The Defeated Heroine I Married Cannot Forget The Protagonist

✦  Chapter 8  ✦

「Translator - Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Visual novels, at their core, thrive on narrative plausibility.

No matter how attractive the characters may be, players will harshly criticize a game that lacks logical consistency. And when negative reviews pile up, sales inevitably suffer - a fact so obvious even elementary school students understand it.

In the end, game developers often find themselves consumed by the desire to maximize sales, leading to poor decision-making.

Their mentality becomes — ‘The protagonist has done so much for you, so you must fall in love with them!’

This kind of heavy-handed storytelling often results in an overly complicated experience for the players.

Take, for instance, the notorious Shirai Route, widely regarded as the hardest path in the game. Only five percent of players ever managed to clear it.

To make the gameplay more manageable, the developers introduced key ‘trauma’ elements tied to each heroine’s backstory; these trauma keywords became essential for players writing guides to help newcomers understand the importance of these elements.

Judith's trauma keyword was 'Family Affairs'. Her father, Crypto Moondust, head of the Moondust Ducal house, entered into a blood contract with a high-ranking demon. In their third year, the protagonist's group attended a banquet hosted by the Moondust Duchy.

If players hadn't chosen Judith's route, Crypto succumbs to the demon’s influence during the event and attempts to consume the entire estate, along with its distinguished guests. However, the protagonist’s party foils his plan. Fearing the consequences of his failure, Crypto throws himself from the mansion’s rooftop, ending his life.

The Moondust family would face irreversible downfall and lose their ducal status, though Crypto's wife Elena Moondust and their three daughters, including Judith, would be acquitted thanks to the protagonist's passionate defense.

On Judith's route, the protagonist intervenes before Crypto's demonic contract. Despite Crypto's considerable strength, the fully-developed protagonist overwhelmingly prevails, buying time for Judith's arrival.

Through an intimate conversation with Judith, Crypto realizes his mistakes and cancels the demonic contract, reflecting on his past errors.

Ultimately, Judith's 'Family Affairs' trauma stemmed from a lack of communication. While this route is relatively easy, players must maximize intimacy with Judith before their third year, or they'll need to retry as Crypto's redemption route becomes permanently locked.

Muse Fairfield's trauma keyword was 'Revolution' — quite literally, as she incites one.

And she doesn’t stop at just shaking up the academy — her revolution extends all the way to the empire itself, posing a massive problem.

Since the revolution was an inevitable event, the protagonist’s primary objective was not to dissuade Muse but to prepare countermeasures to stop her.

In the story, Muse’s revolutionary arc began at the academy and gradually expanded in scope, like a series of increasingly challenging boss fights.

The protagonist’s role was to thwart Muse’s plans, ensuring her revolution failed at every turn. Her revolution events occured at regular intervals, giving the player multiple chances to intervene.

Failing to stop Muse once or twice might be acceptable, and if you're lucky, you might get away with three or four failures. But if you fail five times, Muse's revolutionary forces would grow to rival the Empire itself, rendering the protagonist powerless to intervene.

At this point, the screen transitions to an illustration of Muse heading toward the imperial palace, accompanied by the ending credits. Once the credits roll, the screen fades to black, and a single line of text appears at the center of the screen, marking the Bad Ending.

The players would then automatically return to the main menu.

This ending didn’t clarify whether Muse’s revolution was ultimately a success or not, leaving players with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

However, as Muse’s forces and influence grow stronger, the severity of her punishment during the trial also increases. This dynamic often leads players — who have spent the entire route trying to thwart her revolution — to find themselves rooting for her cause at the very last moment.

After all, if she failed, she would be convicted of high treason and almost certainly face execution.

For me, Muse’s route was by far the most difficult, and I never even completed it.

Not because of its mechanics or difficulty, but because interacting with Muse was genuinely uncomfortable. It didn’t feel like talking to a fictional character—it felt like having a conversation with a real person.

That sense of dissonance and unease made it hard to connect with her, and I ultimately gave up on her route.

Sia Stella's trauma keyword wasn't specifically defined — there were too many issues to count.

Even now, I have no idea how I managed to resolve her trauma in a previous playthrough. I can’t recall doing anything noteworthy, yet somehow, I ended up becoming the closest to her out of all the heroines.

