Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

3 – The Worst Choice (2) *Revised*

After my conversation with the Duke, I went straight to my mother.

Though I would have to play the rogue, a role completely foreign to me,

I intended to tell her everything from beginning to end.

I truly couldn’t bear to see her blame herself,

thinking she had failed in raising her child.

*

As expected, my mother flew into a rage.

Was this really the same gentle, kind woman I knew?

But of course, she had every right to be angry.

Her child.

Her child who, simply for being illegitimate,

had never been treated the same

as his full-blooded brothers.

Her child who, simply for lacking talent,

had been told by his own father

to sacrifice himself for the good of the family…

What mother would stand idly by?

Naturally, she was about to

storm into the Duke’s office right this instant.

Of course, I had to stop her.

If Mother were truly to

do something like that,

I would immediately have to worry about her safety.

“Jennison…this isn’t right.

Even if you are illegitimate…”

“To be treated like this is not right…”

“I truly am alright, Mother.”

“Jenison… please…”

Still, it pained me to see Mother weep.

She already carried such guilt for being of common birth herself,

I feared she might blame herself

for this whole affair later on, too…

Truly, I was worried on many fronts.

“Jenison, couldn’t you reconsider, just once more?”

“….”

“Jeniiisooon…!!”

I barely managed to calm Mother,

who had nearly fainted several times upon hearing my story,

but she continued to cast

worried glances my way.

She likely knew, I suspect.

The terror of the people’s gaze.

Rumors had once swirled around her too, as the Duchess of common origins.

Of course, I knew this order was unjust,

but what could I do?

The opponent was the Duke of one of this nation’s most esteemed families.

If only I were my former self,

I would have at least grabbed a blade and resisted,

but in this young, frail body, even that was impossible.

Up until now, having been born into a ducal household,

I had only imagined a life of ease,

and had neglected to train my body during that time.

Well, that was my own carelessness to blame,

so I couldn’t exactly complain to anyone, either…

‘…Alright, I suppose from now on, bit by bit,

I’ll have to cultivate my body. Right, well.’

So, now the question was, how to mimic a scoundrel…

“Master Jenison!!”

“…?”

Startled by the loud voice, I turned around,

only to find Ella rushing towards me,

looking, somehow, incredibly angry…?

Huh?

“Master! I heard everything from Her Ladyship!!”

“…Ah.”

“This…this is preposterous!! Young Master has talent, too!! He possesses two sigils!!”

Left to her own devices, she might

actually storm off to confront the Duke, so

I had to, by any means,

appease and soothe her.

Only after exhausting two

entire tea sets

was I able to calm her down, even a little.

“I’m truly alright, so

you needn’t worry, Ella.”

“…I don’t know. I’ll go ahead.”

Completely sulking,

she huffed and turned her back.

Even so, I was grateful.

That she worried about someone like me.

‘…If you’re grateful, you should protect her.’

Yes, I should protect her.

She, too, was, like my mother,

the only person in this world whom

I desperately wanted to shield.

*

Eventually, the following year,

the year I turned eleven,

I entered the Academy as planned.

With the Duke’s secret order:

to play the part of a scoundrel.

‘…Easy enough?’

Playing the scoundrel was simpler than expected.

Of all the brats clinging to me

for the crumbs, lured by my name and house,

I only needed to select the dregs,

those of poor character and conduct,

and form them into a gang.

‘Master Jennison!!’

‘Heh heh, Master Jennison, over here, sir…’

Even creating it was easy.

Most of them were just snot-nosed children

recklessly flaunting their backgrounds.

And I, of all of them, possessed

the strongest pedigree.

Perhaps it was only natural that

they should heed my words.

However, there was one thing, no matter how hard

I tried, that I simply couldn’t bring myself to do…

The act of tormenting someone.

I could kill someone without pain, had even done so.

I’d also been exposed to all sorts

of agonizing tortures.

Yet, to personally break down

children so much younger than myself…

That alone was something I just couldn’t manage.

Especially not when they weren’t people I’d see for a day or two,

but faces I would continuously encounter.

Therefore, I had to devise a method to

avoid tormenting anyone as much as possible, and after

a few minutes of contemplation,

a brilliant idea dawned upon me.

“Let’s find a part-time job.”

A so-called undercover part-time job.

The academy collects tuition every semester.

As befits the Empire’s finest educational institution,

the content taught is filled with things

that cannot be easily learned elsewhere.

However, the tuition fee that must be paid is

extremely expensive as a result.

Almost impossibly so for commoners to bear.

Despite this, every year countless

commoners apply for admission to the academy,

for the sole purpose of revitalizing their families.

Because graduation from the academy proves that

you are qualified to work wherever you desire.

However, there must certainly be

students who find the expensive tuition burdensome somewhere,

and if that’s the case, I can find

those commoners and offer them a proposition.

“I will take responsibility for your tuition, so won’t you allow me to torment you?”

If a third party had overheard, they might well have thought it utter madness, but upon considered reflection, it was not an altogether unpalatable proposition. As I’d said, the Academy’s tuition was a sum that even nobles didn’t readily disburse.

How much greater, then, the burden on commoners?

Perhaps beyond imagining.

