The Hero’s Brother Is Bound To Be Depressed

229 – Contradiction

I can’t explain it exactly, but if I had to force myself to express it, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

I don’t remember the word “Ellie” coming out of my mouth, but the sweet strawberry scent at the tip of my nose and the obsidian eyes looking straight at me felt unfamiliar yet somehow nostalgic.

“… “Ross, have your memories come back?”

In response to Ellie’s cautious question, I slowly shook my head with a puzzled expression. The question about whether my memories came back seemed a bit out of context to me.

No matter how much I looked back on my memories, the Ellie in front of me was a stranger I had never seen before. Her face wasn’t even the one I’d glanced past while passing through the hallway. Because her face was not one of beauty that could easily be forgotten.

Perhaps because my answer was disappointing, the image of myself in the obsidian eyes wavered slightly. Ellie curled her lips inward and slightly lowered her gaze. He had a delicate appearance that would have shaken a man, but for some reason, I felt a sense of rejection creeping up from the bottom of my emotions.

I felt like sighing, but it was rude to sigh in front of someone I had never met. There was silence for a while, unable to do one thing or another.

Originally, I had organized in my head what questions I would ask Roel’s heroine in advance. But as soon as she saw it in front of her, her mind felt blank, so she asked whatever came to mind to break her silence.

“Actually, I heard that you were my brother’s girlfriend, so I wanted to ask you something, so I looked for you…” “I’m here.”

I wondered if I could speak informally, but I stopped talking when I remembered that Ellie had spoken first.

I saw Ellie’s shoulders flinch when she heard that she was his brother’s girlfriend. After a moment, Ellie gave a small, reluctant nod, but her expression clearly showed that she didn’t want to answer.

I was curious about the reason, but I asked calmly as if I didn’t notice.

“brother… So, when did you start dating Roel?”

For some reason, my throat felt hot. I feel a strange heat mixed in with the words that came out.

In response to my question, Ellie raised her gaze and looked straight at me.

It’s an alluring gaze. The gloominess in the eyes makes one feel a sense of kinship. To be honest, it doesn’t suit Roel’s lover to have such gloomy eyes.

However, I did not do anything rude by expressing my feelings out loud. She just waited for an answer.

Ellie said after a pause.

“… Before summer vacation starts. ”

I scratched my head. I thought something might come to mind if we met in person and talked, but I guess my thoughts were too positive.

Ellie took a step closer, as if I was also seeing her true feelings revealed in her expression. Because of that, her sweet strawberry scent felt even stronger.

“… Don’t you remember meeting me a few times after the triathlon? Say hello… “We also had a conversation.”

It may not be very pleasant for the person involved to have a conversation with someone who does not remember them at all. Although I doubt the truth of the conversation because I have no memory of it at all, I had to keep a low profile when asking.

“… sorry. “I’m not good at remembering people’s faces.”

Ellie, who once again confirmed that she did not remember herself, said with an expression as if she was about to cry, “I see.” she said and she nodded her head weakly.

Ellie wiggled her fingers and looked at her shoes for a moment, then asked in a quiet voice.

“I can’t remember anything about myself…” ?”

“… sorry.”

Ellie’s eyes looking at me were shaking. Ellie bit her lip as if she didn’t understand my answer.

“We were very close… Even in the village, the two of them stayed close together, and together with Roel, they were called the Three Musketeers… “Don’t you even remember that I was your childhood friend?”

I frowned reflexively at Ellie’s words. I had no memories of Ross before I was possessed. However, if the name that goes into ■■ in the setting book is Ellie, then that statement would be true.

Roel’s final heroine is set to be the head of the first year and the head of the Ministry of Magic.

The setting book is based on a novel I wrote. But I had no recollection of creating a character called Ellie. I couldn’t remember anything about her appearance or her personality. Elira had forgotten her very existence.

Ellie swallowed her sleep. It’s an awkward situation. The person who caught him didn’t know anything and kept his mouth shut, muttering that he was sorry.

As I silently lowered my gaze and touched my eyebrows, a white hand suddenly appeared in my field of vision. When she slowly raised her head, Ellie, who was looking at me blankly, opened her mouth with a strange look in her eyes.

“I… “Would you like me to help you find your memories?”

Seeing Ellie smiling faintly as she said that, a strange feeling rose up in a corner of my heart. She felt that Ellie’s voice was livelier than before.

As if anxiety and excitement were two different emotions, I moistened my dry lips with my tongue.

“how?”

Ellie smiled slightly at my question, looked around, then turned and walked away. She pushed the unpleasant feeling she couldn’t shake off into a corner and followed behind Ellie.

Although she didn’t look back, Ellie walked towards the main building at a leisurely pace, probably because she heard footsteps following her. After climbing the central stairs for a long time, she arrived at an empty classroom in a corner where no one could ever reach it, even if by chance.

I followed Ellie into the classroom first and closed the door. When I turned around, I saw Ellie standing tall in the middle of the classroom.

