Transmigrated into Eroge as the Simp, but I Refuse This Fate-Chapter 76: Changed Man

Damien Elford walked with an ease that defied every expectation placed upon him.

He wasn't thin, not yet. His frame was still broad, still heavy—but it no longer seemed to sag under its own weight. Where once his stomach had pushed uncomfortably against the seams of his uniform, now it fit better, still snug but no longer straining. His shoulders, once slouched and rounded, were squared. His posture no longer carried the sluggish burden of someone used to avoiding attention.

And his face—

Gone was the excessive roundness that had made his features blend into one bloated mess. His jawline, though not yet sharp, was beginning to emerge. His cheekbones, once buried beneath layers of excess, were starting to show subtle definition. His skin, no longer damp with the constant sweat of exertion, was clear.

But what struck them most wasn't the weight loss.

It was the way he moved.

No awkward shuffling. No labored steps. No hesitant, uncertain glances toward the ground.

He walked with purpose.

Like a man who had somewhere to go—like someone who wasn't expecting to be mocked or ignored, but rather, expected people to watch him.

And they did.

The courtyard, once filled with scattered conversations, had started to shift.

"Wait, is that really Damien?" someone whispered.

"No way… What the hell happened?"

"He looks… different."

"Did he start training?"

"When did this happen? He was—he was huge just last semester!"

"Has he been working out?"

"Maybe he finally realized he was a disgrace."

"I dunno… He looks kind of—"

"Don't say it."

A stunned silence followed that last remark before someone scoffed. "Tch. He's still fat. Just… less fat."

"But still, this is weird, right? I mean, that's Damien Elford. Damien Elford."

The name held weight. Not because he was respected, but because he had been pitied. Mocked. Dismissed as the pathetic, love-sick fool who chased after Celia Everwyn like a lost dog.

Celia stared.

Her fingers twitched slightly, though she quickly curled them into a fist against the fabric of her skirt.

This didn't make sense.

This wasn't possible.

Just one week ago, Damien Elford had been the same pathetic, bloated mess she had always known—150 kilograms of self-indulgence, slumped shoulders, and desperation wrapped in expensive fabric.

And yet—

Her emerald-green eyes narrowed as she took him in.

He was smaller.

Not just in weight, but in the way he held himself.

Gone was the pitiful shuffle, the way he hunched slightly forward as if apologizing for taking up space. His posture had changed—no, his very presence had changed.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The Damien she had always known would have entered the courtyard with his head slightly lowered, his steps hesitant, as if bracing for ridicule.

This Damien?

He walked with purpose.

No fear. No hesitation.

He hadn't even looked at her yet.

Celia's grip on her skirt tightened.

'So this was what you've been doing, Damien?'

A week ago, he had been crawling at her feet, letting her slap him, looking at her like she was the center of his pathetic little world.

And now, he had the audacity to walk in here like this? Like he had changed?

No.

She refused to acknowledge it.

Because at the end of the day—

He was still Damien.

And Damien would always be beneath her.

Her eyes burned into him as if willing him to falter, to show even a flicker of the old him, to prove that this was just a temporary façade.

But Damien didn't hesitate.

Didn't look around nervously.

Didn't glance her way with pleading, lovesick eyes.

He just kept walking.

Celia's chest tightened, an unfamiliar frustration creeping up her spine.

She would make him look at her.

She would make him remember his place.

Damien Elford walked with an ease that defied every expectation placed upon him.

The stunned silence lingered for a moment longer before the murmurs resumed—this time, sharper, filled with disbelief.

Victoria was the first to react, inhaling sharply as she turned back to Celia. "Wait… he just walked past you?"

Cassandra's brows furrowed, her grip tightening on her clutch. "No way… Damien always stops when he sees you. Always."

Lillian blinked, still watching Damien's retreating form. "But he didn't even look at you, Celia. Not even once."

A ripple of unease spread through the group.

Lillian frowned. "That's never happened. Like, ever."

The silence that followed wasn't comfortable.

Celia's image had always been reinforced by Damien's weakness. Her status, her effortless dominance over him—it had been a subtle part of her crown.

And now he'd walked by like none of that had ever existed.

The moment was rupturing. Cracks forming.

"…Celia?" Victoria's voice was small, uncertain.

Celia didn't answer.

Her jaw flexed. Her spine rigid.

The heat in her chest was foreign—tight and coiling.

This wasn't about attraction. It wasn't even about betrayal.

It was about control.

And Damien Elford had just defied the entire order of her world by ignoring her.

No. He was still Damien. That much hadn't changed. He could fake a walk, square his shoulders, fix his uniform and trim down—but beneath all of that was the same pitiful boy.

He had to be.

Her eyes drilled into his back, waiting for a twitch of hesitation. A glimpse backward. A stutter in his steps.

But he just kept going.

Her nails bit into her palm.

She would make him look. She would remind him.

Before she could act on that thought, another voice pierced the quiet.

"…Are you guys still engaged?"

Lillian again. Naïve. Careless.

But in the wrong hands, it was a blade.

Celia turned her head slightly, barely.

And then—

Iris.

A slow, melodic hum, followed by the quietest step forward.

"Yes, Celia," Iris said, her voice sweet and smooth like honey. "You said it was just a misunderstanding, didn't you?"

Celia's fingers twitched, curling tighter.

Iris tilted her head just a fraction, her crimson eyes dancing with amusement. "Then why does Damien seem so… unconcerned?"

--------A/N--------

I was going to write more of Celia's psychology, but the chapter became too long. I wanted to shorten it.

If you feel like it is too short, feel free to comment.