So, I’m the Hidden Heroine Now?

Wooden wheels creaked as they rolled along the concrete road. A horse-drawn carriage of extravagant display, crafted from high-quality wood, with a door enclosed on its right side, rolled steadily down the concrete road.

Escorting it were two cavalry knights clad in silver, their long swords sheathed in iron scabbards, their armor harshly reflecting the sunlight.

Inside sat Erica Valebryn…the first and only heroine of [Echoes of the Fallen Sun] easiest route.

******

Inside the carriage, the curtains are wide open, sunlight pouring down. Her vision revealed a bustling crowd, merchants busy competing for customers, children wandering with their parents, and the liveliness of the scene.

Erica wandered through the peaceful display. Gentle smile tugging at her lips, her expression softened and content. After all, their peace of mind was a clear testament to how well the Kingdom protected its citizens from the horrors beyond its borders.

Unknowingly, she let out a wide smile at the scene. Yet her golden eyes told a different story—disoriented and unfocused, lost in thought, her mind elsewhere. After all, she was on her way to meet her fiancé, Cael, and the emotions swirling inside were a tangled mess.

Then, after some time, her gaze wandered dazedly towards the crowd of people.

It landed on a relatively young girl with gray hair and round gray eyes.

Crowds of people flooded the scene… Yet, she found herself unable to look away from that girl, as if absorbed by some unknown force — activating her superhuman senses, and time stood still in slow motion.

Her heart stalled and briefly thought... 'Why can't I look away?'

Then the young girl gazed back, and in an instant... Her lips curled up, wide and filled with mischief. She placed her hands over her mouth and giggled, her eyes slitting as her gray irises turned red as if what she was looking at was far too amusing, and her crimson eyes slitted.

"W-What?" Erica jolted out of her dazed state, feeling a strong sense of urgency wash over her. In a split second, she stood up and instinctively gripped the handle of her sword tightly, ready to be unsheathed—to strike down.

Her eyes then turned a bright golden yellow, as if the sun itself nestled within those pupils, filling the carriage with its radiant glow. She had activated her trait, [The Arbiter's Eye].

The trait wasn't just for verifying people's malice. It judged those with malicious intent and gave a significant boost to her magic, aura, and physical capabilities, even down to the very protection of her soul.

Her gaze then darted down the streets looking for the girl.

But... the girl was already gone... Rather, the carriage had traveled quite a distance already.

"…Who's that girl?" She muttered. Her eyebrows were twitching.

She then steadily regained her composure, and the radiance in her eyes receded. A chill ran through her entire body, and cold sweat clung to her skin despite the sunny weather.

As she grasped the entire happenings… an overwhelming sense of dread for the future settled over her. More importantly, she felt a familiar sensation towards the gray-haired girl.

'...Nothing seems to be going properly. ' Erica thought briefly. She frowned, anxiety written across her expression as she took a seat once more and rested her back against the cotton-cushioned seat, clasping her hands tightly and crossing her legs.

'Truly… what in the world is happening? ' She thought while letting out a deep sigh

******

Before long, the carriage arrived at its destination. Yet something felt… off. The sun still roared brightly in the sky; it was still so far from any dinner happening.

It wasn't the appointed time yet.

A voice outside the carriage echoed through its interior.

"My lady, we have arrived," said a sharp, female voice.

"Alright," Erica replied, her tone unhurried.

Erica stood up elegantly and gently opened the door. There, a female knight was waiting, her silver armor gleaming harshly under the sunlight, bearing the crest of House Valebryn.

Erica stepped down onto the concrete and turned to face her escorts.

"I will be going alone. You may participate in leisure activities until I'm done with my business."

The knights were about to object, but seeing the unwavering determination in their young lady's eyes... they couldn't do so.

"As you wish, my lady," the female knight responded with a bow.

Erica then walked lightly towards the mansion's gate, yet her expression told a different story. Her golden hair swayed gently from side to side, gleaming with a soft radiance… yet it didn't reflect the light of the sun. Rather, it seemed to absorb it. Her golden eyes shimmered with a bright inner glow—radiance swirled within her pupils.

******

Inside, no one escorted her, not even the workers of the mansion. After all, they were all dismissed. On the contrary, the entire mansion was secured with a magic barrier that automatically recognizes an individual's mana signature, akin to a fingerprint scanner on Earth. If any intruders are not of sound mind. Shadows lurking within the mansion are always ready to respond.

Then, after some time walking through tall and wide corridors. She arrived at a door, which differed as compared to the mansion's other large doors; the door in front of her was a small door adorned with rich intricacies. She paid no mind to its display, being far too used to such extravagance. Instead, she took a deep breath, clenched her fist, and hesitantly pushed the door wide open.

