Demon Lord army invading to find the prophecy child had been eradicated.

That meant the events surrounding her bullying me had been erased as well.

“…… Hah.”

I sighed.

To summarize, I had successfully removed Raphaen’s fate.

But as a result, the events connected to the prophecy child had been completely erased.

‘Why didn’t I think of this…?’

I had focused so much on the possibility that changing the prophecy might bring chaos to the world that I failed to consider the small events.

But in the end, the world was peaceful, and my surroundings became chaotic.

Above all, the gaze Raphaen directed at me.

Honestly, it was deeply distressing.

“…… Raphaen.”

I recalled her familiar face, always looking at me with a kind smile.

That promise I made with her.

I wanted to fulfill that responsibility and risk my life to conquer the tower.

Yet it all became meaningless.

‘No, but I did protect Raphaen from the Demon Lord army….’

Thinking that way, I also felt helpless.

Because I had achieved the most important result: ensuring Raphaen's safety.

“…… Hah.”

Yet, I still found myself sighing repeatedly.

In the end, I spent the day thinking about the changes in Raphaen.

As time passed, classes ended, and dusk approached, signaling the end of the school day.

“Ken, shall we walk home together?”

As class concluded, Mary approached, opening the classroom door gently.

Now that I thought about it, I used to walk home with Mary frequently before I broke Raphaen's curse.

“Sorry. I think I’ll stay a bit longer before heading back.”

“Ah…. Is something wrong?”

Noticing my unusual mood, Mary asked with a worried expression.

“No, I’m really fine.”

“… If you’re okay, then I understand. See you tomorrow, Ken.”

Nodding in response to my words, Mary waved goodbye and left the classroom.

I returned to staring out the window, watching the sunset.

“…… Hah.”

The reason I sighed while sitting there was that I felt if I returned to the dormitory like this, it would really hit me that everything had changed.

Normally, I would head straight to Raphaen’s tower instead of returning to the dormitory.

I would have dinner with Raphaen in her tower and then return to the dormitory.

But now, Raphaen would be staying in the girls’ dormitory.

That tower, which we had spent time in together, was now nonexistent.

Thinking about that made me feel gloomy and I couldn’t bring myself to rise from my seat.

‘I don’t know what to do now….’

Raphaen doesn’t remember me.

Specifically, all the memories we had created together had vanished entirely.

And now, all that remained was her memory of bullying me.

Their relationship now was simply that of a bully and the bullied.

Nothing more, nothing less.

That aspect was truly painful.

“…… Let’s go.”

Realizing that staying seated and staring out the window wouldn’t change anything, I helplessly got up from my seat.

I approached the back door and opened it.

Creak.

“…… Ah.”

“Eh?”

Standing at the back door was Raphaen, leaning against the wall.

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She looked surprised as our eyes met.

Then, she frowned and glared at me with an angry expression.

“Why did you take so long to come out?!”

“Why do you care if I’m late?!”

“Do you not see?!”

“... Why?”

There was absolutely no reason for Raphaen to wait for me.

Before the past was changed, it would make sense for us to walk back together, but now, we had no connection.

She was going back to her dormitory, and I was going back to mine.

But she had waited for me.

‘Does she have something she wants to say?’

The only thing I could think of was that she wanted to bully me again.

As that thought crossed my mind, I became tense, looking at Raphaen.

Yet, Raphaen did not do anything to me and simply turned her back and walked away.

Then, glancing back at me, she spoke.

“What? Are you not coming?!”

“… Oh? … Uh, right.”

At her glare, I followed her.

‘… What is this?’

Though we had clearly arrived at her dormitory,

She didn’t turn back and was heading toward the boys' dormitory.

I was filled with questions.

‘… Are we going home together?’

“Eh? No way…!”

Startled by my own words, Raphaen’s back stiffened and a cute sound escaped her lips.

Then, she swiftly turned, glaring at me with a red face, and shouted.

“Who would want to go home with you?! I just happened to be walking the same way, okay?!”

“Oh, is that so?”

Having said what I wanted, Raphaen turned her back to me and walked ahead.

I stared blankly at her figure.

After some distance, Raphaen turned back.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?!”

Still blushing, she shouted at me.

I couldn’t help but smile at that.

