I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me

Freedom. Finally, freedom.Elsez stepped out of the carriage, feeling a refreshing sense of liberation—like a wife who had finally signed her divorce papers after enduring years with an insufferable husband.‘Now, I can finally rid myself of the wretched title of the Duke of Rittenhouse’s fiancée.’Once she shed that label, she could live as her true self—Elsez Rohen.‘W-what? What are you saying all of a sudden? A breakup?’‘M-my deepest apologies, my lady! I was arrogant and overstepped my place. Please forgive me!’Recalling the stunned butler of the Rittenhouse household and the maid who had bowed down in terror, convinced she was at fault, only made Elsez feel even more refreshed.Humming a tune, she walked with a lightness in her step as she entered the temple. At that moment, Reti, who had been silently tucked in her inner pocket, whispered.“Why are there so many humans here today? Is there something tasty?”“Huh, good question.”The temple was Elsez’s destination after leaving the Duke’s residence.Now that Reti mentioned it, she also noticed the unusually large crowd at the temple today.‘Is something going on?’Come to think of it, when she had stopped by the bakery to buy cookies for Tezette, the town square had seemed busier than usual as well.Just as she was pondering this, a familiar face happened to pass by.“Sir Lancelot.”“Ah, my lady. We meet again.”As always, he greeted her with impeccable courtesy.“The temple seems unusually crowded today.”“The festival begins today. It’s also a rare occasion where His Holiness is personally officiating the ceremony.”“A festival?”“Yes, the annual festival commemorating the defeat of the Demon God.”Hearing this, Elsez stared blankly at the bustling people.They were all brimming with excitement, completely free of worry. They looked happy.The very sight before her—the peaceful world she had fought so desperately to protect three years ago, even at the cost of her life.‘…And yet, I ended up reincarnating as the Demon God.’She had died a hero, having saved the world from destruction, only to be reborn as the very being destined to destroy it.As the reality of her situation sank in, Elsez’s expression darkened.“…It’s satisfying, yet painful.”“What do you mean all of a sudden?”“There are just things like that.”With a heavy sigh, Elsez turned and headed toward the library, ignoring Lancelot’s puzzled gaze.The only way forward was to find a way to separate herself from the Demon God’s power as soon as possible.Since Astaire was officiating the ceremony, most people had flocked to attend, leaving the already quiet library—currently under renovation—even more deserted.Exchanging a brief nod with the familiar library guards, Elsez stepped inside.But she wasn’t alone.A visitor had arrived before her.A man was sprawled across the library’s sofa, his long legs extending beyond its edges due to his towering height.His broad frame made the spacious couch look almost cramped.And even with a book covering his face, the vibrant red hair peeking through made it obvious who he was.‘Astaire must have summoned him. He’s probably waiting since the ceremony is still ongoing.’A few days ago, after the incident at the Count Lort household surfaced, Astaire had openly requested Cassian’s help.Since the matter involved the Demon God, no one questioned an outsider like Cassian getting involved with temple affairs.After all, no matter what anyone said, Cassian was one of the heroes who had slain the Demon God.Ever since then, he had been frequenting the temple as if it were his own guild.But this was the first time Elsez had run into him at the library.‘He seems to be asleep. I’ll just walk past quietly.’With that thought, Elsez took a careful step forward.But before she could go any further, a deep voice resonated through the quiet library.“Rookie, it’s you.”Startled, she turned back.He still hadn’t moved the book from his face.‘…Like a damn ghost.’Halting her steps, Elsez looked at Cassian.His loosely fitted white shirt revealed a glimpse of his well-defined upper body.The harness strapped over it only accentuated his broad chest and muscular frame.As he moved his arm, the shift caused his chest muscles to flex ever so slightly.Unconsciously, Elsez swallowed hard.But just then, their eyes met—his flickering crimson gaze peering through the gap in his book.She quickly averted her gaze.“W-what are you doing here?”“Sleeping.”His eyelids were half-lowered, giving him a drowsy, languid look.