A high-quality executive desk sat in Claude von Einhart’s private room, despite the fact that its owner rarely did anything resembling actual work.
At the moment, that desk was buried under a mountain of correspondence.
He had been receiving a flurry of letters lately. While the senders varied, a staggering number bore the seal of the Rosemilian Duchy—Celestia’s family home. The content was always the same: a formal demand for an audience.
Following his unilateral breaking of their engagement, Celestia was clearly determined to get an explanation.
"You."
Without so much as a glance at the letters, Claude glared at the butler standing at attention nearby.
"Dispose of this trash."
"U-Understood...!"
The butler, his face turning a sickly shade of pale, scrambled to collect the documents.
Man, that’s harsh. Even I think my attitude is pretty terrible, Claude thought. Every single one of those letters uses top-tier parchment and beautiful wax seals. It’s proof that House Rosemilian hasn’t given up on me yet.
And that’s exactly why I have to keep pushing them away.
It would be so much easier if Celestia would just hurry up and despise me... Ah, the people in my life really do have such pure, noble hearts.
『Hmph. I’m amazed you can think such fond thoughts about the people forcing us into these villainous roles.』
The voice of the Holy Sword Zest echoed in his mind.
After completing its "Optimization," Zest was now able to dwell within Claude’s right arm by feeding on his mana. A mark resembling a black tattoo stretched from Claude’s shoulder to his elbow—that was Zest’s current form.
The "villainous role"... Are you still being cynical? Claude thought back. No one is forcing anything. It’s the opposite; everyone is worried about me because of my sudden change in personality. That’s why there are so many letters.
In particular, I can't even begin to imagine the stress I'm causing Father.
These letters had been filtered through his father before reaching him. Claude was certain he had given orders to reject all correspondence... He wondered if he should reiterate that. However, he couldn't help but notice that his father’s hair seemed to be getting grayer by the day.
『That reminds me. What happened to your mother?』
Mother, huh...
Mother is... a bit scary...
『Scary?』
Yeah. She’s been away for a while on an inspection tour of the territory. She won't be back for the time being.
To be honest, it’s for the best. Mother is unnervingly sharp. There’s a good chance she would see right through my act.
『That much of a threat, is she?』
The Einhart Duchy is managed by both my father and my mother. She has a terrifyingly keen eye for detail and can spot points for improvement across the entire territory in a single glance. They’re the two wheels of the carriage; you can’t have one without the other.
That’s why I don’t want to see her until I’ve perfected my role as a stepping stone. Or, to look at it another way, her absence is the only reason I can focus on my training right now.
Well then, time for today’s session.
Now that he possessed the Holy Sword, physical conditioning was no longer optional. Weight training, endurance drills—he had to push himself far beyond his initial benchmarks.
『Just try not to push yourself so hard that you can’t get out of bed tomorrow.』
I know, I know.
I’ve been overdoing it lately... like the time my palms wouldn't stop bleeding from practice swings, or when my limbs were too cramped to move an inch. If the load is too heavy, recovery can't keep up and the quality of the training suffers. It’s counterproductive.
So, for now—just a cool thousand practice swings!
This much should be fine!
『You...』 Zest sighed in his head.
At that moment, the door to the room creaked open.
"...Excuse me."
Chesa appeared, her voice so thin it seemed on the verge of vanishing entirely.
She no longer met his eyes. She no longer spoke to him about anything outside of her duties. There was no trace left of the devotion or the bright attentiveness she once showed him. All that remained was a hollow fear of an unreasonable master and a sense of absolute despair.
"What is it?" Claude asked coldly.
Ow, ow, ow... my stomach...
Please... someone save this girl. I can't do it...
Reiji, show up right now and take Chesa away. I won't stop you. I’ll just pretend to try and then let you both escape.
"Lord Claude, you have a visitor," Chesa said in a raspy whisper.
"A guest? I believe I gave orders to refuse any audience with the Rosemilians."
"No..." Chesa kept her gaze fixed on the floor. "It is Master Reiji."
HE’S HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Did my wish reach Fate itself? Reiji actually came!
Reiji really is the best.
I didn't think he'd show up without an appointment, though.
Actually, it's almost time for lunch...
Perfect.
"Lead him to the dining hall. I suppose the nonsensical ramblings of a commoner might make for a decent side dish to my wine."
Though I won't actually be drinking. Claude is a minor, and I’d hate to get drunk and accidentally break character.
To Reiji Wolf, Celestia von Rosemilian was his most precious benefactor.
Born the eldest son of a farmer, Reiji had been blessed with an almost abnormal level of physical strength. From a young age, he had breezed through the heavy manual labor of the farm and still had energy to burn after playing with the local kids. He had always had too much vitality and nowhere to put it.
So, after the sun went down, he would devour picture books.
He read them voraciously, becoming so absorbed that he would lose all track of time. And then, he made a vow: he would become a hero, just like the protagonists in those stories.
Celestia had helped that dream come true. When he heard that she, the lord’s daughter, was heading to the academy, Reiji had bowed his head and begged, "Please take me with you!" It had nearly turned into a disaster involving the guards, but Celestia had insisted on testing his strength, giving him a chance.
As a result, Reiji proved his worth and entered the academy under the Rosemilian recommendation. He could never thank Celestia—Tia—enough.
After enrolling, he had tried to act as her self-appointed butler only to be told he was "getting in the way," which remained a stinging embarrassment. Even so, Reiji was constantly looking for a way to repay her.
