Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

What really happened in Katherine's past?

What did Vritra know that had her so terrified?

She realized it was time to give up and explain everything to him properly.

There was no point in keeping it hidden anymore, and she hoped that maybe, after hearing the truth, he'd show her some mercy.

Before the scandal that tore her family apart, Katherine had a secret romance with a fellow scholar, Aric Verlyn. Aric was not only her intellectual match but also the one person who truly understood and shared her passion for knowledge and her dreams of making a difference in the kingdom.

Their relationship blossomed within the university's intellectual circles, where they connected deeply both intellectually and emotionally.

Aric was a kindred spirit, someone who inspired Katherine to think beyond the limits of her noble status. They dreamed of a future where they could revolutionize the nation's approach to governance and diplomacy, a future Katherine once believed was within reach.

But when the scandal hit and her family was accused of corruption, Aric was forced to distance himself. Though he felt deep sympathy for Katherine, he feared being associated with the scandal or seen as complicit.

In a painful decision, Aric chose to cut ties with her, believing that protecting his own career and reputation was the only reasonable option he had.

Katherine was devastated.

The man she had planned a future with had abandoned her when she needed him most. The betrayal wasn't just emotional; it shattered her confidence and sense of self.

Their secret relationship had been about more than avoiding scandal… it was also a way for her to protect herself from the pain of Aric's departure. She kept their past hidden because she was afraid that revealing it would further damage her reputation and expose her vulnerabilities.

But that didn't last long…

After marrying Marquis Cedric at seventeen, Aric came back into her life, and it reignited their secret romance.

Katherine had married Cedric out of necessity—it wasn't a marriage built on love, but one she had to accept to save her family from falling apart. Now that Aric was back, she felt the chance to experience real love again, a love that made her feel alive and gave her purpose.

She didn't want to lose that feeling, so she chose to be with Aric, even while still married to Cedric.

"I… it's not something I'm proud of…"

Katherine spoke softly.

She was feeling different emotions at once.

On one hand, she was embarrassed to be sharing this story about her infidelity, but on the other, her face flushed as Vritra kept a firm grip on her ass cheek, teasing her in a way that sent vibrations through her body.

Heat spread through her crotch, though she remained irritated by the actions of this man, someone she had no choice but to respect.

"C…"

Still, Katherine managed to look up at the tall, handsome man and speak her mind.

"Can you… can you please… stop this."

"No… finish your story first."

Hearing this, Katherine grew more annoyed and clenched her fist, as if she was ready to punch him.

"I finally realized my mistake and ended things with Aric. It was a bad decision from the start, and I still regret it to this day. I feel foolish and cruel for betraying Cedric, a wonderful man who not only loved me deeply but also supported me and helped my struggling family.

Since cutting ties with Aric, I've committed to being a faithful wife, and now, my only focus is on loving and caring for my husband. No one else matters."

Katherine held the Vritra's hand, which was touching a mother like her in the most inappropriate way possible.

"So please, stop touching me like this. I know you're an ancient god and everyone has to bow to you, but just this once, could you show a little mercy? I have a loving husband and two sons who care about me deeply. Just let me have this moment peacefully."

The noblewoman almost looked like she would cry.

Her eyes had become teary, and her face looked very flushed, similar to someone who had a fever.

Even her body was shaking──she didn't like the fact that a man who wasn't her husband was touching her butt so sensually, as she was enjoying it.

It made her strongly feel the need to kill herself.

Such was her loyalty.

[The target's affection for you has dropped by 100 points!]

[The target's Fate Value has gone up by 100!]

"I see…"

Vritra released Katherine and stepped back with a cool and calm expression. He turned to a small table a few meters away, picked up his glass of wine, and resumed sipping it in silence.

Katherine hesitated, unsure if she was allowed to leave.

"G-, God Vritra, may I…" she started to ask.

"Yes, you may."

He cut her off, though he still had more to say.

"After Lord Edmond's party later today, I have something to tell you about your husband that will make you understand something about yourself, Katherine."

"What?"

Katherine asked with clear confusion.

She adjusted her light-pink shawl and took a step closer.

Vritra turned slightly to give her a side-eye.

"Katherine… you're a beautiful woman, but you've been loved for all the wrong reasons. The two men you care about have ruined your life in ways you might not even realize or might be choosing to ignore. I love you, and I'd be willing to ruin your life just to have you, but at least I'm honest about it."

"God Vritra, I…"

Katherine struggled to grasp his words.

However, the important thing was that he'd given her permission to leave.

It was already far past midnight; if she wasn't in bed soon, her husband would certainly become suspicious, and his heavy insecurities would complicate things further.

"Thank you for your time, God Vritra…"

She bowed her head one last time before leaving.

As Katherine was about to leave, Vritra suddenly turned and extended his left hand.

────SWIIIIIIISH!

A blade of wind sliced through the air at high-speed and cut the arms of her dress.

This wasn't ordinary [Wind Magic].

It was just a concentrated force from stabbing the air with his fingers.

… KYAAAAAAAAA~!!

Katherine let out a small scream and quickly held up her dress to keep her breasts covered. She glanced back to see if Vritra had noticed, but he was now drinking wine with a bored expression.

"No one wants to see you naked, woman… leave."

That was all he said.

She felt a little insulted, but relieved that he hadn't looked.

Adjusting her shawl to hold her dress in place, Katherine left the room, closing the door behind her.

… Silence~

Ghislaine peeked out from the barrel where she had been hiding. Her small body made it easy for her to fit inside while she listened to her young lord charm a mother of two.

"Young master…?"

"Yes?" Vritra replied, sipping his wine.

"I still don't see how this helps with the assignment Lord Rohan gave you. If you want to target someone, shouldn't it be that lame, insecure Cedric guy instead?"

"Ghislaine… come here for a moment."

Vritra said it with such a calm voice, but Ghislaine felt her butthole squeeze shut when she heard this order. Maybe she said something out of line again? Oddly, she still felt excited that the young lord took offense to her words.

She was always ready to get spanked by him any day.

She quickly hopped out of the barrel and approached Vritra with eager steps.

"I'm here, young lord!"

She spread her arms out, hoping to get hit by him.

"I'm sure I said something wrong… DO IT!"

There was also this strong urge she felt to flat out turn around and push her little butt up for him, but she didn't want to seem so desperate.

Instead, Vritra removed the small pieces of cucumber and food particles from her hair and patted her head.

"You're a beautiful young lady, Ghislaine. You should take better care of yourself."

He adjusted her eye patch and wiped the food particles from around her mouth. It seemed she had been snacking on leftovers from the barrel while waiting inside it.

Ghislaine's eyebrows went up a bit.

『I… I didn't expect this from the young lord, but I guess it is a little bit better… hnnn~』

She fiddled with her thumbs and played with her feet as she stood there, looking down with a bright red face.