I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble, Nothing More Than the Hero’s Foil: Since the Hero Can Only Bring Misery to My Favorite Heroine, I’ll Use My Game Knowledge and Over-the-Top Effort to Rewrite the Scenario and Make Her Happy. - Chapter 13

“Wait, why is she wearing a collar?!”

The boy looked at Selvia with a perplexed expression.

“…That’s because Selvia is my abused slave,” I replied.

To deceive Prince Leon, I had to maintain the façade that Selvia was being mistreated. As part of this ruse, Selvia wore a collar with a chain attached.

“Yes, I belong to Cain-niisama. The other day, he even tied me up with rope. It was a little painful, but I found it very enjoyable,” Selvia added with a smile.

“Wait, stop saying things that give people the wrong idea! Well… it’s not exactly wrong, but still!” I protested, flustered.

“H-huh?! You’ve made such a cute girl your slave? You really are a corrupt noble!” the boy exclaimed.

“You’re mistaken. Cain-niisama is the most handsome, noble, and kind-hearted man in the world. He is not a corrupt noble! Retract your statement!” Selvia shot back, clearly offended.

“H-huh?! But you’re being abused, aren’t you?”

The boy was thoroughly confused by Selvia’s defense of me.

Honestly, I didn’t entirely understand it either, but at least it maintained the appearance of complying with Prince Leon’s orders.

“A-anyway! My sister has been captured by the Bl00d Bear! Isn’t it a lord’s duty to protect the people? Please, help her!”

“Your sister?”

The Bl00d Bear was a monster that drank human bl00d. If we didn’t rescue her soon, she’d be killed.

“Did you and your sister enter this restricted forest together?” Selvia asked, her tone reproachful.

“So what if we did? We’re apothecaries! If we run out of medicinal herbs, we can’t survive! We know how to hide from monsters while gathering herbs, but that thing’s sense of smell was sharper than we expected… Damn it!”

The boy gritted his teeth in frustration before dropping to his knees and bowing his head to me.

“If you save my sister, I’ll do anything! I’ll even become your slave! Just please save her!”

“There’s no need for that. We’re here to hunt the Bl00d Bear anyway,” I said.

“Yes, please leave it to us,” Selvia added confidently.

“R-really?!”

“Where was your sister taken?” I asked, handing him a High-Potency Healing Potion (Ex-Potion).

Having an older sister myself, I could empathize with his desperation. I imagined he and his sister had been supporting each other to survive. I had to save her.

“A noble… giving me a potion?!” the boy stammered in disbelief.

“You’re injured; it’s only natural to help,” I replied.

The boy’s body was covered in deep scratches, likely from the claws of Black Wolves. Though adrenaline seemed to be dulling his pain, he needed immediate treatment.

“T-thank you! My sister was taken about two hours ago, by the riverside just ahead. I ran away alone… Damn it!”

“I understand how you feel, but shouldn’t you introduce yourself to Cain-niisama before making demands?” Selvia interjected.

“Ah, right… I’m Ash. And… huh?!”

As Ash drank the Ex-Potion, his wounds vanished in an instant.

“W-what is this?! This incredible healing effect… Is there Mandragora extract in this?!”

As an apothecary, Ash quickly deduced the potion’s composition.

“Mandragora is an S-rank rare material! And you just gave this to me so casually?! Do you have a stockpile of it?!”

“You’re quite knowledgeable,” Selvia said, glancing at me with a troubled expression.

There was no way I could admit that the Mandragora was summoned using Selvia’s Saint of the World Tree ability.

Ash trembled with excitement.

“Of course I’m knowledgeable! I’m an apothecary! I even have the Apothecary Level 4 skill! So where did you get the Mandragora? Does it grow in this forest?!”

“Well…”

I was caught off guard. I hadn’t expected him to focus so intently on that detail.

A skill level of Apothecary Level 4 at his age? That was remarkable. It explained his keen interest in medicinal ingredients.

“This potion’s ingredients are excellent, but its crafting could be better! My sister and I could make something far more effective! We’ve been at this for 80 years, after all! So please, save my sister!”

“Eighty years? Are you saying… you’re elves?”

Ash’s face was strikingly handsome, and his pointed ears peeked out from under his hat—a hallmark of the elven race, who live in harmony with nature.

“Hmph! To call Cain-niisama’s work ‘lacking’ when he made it with love for me… that’s rude!” Selvia muttered, slightly hurt.

“You’re right. My sister, by the way, has an Apothecary Level 5 skill!”

“What?!”

If that were true, it was a stroke of luck. With her skill, she could create potions of the highest quality.

Just then, a roar thundered through the forest, shaking the ground.

That roar—I recognized it from the game.

It was the Bl00d Bear.