That was why, when he heard Tia’s engagement had been unilaterally broken, he was consumed by righteous fury.
Now, Reiji stood in the dining hall of the Einhart estate.
He had planned to punch Claude the second he saw him. He had planned to force his way inside if they dared to bar the door.
And yet, Reiji found himself unable to shake the heavy, suffocating atmosphere weighing down on him.
They sat at opposite ends of a long table. At the head of the table sat Claude von Einhart, looking every bit like a Demon King reigning from a throne.
"What is your business, commoner?" Claude asked, sampling a fish dish.
Reiji had been so sure he would strike the man the moment he saw his face... but far from moving his fists, he could barely find his voice.
"I-I heard that you... that you broke off the engagement with Tia..."
His voice came out trembling and weak. He felt pathetic.
The glittering chandelier, the polished silver, the silent gazes of the servants—to a commoner like Reiji, this was a foreign world where merely breathing felt like his lungs were being scorched.
But more than the surroundings, it was the man in front of him that made the air so heavy.
Claude lifted a portion of the poisson with his fish spoon. The angle of his fingers, the perfect posture, the way he shifted his gaze—every movement was efficient, sharp, and terrifyingly refined.
...He’s beautiful.
His movements were so flawless they were captivating. The man was more dazzling than the chandelier, more polished than the silver. Reiji couldn't help but feel that the elite servants and expensive furnishings were nothing more than a frame for him.
Reiji looked down at the food in front of him. A plate had been set for him as well. He had intended to eat like a beast to show his defiance, but he didn't feel like it anymore.
He gripped his knife and fork and tried to cut the fish.
Clang!
A loud, clumsy sound echoed through the room. When Claude ate, there wasn't a single sound. The piece of fish Reiji managed to cut looked mangled and unsightly.
He tried to balance it on the back of his fork, imitating what he had seen, but his hand shook. The fish rolled off and hit the floor.
Plop.
The sound from beneath his feet made him flush with a shame so intense his mind went blank. His face burned. He wanted to run out of the room right then.
What am I doing?
Am I really this pathetic...?
"T-Tia was... she was devastated!" Reiji shouted, glaring at Claude to hide his humiliation.
Claude didn't break his elegant posture as he spared Reiji a glance. "And? Does a commoner truly intend to stick his nose into the marriages of the nobility?"
"Nobles and commoners don't matter! I won't forgive you for hurting Tia!"
"I have no need for your forgiveness." Claude set his fork down. "I simply grew bored of her. That woman was far too dull to stand at my side."
"What—!?"
Reiji stood up so violently his chair nearly flew backward.
Bored? This man threw Tia away for a reason that stupid?
The blood rushed to his head. He couldn't believe his ears.
"You... you better not have said that to her face."
"I did."
"Don't you dare! Do you have any idea how much Tia believed in you this past year!?"
Claude’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk. It was a look of pure, unadulterated contempt, as if he were staring at a bug.
"You seem quite well-informed about her. Did you provide her some comfort at her bedside?"
"You bastard—!!"
Reiji felt like his blood was boiling. He was so angry he felt like he might explode.
"Tia would never do that!"
Ah—he saw it now.
This man was his enemy. He was an evil that had to be struck down. He had no heart. He was the personification of villainy, someone who could never be allowed to stand.
Reiji remembered his original goal. He was going to punch this man. He would punch him as many times as it took—until he turned back into the kind person he used to be.
Reiji accepted his mission.
Suddenly, BAM! The dining hall doors were thrown open with a crash.
"E-Excuse me! An urgent report!"
A servant burst into the room, his face pale with terror. Claude clicked his tongue at the intrusion.
"You're being noisy during a meal. What is it?" Claude asked, his expression remaining perfectly cold and composed. Even in the face of this sudden intrusion, he didn't so much as flinch.
"Lady Celestia has... she has been abducted!"
...Wait, what?
Reiji’s mind froze.
Abducted? Tia...?
He couldn't process the words. He stood there dazed, his heart hammering against his ribs while a cold sweat broke out across his back.
What do I do? What should I do?
In his confusion, Reiji instinctively looked toward Claude. The realization that he was looking to his enemy for guidance made him feel a surge of self-loathing, but deep down, he had already acknowledged that Claude was on a different level. His spirit had already buckled under Claude’s presence.
But Claude was as calm as ever. Even after hearing his former fiancée had been kidnapped, he didn't blink.
"And?"
Claude quietly finished his cocktail. He set the empty glass on the table without making a sound.
"That woman has nothing to do with me anymore."
Neither his voice nor his hands wavered. Claude continued his meal with the same beautiful, refined movements, as if nothing had happened. The elegance of it all was so incongruous with the situation that Reiji felt a genuine chill run down his spine.
What is wrong with this man?
How can he be so... so unshakable?
Reiji felt a sense of dread as he watched Claude, who showed no sign of panic or even surprise. A bead of sweat rolled down Reiji’s cheek and dripped onto the table.
He didn't want to admit it. He really didn't want to admit it.
But it felt as though he were being shown the sheer difference in the scale of their souls.
AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?!?!?
Abducted?! Why?! How?!
What do you mean Tia’s been kidnapped!?!?!?
『Calm down, you moron.』
How can I be calm!?!?!?
Wh-Wh-Wh-What am I supposed to do!?!?!?