Afterward, I quickly walked alongside her, heading back to the dormitory.

‘We’re walking home together.’

Though she said otherwise, that seemed to be her intention.

We strolled in silence, walking side by side.

And naturally, we arrived at the girls' dormitory first.

When we reached the front door of the dormitory, Raphaen halted suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

Seeing that, I scratched my cheek, wondering what to do.

Then, as I was about to turn toward the boys' dormitory to say goodbye,

Swoosh.

Suddenly, the collar of my shirt was pulled.

Wondering what was happening, I looked back and saw Raphaen, with her face flushed and head down, gripping my shirt tightly with a furious expression.

“Um, Raphaen?”

“I-I’ll… take you.”

“What…?”

Muttering softly, her voice barely audible.

When I asked her again, Raphaen glared at me with her flushed face.

“I-I’ll take you to the boys' dormitory!”

‘…… Why?’

Surprised, I nearly voiced my thoughts, but I held my tongue and nodded instead.

Then, Raphaen walked ahead, and I followed her.

‘… What is going on?’

Clearly, Raphaen’s destination was supposed to be her dormitory.

But she continued on toward the boys' dormitory without turning back.

I caught sight of her red hair swaying gently in the breeze.

That sight reminded me of Raphaen before the past was changed.

It felt like if I called her name now, the girl from my memories would turn around and smile brightly at me.

Then, a thought flickered through my mind.

‘… Could it be?’

Before long, we arrived at the boys' dormitory.

Even after arriving, Raphaen still hesitated and didn’t turn to leave.

She merely stood before me, arms crossed, turning her head away.

“Uh, Raphaen.”

“Eh? What?”

“Aren’t you going back?”

“……”

At my question, Raphaen shuddered, briefly glancing at me, then turning her gaze elsewhere.

“… I’ll go back.”

“Okay, then take care.”

“W-Wait…!”

At my response, Raphaen, startled, grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“W-Why…?”

Then, with an expression of confusion, she stared at her own hand gripping my arm.

I was taken aback by her reaction and turned back toward Raphaen, facing her directly.

And then, I revealed the words I had been contemplating during my walk back to the dormitory.

“Uh, Raphaen.”

“Eh? Uh, what?”

This was merely to confirm her reaction.

But it was a heartfelt confession that stemmed from deep within.

“I have someone I like.”

“…… What?”

My sudden confession was certainly unexpected and strange.

It would be normal for someone to raise an eyebrow or frown in disbelief.

However, Raphaen’s face calmed, and she looked at me earnestly.

Then, she continued speaking.

“What kind of girl is she?”

In that moment, I saw that familiar glint in her eyes.

It was not the glare directed at me but rather a hollow gaze devoid of light.

That expression was something I had never imagined she would show.

“…… I am.”

Amidst the confusion, I tried to answer her question.

I thought that if I told her my name, her mood might shift.

But somewhere in my mind, that thought was denied.

I couldn’t easily speak.

As the chilly air began to fill the classroom once again.

Creak.

The sound of someone opening the back door echoed.

“Raphaen! Emily!”

There stood Mary, radiating cold energy filled with anger.

“Ugh.”

Upon seeing her, Raphaen clicked her tongue, and Mary stepped toward me.

“Are you two… bullying Ken again?!”

Mary moved in front of me, blocking Raphaen and Emily.

I was surprised at her unexpected action.

‘… She recognized me right away.’

She probably didn’t remember anything else, just as the other two had.

That’s because she had just said, “Are you two bullying Ken again?”

It had been a long time since Raphaen had bullied me in my first year, and Emily had also bullied me a while ago.

Yet now, it was as if they had bullied me just recently.

“Humph, whatever. I’ll be leaving.”

After a brief standoff with Mary, Raphaen turned her head and walked toward the front door.

Creak.

As she opened the front door and was about to leave the classroom,

She glanced back at me.

Her gaze wasn’t hostile; instead, it was a very gentle look.

Seeing that, Emily sighed and returned to her seat, plopping down and resting her chin in her hand while glancing at me.

“Ken, are you okay?”

Once things calmed down, Mary looked at me with her usual blank expression.

“… Do you recognize me?”

“Yes? What do you mean…? Ah, now that you mention it, you’ve lost a lot of weight. I was worried since you hadn’t been coming to the academy lately… Did you go on a diet or something?”

