The Beloved Fiancee Is Likely to Be the Villain

At the countryside on the outskirts of the royal capital. In the midst of the unobstructed view, except for a few windbreaks, a mansion with a stone wall can be seen.

It is the residence of Count Norden.

The carriage bearing the royal crest moves slowly along the paved road. Behind the carriage in which we are riding, there is another one. The windows of the other carriage had its curtains drawn so that no one could see inside.

The passengers were Harold, a group of tied-up attendants, and a maid. They are the rebels who plotted to kill Leohardt.

The carriage, which had slowed down, slid into the open gate. While the people who greeted us immediately appeared and guided me and Leohardt, those who were still tied up were carried out of the carriage behind us.

They looked like cows being donated to a slaughterhouse.

Leohardt marveled at the servants who carried the adults around like they were mere baggage.

He saw that they were well-trained and elite.

“Well, well job.”

The servants do not stop at Leohardt’s praise. They merely return the courtesy, not moving an eyebrow in response to Leohardt’s praise.

The Norden family has been the head of a knighthood for generations. The family culture is simple and sturdy, and loyalty is the key to virtue. The family is a family with a strong, athletic, and passionate spirit, which is rare among aristocrats, and this temperament has been passed down to the servants as well.

There is no better place to throw in the traitors in this sensitive situation than this.

The family orderly led me into the drawing room, where the chamberlains were already seated. On the floor.

“Welcome, Your Highness, Prince Leohardt, Second Prince of the Kingdom of Orion, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Vincent. My name is Zachary, head of the Norden family.”

Lord Zachary gives each of us a neat salute. Behind him, Walter is standing back with a face full of motivation.

“Thank you for your time.”

Leohardt responds with an affable smile.

I nod and state loudly enough for the bound attendants to hear.

“I have already informed you by letter, but I would like you to supervise these men for a while. They have been deceived by the evil party, who have targeted the King’s son, Second Prince of Orion, Leohardt, because of their loyalty to the royal family, but they have changed their minds. I cannot let th remain in prison. I beg you to treat them kindly.”

“Yes, of course.”

The faces of the attendants, who had been dreading the punishment they were about to receive, became a little more hopeful.

Although they had tried to kill Leohardt, he was unharmed. Leohart’s opinion was that they could still be of some use, and I agreed with him. Even if they were repatriated to the country, it would be a troublesome hassle as long as the parties involved are in our country.

They do not have the same sense of mission as the Marquis Acteau. If they can be saved, it would be mutually beneficial.

Lord Zachary ordered Walter to untie the commandments. Walter untied the ropes as he gave each one a gentle command.

“I’m sorry you had to go through such a hard time. It must have been hard for you to realize that you had made a mistake in swearing allegiance to the royal family, and that you had been conspired against.”

The blood rushed to the cheeks of the attendants as they checked their free limbs.

They seem to think that they are allowed, or that their position prevents them from being punished in this country. Well, that’s true. But if you think that’s all there is to it, you’re mistaken.

Walter looked around at the attendants, who could no longer hide their expectations, and smiled with the purity of a clergyman.

“I will listen to your grief, your struggle, your astonishment, relief, and contrition when you learn the truth …… with presumption.”

“So do I. And I want you to know the thoughts and feelings of those above you.”

“Let us think together about what it means to be a loyal subject. Let us think together about what it means to be a loyal retainer until we are satisfied.”

I think I see an indescribable aura around Lord Zachary and Walter, but the …… attendants are unaware of it.

“You see the guy? He is Walter. He fell into the trap of trying to save his master before, and ended up betraying him. So he regrets it with all his heart.”

“Oh, I see.”

I whisper to Leohardt so that the others cannot hear.

Walter, who had stolen the magic stone for the sake of Lord Zachary, was not blamed. But, he wished that Lord Zachary would punish himself for being a poor servant.

That is the kind of relationship that exists between master and servant in the Norden family.

To be honest, I am not sure how much Walter understands our “front” and how much he takes it into consideration.

The only thing we do know is that

“They will be well trained in a month.”

Leohart said in an impressed voice.

“Really, I was utterly heartbreaking when I heard the plan …….”

“But I thought this was also for the good of the country. ……”

“Yes, I am truly grateful that I did not make a mistake.”

Walter nodded, sympathized, and consoled them as the attendants began to stammer out their inarticulate responses. Zachary stood beside him with a kind expression on his face.

“I see.”

Even if it is not in your mind, if you keep saying it over and over again, it will be imprinted in your brain. And the people around us are a hot-blooded group that does not tolerate compromise.

“I’ll leave you to your business.”

“No, Your Highness, I’m very grateful to have you here in person.”

As we were leaving the room, I turned around to see that the traitors were earnestly complaining to Walter about their misfortune without even looking at me.

I wonder if this complaint- filled gaze will be filled with a cloudless radiance the next time we meet.

We left the Norden house with a sense of the impermanence of all things.

****

“So what’s your plan?

In the carriage on the way home. Leohart, with his knees crossed, asks me with a smile.

I know he is curious but he can’t just ask for something and expect me to be given the answer to him.

“It’s a lot rougher than your plan, but it’ll work.”

“How?”

There is much for Leohart to do if he wants to make Lord Marius the true king.

The first is to disqualify Acteau. He has provoked his opponent to the point of risking his own life to get conclusive evidence.

The second is to get the people around him to recognize the Baroness, Miss Lisha, as the future Queen of the country.

The third was to correct Lord Marius’ reticence.

Naturally, the latter two are the most difficult.

“Your objective was–to bring Elizabeth, or someone similar in appearance, back to the country as a potential queen and have her recreate “Otohoshi,” right?”

Miss Lisha is tormented by her brother’s wife. Surely she will be able to win the sympathy of the royal court. She really has the personality of a “Star maiden” who seems to have come out of the woodwork.

If Marius condemns her(Elizabeth), the people who were worried about Marius and who had been holding up against Leohardt will have no choice but to give up.

I mean, Leohart said something like, “I think Lady Elizabeth will be happier if she stays in our country”. He’s going to sacrifice her completely, isn’t he? I’m really scared.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sure even Elizabeth-sama will cooperate with me. If my brother behaves with dignity, that’s all that matters. If Lisha is cornered, even my brother will not be able to turn a blind eye.”

“Elizabeth can’t be harassing her, can she? She is an angel.”

“I’ll do it for her.”

“You’re really freaking me out.”

Yes, I’m freaking out. There is no way I can offer Elizabeth to this psychopath.

“But, good for you. You seemed to know what I was planning from the beginning. How did you guess so much in such a short period of time?”

“Well, ……”

I can’t tell him that there were already people who planned to make “Otohoshi” a reality.

I coughed, my words slurred.

Anyway, I couldn’t let Elizabeth dance to Leohardt’s script. Or rather, it would be impossible. Elizabeth is such a devastatingly bad actor that I thought I would die of exhaustion.

I would leave the role of making an impact on Lord Marius and the people of Orion to someone other than Elizabeth.

That was my plan.

“I’m going to use my back hand.”

It’s a hard decision.

In the midst of the face of Leohardt, whose eyes are shining with amusement, I can see a man with long purple hair fluttering in my mind.