Inside, lavish interiors filled with extravagance adorned the room, a small portion of the Aldyvorn Dukedom's wealth. In the middle is an extremely broad dining table, and on top of it are small portions of perfectly cooked steak, sausages, and eggs, on display. Two individuals were peacefully eating in silence while the third individual just stood quietly. When the door opened, all the individuals directed their gaze in perfect unison. However, only one person looked shocked, with bafflement visible on her expression. It was a young, dark-haired girl with a dark cape draped over her body... It was Nyx.

Meanwhile, the other two, Cael and Elaris, regarded her with knowing looks. Elaris then bowed and spoke elegantly, "My apologies, Miss Erica. As before, I noticed you had no escort upon entrance, so I assumed my assistance would be unnecessary."

Erica responded with a small nod to the maid's courtesy, but she didn't look at her, and the only thing that reached her was the maid's voice. Her attention was undivided and she simply couldn't utter a single word—her voice caught in her throat, her gaze locked on the young, haired man before her, lingering with complicated emotions.

She clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her palms, and her golden eyes glinted as if tears could fall at any moment.

Nyx noticed the gravity of the situation.

'Uhhh... This is quite awkward, ' Nyx thought.

Not wanting to watch the upcoming scene unfold before her very eyes, Nyx broke the silence.

"I'll go for a walk to settle my stomach... I'm also quite full already," Nyx said awkwardly. It sounded like a total excuse, after all. Yet, despite its awkwardness, she directed a soft smile and gaze toward Cael.

Cael responded the same, but only with a gaze.

But, because of her sudden words, she disrupted Erica's attention, causing her to briefly glance at Nyx. Her expression hardened, and a cold, analytical gaze hinted at her golden eyes. Her eyes shone lightly, controlled, blending with the light from the chandeliers, making it go unnoticed by an inexperienced individual.

Nyx tensed up at the attention, but she did not retaliate. Rather, she stood up from her seat, avoided the gaze, and then started heading towards the door. The edges of her dark cape swayed lightly, and the echo of her shoes stepping on the marble floor resonated throughout the dining room.

But… another voice resounded through the room—it was an elegant voice. "Then, I will guide you while you take your walk, Lady Nyx. It's also a great opportunity to explore. I'll explain the facilities along the way," Elaris spoke, halting Nyx in her tracks. The elegant dark elf found her scapegoat in the form of a young human(?) lady.

Their gazes landed on each other, as if they had gained telepathy. They came to a silent agreement.

"That would be great," Nyx replied, her voice sounding confident.

Elaris bowed and escorted Nyx out... though they were escorting themselves. However, Nyx felt tense because of the way Erica's golden irises were intensely fixed on her. More importantly, Erica was standing near the door, and while they didn't brush past each other, Nyx still had to walk right by her. This made for a rather awkward experience, especially since Nyx was fully aware of the reason behind Erica's gaze. Despite this, she chose to let it be and keep moving forward.

******

After a while, both Nyx and Elaris completely left the room, and once the door closed behind them, a heavy silence filled the room, stifling the air within. Yet, Erica did not care about such trivialities. After all, her attention was completely fixed on the handsome, blue-haired man sitting across the table, the man who had once lost his will, his everything.

"You're back..." Erica whispered, her voice coarse. That was all she could muster under her breath. Her eyes were golden, yet blue tears shimmered and slid gently down her soft cheeks. "You're really... back," she said, once again affirming herself—tears now fell freely, her cheeks flushed.

Cael's gaze fell upon the blonde girl crying right in front of him. "Yes, I'm back," he said to reassure her. However, his expression remained unchanged, unmoved by the scene before him. More importantly, Cael didn't even make an effort to comfort her—he just sat in indifference.

After a while, Erica, despite her clouded mind, said "You've changed, too much... I couldn't even recognize you anymore." She said with pained expression. Then, tears stalled, and were replaced by a bright golden glow, her face hardened "...Is it because of that girl?" Erica spoke in a cold tone.

Her gaze lingered as she thought, ' My trait didn't activate... Besides, that girl... No, it doesn't matter... If you say it, then... '

Cael stood up from his seat, his steps slow and deliberate as he made his way towards Erica. Before long, he came to a stop right beside her. His gaze, once fixed straight ahead, now slowly shifted to meet her face.

"To answer your questions, no. It's not because of her that I've changed. But I have changed, and that's the truth. So, it's better not to expect anything from me," Cael replied, his tone held no warmth—only indifference.

He resumed walking and then strode forward towards the door but was quickly halted.

"... That girl, why do you value her so much?" Erica said, her tone low and heavy as she lowered her gaze to the ground, avoiding his gaze. She clenched her fist tightly, her expression hidden as her long golden hair flowed, blocking it from view.

Cael simply gazed at her without replying. Instead, he strode deeper toward the door and left, leaving the young noblewoman alone in complete silence.

She took a step back while looking up at the ceiling, her well-defined shoulders pressing against the wall and her right palm against her face.

Complete silence filled the room, and in that stillness… tears began to fall.

|Chapter 11 - Losing Heroine