In response to my question about whether she remembered the events in the Tower of Tarros, Mary gave a completely different answer.

I scrutinized her closely.

The outfit she was wearing was undoubtedly the magical raincoat I had made for her.

“Then I’ll come by again during the next break.”

Once she confirmed my safety, Mary smiled gently and left the classroom.

Her attitude toward me was still friendly, just as it had been before I changed the past.

‘… What is happening?’

As the morning commotion settled and time passed, classes began, but nothing was sinking in.

All I could think about was Raphaen's glare.

And the reason why she had changed like that.

There was only one thing I could imagine.

‘… The fact that the prophecy child is no more has altered the present.’

Raphaen was originally bound by the curse of being the prophecy child, which trapped her in the tower.

But that fate had been erased.

That meant Raphaen would remain at the academy without being trapped in the tower.

From the reactions of the classmates and Mary just now, it seemed that since the first year, Raphaen had been bullying me all along.

And as for Emily.

The first time we met was when I saved her from the monsters in the forest.

That event was unrelated to the prophecy child, so it likely went unchanged.

Thus, Emily immediately recognized my transformed appearance.

And judging by Mary’s reaction, it seemed that she too had bullied me since then.

The reason for that was clear.

The event triggered by the Demon Lord army invading to find the prophecy child had been eradicated.

That meant the events surrounding her bullying me had been erased as well.

“…… Hah.”

I sighed.

To summarize, I had successfully removed Raphaen’s fate.

But as a result, the events connected to the prophecy child had been completely erased.

‘Why didn’t I think of this…?’

I had focused so much on the possibility that changing the prophecy might bring chaos to the world that I failed to consider the small events.

But in the end, the world was peaceful, and my surroundings became chaotic.

Above all, the gaze Raphaen directed at me.

Honestly, it was deeply distressing.

“…… Raphaen.”

I recalled her familiar face, always looking at me with a kind smile.

That promise I made with her.

I wanted to fulfill that responsibility and risk my life to conquer the tower.

Yet it all became meaningless.

‘No, but I did protect Raphaen from the Demon Lord army….’

Thinking that way, I also felt helpless.

Because I had achieved the most important result: ensuring Raphaen's safety.

“…… Hah.”

Yet, I still found myself sighing repeatedly.

In the end, I spent the day thinking about the changes in Raphaen.

As time passed, classes ended, and dusk approached, signaling the end of the school day.

“Ken, shall we walk home together?”

As class concluded, Mary approached, opening the classroom door gently.

Now that I thought about it, I used to walk home with Mary frequently before I broke Raphaen's curse.

“Sorry. I think I’ll stay a bit longer before heading back.”

“Ah…. Is something wrong?”

Noticing my unusual mood, Mary asked with a worried expression.

“No, I’m really fine.”

“… If you’re okay, then I understand. See you tomorrow, Ken.”

Nodding in response to my words, Mary waved goodbye and left the classroom.

I returned to staring out the window, watching the sunset.

“…… Hah.”

The reason I sighed while sitting there was that I felt if I returned to the dormitory like this, it would really hit me that everything had changed.

Normally, I would head straight to Raphaen’s tower instead of returning to the dormitory.

I would have dinner with Raphaen in her tower and then return to the dormitory.

But now, Raphaen would be staying in the girls’ dormitory.

That tower, which we had spent time in together, was now nonexistent.

Thinking about that made me feel gloomy and I couldn’t bring myself to rise from my seat.

‘I don’t know what to do now….’

Raphaen doesn’t remember me.

Specifically, all the memories we had created together had vanished entirely.

And now, all that remained was her memory of bullying me.

Their relationship now was simply that of a bully and the bullied.

Nothing more, nothing less.

That aspect was truly painful.

“…… Let’s go.”

Realizing that staying seated and staring out the window wouldn’t change anything, I helplessly got up from my seat.

I approached the back door and opened it.

Creak.

“…… Ah.”

“Eh?”

Standing at the back door was Raphaen, leaning against the wall.

She looked surprised as our eyes met.

Then, she frowned and glared at me with an angry expression.

“Why did you take so long to come out?!”

“Why do you care if I’m late?!”

“Do you not see?!”

“... Why?”

