“……Ring? It’s morning…! Darling…!”
“Hmm?”
As the whispers tickled my ear, my consciousness slowly began to return.
The sunlight streamed through my half-lidded eyelids, sharpening my foggy awareness.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, the sunlight suddenly vanished, replaced by a shadow.
Dark hair, beautiful and shimmering, caught the sunlight.
One long strand brushed against my nose, tickling it.
“Darling! Please wake up.”
“Ugh! Why are you being so loud this early in the morning?”
“Loud? I’m just your lovely girlfriend trying to wake you up gently! Isn’t that too much?”
“Did you fall and hit your head while sleeping? What lovely girlfriend are you talking about?”
“We shared a bed, so we’re practically an item, aren’t we?”
“If that logic applies, then I’ve been in a romantic relationship with my mother since I was born.”
We hadn’t done anything intimate; I merely comforted a student who seemed unable to bear her sorrow, letting her sleep.
It was a perfectly innocent night, yet Rynelle acted as if she’d spent a sticky night together.
“Professor Daniel is quite something. Shouldn’t you be happier that a pretty girl like me, from a good family and talented, is pretending to be your girlfriend?”
“Seriously, what a ridiculous conclusion you’ve drawn.”
As I shot her a disgusted look, Rynelle burst out laughing.
A villainess who enjoys being insulted—what a world we live in, indeed.
Shaking my head, I got out of bed.
I twisted my neck left and right to ease the tight muscles.
Despite the noisy morning, it was a good day to start.
“By the way, didn’t you say you were busy preparing for a funeral? Shouldn’t you hurry?”
“Right! I need to wash up, change, and put on some makeup, so I should head to my room!”
“Go on then.”
“If you’d like to see me change, you can come to my room anytime…!”
I ignored her and used Space Magic to send her off into the hallway.
It was magic I shouldn’t use so casually, but I had already revealed everything to the Agail Duke.
Using Space Magic like this wouldn’t be a huge problem within the mansion.
The information exchanged with the Agail Duke was secured by a pact to prevent leaking outside the mansion.
“When will she ever learn…?”
I sat back on the edge of the bed and let out a big sigh.
I felt the warmth left from where Rynelle had been sitting just moments ago.
And thinking back, the scent still lingered in the air when I woke up.
Suddenly, Rynelle’s face from earlier flashed in my mind.
Her flawless skin, sparkling garnet-like eyes, and luscious lips—all so striking I couldn’t forget.
Just recalling it made my face flush with embarrassment.
Seriously, what a mess. I told my innocent young student to get away just moments ago, and now I’m feeling desire—how embarrassing!
“Haa…!”
I felt like I needed to splash cold water on my face.
*
“Good morning. I’m Judas, the butler assigned to assist you today.”
“Nice to meet you, Judas. I’m Daniel Crawford.”
“It’s an honor to meet Professor Crawford.”
“Too kind. Just call me Professor Daniel.”
As I finished freshening up and stepped out of my room, a young butler was waiting by the door.
The moment I saw him, I figured he must be the dedicated butler for the day—and I was right.
After a brief exchange, we shook hands as a sign of goodwill.
It was a stiff, formal greeting, but it was enough. We weren’t close enough for anything more.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask about Professor Daniel’s schedule for today?”
“I’ve never had a dedicated butler before. Why do you need to know my schedule?”
“Meal and refreshment times need to be communicated in advance for easier preparation, and if you will be attending a family event or having a meeting with the Duke, scheduling adjustments are necessary. If it’s uncomfortable to answer, you don’t need to.”
“I’ll be free to move around the territory from morning until dinner. I plan to skip breakfast, and I’d like a sandwich prepared for lunch, please relay that to the kitchen staff.”
“Of course. Any additional requests or concerns?”
“I’ll be staying in the mansion today. The Duke has said I’m welcome to stay as long as I want, so just the room cleaning will be enough.”
“Yes.”
As soon as the conversation ended, Judas slipped into the shadows.
A moment later, he returned and handed me a sandwich bento.
Despite his youth, his handling of tasks was quick and precise, akin to a seasoned butler.
Perhaps the Agail Duke only employs elite staff.
“I’ll finish cleaning the guest room in the morning, and I also brought a pouch from Miss Rynelle for you.”
“From Rynelle?”
“Yes, I didn’t check but it seems to contain gold coins.”
“Then please take it back.”
“If it’s not too much to ask, wouldn’t it be wiser to check the contents before returning it to her?”
