Cursed Villainess’ Obsession

“I'm back, Rafne.”

After finishing the funeral that followed the visit to the Haidia family, it took longer than expected to return to the academy.

I had planned to explain everything to Rafne in at least three days.

However, I arrived at the academy five days later.

“Ken—!!”

Perhaps because of this, Rafne’s face, which I saw as I opened the tower's door, was very dark.

Her face, once bright, now wore a gloomy and teary expression after a long time.

“Why are you so late…!”

As she usually did, she rushed toward me with tears welling up, and I opened my arms to embrace her.

But upon seeing my face, Rafne suddenly slowed her pace.

“W-What happened…?”

Then, she gently approached me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and looked up at me with a worried expression.

I felt a bit proud. In the past, she would have just clung to me and acted spoiled without checking on my condition.

“It’s just that it’s complicated to explain,” I said vaguely and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, burying my face in them.

I could feel Rafne's familiar scent.

Of course, I had only spoken to Mr. Raymond for a day, and that was just a few minutes of conversation.

But I had watched Mary from the side as she cried when her father took his last breath.

It was simply painful.

Not as much as Mary, who had just lost her father.

But the thought that there was nothing I could do for her piled up and reached this point, making Rafne read those feelings from me.

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

“No… it’s okay.”

Rafne nestled into my embrace, holding my waist tightly as if to comfort me.

Thanks to her warm presence and familiar scent, my troubled heart began to calm down.

“I don’t know what happened, but…”

Then Rafne kissed my neck and quietly began to speak.