The classroom window was open, and the autumn sunset wind blew my bangs. Ellie, wrapped in the fading sunlight, turned around. Because of the backlight, I couldn’t tell what kind of expression she was making.

Ellie approached me at a slow pace. She crossed the implicit social distance between the opposite s*x and came close enough for me to lift her hand and embrace her.

“… “The way to get your memories back is simple.”

As Ellie said that, she suddenly fell into my arms. I feel like her sweet strawberry scent envelops my entire body. She grabbed Ellie’s shoulders and tried to push her away, but she couldn’t.

It’s not because of lack of strength. Because she knew that Ellie, who was held by me, was crying. But she couldn’t continue to hug a woman she didn’t know.

I grabbed Ellie’s trembling shoulders and tried to pull her away. But Ellie acted faster. Ellie lifted her head from her embrace and brought her face closer to me.

My palm covered Ellie’s mouth. I hated the soft feel of my palm. The sweet strawberry scent that spreads all over her body makes me feel sick.

[Restrictions have been activated.]

A feeling of emptiness and fatigue came over me, as if all the blood had drained from my body. Distorting her face, I managed to push Ellie away. I spoke disdainfully to Ellie, who was helplessly pushed back.

“you… “Nothing has changed.”

Ellie’s actions brought back memories. Her strawberry scent no longer felt sweet, as if she had never done it before. It’s unpleasant and makes me feel sick. That was the rejection that Ellie’s first kiss created.

Ellie raised her hand to wipe away her tears and smiled very lonely.

“I told you. “I will help you find your memories.”

Those words made me burst into tears.

“Aren’t you trying to take advantage of me again because I have no memory?”

Ellie pursed her lips at my sarcasm. I roughly wiped my face with a sigh.

“it’s okay. “Because I didn’t really expect anything.”

Ellie choked back tears at my indifferent words. In silence, based on the memories I recovered, I recalled the sense of discomfort I felt about Roel being a returner.

“You said that I confessed to Roel several times when I entered the academy last time, but was rejected.”

Ellie flinched at my question and nodded slightly.

“… huh.”

“Do you know why Roel refused to confess?”

“… “Because you like me.”

It was a reason I knew better than anyone else. Because that was Ross’ plan to exploit his brother’s personality. However, if Roel is a regressor, the story is completely different. He asked again to make sure.

“Is that your idea? Or did Roel say it himself?”

With slightly sunken eyes, Ellie thought for a moment and said.

“When I asked the reason for the refusal… Roel said. Her sister couldn’t love you, whom she loved… .”

I felt uncomfortable at Ellie’s words. If Roel is truly a regressor, there is an impossible contradiction.

Just as there is a setting in which Roel can put sincerity into his voice, there is a setting in which the lover he loves does not give up no matter what.

Because Eli knew that he had fallen into the cult’s trap, he risked his life to confront the cult leader.

If Roel had truly returned to the original world of the novel, he would have killed Ross, who sold his soul to the Demon King. Maybe that’s why the guilt he’s shown me all this time is because of it.

But that is not a reason to reject Eli’s confession. Giving up her lover for the sake of her brother, whom she killed, is something the ‘main character’ of her novel should not do.

There is no protagonist who sells his heroine anywhere. In addition, Roel’s personality and disposition that I have established are completely opposite.

I’m sure Ellie said it before too.

Roel wants to have everything he likes and doesn’t give up anything.

That’s an accurate explanation.

Roel, with his indomitable spirit, saves his loved ones from all kinds of tragedies.

It seems completely improbable that Roel would give up Ellie out of guilt for killing his pathetic younger brother who sold his soul to the Demon King.

If Roel had truly regressed, he would have honestly told me about his feelings and chosen Ellie, whom he loved, even if it meant completely ruining our relationship with him.

And then, Roel is the one who tries hard to find a way to change my mind despite the dissuasion from those around me. Even though he curses and coldly rejects him, Roel is the main character who is ultimately forgiven by his younger brother out of his sincerity.

A sense of discomfort comes over time. I held my breath without realizing it.

The novel [The Hero’s Harem Can’t help but win] ends with Roel, who kills the Demon King and reaches a happy ending, living happily with his lovers.

Is there any reason for Roel to return? Roel has already reached happiness… ? The contradictions did not end there.

If Roel really went back to when he was a second year… Why did they leave the warlock alone?

If Roel had returned, he would have definitely known. A warlock is using mutated orcs to annihilate the village.

But until I came forward, Roel made no move. No, he was enjoying his academy life to the point of being rather carefree.

He wasn’t suspicious of me luring him to the town of Destin. He was even injured by a mutant orc during the battle.

Could it be that Roel, who has returned, was barely injured by a mutated orc… ? Why didn’t they stop the warlock from attacking the academy in advance? ? He nodded without any doubt at my suggestion to give the core of chaos to Rosalyn.

As Ellie took a deep breath from the rushing of contradictions, she asked with a worried expression.

“Roh, Ross… ? are you okay?”

I looked into Ellie’s eyes. At that moment, numerous contradictions merge into one question.

Is it really true that Roel has returned?