I'm the Villain, But the Heroines Keep Choosing Me-Chapter 109: Pay Attention to Me

She smiled at that.

"As do I." Her expression shifted to something more serious. "Which is why I’m going to offer you something unusual. If your investigation leads you to my kingdom – to Valdara – you have my personal authorization to operate within my borders. No bureaucratic obstacles, no local authorities questioning your presence. Just results."

That was... unexpected. And significant. Valdara’s cooperation would open doors across half the Empire.

"That’s generous, Your Majesty. May I ask what you expect in return?"

"Honesty. If you find corruption in my kingdom – and I suspect you will, given how deep this conspiracy seems to run – you tell me directly." Her eyes were sharp. "I can’t fix problems I don’t know about. And I suspect you’re very good at finding problems others miss."

It was a reasonable request. Also a political maneuver – getting his direct access meant she’d have information before the Emperor did.

"Agreed," Damien said. "If I find corruption in Valdara, you’ll hear about it from me directly."

"Excellent." She extended her hand – not for kissing as protocol would normally demand, but for shaking like equals. "I look forward to seeing what you uncover, Lord Valcrest. Try not to destabilize the entire Empire in the process."

"I’ll do my best, Your Majesty."

They shook, and Damien felt something pulse through the contact. Not quite magical, not quite physical – just an awareness that this person mattered. That she would be important to whatever was coming.

The System’s notification pulsed but didn’t change.

Queen Lyristae released his hand and stepped back. "I should let you return to your urgent imperial business. But Lord Valcrest? A word of advice – the Imperial Guard mages who’ve been questioning your loyalty? They answer to people who have vested interest in maintaining certain power structures. Your investigation threatens those structures. Be careful who you trust."

"I trust very few people, Your Majesty."

"Smart man." She smiled one last time – genuine warmth that transformed her face from merely beautiful to striking. "Until we meet again."

She continued down the corridor with her guards, moving with the unhurried confidence of someone who owned every space she occupied.

Damien watched her go, his mind already working through implications.

A young queen offering unrestricted access to her kingdom. Warning him about Imperial Guard loyalty. Clearly playing her own political game within the larger imperial structure.

Either a valuable ally or a sophisticated trap.

Could be both.

It didn’t matter, she was a target. She was the last heroine needed according to the System to free him from his fate of being killed by the hero.

But did that still matter? The Archdemon said Aldric was coming, and Damien doubted simply corrupting the queen was enough to suddenly stop the hero from wanting him dead.

Afterall it’s always been about more than the heroines, he was called here to save the demons from their destinies aswell.

Damien put away the thoughts.

He returned to the residence to find Seria and Elara awake and discussing the day’s plans.

"The Emperor has intelligence suggesting a major attack on the capital within three days," he told them without preamble. "We need to find it and stop it."

"Three days," Seria repeated. "That’s not much time to investigate an entire city."

"Which is why we need to be strategic." Damien laid out the intelligence folder. "The Emperor gave us everything imperial forces have gathered. We go through it, identify the most likely targets, and focus our efforts there."

They spent the next three hours dissecting the intelligence. Attack patterns, vulnerability assessments, speculation about demon objectives. Seria approached it with military precision, Elara with an eye toward symbolic targets the demons might choose for maximum psychological impact. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

By mid-morning, they’d identified five high-probability targets: the imperial armory, the central grain storage, the aqueduct system, the noble quarter’s main gathering hall, and the Church’s cathedral.

"We can’t cover all five locations effectively," Elara said. "We need to narrow it further."

"Or we use the fact that we’re three people to our advantage," Seria suggested. "Split up, each of us monitoring different targets. Coordinate through message relays."

Damien was about to object – splitting up went against their recent agreement about working together – when he caught Seria’s expression. She knew he’d object. Was testing whether he’d actually coordinate like he’d promised.

"That could work," he said instead. "But we need better communication than message relays. If one of us finds the threat, we need to mobilize the others immediately."

"The Emperor could provide magical communication devices," Elara suggested. "Standard imperial military equipment. Expensive, but we have authorization to requisition whatever we need."

"I’ll arrange it," Damien said. "We also need to prepare for the possibility that this intelligence is deliberate misdirection. What if the real attack is somewhere we’re not watching because we’re focused on these five targets?"

"Then we need someone doing general patrol," Seria concluded. "Watching for anomalies, unexpected demon activity, anything that doesn’t fit the pattern."

"I can do that," Damien offered. "My shadow sense lets me cover more ground than either of you could on foot. I can move through the city detecting demonic presence while you two monitor specific targets."

"That works," Elara agreed. "I’ll take the cathedral – my divine magic will be most effective there if demons attack. Seria takes the armory – her combat skills are best suited for defending military assets."

"And I patrol the spaces between, ready to reinforce whoever needs it first." Damien nodded. "Three days to find and stop a threat we can’t definitively identify. Should be interesting."

They spent the afternoon preparing.

Damien requisitioned the communication devices from imperial quartermaster – small enchanted stones that allowed instant voice communication within the capital’s boundaries. Seria coordinated with city guard, establishing patrol patterns that would complement their monitoring. Elara met with Church officials, arranging for increased security at the cathedral without revealing why.

By evening, they were as ready as they could be.

Damien was reviewing maps in the residence’s study when Elara entered, closing the door behind her.

"Seria’s coordinating final details with the guard," she said. "Won’t be back for at least two hours."

"Alright." Damien didn’t look up from the maps. "Did you need something?"

"Yes." Her voice carried something he couldn’t quite identify. "I need you to stop working for ten minutes and pay attention to me."

That made him look up. Elara was leaning against the door, her expression... hungry. Not for food.

"Elara – "

"We’ve been in the capital for days," she interrupted. "Busy with investigations, meetings, demon attacks, imperial politics. All important. All necessary. But Damien – " She pushed off from the door, moving toward him with deliberate intent. " – I’m going slightly insane from stress and I need you. Right now. For just a few minutes before the world requires our attention again."

She reached the desk, braced her hands on it, and leaned forward. The position emphasized her figure beneath the formal robes, and Damien felt his body respond immediately.

"We don’t have time – " he started.

"We have exactly as much time as we make," Elara countered. Her hand moved to the fastenings of her robes. "The servants know not to interrupt when the study door is closed. And I can be very efficient when motivated."

Her robes fell open, revealing skin and the minimal undergarments beneath.

"Ten minutes," she repeated, moving around the desk to stand directly in front of him. "Give me ten minutes where we’re not worried about demons or conspiracies or imperial politics. Where it’s just us. Please."

Damien’s strategic mind noted this was objectively a bad time for intimacy. They had preparations to finalize, intelligence to review, potential threats to monitor.

The rest of him noted that Elara was right here, offering herself with clear desire, and they’d been operating under constant stress for days.

He stood from the chair, and Elara’s smile was triumphant.

"Good choice," she breathed.

His hands found her waist, pulling her close. "You’re very persuasive when you want to be."

"I know. It’s one of my better qualities." Her hands were already working at his clothing. "Now stop talking and kiss me."

He did.