I Favor the Villainess - CH 261

Feb 19 2021

“You are…?”

“Hum, It seems that it hasn’t quite broken, but the application was only partly done.”

From her uniform, it was likely the girl worked for the academy, but I couldn’t remember her.

Her stature was around average and she had medium long hair. Her facial features didn’t particularly stand out either.

I looked at Lily-sama wondering if she knew anything, but she shook her head.

“Do you need something?”

“Ah yes, just out for a minor errand. After all, sparks should be dealt with before they catch fire.”

“W-wha I don’t understand what you’re saying, but I ask that you don’t get any closer!”

Lily-sama’s made her distrust apparent.

Though I didn’t understand what the girl was saying, for some reason my brain signalled danger as well.

Whoever she was, she felt like bad news.

I pulled out my magic wand.

“Lily-sama, get behind me.”

“What are you saying! Rei-san, you should get behind me! You’re still recovering, you know!”

Lily-sama also retrieved her wand.

As we had just attended a party with royalty in attendance, it seems she did not have her daggers.

“You two get along so well. If you just allowed yourself to forget, I’m sure you would’ve been happy…”

As though she was enjoying the situation, the girl laughed.

“Forget… you say? So I really am forgetting something then? Would I be correct to assume that you’re the culprit who stole my memories?”

“Yes, that’s not wrong. When I searched for the appropriate magic to falsify your memories, I found the perfect fit, but unfortunately the user was in an unrecoverable state. I went through quite a lot of trouble gathering data about Suggestion.”

The girl shrugged her shoulders as though to say, good grief.

“Suggestion… were you involved with Salas?”

“Oops, looks like my tongue slipped. However, no, I am not involved with Salas Lilium. However, the magic I used on you should’ve been no different from Salas Lilium’s Suggestion. Though it does seem my data was incomplete, as my application of it also fell short.”

Salas again?

“How convenient, the mastermind has just casually appeared before me. If I defeat you, I’ll be able to get my memories back, right?”

“Yes, that is true. However, I dislike violence. So, I’ll be making use of your trojan horse.”

Along with those words, the girl’s pupils suspiciously flashed.

Her gaze was directed toward―Lily-sama!

“Khh… Lily-sama!?”

“…”

Lily-sama put me into a nelson hold.

In contrast to how she appeared, she was quite strong.

I had heard that she had trained hard during her pilgrimage after the revolution.

Pilgrimage…?

No, wasn’t she at my side the whole time…?

My memories were in disarray.

“Then, Rei Taylor. This time, forget completely. Forget everything about Claire François.”

“―!”

The same instant her name reached me, I felt memories burst out from within.

After beginning my life here, I became her maid, witnessed the commoner movement, experienced the ordeal with the Scale of Love, had our vacation, and, and…

“TAIM!”

“Oh? It appears you remembered. As expected of someone who entertained thoughts of an eternal love.”

“I am different from the Demon Queen!”

“You’re the same. Even you will one day take the wrong path. If I was the administrator, there wouldn’t be such a concern.”

TAIM’s face was very calm and collected as she spoke those words.

I couldn’t afford to leave her like this.

But, what could I do?

“Now, forget everything. This time my analysis of Suggestion magic is complete. Never again, will you be able to remember Claire François.

“Why… you…!”

TAIM’s eyes began to light up.

At the same time my field of view seemed to twist and distort, growing vague.

I won’t forget… I won’t let myself forget…!

My memories with Claire-sama, our irreplaceable days together, there’s no way I’d let myself lose them!

I fought to hold on to my consciousness, but slowly a fog rolled over my mind.

“Khh… at this rate…”

“It is pointless to resist. You only extend your own suffering… guh…!?”

Suddenly my field of vision returned to normal.

My memories… were not lost.

I could remember Claire-sama clearly.

“R-rei-san…? Eh…? I, why am I…?”

“Lily-sama! I’m so glad. The explanation comes after, please restrain that girl.”

“Y-yes!”

Lily-sama and I locked down the arms of the girl who had stopped responding, pushing her to the ground.

“This is… Dor François’ Dream Magic… It appears by perfecting the Suggestion, the conditions for activation had been… I see… I was careless.”