“If you’re going to sleep, why not use the break room? Wouldn’t that be more comfortable?”“I’m comfortable here.”No, I’m the one who’s uncomfortable…Though she had told them she was researching the Demon God to investigate those trying to revive it, she still felt uneasy being near him.“The festival preparations are in full swing outside. Why not go take a look? It might wake you up.”Cassian used to love festivals.He enjoyed being around people, could drink well, and never missed the chance to compete in festival games like darts or tests of strength.But his response was unexpected.“Not interested.”“Why not? Today marks the day you and your comrades defeated the Demon God. Shouldn’t you feel proud?”“Not at all.”His voice was lower than usual, almost somber.The playful smirk that always lingered on his face was gone.It was the first time she had ever seen him like this.Suddenly, Jack’s words from a few days ago surfaced in her mind.‘That day has come again.’‘That day?’‘The day our Master sinks into himself. Every year around this time, his mood always turns dark.’‘Something must have happened.’‘Who knows? He won’t say a word about it, no matter how much we ask.’Though the details were unknown, one thing was clear—this wasn’t the time to pry into Cassian’s thoughts.Superficial understanding or sympathy would only wound him further.With shallow relationships, it was easy to offer lighthearted comfort. But when it came to truly important people, their pain was something one feared to speak carelessly about.“Then… rest well.”Without pressing any further, Elsez headed deeper into the library.‘I’ve already read most of the books in the temple about the Demon God.’The problem was, despite reading nearly all of them, she hadn’t found a single clue on how to separate herself from the Demon God’s power.‘Maybe I should go to the Magic Tower next.’The last book was placed on the highest shelf.Even though Elsez wasn’t short, she still had to stand on tiptoe just to reach it.‘It’s just one book… but fetching a ladder is such a hassle.’At that moment, an idea flashed through her mind.Lowering her head toward her jacket, she whispered to her tiny companion.“Reti.”Since Reti had no problem devouring an entire plate of cookies, jumping onto a bookshelf to retrieve a book should be easy enough.But there was no response.‘Did he sneak off again?’Peeking inside her pocket, she saw two plump ears sticking out.‘Sleeping?’Just as she was about to quietly cover him back up, Reti’s ears twitched, and his entire head slowly emerged from the pocket.“I just called you. Why didn’t you answer?”“…Humans are cruel.”“Huh?”Elsez tilted her head at Reti’s sudden statement.Though his doll-like face remained expressionless, the black haze surrounding him seemed gloomier than usual.“I… I like human food, and I like jewels, and I even like humans… but humans always hurt me…”His voice wavered, as if he were about to cry.Startled, Elsez carefully pulled Reti out of her pocket.“What’s this all of a sudden?”“How… how could humans turn the day we died into a festival? Humans are so cruel!”With that, Reti let out a loud wail.Of course, being a doll, he didn’t actually shed tears.Still, seeing the dejected, sniffling rabbit made Elsez feel uneasy.‘…He’s not going to turn dark again and try to take over the world, is he?’After hesitating for a moment, she placed Reti on her shoulder and gently patted him.“Well… to humans, festivals are just a reason to eat good food and have fun. They need a break from everyday life. It’s not like they’re celebrating our deaths.”She also promised to buy him a snack on the way home.Though Reti didn’t respond, his quiet sobbing gradually faded.Elsez waited until he tucked himself back into her pocket before grabbing the book and stepping out of the bookshelf aisle.Cassian was still lying on the sofa, exactly as before.Perhaps he had truly meant it when he said he was going to sleep.Elsez placed the book down on the desk and was about to sit down when she sighed, grabbed a blanket, and walked toward Cassian.That was when she noticed something was off.His usually composed face was twisted in discomfort.Sweat beaded along his furrowed brow.“…Master?”A heavy sense of unease gripped Elsez’s chest.“Cassian, are you feeling sick?”Instinctively, she reached out to touch his forehead.But before she could, a large, heated hand seized her wrist.In that instant, his crimson eyes snapped open and locked onto hers.His gaze was hazy, almost unfocused.And then, in a voice deep and raw, he murmured a name.“…Ruel.”At that, Elsez’s eyes widened in shock.