Before I knew it, I had unintentionally guided her away from her downward spiral.

During that playthrough, we were practically inseparable at the academy. Muse was busy with her merchant-related duties, and Judith and Yuren were constantly swamped with the responsibilities of being noble heirs.

That left Sia and me, two outcasts who drifted through the academy together.

Saintess Shirai's trauma keyword was 'Blindness' — considered the most difficult route.

The solution was simple — restore her sight.

But the process is anything but simple.

First, you had to defeat Count Asura to obtain RH null blood.

Then, you had to grind a meteorite into powder and mix it with water to create Selene’s Tears.

And finally, if you had maxxed out your affinity with Shirai, you would gain access to a divine question from the Heavenly God, which provides a critical choice. If you select the correct answer, you’ll be granted Holy Water, a sacred elixir.

Combine these three ingredients—RH null blood, Selene’s Tears, and Holy Water—and you’ll create the Panacea, a shimmering liquid with a hue reminiscent of the twilight sky.

To heal Shirai’s blindness, you simply had to apply the Panacea directly to her eyes, like eye drops. And the moment the Panacea touched her, her sight was fully restored.

This entire process?

Pure agony.

I know because I lived through it in a previous playthrough.

I hold no ill feelings toward Shirai whatsoever.

In fact, I was the one who obtained the Panacea and handed it over to Yuren, instructing him to deliver it to Shirai and claim that he made it himself.

Why did I do that?

Honestly, I don’t even know anymore.

Maybe I thought it would help Shirai in the long run.

But Judith and Yuren?

Those two were a nightmare.

I could let Judith slide, but Yuren… that bastard…

Having a beautiful wife like Shirai, and yet… how greedy could one man be?

I always knew he was a spineless coward who couldn’t accomplish anything without the player’s intervention, but I never expected him to stoop so low as to commit adultery.

A month had passed since my regression.

After spending monotonous days at the church...

【Welcome, new students of Lumeris Academy】

The banner hanging at the school gates bore these words.

It was early March, the cusp of spring—a season that carried the magic of excitement, especially for students.

The bright sunlight, the fresh scent of spring tickling the nose, and the mesmerizing sight of cherry blossoms drifting through the air felt like nature’s way of rewarding those who had endured the harsh winter.

But crossing the gates of Lumeris Academy required more than just physical steps — it demanded mental preparation.

Because the moment you set foot past the gates, you were greeted by a sight so breathtaking, so extraordinary, that it redefined your expectations of grandeur.

For starters, the sheer number of buildings was overwhelming — more than ten in total. Most other academies boasted no more than five buildings at most, making Lumeris’s abundance feel almost excessive.

And yet, the design of the campus didn’t feel overcrowded.

Whoever had planned this place must’ve earned double their salary because the varying heights of the buildings created an aesthetic harmony that kept the layout visually pleasing.

At the heart of the campus stood a fountain made of iridescent marble, shimmering with rainbow hues.

This fountain was more than just a centerpiece — it was the soul of the academy, a calming presence that seemed to regulate the very atmosphere of the school.

Even during times of turmoil, when the air on campus felt heavy with tension due to unexpected incidents, or when a sense of inadequacy weighed on you after encountering the academy’s exceptional students, watching the gentle streams of water cascade from the fountain could soothe your heart, if only for a moment.

For students who had endured rigorous training since childhood, the emotional weight of attending this academy was often double that of ordinary people.

Perhaps you had swung a sword until blisters covered your palms.

Or maybe you had spent sleepless nights memorizing cryptic runes and despised magic circles until they were seared into your mind.

When you think back, those memories of struggle feel like chapters in a book — a book composed of nothing but toil and perseverance.

And for every student at Lumeris Academy, the final chapter of that book would always end the same way.

You’d find yourself holding a letter, trembling with emotion as you read the words —

[Congratulations on your admission.]

The heart of the Lumeris continent, accessible only by premium express trains after student verification — Lumeris Academy.

A new semester had officially begun.

𓆩♱𓆪

Packed.

The academy's auditorium was packed with students clad in their uniforms — the standard white shirts and black ties, red blazers adorned with golden eagle badges on the chest.

"This concludes the entrance ceremony."

