The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1090: Epilogue 20 - The Heroes From Another World (9)

As I walked down the hallway, the sound of my footsteps echoed faintly against the stone walls, each soft tap mixing with the dim hum of magic lamps overhead. My thoughts felt heavy—so heavy they almost dragged behind me like a long cloak dragging dirt along the floor. They tangled around each other, forming knots that refused to loosen. I had so many things on my mind already, and the last thing I needed was another complication.

But then... something shifted.

It was small at first, like a change in the air. The kind of subtle disturbance you only feel when your instincts have been trained to react. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted slowly, prickling as though a cold gust of wind had blown through a room that was supposed to be sealed shut. My steps faltered just a little. I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable sensation crawling down my spine.

Someone was following me.

I slowed down, letting my stride become lighter, quieter, more measured. Then, with a calm breath, I turned around.

And of course—there he was.

That guy from before. The one who had the absolute audacity, the sheer nerve, to demand sex from me as if it was his birthright. As if being a so-called "hero" from another world automatically handed him every privilege imaginable. He looked exactly the same as the last time I saw him: full of himself, radiating that arrogant air of someone who believed the world owed him affection, bodies, and attention.

"You’re trying really hard, boy," I said, stopping completely, letting my voice come out cool and almost bored.

He stepped into view fully, wearing a smirk so greasy it almost reflected the hallway lights. He carried himself like someone who was convinced he was irresistible—but his posture only screamed inexperience and insecurity.

"I didn’t expect the Princess to have such sharp senses," he said. "To think you’d notice me following you."

"Sir Amakawa," I replied, pulling out that polite princess smile—the one carefully sculpted to hide irritation, hide disgust, hide everything. Calm, composed, almost gentle. "I didn’t think you’d try to ambush me. Don’t you have an appointment with another woman? Or are you still trying to get to me? I’ll advise you to give up on that."

He immediately denied it, too quickly, like a child caught stealing sweets.

"I’m not," he said, but his face betrayed him instantly. That vile expression, those hungry eyes—his words didn’t match anything happening on his face. "I was just curious, that’s all."

"Curious?"

"Yup." He grinned wider. "I really want to get to know you, after all."

I let out the faintest breath of amusement—not quite a laugh, but close. "You must have quite the urge then. Considering you’re following me like this. Normally, stalking a princess is a royal crime. But I’ll let it pass—as long as you don’t push your boundaries."

He chuckled, smug as ever—like he had somehow scored a win against me. It was ridiculous how proud he looked, like simply getting me to turn around and acknowledge his presence gave him some kind of victory.

"Well, I’m glad you’re not planning to punish me too harshly," he said. "That’s pretty generous of you. I didn’t think you’d be so lenient. But I guess even if you say our authority as heroes isn’t that high... we still have enough power that even the royal family can’t really do anything about it."

There it was—that. That tone he used to slide under your skin, to make himself sound bigger than he was. He had a way with twisting his words, bending them in a way that almost reminded me of Leon. But only almost. He didn’t have Leon’s confidence. He didn’t have Leon’s terrifying precision. He tried to imitate it, but it came out awkward and sloppy.

He was trying to get in my pants—plain and simple. After fucking the maid in the castle, I guess he figured he could "level up" or something by trying his luck with a princess. A disgusting kind of logic, but predictable.

And I knew this tactic because I’d been caught by it before. Someone once tried to get into my pants—and succeeded. That someone was Leon. Which is exactly why I recognized every little move Amakawa was pulling. Except... he wasn’t even good at it. Not even close. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

This man was trying really, really hard. Almost desperately so.

Then I heard it.

"Amakawa-kun?"

A soft voice. Fragile. Like someone calling out through a fog.

He turned around immediately. "Kaori?"

Standing there was Lady Kaori Asada. His lover, if I remembered correctly. Which made all of this even more pathetic. Why was he still pursuing other women when he already had someone? Unless polygamy was normal in their world—but judging from the conversations I overheard between him and Sir Kashiwagi, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Lady Asada looked terrible. No—she looked broken.

From the moment she was summoned, she already carried the expression of someone whose entire world had come crashing down on her. And somehow, since then, it felt like more and more weight had been piled on top of her. I didn’t know what kind of problem she was facing right now, but it was clear she was barely holding herself together.

"You look rather... stressed," Sir Amakawa said, sounding more annoyed than concerned. "Don’t you think you should freshen up more? You look like a shadow of yourself."

Truly unbelievable. This man had absolutely no tact. None. Or maybe he was already getting tired of her—his forced patience wearing thin. Maybe he was trying to push her away.

Honestly, it was impressive how low he could go. He was scum. The scum of the scum. The lowest kind of man.

Lady Asada looked pale—so pale it almost frightened me. Her eyes were ringed with deep dark circles, and she stared forward like she wasn’t really seeing anything. Like she was trapped somewhere far beyond this hallway. She looked like someone who didn’t know how to ask for help. And worse—like she didn’t believe help would ever come.

If this continued... I could already imagine her hanging in her room with a noose around her neck, her body swinging slowly like a pendulum. It was too vivid. Too real.

"C-Can... you stay with me for the night?" she said, her voice trembling. "I don’t think I would be able to hold it any longer if you are not by my side..."

The moment she said that, I saw it.

That smirk.

That delighted, devilish curl of his lips—like she had walked straight into his trap. Like he had been waiting for those exact words.

He wrapped his arms around her, pretending to comfort her. Pretending to care.

"I know. I know," Sir Amakawa murmured, stroking her back. "You are suffering from Tsubasa’s death. Of course you’re like this. Wipe these tears away. I will console you tonight."

A knot formed in my chest—tight and cold and heavy. If I left her alone with him, something terrible would happen. I knew that instinctively. Instead of comforting her, he would drag her deeper into her despair.

I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have a reason. But my voice moved on its own.

I opened my mouth.

And I said something.