I Was Kicked Out of the Hero’s Party Even Though I’m His Girlfriend

Maru returned to his room after spending about an hour having tea and conversing with the King, his expression composed.

He changed into comfortable slippers and opened the wardrobe door.

He thought of nothing while changing clothes.

He didn’t want to think about anything.

His head felt heavy.

He wanted to quickly lie down in bed and rest.

The candle lit in the room flickered violently for a moment.

Fresh wind entered the room and the curtains billowed greatly before settling.

A shadow was cast on the translucent curtains.

Something like smoke gathered on the floor, floated up, and transformed into a human shape.

“You don’t look well.”

Though a woman’s voice was heard, Maru continued changing clothes in front of the wardrobe without looking back.

It was undoubtedly Luciella.

Recently, she enjoyed visiting Maru every night to chat.

At first, only the chair was her space, but as her visits became frequent, she seemed to get comfortable, freely touching things in the room, lying on the bed as she pleased, and playing mischievous pranks on Maru.

“I recommend these underwear for tonight.”

Luciella, perched on the bed, stretched out her hand.

Drawing a small circle in the air with her index finger, the dresser drawer opened and a neatly folded red pair of underwear spread out and floated up.

Maru wordlessly snatched it, crumpled it back into the drawer, and took out different underwear to change into.

Luciella quietly watched this before speaking.

“What made you angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“Then why are you being so cold?”

“I’m tired.”

“You’re different from usual.”

“They say that Hero is coming here in a few days.”

“Ah.”

Luciella smiled softly.

“You’ll have to leave here now. Shall I look into a good city for you?”

“No.”

Maru put on a silk robe over his underwear and leaned back in the plush chair.

“Luciella. How do you think of me?”

“My lord is my lord.”

“Why should I run away?”

“You’ll meet her?”

Maru picked up the teapot and poured water.

“I’ll just do my job. Without any emotion. Like a cold-blooded person. Like an inanimate object.”

He drank the water down.

The water tasted lukewarm.

He wanted to drink cool sweet water.

“Does the Hero know you’re here?”

“Probably not.”

“It’ll be interesting when you meet.”

“……”

Maru got up and lay down on the bed.

“Ah, lying down feels good. I’m going to sleep early today. Go back.”

Luciella, sitting on the edge of the bed, reached out and slowly caressed his muscular chest exposed through the open robe.

“Don’t forget the promise you made with me in exchange for helping the prince.”

“When did you say that monster appears?”

“It comes up to land once a year. It seems the time is near, but we’re just watching for now.”

“Call me when it comes up.”

“I’ve set up a portal so you can come right away.”

“Ah… sleepy… gonna sleep…”

Maru turned to his side as if shaking off Luciella’s touch and quickly fell asleep.

Luciella looked down at his sleeping form and licked her upper lip.

“Either you’ve become insensitive from getting stronger or you desire me, to sleep in front of a succubus with strong sexual desire.”

Giggling, her hand moved toward Maru’s lower body.

Maru’s eyes snapped open and he quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Go back.”

“You weren’t asleep? Just a little.”

“I told you to go back.”

“Really, really just a little. I’ll just have a tiny taste.”

“No. Go back.”

“I’ll just poke the tip with my tongue and stop.”

“You mean your fingertip? Anyway, no.”

“Please…! Aahn.”

Luciella, desperately pleading with Maru, not only made coquettish moans but kept licking her lips while drooling.

Her eyes glowed red, fangs protruded, and sticky saliva dripped down her chin.

The dignity of a noblewoman in her 30s from earlier was nowhere to be found no matter how hard you looked.

When excited, she transformed into a hideous demon in an instant.

A demon faithful to instinct.

A dangerous being that couldn’t be let down guard against for a moment.

“It’s because you’ve gotten stronger, my lord! Nngh…! Your thick male scent drives me crazy!”

“Shut up.”

Maru opened the window and lifted her resisting form to throw her outside.

Click.

After locking the window, he poured water in a cup and drank.

Suddenly there was a sound of something hitting the window.

The angry Luciella must have thrown pebbles.

“I wonder if she’s going off to hunt men.”

He stood blankly for a moment wondering if he should go check, then gave up thinking ‘whatever’ and headed to bed.

