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 5

“C-Cain, that was amazing! I’m so moved!”
“Whoa!?”

As soon as I stepped out of Father’s office, my sister, Ellis, practically tackled me in a hug.

“Choosing love over Prince Leon’s orders? You’re like a hero straight out of a fairy tale! So cool!”

Ellis, with her striking blonde hair and sapphire eyes, was a breathtaking beauty. At sixteen, she was mature beyond her years in many ways—especially in areas she didn’t need to be.

But wait… had she overheard my conversation with Father?

“Ellis, eavesdropping isn’t very commendable, you know?”

I tried to probe her gently, worried that she might have misunderstood my motives. If she thought I welcomed Selvia out of pure self-interest, and that impression somehow reached Selvia, it could all fall apart.

“W-Well, Selvia was crying so much, I got worried! But judging by the way she cried, it wasn’t from being mistreated—it was happy tears, wasn’t it?”

Ellis grinned mischievously, like a child caught in the act.

“You were so adamant about tormenting Selvia before, yet now, seeing her again, your love for her must have reignited!”

This sister of mine…

I sighed, feeling both relieved and exasperated.

She was clearly entertained by meddling in her little brother’s love life. Here I was, fighting for my life, and she treated it like a romantic comedy.

“W-Well, yes, something like that.”

Even so, I needed Ellis’s help.

Father was persuaded by logic and profit, but Ellis, who had always openly disapproved of Prince Leon’s orders, would be more responsive to my true feelings.

“That’s why I need you to be kind to Selvia too, Ellis. She’s been deeply hurt by being branded a false saint at the royal palace.”

“Oh my, Cain! Such thoughtfulness—you’re a true gentleman! Of course, I’ll help. Consider me your Cupid! I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly between you and Selvia!”

Ellis’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she enthusiastically promised her support.

Phew, one hurdle cleared.

It was essential to ensure Selvia felt completely welcomed by the entire family.

“Hehehe! You know, Cain, you’ve always treasured Selvia’s last letter. You’ve been absolutely smitten with her for ages, haven’t you?”

“Y-Yes, I suppose I have.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at her teasing.

But as much as Ellis was poking fun, she wasn’t wrong.

Before regaining my memories and personality from my previous life, I’d harbored a complicated mix of love and hatred for Selvia.

When I learned that she was to become my fiancée again, I even pulled out that farewell letter and cried like a fool as I reread it.

Wait a second…

A faint memory stirred in my mind.

“Ellis, may I ask you something? Does baby’s breath have any special meaning?”

That’s right. When I opened the envelope back then, a petal of baby’s breath had fallen out.

Strangely enough, despite more than a year passing, the petal hadn’t withered or faded.

“Baby’s breath? Oh, yes! Its flower language means eternal love. Isn’t that lovely?”

…Ah, damn it.

I finally understood.

Cain—you absolute fool.

“Wait, Cain! Where are you going?”

Without answering, I dashed back to my room and rummaged through my desk drawer, retrieving Selvia’s letter.

Inside the envelope was still a single petal of baby’s breath, fresh and vibrant as the day it was sent.

This was no ordinary flower.

Only the powers of the Saint of the World Tree could preserve a petal like this.

“What’s going on, Cain?” Ellis asked, confused.

But I was too preoccupied with piecing everything together.

In the game’s storyline, Selvia only awakened as the Saint of the World Tree three years later, after meeting the hero Abel.

But what if she had already awakened?

If so, Selvia had deceived Prince Leon into believing she was a false saint.

And why? Likely out of love for me.

The unchanging petal of baby’s breath was proof of that—her way of telling me, My love for you will live on forever.

…Damn it, Cain. You were a complete idiot.

She had loved you so purely, yet you planned to torment her as Prince Leon’s pawn.

“Ellis, I just realized I don’t have a gift for Selvia to present at the welcome banquet. Could you help me gather baby’s breath to make a bouquet for her?”

“Oh my, that’s perfect! What a romantic idea for a fiancée! Leave the wrapping to me!”

Ellis eagerly agreed, her excitement infectious.

With little time to spare before the banquet, we hurried to the garden to gather baby’s breath.

We might face the gardener’s wrath later, but this was more important.

Ellis arranged the flowers into a beautiful bouquet, but in our rush, our clothes got slightly dirty. There wasn’t even time to change.

I grabbed the bouquet and headed for the grand hall where Selvia was waiting.

“Cain, what took you so long? You nearly kept your fiancée waiting,” Father admonished the moment I entered.

He had been chatting pleasantly with Selvia, who looked radiant in her formal dress, like a goddess descended from the moon.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe, completely captivated.

“My apologies, Father. I was preparing a gift for Selvia.”

“A… a bouquet of baby’s breath?” Selvia gasped, her eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, Selvia. I was too dense to understand the meaning of your letter until now. With Ellis’s help, I finally realized what it meant. This bouquet is my answer. Will you accept it?”

It was the first time in both my lives that I’d ever made a romantic gesture like this. My heart pounded painfully, but I extended the bouquet with all the sincerity I could muster.

“Eternal love… Yes, of course, Brother Cain.”

Tears streamed down Selvia’s cheeks as she clutched the bouquet, her small shoulders trembling.

“I… I’m so happy right now.”

Her voice quivered with emotion, her words barely audible between sobs.

This was just the beginning.

Whether I could make Selvia truly happy, something the game never allowed, depended on what happened from now on.

Her happiness was far more important than whether I lived or died.

After all, I had never been loved so deeply by anyone—not in this life, nor the last.

And more than anything, Selvia was my favorite heroine.

I could never let her be unhappy.

“Let’s eat together, Selvia.”

“Yes, Brother Cain.”

I took her small hand and guided her to the table.

The lavish feast, prepared to celebrate her as a member of the Schwarz family, steamed invitingly before us.

“It’s been a while, Selvia. I’m Ellis! From now on, you’re officially part of the family, okay?”

“As I said earlier,” Father added, “consider me your real father from now on. No matter what happens, the Schwarz and Fernand families will remain steadfast allies. Let us walk forward together.”

Father’s words might have sounded overly smooth, but they were genuine enough.

“Thank you, Uncle—no, Father. And Ellis, too!”

Selvia’s smile was pure and unrestrained.

Ah, this was it.

This was the smile I wanted to see.

The smile that had never appeared in the game.

For the first time, we had taken the first steps toward becoming a true family.