Auto Assigned Villainess

The condemnation end is not suitable (2)

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――Me?

What does he mean? I thought while receiving Cedric’s leisurely gaze.

Well, it’s true that I suddenly intrude in this world, take over Eileen’s body and do whatever I want to return to my original world, make other people cry, letting them drop out, open things in the dormitory by picking the locks, change the relationship between people, and even say and do other things I would consider rude or bad at other times――

……There are a lot of them!

Such thoughts overflow in my brain and I start to sweat.

But none of them seem to be the one Cedric is talking about.

Cedric’s face is distorted sadly. He has no intention of hiding it.

“You’re sinful, Charlotte. To be getting along with these guys…”

He confessed with a sigh, like he’s having fever.

His trembling, teary, and feverish words reach my ears.

“Even though I wish you hadn’t gone to this place, and just spent your days alone with me in Lice, I was content with that…… I wish it was just us, with uncle, going to school……

　Going out to see the wide world…… You don’t need that kind of thing. If you’re with me.”

That’s quite good.

Hearing Cedric repeat it that way――

“He’s sick.”

“You mustn’t irritate him, Konomi-sama.”

I mumbled and was reprimanded by Win.

I’ve heard from my Kouhai, but he is more yandere than I thought.

“I’ve just ‘eliminated’ those at this school, those who approached you. I did that just for you. I didn’t like it all that much, nevertheless, for you to condemn me for what I’ve done…… When I just wanted to be near you――”

Cedric puts his left hand on his head and shakes his head in lamentation――

I see.

I thought it was something related to “what Eileen did” in this body.

I am only concerned by what he meant when he said ‘eliminated’. He probably haven’t committed murder, but I already know that he is trying to frame Eileen for his sins.

What he has done to the other students is probably similar. A false accusation against someone who is getting intimate with Charlotte. Did he leave school to work on that?

So Cedric misunderstood that Charlotte is getting intimate with Eileen, which led to him leaving school.

It looks like Eileen turned this idiot away as she had no time to preach to him.

Cedric slowly looked around the room.

“…On top of that, an invitation to a gathering organised by the royal family.”

His gaze bore a strong grudge.

A low voice that comes from the back of his throat.

“I was surprised when I saw your name on the list of invited guests that arrived at the orchestra. I didn’t want you to go, so I set my sights to the girls dormitory and tried to steal the invitation letter, but I couldn’t get it……”

Invitation letter.

Which reminds me,

“Why did you try to kill Charlotte Oliver at the gathering?”

Cedric seems to be wondering why I called myself by my full name. His left eyebrow moves a bit.

However, maybe it wasn’t a big deal and he did not mention it.

“If what you said is true, you should take care of Charlotte Oliver. But you tried to poison her, and shot her――”

“I wasn’t going to kill you.”

“But”

Certainly, as per the threat, the poison and bullet were aimed at Charlotte ― who was Eileen back then.

Why was that?

Only the edges of his lips are distorted in the shape of a smile, while his eyes and cheeks remain the same.

“The poison did not exceed the lethal dose. The gun shot strictly avoided the lethal points.”

He replied.

“Though, you will face punishment if you do something wrong. You know that, right?”

………

“Or is this nation just weird?”

“You mustn’t irritate him, Konomi-sama.”

Don’t try to pull me down with you, I swallowed what I tried to say.

Looking at his eyes, I want to declare that he went crazy because Charlotte was near him, but it’s not Eileen’s fault.

And of course, not my fault.

If I want to point fingers, it’s the fault of the game developers who shipped the game while it still has bugs.

……I don’t think I’m really sorry to have messed up his life, as a person living on the other side.

But in the first place, it doesn’t make sense to hurt others just because they don’t do what you want.

When I thought about that, my sympathy for him naturally diminished.

Then.

“Are you safe?”

The door behind us opened and people came in.

The servants of the mansion. Our allies. Not just one person, but several people.

――But given the current state we are in, that’s a bad thing!

Sure enough, Cedric roared.

“Everyone put your weapons on the floor and put your hands behind your heads!”

Hearing his warning, the servants also look at where his muzzle is pointing. They quieted down all at once.

With such a difference in number, they might be able to push and win, but there is a high chance that the insanely tense Cedric will hurt the hostage.

There is no point in risking Eileen safely!

Cedric held Eileen’s head in his left arm, and pressed the muzzle against her temple.

“Hurry up! Do you want this woman to die?”

“Hii……!”

The first one to give in is Win.

His arm grew weak and he grinds his teeth. He gently gets down on his knees and places his handgun on the floor.

As Cedric instructed, he expressed his intention to surrender and whispered an apology.

Is it to me or to Eileen?

But if his Young Lady’s life is at stake, he has no choice but to do so.

Of course, I knew that.

“You too, Charlotte.”

Cedric invites me.

An invitation like a sweet, sweet candy.

“Put that down and come here. ――To me.”

But I still can’t let go of the poker stick.

Something is missing, something is…

I desperately turned my head about. My nature as a gamer don’t want to give up. No matter how muddy or miserable the situation is, I don’t want to lose to this man!

If I release the poker stick as per his instruction, I’m done. But if I don’t do this, Eileen will lose her life.

I know I have to obey. But that’s the obvious bad end.

The enemy has a hostage. Win is unarmed, and the servants behind him cannot move.

Isn’t there something I overlooked? Is the course of this route set in stone?

Where is the true end?

I can’t find the right move, no matter how much I look for it. It just feels regrettable and irritable――

……I look down, ready to give up, and feeling vexed. When,

I found it.

“…I understand.”

I uttered my words of surrender without lifting my head up.

I took a deep breath and regained my calmness. I slowly bend my knees, just like Win.

My hand holding the poker stick touches the floor. And when it leaves my hand――

At that moment.

――I grab Win’s gun!

“What――”

“Release Eileen! Otherwise――”

My Kouhai had said that there is no death end in this game.

Thus, Cedric cannot kill a character, unlike Charlotte Oliver.

So, yes.

“It’s my life isn’t it!?”

I’m the strongest and worst hostage!

“Charlotte……!?”

With me pointing a gun at my chin, and Cedric pointing his at Eileen.

A wonderful balance is formed.

This is a fifty-fifty―― No.

I win. Checkmate.

Cedric falters at my action, just for a moment.

But Eileen does not miss the moment and kicked the floor.

“Eileen!”

“Konomi!”

I spread my arms and accept Eileen.

She ran towards me without hesitation.

Cedric fires his gun in a hurry, but is too late.

By that time, Eileen is already in my chest!

Feeling the strong hug of Eileen’s arms, I turned back, and――

“Don’t you ever come here again, you greenhorn.”

I shouted and I pulled the trigger.