To prepare for the reception ceremony, from tomorrow he would have to meet new people in new places and had mountains of work to do.

“Hah, now I’m doing what I received when with the prince.”

Since he had seen how ceremonies were conducted many times when young, if he recalled those memories, well, it shouldn’t be difficult.

3 weeks later.

In a territory within the Kingdom of Basilite.

“Damn it! Has the Winks party deployed?”

“Yes! They went to support where we’re being pushed back!”

“Get the next party ready quickly too! Tell them to hurry up and get over here, no dawdling!”

“Captain! The barricade we set up in the west has been breached!”

“This is driving me crazy! What is the Hero doing! Is she planning to hide again today!”

The knights’ captain in his 50s stormed out of the command tent in great anger.

A few hours ago, a demon hole opened in the land near the camp where the Hero’s party and Duke Toledo were staying, and demons began pouring out.

People seemed to be holding them back well with combined strength, but unfortunately, they were overwhelmed seeing demons that kept crawling up from the ground no matter how many they killed.

Eventually they were overwhelmed by numbers.

They hurriedly changed strategy to setting up barricades around the camp and defending key points, but even this wasn’t going well in the current situation.

“Your Grace!”

The knights’ captain found Duke Toledo and complained while almost crying.

“We’ll all die at this rate! Please stop accommodating the Hero’s convenience and tell her to come help fight!”

“Now, now, Captain.”

The Duke’s son Josef interrupted.

“The Hero is unwell right now. Isn’t it too heartless to tell a sick person to go fight?”

“Only the Hero can resolve this! If she won’t come out, our only option is for all of us to flee!”

“Listen.”

Duke Toledo, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

“Are the Hero’s companions not enough?”

“We’re barely holding on thanks to Natali, Lucy, and Yoris. But we need the Hero’s power to turn this situation around. Even the regular adventurers are getting exhausted.”

“Hmm…”

The Duke nodded.

“I understand. Hey, send someone to the Hero right now and tell her to prepare for battle quickly.”

“Father! Kiera is not in a normal physical condition! Please reconsider!”

“Calm down. I’ve been patient enough. What has the Hero done since coming this far? We can’t guarantee the success of our expedition like this. I won’t yield today. If the Hero stubbornly resists again, I’ll cancel the expedition immediately and return home.”

“There are orders that you must sortie today.”

“Are they very angry?”

“Well, not exactly, but… the atmosphere was serious.”

“I understand. Tell them I’ll go out.”

“Really? Oh thank you!”

After the messenger left, Kiera entered the tent.

She collapsed into a chair with a deep sigh.

“Is this the end…”

Even after counting down the days, the Hero’s power still hadn’t returned.

Now black hair covered more than half of her head.

She was hanging on with dye.

Why?

She had pondered countless times but couldn’t find the answer.

Now she was just an ordinary human.

If she went out to fight, she would obviously die.

She was afraid.

‘Why has heaven abandoned me?’

Suddenly she thought of Maru.

“Did you feel like this too when I drove you away?”

A self-deprecating laugh escaped.

“I’m being punished… for driving Maru away…”

The light in her eyes faded and grew murky as she chuckled.

Deep in her chest, malice quietly raised its head.

How had she gotten this life.

I who desperately survived a terminal life.

Think I’ll die like this?

‘I need to run away.’

For the first time, such a thought occurred.

“Let’s abandon everything and stay where Maru is for a while.”

He’ll accept even someone like me.

Because he’s kind.

And because he’s a fool who thinks I’m his whole world.

Just as she made up her mind and stood up.

White powder fell from her hair and scattered in the air.

“Dust?”

Thinking something was stuck in her hair, she looked in the mirror.

Surprisingly, the hair dye that had been absorbed in her hair was falling like powder.

Yet not a single black hair could be seen.

Glossy silver hair swayed.

“Could it be…?”

Kiera rubbed her head several times with a shocked expression.

It was her hair.

The silver hair had returned.

**

A few minutes later, Kiera walked out of the tent in armor.

“You go to the west barricade!”

“Yes!”

“Just two people go over there and help push the cart! Quickly! Quickly!”

The entire camp was busy dealing with demons pushing in from all directions.

