I Favor the Villainess Chapter 40Culprit

“What’s going on!?”

“The main gate was breached! A great number of citizens forced their way into the academy!”

“Noble sons are in danger! Focus on defending the student dormitories!”

“Have the staff evacuate!”

“Until the reinforcements arrive, endure!”

I can hear the army soldiers yelling.

It’s past twenty-three o’clock.

I am waiting hidden in a certain room.

Before long, I heard sound of footsteps get closer and stop in front of this room.

The lock opened with a clank.

A figure of a person continued walking inside the room.

“Did you intend to take an advantage of the uproar, Lambert-sama”

At my unexpected voice and light being turned on, Lambert-sama stopped his feet.

“Rei Taylor…”

We’re in a laboratory of the analysis department inside the academy.

I fiddled with the lock and hid inside.

“The bell to control demons… It was Lambert-sama’s invention”

Lambert-sama is a magical tools specialist.

I’ve already mentioned he’s researching how to control demons, that bell is the crystallization of his efforts.

“Why are you here?”

“To stop you”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying”

It seems Lambert-sama intends to feign ignorance to the end in front of me who got straight to the point.

“I learned of the uproar, and came to protect the valuable magical tools――”

“In the courtyard incident, did you mess with Deed-sama’s magical wand?”

Lambert-sama’s eyes turned a little stern.

As Rod-sama said, Deed-sama is not the one to do such things.

With his character even if he fires up, there’s no way he’d fail to control magic.

Everything was set up.

“As a magical tools specialist, you were in a position where you could adjust magical tools. And, you failed Deed-sama’s wand adjustment on purpose to make it spontaneously discharge”

“It’s a false accusation. There was no abnormality in the wand”

“That’s what you testified yourself, Lambert-sama. Right after the courtyard incident, even without the leader Lorec’s nomination, you’d have come forward to accompany Yuu-sama, right?”

“…”

Lambert-sama kept silent.

“In the first place, the academy has been strange recently. The conflict between nobles and commoners too, you were inciting it behind the scenes, right?”

“What are you basing it on”

“There’s no basis. But, I know everything”

As it’s the knowledge I got from the game, I have no evidence to show Lambert-sama.

Even so, I know.

Lambert-sama activated the bell to summon a powerful demon into the academy.

In the game, the heroine and a capture target saved the academy that fell into havoc, but it’s definitely better if such a danger doesn’t occur.

That’s why, I decided to forestall it.

“… Everything, huh”

“I know you couldn’t care less about the commoners’ movement”

Lambert-sama’s house, Orso Company, are the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom.

They might not be nobles, but their lives are better than ordinary commoners’.

Not to mention, Orso Company deals with magical gems excavation and distribution.

Having been entrusted with it by the country, overthrowing this country’s royalty and aristocracy would be shooting yourself in the foot.

“Then, what am I doing such a thing for?”

“To save Lene’s life”

A certain power took Lene hostage to threaten Lambert-sama.

They declared they’ll kill Lene if he doesn’t do as he’s told.

For that reason, he unwillingly has to work behind the scenes during this riot.

“Lene is certainly my important little sister. But, do you think I’d do it even if it put the company in danger?”

“If only she was just your younger sister”

With that, the color of Lambert-sama’s eyes clearly changed.

He didn’t imagine I’d know so much.

“You, how much…”

“I said it, everything”

Lambert-sama loves Lene.

However, not as a younger sister, but as a woman.

Homosexual love is not the only forbidden love portrayed in plays.

To protect his beloved Lene, Lambert-sama will act even if it puts his house in danger.

“Lambert-sama. Please give up”

“… I can’t do that”

“Lambert-sama!”

“They’re frightening. Should I fail, they will mercilessly kill Lene”

On his face I could see intense fear.

“I’ll do something about Lene’s matter”

“How?”

“By talking”

“Can you really do something like talk with that opponent?”

Lambert-sama spat out with self-derision on his face.

I’m sure he’s tried to plea to them many times.

“Please believe”

“It’s impossible”

“Then, I’ll stop you by force”

I prepared my magical wand.

“I won’t let you”

I heard a familiar voice.

“… Lene”

“Sorry, Rei-chan”

Lene brought along several men.

One of them is holding Claire-sama, pressing a knife to her neck.

Claire-sama doesn’t seem to have woken up yet, but I could hear her slightly groan.

“Let my elder brother go”

“Lene, think it over”

“Impossible. I can’t do anything”

“…”

I wanted to believe in Lene.

I wanted to think that her liking Claire-sama wasn’t a lie.

But after all, affection cannot win against love.

“Rei, move aside”

“Sure, I can move, but it’s futile”

“What?”

“I broke the bell just in case”

“!?”

Lambert-sama passed by me and rushed to the back of the room.

He opened a cabinet and took out the bell from it.

“… What a thing”

I heard Lambert-sama’s aghast voice.

The bell was split in half.

I considered the possibility of Lene taking Lambert-sama’s side.

This is the insurance against that.

“Isn’t it enough. Please give up, Lambert-sama, Lene”

“… Elder brother”

“…”

Lene ran up to Lambert-sama.

Lambert-sama hung his head listlessly.

“Oi oi oi, that ain’t a problem”

One man said in an out-of-place lively voice.

Hidden by a dark mask, his face cannot be seen.

Who is he?”

This event wasn’t in the game.

So, I don’t know this guy.

In the game the bell was supposed to have been used by Lene on Claire-sama’s instructions.

After the incident settled, Claire-sama was accused of the crime, and Deed-sama was let off.

Of course, it was a false accusation.

“… Without the demon bell, it’s futile”

“Give it to me for a moment”

The man received the bell from Lambert-sama, who’s still hanging his head.

“… Turn back”

“!?”

In his palms, the bell that had been split in half rejoined, as if the time rewound.

What is this… this magic?

“This is fine”

“… Ah”

Lambert-sama seems to doubt his own eyes, upon receiving the bell he tried to activate it.

“I won’t let you!”

“Rei-chan, don’t move! I don’t want to hurt Claire-sama!”

Lene said in a sharp voice.

Looking at Claire-sama, a single crimson streak ran down her neck.

“!”

I desperately endured losing myself in rage.

Everything is my fault.

Knowing the contents of the game, I was convinced I could manage everything.

I’m the only one here.

I have to do something.

While my thoughts were impatiently running in circles, a voice resounded.

“Trying to do something alone despite being just a single commoner, you are terribly conceited”

With that voice resounding, the men were engulfed in flames.

Screams echoed.

“Such vulgar screams. They are well suited for criminals”

Its owner is of course――.

“Claire-sama!”

“I do not understand the situation, however for the time being is it fine to believe the masterminds were the Orso pair?”

After stifling a yawn, Claire-sama smiled with an air of composure.

It seems she’s been awake since a while ago.

She feigned sleep to ascertain the situation.

“Lene, it is regrettable”

“…”

Met with Claire-sama’s clear hostility, Lene hung her head.

She must be too ashamed to face Claire-sama.

“Orso siblings, what you need to do doesn’t change”

And with the out-of-place lively voice, the flames suddenly went out.

Although the men were on the verge of collapsing, just one person stood as if nothing happened.

“If you just do the work, I’ll let you escape abroad. Then, I’ll change your family register, publicly you won’t be an older brother and a younger sister but a pair of lovers”

It’s like the snake tempting Adam and Eve, I thought.

“Do not listen to him. Surrender”

Claire-sama said in a frigid voice.

However――.

“I’m sorry, Claire-sama. We can’t turn back anymore”

Saying so in a firm voice, Lambert-sama activated the bell.