Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

『What do I do…?』

Katherine now had the power to potentially ruin Cedric's reputation in Gladius City and within the Royal Council.

What made it even more certain was that she had Vritra backing her, and he had nearly as much influence as King Felmus.

"I…"

She was unsure of what to say in that moment.

How would this decision impact her life moving forward?

What would it mean for Cedric?

What would happen to her children?

There was so much she hadn't had time to think through, and she suspected Vritra had planned this all along.

He had placed her in a difficult situation.

If she didn't reveal the information right now and decided to take time to think about it, it wouldn't matter. The nobles would quickly side with Cedric no matter what.

It was a simple strategy that Vritra had used, so simple that anyone hearing the story would easily figure out his motive.

The young, cunning lord had trapped Katherine in a dark, narrow tunnel. If she moved forward, she'd reach the light, but if she hesitated or turned back, there would be no return… only days of endless darkness and regret.

Katherine gathered her strength and looked at Cedric, whose hand was still gripped by Vritra. Cedric's expression almost seemed to warn her──if she spoke, she would suffer the consequences.

But Vritra's face was calm, as if silently assuring her that nothing bad would happen if she spoke from her heart.

Somehow, this devil had become her guardian angel.

In Duranzia, women didn't have many rights, especially those who hadn't been born into the upper class.

Yet here she was, with the power to bring down a man.

Her own husband…

But he was also the man she never would have married if he hadn't destroyed her life in the first place.

Vritra's words were beginning to make sense.

She was a beautiful woman, but one who had been loved in all the wrong ways. Now, the young lord was offering her the chance to ruin everything she always had for a chance at a better life… something she always wanted.

The choice was hers.

"I'll talk…"

This was all everyone needed to hear.

The tension in the room immediately shot up to the maximum, and Vritra finally released Cedric so they could all listen to what Katherine had to say.

However, it still looked like Cedric wanted to speak.

Before a word could leave his mouth, Vritra glared at him with blood-red eyes, making his thoughts clear.

"If you take so much as a step, or even try to interrupt her… I'll disregard the rules of Saint Melcius's [Conditional Magic] and rip your heart out of your chest. Trust me when I say I have nothing to lose."

Those words, colder than the steel of an assassin's blade, left Cedric as silent as a grave.

The hall was also quiet, with only Katherine left to speak.

"My husband, Cedric Kupertine Bluesteel, is responsible for the long forgotten Aldwyn Scandal."

A loud gasp filled the hall, instantly bringing back memories of the long-forgotten financial scandal involving House Aldwyn.

It had faded as quickly as it appeared, so few nobles even remembered it.

The event had been so sudden that there wasn't much time for gossip, and since it wasn't recorded in the nation's history books, many hadn't considered it important.

But now, it seemed it was far more significant than anyone had originally thought.

"The evidence provided to me by God Vritra proves it."

Katherine gave everyone the full story.

Katherine Eadgifu Bluesteel was born the second daughter of the small but once-prominent House Aldwyn.

From an early age, she showed remarkable intelligence and a strong desire to learn. Her parents, seeing her potential, made sure she received the best education they could provide. Katherine thrived in her studies, mastering subjects like politics, diplomacy, and history, and soon became one of the brightest minds of her generation.

Her intelligence didn't go unnoticed.

By her late teens, Katherine had become a rising star in the Royal Court, drawing the attention of influential figures and courtiers. People began to see her as a future key player in the kingdom's politics, with many predicting that she would soon hold an important position of power.

However, her bright future started to fall apart when the Marquis Cedric Bluesteel took an interest in her.

Known for his cunning and ambition, Cedric viewed Katherine not just as a beautiful woman he was helplessly in love with, or as a valuable asset to boost his own status, but also as the key to securing his family's power. He carefully planned a series of events to ensure that Katherine would become his wife.

The tragic turn came when Cedric manipulated Katherine's family into a financial scandal, falsely accusing them of embezzlement and corruption. Although the accusations were groundless, the fake evidence was enough to destroy their reputation.

As the scandal unfolded, Katherine's family faced financial disaster and social rejection.

Her once-privileged life was completely turned upside down as they lost their titles and wealth.

In the middle of all this chaos, Cedric proposed to Katherine, pretending that he could offer her and her family protection and stability. Desperate and feeling guilty for her family's troubles, Katherine reluctantly accepted the proposal, thinking it was her only chance to improve their situation.

Having successfully married the smartest and most beautiful woman in Gladius City, Marquis Cedric didn't protect Katherine from the societal expectations and pressures that came with her new role.

Instead, he kept his distance, leaving her to deal with her shattered dreams and the ruins of her family's reputation.