And that burden would fall squarely upon the shoulders of those commoner students attending the Academy.

So then, if they accepted my… proposal?

Instead of tormenting me, I would shoulder the entirety of his tuition.

Of course, I, in turn, would refrain from excessive torment, and if they could simply endure a few instances a day,

a great fortune would come rolling in.

Granted, the process itself might prove rather…

distressing,

but the burden on them would lessen,

and they could show filial piety to their parents…

Surely there’d be someone tempted?

‘I should look into this…’

And so, I began my inquiries.

Seeking out those among the commoners

struggling with the cost of their tuition.

*

The fact that a suitable candidate was

found so quickly was somewhat surprising,

but regardless, I had located someone fitting the bill.

Lianna, a student entering the Academy this year along with me,

a commoner and my age.

With hair the color of a twilight sky

and emerald eyes,

her hair cascaded down,

a testament to softness and sheen.

Yet the Academy uniform bore signs of patching in several places,

giving ample indication of her family’s financial standing.

Even in her early days at the academy, her looks drew quite the buzz, though

once the rumor of her common blood spread,

many lost their initial interest.

Now, I hear she lives under the

petty gaze of a few young ladies.

There simply wasn’t a better candidate.

Burdened as she must be, with the need to lift up her impoverished family,

she likely can’t bring herself to tell her parents

about any bullying she endures here.

She *has* to graduate and succeed, no matter what.

Excellent, truly. The more I see, the better.

She was a talent perfectly suited to my needs.

“U-um… what business do you…”

At first glance, she seemed

frightened of me,

but I didn’t let it sway me one way or another.

After the stunts I’ve pulled since arriving,

my reputation has already sunk as low as it can go.

It’s only natural she’d be afraid, even if

I appeared to have no particular reason to approach her.

“Forgive me for startling you by calling you out like this.”

“N-no, it’s alright…”

“The reason I’ve called you here is that I

have a request I wish to make.”

“A request…?”

I then explained the entire situation to her.

From the reason why I must play the rogue, to the reward she would receive for agreeing to my request.

“So, have you understood everything so far?”

“Y-yes…”

“Then, I would like to hear your answer now.”

After hearing my proposition,

she began to deliberate at length.

Well, one could hardly blame her.

The terms were simply too good.

If she accepted this offer,

A bit of… torment, perhaps, could lift the burden from her parents’ shoulders, and ease the pressure she herself was under.

Besides, with the extra coin,

she could indulge in a more comfortable life,

and perhaps even spur her own development,

drawing ever closer to success.

“H-How can I believe you…?”

After much deliberation, words finally escaped her lips,

words that sounded suspiciously like acceptance,

and I seized upon them at once.

“I swear it upon the name of my house.

You understand the weight of a familial oath, yes?”

Upon hearing my words, her jaw dropped,

and she began to utter meaningless cries of, “Y-Yes…? Yes…?”

Which, in truth, was to be expected.

Among nobles, an oath upon one’s house

carried an immense weight, you see.

To wager one’s family name, amongst those

who lived and died by honor?

Even the snot-nosed brats playing in the streets would be astonished.

Everyone knew the consequences

of breaking an oath made in the name of one’s house.

Gossip would, of course, ripple throughout society.

Even families of lower rank

would scorn you as a shameless knave

who had forsaken honor.

And if the family were to find out,

one would be forced to abandon the family name,

and all support would be cut off.

“You’d…you’d do that for a commoner like me…?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

But, well, it matters not to me.

I have no intention of breaking it.

If I don’t do this,

I’d be forced, helpless, to harass

some innocent soul.

If we’re to do this thing,

shouldn’t it benefit both sister and

brother-in-law alike?

“Yes, I… I will!!”

And as expected,

she accepted my proposition

with such heartfelt gratitude.

Good.

It was good.

The offer was accepted, and

subsequent events progressed smoothly, like clockwork.

I bothered only her, caring nothing for

the opinions of others.

My reputation in society was

plummeting in real time.

Though I didn’t torment her excessively, of course.

When my followers directed

excessive insults at her, I would restrain them, then

later apologize to her privately.

When her uniform was stolen,

I procured a replacement from a high-end tailor.

And now and then, I’d offer her a modest allowance,

allowing her to enjoy life a little.

Naturally, these clandestine acts

remained hidden from prying eyes, so my reputation continued to suffer.

It didn’t take long before the looks of

admiration and anticipation that greeted me at the beginning of the term

were replaced with loathing and disdain.

Of course, those gazes

weren’t without their sting,

but I’d grown accustomed to such stares,

and the thought that my mother’s

well-being would be at risk if I faltered,

helped me endure without causing any trouble.

Yet, fear was unavoidable.

My current position within the family was

such that no one would care if I were cast aside,

truly a burden to the household.

What if the Duke were to suddenly

change his mind and abandon me altogether?

I found myself incapable of retort.

There were no souls to bolster me,

no one to offer a shield against the world.

‘So… for now, I must tread carefully,

lest I draw unwanted attention.’

Ridiculously, that became

my first objective in those school years.

Not for anything else, but

to protect my mother.

*

And so, time slipped by,

and before I knew it, six years had passed since I entered the Academy.

In the year I turned seventeen,

my mother passed away.