All eyes were fixed on the middle-aged woman at the microphone — Dean Celes Lumeris.

Her silver hair shimmered like moonlight, and her straight, stern gaze housed crimson eyes that intimidated most who met them.

Despite her mature age, her youthful appearance was striking, to the point where it seemed unnatural. Even those who disliked her for her aloof demeanor couldn’t deny her beauty.

Her off-shoulder, frilly dress only added to the allure, and it was no surprise that many of the male students paid far closer attention to her speech than they might have otherwise.

In the world I came from, such a sight—a woman of her presence and beauty—was something you’d be lucky to witness even once in a thousand years.

"I will now announce the roster for Class-A."

Class-A — the elite among Lumeris Academy's already prestigious student body.

Merely being admitted to the academy was enough to make parents boast with pride, but being placed in Class-A elevated a student’s status to that of an elite.

If the academy’s system were likened to a caste structure, Class-A would undoubtedly be the uppermost echelon.

Celes gestured toward someone standing beside her—a figure who appeared to be her head maid—and took a single sheet of paper from her outstretched hand. She quickly scanned its contents, her crimson eyes flicking across the page.

The atmosphere in the auditorium shifted.

Some students held their breath in anticipation, their hearts pounding in nervous excitement, while others slouched in resignation, having already resigned themselves to disappointment.

I unfortunately knew every name on that list —

— Yuren Stardust, first-year swordsmanship department head; Elfin de Hertha, first-year magic department head; Muse Fairfield, owner of Frey Trading Company; Shirai, the blind saintess blessed with holy powers; and Sia Stella, the girl with the broken power to resurrect herself, no matter how many times she dies.

After a long wait, she spoke: "Yuren Stardust, Elfin de Hertha..."

So far, everything was exactly as expected.

But then, she stopped.

"That is all."

Just two names.

Celes Lumeris had announced only two names.

“Two names? That’s it?”

“We’re supposed to be the elite, and they’re saying only two people made it?”

“Are we some kind of trash generation or something?”

The auditorium erupted into murmurs, and soon those murmurs turned into outright chaos.

“...........”

Among all, I was the most bewildered.

Only two top students? The future had already begun to diverge.

"...Saintess?"

I turned right with disbelief, seeing Saint Shirai — her flowing silk-like pink hair, eyes closed due to her blindness, still drawing many students' gazes.

Like a perfect clothes hanger, everything suited her well. The only differences in our uniforms were the regular tie versus ribbon tie, and black pants versus red miniskirt.

I'd asked her to keep some distance to avoid drawing attention. Like an innocent puppy, she nodded and moved exactly one meter away.

"..........."

Watching Shirai nervously fidget in silence, beads of sweat running down her forehead, I was sure of it.

"Well... I'm blind..."

"............"

"So I'll be in Class-C with Master Mate..."

"You deliberately got demoted from Class-A?"

"Yes!" she beamed inexplicably.

What about the other two?

I hadn't met Sia or Muse since my regression, so I couldn't confirm if they retained their memories.

In this altered future, I needed to understand every change, no matter how minor. The butterfly effect could create unmanageable variables.

‘I'd have to ask Dean Celes when I get the chance.’

For now, Shirai would be my only companion.

She was enough.

The idea of directly seeking out the others felt... daunting.

"Hey child! How did you get in here!?"

Huh?

"I'm not a child."

"This is no place for a child to wander! Where were the guards when she entered?"

The commotion drew everyone's attention to the back, where professors monitored for misbehavior. At the entrance, a small-framed girl faced off against a loud female professor.

"Get out now! You'll get in trouble!"

"I'm a student here."

"Don't lie! Where are your parents?"

"I don't have any."

"Ahem. Professor Hellogene, she's wearing a uniform under her robe. She appears to be our student."

"Not... a middle schooler?"

Two braids emerged from the hood, followed by emerald eyes. A doll-like appearance: petite frame, snow-white skin, and features too young for her age. I knew her well - we'd faced life and death together.

Removing her robe to reveal brilliant silver hair, she calmly asked despite all eyes on her—

"Which class am I in?"

Her gaze met Dean Celes', who covered her eyes and sighed deeply.

"...Class-C."

She looked like someone desperate to hide her exasperation.

END of CHAPTER