Kiera silently crossed through the middle of the camp toward the entrance.

People running busily discovered her and shouted with happy faces.

“It’s the Hero! The Hero has appeared!”

“What? The H-Hero?”

“Oh! Thank the gods!”

Lucy the mage who was nearly out of mana,

Yoris the priest who was extending healing hands to people,

Natali the warrior who was fighting at the frontline swinging a great sword,

All stared at Kiera in surprise.

“Why did you come out?”

“Has your power returned…?”

“Kiera! You’re finally back! Hahaha!”

Soon after coming out of the camp, Kiera drew her sword.

She spoke to the people guarding the barricade.

“Everyone fall back behind me.”

“What? But the monsters will…”

“It’s alright.”

People immediately withdrew their weapons and hurriedly ran back into the camp.

Soon the wooden barricade was smashed and numerous demons rushed at Kiera.

“Hah…”

Kiera took a short breath then imbued her blade with aura.

At the same time, demons pounced on her from all directions.

But…

FWOOOOSH!

The demons’ bodies were torn to shreds and their fragments flew into the air before falling with a thud.

Then when Kiera swung her sword in an X pattern, light burst forth and demons within 100 meters in a straight line were completely annihilated.

Not stopping there, Kiera spun rapidly like a tornado, mercilessly cutting off demons’ limbs.

The whirlwind she created reached the sky and looked like a waterspout.

In that state, she swept through all directions, eliminating demons without difficulty.

“She’s back, she’s back.”

Lucy, watching from afar with a tired expression, shook her head and smirked.

“The Hero is back.”

Two days later near the capital of the Kingdom of Basilite.

Thanks to Kiera’s excellent performance, the Hero’s party and House Toledo were in high spirits.

Praise for Kiera was endless in the procession moving along the well-maintained straight road.

A smile remained on Kiera’s face as she rode at the front.

“This country is colder than others. The sun seems to set earlier too.”

Lucy, riding her horse, pulled her collar closed and shrank from cold.

“Are you cold?”

“You wouldn’t know since you’re the Hero? I’m shivering.”

“I felt it too until recently.”

“Don’t experience it again. It’s not good for us.”

Josef, the Duke’s son, rode his horse over to walk alongside Kiera.

“When we arrive at the capital, I’ll have people give you the largest room in the palace.”

Kiera showed what seemed like a happy smile.

“Only you take care of me, Lord Josef. Please make sure.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll have them bring the largest bathtub too. Take a long relaxing bath in warm water tonight and rest well.”

“I should. I’m still very tired.”

“Oh my. My heart aches. I’m sorry for making the beautiful Hero endure such a difficult journey.”

“This is the path I chose. Don’t feel burdened.”

Just then someone shouted.

“Knights are coming ahead!”

The front of the procession stopped as everyone looked forward.

About 50 knights were riding toward them on horseback.

Yoris, shading his eyes with his hand to peer into the distance, said:

“They’re carrying the kingdom’s flag, seems they came to welcome us.”

Natali curled her lip.

“Looks like they’ve never even fought, their armor is so shiny even from far away. If these guys fought me, they’d all die. No lie, I could win with one arm.”

As the approaching group of knights got closer, they slowed down and fell into formation at a trot.

They seemed well-disciplined, with the knights carrying themselves proudly and even their horses maintaining powerful, steady strides.

Their steps matched perfectly.

“They look strong.”

Duke Toledo, standing at the front, muttered this.

Behind him, Kiera, Lucy, Yoris, and Natali on horseback carefully observed each movement of the knights.

They couldn’t take their eyes off the controlled, formal motions.

“Hallllt!”

When they reached a distance where voices could carry, they stopped.

Then the knights split to both sides, creating a path in the center.

From the end, one knight wearing more distinctive armor than the others slowly rode forward.

At that moment, when Kiera recognized the knight’s face, her mouth opened silently and her heart dropped.

It was Han Maru.

Lucy, Yoris, and Natali standing beside her could only stare blankly in surprise, unable to say anything.

Meanwhile, Maru walked proudly through the knights and brought his horse face to face with Duke Toledo.

“Everyone. Welcome to Nofha, capital of our Kingdom of Basilite.”