The Evil Noble Desires A Beautiful Demise - Could It Be That You're Stuck In A Loop? - Episode 10

After sleeping a little in the cave, I was moving through the darkness with Salifa. I walked cautiously through the mountains to avoid encountering enemy reinforcements.

However, the pursuers did not let us escape easily.

“Did you really think you could escape??”

As soon as they emerged into the open area, a man’s voice called out.

Salifa was already in a combat-ready stance.

“Was it you who killed all those black guys? …What the hell, you’re still just a kid. Black really is useless.”

The man illuminated by the moonlight was clad in a deep blue outfit. Could “black” refer to a black outfit? If so, he is undoubtedly an enemy.

“Well, well, the poor Saintes and her knight protector? Just let yourselves be killed quietly…!!”

“I refuse.”

The figure in the blue attire attacks Salifa.

That speed was on a completely different level from the black-clad ones.

“Huh? You’re reacting to this?”

However, Salifa seems to be handling it effortlessly. The relentless assault from the blue-clad figure continued, but Salifa elegantly countered everything, retaliating with beautiful swordsmanship and magic.

I can only watch over them without being a nuisance. I was on guard, not knowing when the black-clad figure would appear.

How long did the back-and-forth continue?

Before I knew it, my blue outfit was covered in wounds, while Salifa remained unscathed. Salifa’s power was overwhelming.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, you’re way too strong, you bastard!! You’re saying I got brushed off so easily!? Me, the great Ao!?”

The person in the blue attire is clearly irritated.

“This is, well, unavoidable, right?? They told us not to use it, but it’s an emergency…”

“Okay, that’s enough.”

Suddenly, a woman’s voice from behind.

Without even realizing it, I had been captured.

“Such a thing…!?”

I was on edge the entire time during the battle.

So that I don’t hold Salifa back. So that I never become a hostage again. And yet.

“Well, it’s pretty easy to catch an amateur girl, you know.”

This woman, too, in a blue outfit. She struggles to escape somehow but doesn’t move an inch. Her mouth is covered, and she can’t speak.

“Hey, don’t get in the way! It was a good part, you know!!”

“You’re lying. You’re falling apart.”

“That’s because from now on, I’m going to…”

“You know that even if you use that, you can’t win against the kid. Don’t be stubborn. Work comes first.”

“Tch. Can’t be helped.”

The man in the blue outfit sat down as if sulking.

It looks like they don’t have any intention of fighting anymore.

“Alright, then, kid over there, drop your sword, okay? Oh, and if you try to use magic, I’ll know, so don’t pull any funny business.”

Salifa threw away the sword.

Ah, not again. It’s my fault again…

“Yeah, I’m not dead.”

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu”

Salifa was stabbed to death by a black-clad figure who appeared out of nowhere. Just like that.

“Honestly, that kid was a handful. Well then, goodbye, miss.”

I too was soon stabbed to death.

“Good night, Tiarola.”

Since then, I’ve been killed by the blue-clad figure twenty-eight times.

The cause is me.

If it’s just Salifa, she can win against the blue-clad warriors without any problem. There were times when she faced two blue-clad warriors at once, and even then, she was able to fight them to a standstill or better.

But there are three people in blue outfits.

No matter how careful I am, I end up getting caught and Salifa gets incapacitated. Or, the attacks focus on me, and Salifa, who tries to protect me, ends up dying.

Because of me, Salifa is dying.

Every time I saw that scene, my heart screamed.

“Can’t you sleep?”

Ah, I made Salifa worry.

Why am I like this?

“Lady Salifa…”

“You don’t need to, right? We’re about the same age, aren’t we?”

“Eh? Um, how old are you?”

“Ten years old”

“Eh!?”

He was the same age as me.

I was sure that he was at least five years older.

“Uh, um, then, may I call you Salifa?”

“Yeah, okay.”

In this situation, I’m strangely happy that we seem to have grown closer. But, we’re the same age. And yet, you’re that strong.

“How did Salifa become so strong?”

“I… I wanted to protect you, so I did my best.”

I want to protect.

I can’t help but wonder if it’s about me. But, of course, it’s too embarrassing to ask. Besides, I haven’t even asked why they’re helping me.

“Oh, is that so…?”

Salifa, who is the same age as me, is working hard to gain that strength. So, what have I been doing all this time? Shouldn’t I have been able to do more?

Little by little, I’m starting to dislike myself more and more.

If I had tried harder, Salifa wouldn’t have died.

“Tiarola”

To my downcast self, Salifa’s gentle voice calls out.

When I looked up, a beautiful rose made of ice was right in front of me.

“Tiarola is doing her best. Cheer up, okay?”

Gently, an ice rose is offered.

The moment I received it, tears overflowed.

“Thank you very much. It’s very beautiful…”

Ah, what, what…

“Warm…”

Salifa’s words give me courage.

I can still move forward.

“Because it’s ice, it’s cold, you know?”

“Hehe, that’s right.”

Ah, that’s strange.

Even if I worry, it won’t change anything. Even if I compare myself to Salifa, it doesn’t mean anything.

I have to do my best from here on out, just as I am.

“Salifa, may I ask you something?”

“What?”

Take a deep breath.

If I ask this, I might regret it. But I should ask while I still can.

“Why are you helping me?”

Staring into Salifa’s beautiful eyes.

No matter what the answer is, I’ve decided to move forward. But I’m still curious, so I wanted to ask.

“That is”

A beautiful face that hardly ever changes expression smiled faintly.

“Because I love you.”

Th-that has way too much destructive power!!!

I can tell my face is bright red.

Ah, it’s no use anymore. I already knew it and noticed it long ago.

In the midst of despair, you were the only one who protected me.

No matter what happened, you never abandoned me and always believed in me.

You gave me warmth.

I remember all the words I received from Salifa.

I can’t live without Salifa anymore.

Because I ended up falling in love with Salifa.