Katherine was once seen as a bright and hopeful figure, known for her intelligence.

Over time, though, she became a representation of unfulfilled potential and the sacrifices she made for others.

"Oh my goodness!"

"I always thought the Aldwyn Scandal was really strange. It's been over thirty years, and it still feels off to me, but I never mentioned it because no one talked about it. Now, I realize I was right to feel that way!"

"This news is wild!"

"Honestly, I don't know what to say. Only people from Gladius City really know much about this, so we can either react like they do or just stay neutral."

"Hrmm, that's true…"

More and more nobles in the crowd were forming their opinions, but Vritra didn't seem satisfied yet.

[Ding! After looking over the evidence you shared, Katherine feels even more disgusted with her husband. She really appreciates your help, and her affection for the host has increased by 50 points!]

Still, Vritra wasn't satisfied.

『Come on, take the bait…』

The young lord was beginning to look impatient, but that quickly faded the moment Marquis Kris confidently stepped out of the crowd.

The nobleman cleared his throat loudly, instantly gaining the silence and attention of the chattering nobles.

"So what if that's what happened? It's not like there's any proof. Do you, the nobles of Gladius, really want to take a woman's word over a marquis who has worked hard to put this city on the map?

"Yes, she might have the support of an ancient god, but he's only been in the city for less than two days. Are you seriously going to trust his words? I wouldn't call God Vritra a fool or a liar, but he's certainly not all-knowing.

"The evidence he provided could easily be wrong. And of course, Lady Katherine would jump at the chance to make her husband look bad, especially since she's been seen letting God Vritra kiss her in public eyes and even sneaking into his chambers at night.

"This is just her way of covering that up, trying to make a great man like Lord Cedric Kupertine Bluesteel look bad. How disgusting!"

Marquis Kris furiously pointed at Katherine, causing her to tremble as if she were about to collapse.

The nobles began to whisper harshly about her again, staring at her like she was some sort of disease.

『N-, No… it's happening again, just because I'm a woman. Because I have no rights, I'm being forced into this again. I read that document, and everything in it is correct. Shouldn't my words and God Vritra's be enough?! When my family was accused of a financial scandal, there was no evidence at all, but they still hanged my sister! And Cedric, this is all your fault!

You're… you're a monster!』

Katherine took a few unsteady steps back, her knees growing weaker with each one.

The thick scroll slipped from her hands as she clutched her head, breathing heavily.

『I've had enough of this-, THIS──! Achk!』

This was her breaking point.

But Kris wanted to break her more… so she would know her place as a woman in this world.

"And let's say they somehow bring real evidence, like court records and trustworthy witnesses. So what? It's not like that's a big deal, right?

"Just look at God Vritra—he's raped countless women and killed even more, but we still let him walk freely in our streets and ally with our suzerain nation because we respect him as an ancient god. Power is power, after all. You nobles wouldn't change your mind about Lord Cedric over something so ridiculously meaningless.

"It's not like he committed treason or anything… that would be a whole different story. Right, my princess?"

Marquis Kris glanced at the frustrated princess, smiling just as smugly as Vritra. He had singlehandedly swayed the nobles' support back in Cedric's favor, and the princess was about to help him solidify that backing.

"Yes…" Princess Luciana mumbled.

"Yes, what, my princess? I can't hear you…"

The smile on Kris' face grew even more.

"The Aldwyn Scandal is meaningless…"

Princess Luciana tightened her fists and gritted her teeth.

Marquis Kris didn't care for that.

"YOU SEE?! IT'S MEANINGLESS! Even the wonderful princess of our great nation agrees!"

The nobleman clapped, and soon the nobles joined him.

To Katherine, this was the greatest insult.

『Meaningless? My sister died… and that's meaningless to you?! My family went through constant abuse from society, and that means nothing?! I had to stop my father from trying to kill himself several times—does that count as nothing too?! You nobles of Duranzia…』

Tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

Just when the typically graceful noblewoman was on the verge of losing her mind and screaming at the top of her lungs, Vritra finally spoke up.

"But who says I don't have concrete evidence?"

The hall immediately went silent again.

Cedric remained silent──for now, he was going to let Kris handle everything.

… Mhm-mmm~

Lord Kris chuckled.

"Don't you understand, God Vritra? These people don't care about your so-called 'concrete evidence.' You might as well say they've already forgiven Marquis Cedric… or better yet, they were never against him in the first place. Only an ungrateful pig would be, and apparently, that's his wife, Lady Katherine."

"Hey, trust me when I say you'll definitely want to see this fascinating evidence I have."

That was Vritra's response.

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