A visitor from the Royal Family.
Upon hearing those words, only one person came to mind.
I wiped away my sweat and changed into an outfit befitting a nobleman before heading to the drawing room.
I took a deep breath in front of the door.
My guest was royalty. However, I was currently a villain who had turned the world against him.
I couldn't afford to prostrate myself or offer flattery. I needed the sheer audacity to look down on her with arrogance.
...All right.
Without bothering to knock, I threw the door open with a flourish.
"You're late."
I couldn't believe it. She had launched a preemptive strike!
Damn it! I was the one who was supposed to say that!
"What exactly are you competing over now?" Zest’s exasperated voice echoed in my mind.
Waiting inside the room was, as expected, a girl with dazzling blonde hair that seemed to catch the light with every movement.
Irene Lyu Militail.
The Second Princess of this kingdom.
"Hmph. What do you want?"
"That disrespectful tone... it really has returned to the way it was, hasn't it?"
Irene narrowed her eyes, glaring at me. However, I didn't see any contempt in her gaze. Instead, she seemed to be searching for something, trying to peer beneath my surface.
I sat down on the sofa with an arrogant slouch and crossed my legs.
"I decided that etiquette was unnecessary for a woman rumored to be a tomboy princess."
"What?! T-That's an old story!"
"Oh, they still say it. Behind your back, of course."
"You're lying..."
I wasn't, actually.
I felt a twinge of guilt for her shock, but frankly, Irene wasn't in a position to lecture others on etiquette given her own manner of speaking. She was only forgiven because of her royal status, but this abrupt, unannounced visit was a breach of protocol in itself.
"What is your business? I'm busy, so make it quick."
"Fine. I'll get straight to the point."
Irene looked me squarely in the eye.
"You made Tia cry, didn't you?"
I knew it would be about that.
"And if I did? What of it?"
"What is your goal, Claude?"
I let out a quiet sigh. Her question told me everything I needed to know about her objective. She had come to confirm whether I still possessed a conscience.
It was Celestia who had first brought Irene and me together.
The two of them were childhood friends who had played together since they were small. Apparently, it was a common occurrence for Irene to grow jealous of something Celestia was wearing, leading to a petty squabble.
Essentially, to Irene, I was her childhood friend’s fiancé. We had crossed paths countless times over the years—back when I was genuinely arrogant, after I had regained my memories of my previous life, and several times since then.
"A goal? I have no such thing. I simply grew tired of that woman."
"Liar. I know you're not actually that kind of person."
This was troublesome.
First Celestia, then Chesa... why were the women in this world so incredibly stubborn?
"People change, Irene. For better or for worse."
"But you changed for the better."
Irene pressed her point with eyes that held no doubt.
"The one who stopped me when my magic went out of control... was you. Only you."
"...Are you still talking about what happened six months ago?"
Irene gave a small, firm nod.
Was she really still dwelling on that?
"What are you talking about?" Zest asked, his curiosity piqued.
It wasn't that big of a deal, really. Irene is royalty, which means she has access to Royal Rank Magic.
"I see... and that Royal Rank Magic went on a rampage?"
Exactly. Apparently, it was a type of magic that affected everyone in the vicinity. When it went out of control, it began indiscriminately draining the life force of everyone nearby. So, I stopped her. I had to use a bit of force to do it, but...
"Hmph. So you've been this way for a long time, then."
What's that supposed to mean?
"Never mind. For now, focus on the girl in front of you."
I didn't know what his problem was. He was the one who asked.
"Look, if you're in some kind of trouble, I'll help you, okay? I... well, I owe you one, after all," Irene said, her usual aggressive attitude replaced by a strange docility.
"Forget the past. That was nothing more than a whim."
"Liar!"
Ignoring her shout, I stood up.
"I believe it's time for you to leave. I told you, I'm busy."
"Wait! Claude! This is a royal command!"
"Invoking your status as a princess only when it's convenient for you isn't very convincing. Next time, follow the proper procedures if you want an audience."
"You wouldn't even meet with me if I followed the proper procedures! Tia told me as much!"
So she'd figured that out.
I had expected as much, but pushing away the strong-willed Irene was going to be an ordeal. She was a girl from a prestigious royal line, yet she was the most free-spirited, un-royal person I knew.
That freedom was why the people loved her. Her casual attitude wasn't reserved for me, the heir of a Duke's house; she treated Reiji and even total strangers among the commoners with the same frankness.
And that was exactly why I had to make her hate me.
The masses would always take Irene's side. To be trusted by Irene was to be trusted by the entire nation. Conversely, if I could make her despise me, I would become an outcast in the eyes of the whole country. It was high risk, high reward—she was the ultimate bomb in my career as a stepping stone.
"So you really won't drop the act."
She stood up, her sharp gaze still fixed on me.
"It's just as Prime Minister Logen said. You're dangerous right now."
The Prime Minister? A political heavyweight had suddenly entered the fray.
I decided to offer a suspicious laugh.
"Heh... so His Excellency the Prime Minister has been mentioning my name?"
"Yes. He expressed his grievances, saying your recent behavior has become intolerable."
Irene placed her hand on the door handle.
"I'll leave for today. But remember this, Claude—I won't give up until I've stripped away your facade."
The door closed with a firm thud. The storm-like princess had finally departed.
Phew. At least I succeeded in sending her away.
Still, Prime Minister Logen, huh? Given his position, he likely had frequent contact with Irene, but having a political titan turn against me was going to be a headache.
No, I had to look at this positively. My notoriety had finally reached the point where it was being discussed by the Royal Family and the Prime Minister.
"Heh... heh heh..."
I felt good. I was in top form lately. I was finally getting the hang of this stepping-stone business. Irene seemed like she would be a handful, but I had already successfully pushed away Celestia and Chesa. I was sure I could handle this too.
I could do this! I was going to nail this stepping-stone role!
"It's good that you're motivated, but don't let your guard down."
As if I would. It would be a disaster if my acting were exposed. In the unlikely event that someone realized the truth behind my actions, it would cause nothing but intense confusion.
"Confusion? No... it wouldn't be confusion. It would be despair..."
Zest suddenly caught his breath.
"Despair? Ah... no way. Is that what it meant?"
What now? He had been acting so strange lately.
"Was that the meaning of the prophecy? 'Thou shalt bring despair unto the people'... Yes, this is undoubtedly despair. In a sense, you truly are a Great Sinner..."
Zest's voice became thick with terror.
"If that is the case... oh, what a cruel fate for those girls..."
"Hey! Zest, seriously, what is wrong with you?"
"Claude... we must be incredibly careful. Your true identity must never be revealed."
He was telling me this now? I had been careful from the very beginning.
"Yes... we must be careful. For the sake of preventing any more victims... and so that I am not the one who is hated..."
Zest continued to mutter to himself long after that.
I headed down to the basement, and with his voice as my background noise, I devoted myself to my training.