“Besides, I’ve missed the time for receiving allowances, and how could I accept money from my student?”
As I opened the pouch, golden coins spilled out, glimmering brightly.
It was about five months’ worth of my salary, way too big to refuse.
“…Please tell Rynelle I’ll use this wisely and return it later.”
“Understood.”
I had just threatened my fiancée, so I didn’t have immediate financial troubles.
However, since this world could crumble the Ludwig family overnight, it was best to have plenty of emergency funds.
Of course, I had my pride, so I’d never think of accepting that money. I’d merely borrowed it with no interest, promising to repay it later.
Anyway, with my pouch and a lighter heart, I stepped outside.
“Safe travels.”
First, I want to investigate the death of the Duchess.
I had asked the Duke, her husband, but he dodged the question.
The hand of truth works magic that leaves falsehoods speechless, but mumbling is still possible.
In other words, if answering becomes too difficult, one can merely stammer instead.
The Duke simply expressed indifference, saying it was unfortunate without elaborating.
That proved it was no accident; yet I could only find out independently, as the Duke wouldn’t open his mouth.
‘Should I have rented a carriage…?’
The Agail territory was shaped like a big circle on the map, with various indentations.
In the center of the territory was the Agail Duke’s grand mansion, and for a radius of 5 kilometers, it was his private property.
Beyond that, villages populated by the territory’s residents were formed.
The south bordered the sea, housing a port city; the north had trade routes and towns; and the west was close to the barracks of soldiers stationed near foreign borders.
The east, while sprawling with vast farmland, had one peculiar village.
Criminal.
Just as the name suggests, it was a village where all sorts of criminals in the empire gathered.
Of course, it was little more than a prison managed by the Agail Duke.
This was also the reason the Duke was referred to as a powerful figure in the underworld.
The village itself was a lawless zone, but outside its borders, imperial law applied.
Residents or visitors of Criminal faced immediate execution for crimes committed within the empire.
This unique system meant that no one but criminals would venture there.
However, I needed information, so I dared to step into Criminal against the odds.
Since it was a frequent haunt of Skarl and the Undertaker, I believed the benefits would outweigh the risks.
“Ugh! What a disgusting smell…!”
Not wanting to attract the attention of thugs, I entered a tavern, suppressing my presence with a concealing spell.
As I sat at the counter, instead of ordering, I handed a note Skarl had given to the bartender.
The bartender, sporting a dazzling scalp, checked the note and nodded.
“I’ll get the manager; please wait here.”
He sensibly handed me a glass of wine before heading off.
Although I was thirsty, I didn’t take even a sip of the wine, instead pouring it over my shoulder.
Sizzle!
A small puff of smoke began to rise from the floor, quickly turning black where the wine had spilled.
In a lawless place, nothing is free, and any good deed has malice behind it.
The moment you graciously accept, you’re out the door to the afterlife.
“Wow! This wine is incredible!”
“Drink responsibly. If you get trashed again like last time, and end up getting robbed, that’s not my problem.”
“Ugh! Don’t poke the sore spot…”
“I get you’re happy that a strong competitor like Undertaker is dead, but you need to rein it in.”
From the backseat came murmurs of familiar names.
I turned slightly to check, and saw two men drinking heavily.
It seemed it would provide a little entertainment while we waited for the manager to arrive.
“Haha! Those idiots! What were they thinking messing with royalty? Did they think the Emperor was a joke?”
“They must’ve been confident. A lot of people were betting on their success.”
“Stupid people! So, what happened in the end? Not a single one came back alive!”
Had I not intervened, both Skarl and the Undertaker would have achieved their goals.
But a mere criminal had no way of knowing that, so mockery replaced their inevitable failure.
“Skarl made sense, but I’m surprised by Undertaker. I’ve heard rumors that Princess Yuer was the Emperor’s discard.”
“No way! That was probably a trap to lure us stupid people in!”
“Is that so?”
“Regardless, both Skarl and Undertaker are gone, so it’s our world now! Hahaha!”
I couldn’t help but wonder how they’d react if they found out both were very much alive.
Would they not recognize them as women?
Just the thought made me chuckle, and then a sudden notion struck me.
I was currently commanding fierce villains that would only appear in the later stages of the story.
I had subdued not one, but two villains, both of whom had proven difficult for the protagonists to handle.
If I could make them and any future villains bow down to me as well?
“Wait a second…”
Could I become the ultimate mastermind?