As her face contorted in pain, TAIM whispered something.

“GIve it up, TAIM.”

“Have you forgotten, Rei Taylor? To me, this human is but a vessel. It’s impossible to capture me. Well then, until next time.”

Leaving only those words behind, TAIM closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

“Khh…”

“What is going on, Rei-san?”

“That was the true mastermind. They are able to possess a variety of people, so even if we capture this girl, it’s meaningless.”

“Mastermind…? Just who was that?”

“The explanation will take some time.”

Now that I’ve remembered everything, there was only one thing for me to do.

“Then at least for the moment, we should return―”

“Sorry. For certain reasons I can’t―no, I don’t want to.”

“… Rei-san?”

“I made a promise. When I return home, it will be together as four.”

“… And that… wasn’t with Lily, was it?”

Lily-sama put on an ephemeral smile.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. In that case, let’s call it here for tonight and plan to talk tomorrow.”

“Yes. If possible, I’d like to talk to everyone who was involved in the Demon Queen… ah, the battle with the Three Great Archdukes. Could I ask you to gather them?”

“That might be… a little difficult. They’re all busy dealing with the aftermath. Tonight’s celebrations were a bit of an exception.”

“… Is that so.”

“Ah, but, perhaps we could send letters? Rei-san is already a hero. I’m sure they’d read it with high priority, and then―”

“That’d be too slow!”

Unintentionally, I had raised my voice.

“… Rei-san…”

“I’m really sorry, Lily-sama. But I must save Claire-sama as fast as possible… Even right now, at this very moment, I have no idea what Claire-sama is being put through…”

To accomplish its goals, it would stop at nothing―in fact TAIM had already managed to erase Claire-sama from the memories of everyone in this world.

There was no telling what it was doing directly to Claire-sama.

The frustration I felt over having forgotten Claire-sama, animosity toward TAIM, worries of Claire-sama’s safety, I was so close to jumping overboard.

What stopped me from drowning in my own negativity, was a gentle embrace.

“Lily-sama…?”

“Rei-san, first, let’s calm down. Let’s think about what to do in order. I understand that you’re panicked, but this isn’t the Rei-san that I know. If you’re like that, even things that could go well might not, you know?”

Though Lily-sama was on the smaller side, as she spoke those words to soothe me, she had the presence of a mother.

A long time ago now, in my previous world, when I had first started skipping school… I recalled that my mother had done this for me.

Suddenly my tears began flowing.

“I… forgot…! Even though it was something that I could never allow myself to forget…! My memories with Claire-sama… I forgot them…!”

Everything that gushed out from within me, slammed straight into Lily-sama.

From Lily-sama’s perspective, it must’ve felt like her lover had suddenly started puking nonsense.

To top it off, her lover was calling out the name of some other woman.

There’s no way that she didn’t feel hurt herself.

Even then, she accepted it all.

“Rei-san, I’m sure it’ll be alright. Let’s do the things we can, little by little. Lily will help too. This time, it’s Lily’s turn to save Rei-san.”

As she looked straight in my eyes and smiled, she really did appear as a saint.

Though normally she could seem unreliable, at her core, she had a very strong heart.

Until I calmed down, Lily-sama continued to comfort me.

“… Sorry, I really lost myself.”

“Fufu, to think I’d get to see this side of Rei-san, this was quite the perk.”

“Uhm, about Claire-sama, if you could keep…”

“Fufu, I know. It’s our secret.”

“I’m sorry.”

I mean, I do think it was completely out of my control, but I don’t feel good about it.

“Tomorrow, tell me about everything, okay? About Claire-sama―Rei-san’s important person.”

“Yes.”

“Let us consult the Pope as well. I’m sure the Pope will lend her strength to us.”

“Yes.”

From then until we parted ways, Lily-sama continued to encourage me.

By the time that I reached my room in the treatment facilities, my feelings had calmed down quite a bit.

“Lily-sama… thank you.”

One day, I must somehow repay her.

In order to do that though, first, I must take back Claire-sama.

As I renewed my resolve, I sank into a deep sleep.