There was absolutely no reason for Raphaen to wait for me.

Before the past was changed, it would make sense for us to walk back together, but now, we had no connection.

She was going back to her dormitory, and I was going back to mine.

But she had waited for me.

‘Does she have something she wants to say?’

The only thing I could think of was that she wanted to bully me again.

As that thought crossed my mind, I became tense, looking at Raphaen.

Yet, Raphaen did not do anything to me and simply turned her back and walked away.

Then, glancing back at me, she spoke.

“What? Are you not coming?!”

“… Oh? … Uh, right.”

At her glare, I followed her.

‘… What is this?’

Though we had clearly arrived at her dormitory,

She didn’t turn back and was heading toward the boys' dormitory.

I was filled with questions.

‘… Are we going home together?’

“Eh? No way…!”

Startled by my own words, Raphaen’s back stiffened and a cute sound escaped her lips.

Then, she swiftly turned, glaring at me with a red face, and shouted.

“Who would want to go home with you?! I just happened to be walking the same way, okay?!”

“Oh, is that so?”

Having said what I wanted, Raphaen turned her back to me and walked ahead.

I stared blankly at her figure.

After some distance, Raphaen turned back.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?!”

Still blushing, she shouted at me.

I couldn’t help but smile at that.

Afterward, I quickly walked alongside her, heading back to the dormitory.

‘We’re walking home together.’

Though she said otherwise, that seemed to be her intention.

We strolled in silence, walking side by side.

And naturally, we arrived at the girls' dormitory first.

When we reached the front door of the dormitory, Raphaen halted suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

Seeing that, I scratched my cheek, wondering what to do.

Then, as I was about to turn toward the boys' dormitory to say goodbye,

Swoosh.

Suddenly, the collar of my shirt was pulled.

Wondering what was happening, I looked back and saw Raphaen, with her face flushed and head down, gripping my shirt tightly with a furious expression.

“Um, Raphaen?”

“I-I’ll… take you.”

“What…?”

Muttering softly, her voice barely audible.

When I asked her again, Raphaen glared at me with her flushed face.

“I-I’ll take you to the boys' dormitory!”

‘…… Why?’

Surprised, I nearly voiced my thoughts, but I held my tongue and nodded instead.

Then, Raphaen walked ahead, and I followed her.

‘… What is going on?’

Clearly, Raphaen’s destination was supposed to be her dormitory.

But she continued on toward the boys' dormitory without turning back.

I caught sight of her red hair swaying gently in the breeze.

That sight reminded me of Raphaen before the past was changed.

It felt like if I called her name now, the girl from my memories would turn around and smile brightly at me.

Then, a thought flickered through my mind.

‘… Could it be?’

Before long, we arrived at the boys' dormitory.

Even after arriving, Raphaen still hesitated and didn’t turn to leave.

She merely stood before me, arms crossed, turning her head away.

“Uh, Raphaen.”

“Eh? Uh, what?”

“Aren’t you going back?”

“……”

At my question, Raphaen shuddered, briefly glancing at me, then turning her gaze elsewhere.

“… I’ll go back.”

“Okay, then take care.”

“W-Wait…!”

At my response, Raphaen, startled, grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“W-Why…?”

Then, with an expression of confusion, she stared at her own hand gripping my arm.

I was taken aback by her reaction and turned back toward Raphaen, facing her directly.

And then, I revealed the words I had been contemplating during my walk back to the dormitory.

“Uh, Raphaen.”

“Eh? Uh, what?”

This was merely to confirm her reaction.

But it was a heartfelt confession that stemmed from deep within.

“I have someone I like.”

“…… What?”

My sudden confession was certainly unexpected and strange.

It would be normal for someone to raise an eyebrow or frown in disbelief.

However, Raphaen’s face calmed, and she looked at me earnestly.

Then, she continued speaking.

“What kind of girl is she?”

In that moment, I saw that familiar glint in her eyes.

It was not the glare directed at me but rather a hollow gaze devoid of light.

That expression was something I had never imagined she would show.

“…… I am.”

Amidst the confusion, I tried to answer her question.

I thought that if I told her my name, her mood might shift.

But somewhere in my mind, that thought was denied.

I couldn’t easily speak.

As the chilly air began to fill the classroom once again.