I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 24: Encounter with the Heroine – First Half

Ernest’s entourage… no, his close aides were wide-eyed in surprise at my statement. Ernest, unable to retort against my logic, clenched his teeth in frustration so hard that it seemed like they might shatter.

Normally quite composed, Ernest blatantly exposed his emotions when dealing with me. This was probably because he had stopped pretending to treat me with the decorum befitting a royal whenever we crossed paths, likely due to our frequent clashes.

“Well then… let me ask you, what were you doing?”

Ernest glared at me, but I was focused on the maid’s reddened wrist. Gently taking her painful hand, I glanced briefly at Ernest. It seemed like Ernest was too busy glaring at me to notice that the maid’s wrist was red.

“It seemed like she burned herself with hot tea earlier, so I just treated it. Like this… ‘Healing Heal.’ You must be tired from receiving healing magic twice today. You should tell your superiors and take a rest. May she be excused? Your Highness.”

“…Ah.”

“Thank you very much. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

The maid, still bewildered, thanked me and left. Now, I wonder what kind of reaction Ernest will have to this situation. I can’t wait to find out.

“So, what did you need from me?”

“What do you mean?”

Despite smiling at him, isn’t his attitude toward me a bit too hostile?

“What do I mean…? It’s as if you don’t approve of my good deeds, almost as if you’re saying I shouldn’t do good deeds. I’m aware that my past actions haven’t been praiseworthy, but please spare me from false accusations.”

“Ugh…”

With a firm statement, he clenched his fist tightly, suppressing his anger visibly. Until now, it was often the case that Ernest would reprimand me for my unnecessary actions and receive praise in return.

Ah, I see! It’s like those superhero shows without villains! It shines because of the villains; without them, it’s just… what?

Back when I attended the Royal Academy, I might have been able to impress others with my achievements, but as an adult engaged in official duties, it’s natural to work. It’s not easy to achieve great accomplishments worthy of praise. However, there was a clear sense of justice in protecting the fiancée from me, the villain.

Oh no, if this continues, Ernest will turn into a cheating scoundrel who two-timed his fiancée and the saint! That’s too funny, isn’t it? Well, maybe not for Lady Diane, but if it follows the novel, he’ll fall in love with the saint.

“Is there anything else?”

“I don’t know what you’re plotting, but I’m watching you!”

As Ernest left with his bewildered aides, a maid in charge of the salon promptly appeared.

“Knight Commander Vandière, thank you very much for earlier. The tea seems to have cooled down, so I’ll replace it for you.”

“Ah, please.”

The maid efficiently cleared away the cups and saucers and placed a new cup of tea on the table before leaving. As soon as we were alone, Orel leaned forward with a grin.

“Well done, Commander. Taking down the Crown Prince like that. He always looked down on the Third Knight Order, and you could tell from the way he spoke. It feels good to put him in his place! I’ll have to tell everyone about this when we get back to the barracks. Hehehe.”

“Indeed, compared to the First and Second Orders, they blatantly discriminate against us. If the Third Knight Order were to become more upright from now on, they might self-destruct without anyone to muddy the waters. Well, if that happens, it’ll be interesting.”

“I thought the Commander had changed recently, but some things never change. I don’t dislike it, though.”

Huh? Could it be that I had a villainous personality even in my past life? No, no, my younger brothers used to adore me, calling me ‘big brother.’ There’s no way, right?

I was tempted to move my body since I had some free time, but I couldn’t attend dinner in a sweaty state. So, I killed time while discussing future plans. After waiting for about two hours, a young attendant came to escort me to the dining hall.

As we approached the dining hall, I saw Lady Diane walking ahead, escorted by a maid. Normally, she would be accompanied by Ernest, so it was unusual for her to be alone.

As we caught up with her in stride, I noticed something. I casually took off my coat and draped it over Lady Diane’s shoulders.

“Kyah! What in the world…!? Eek! Commander Vandière…!”

Startled by the sudden coat, Lady Diane turned around and let out a small scream when she realized it was me. Considering my past actions, it couldn’t be helped.

“What are you doing!?”

The accompanying maid tried to shield Lady Diane, standing in front of me with her arms wide open. It’s your embarrassment to make a fuss like this, I thought to myself as I leaned close to the maid’s ear.

“Lady Diane’s back… was stained with blood. It’s not visible with my coat on, so take her back to the room and let her change. You don’t need to wash the coat; just return it as it is. The Third Knight Order’s laundry team is good at removing blood stains.”

Whispering softly, I patted the maid’s shoulder. After a brief moment of understanding, the maid bowed deeply to me.

“I’m sorry! Thank you very much! Lady Diane, this way, please!”

It seemed like Lady Diane, whose face had turned crimson, had heard my whispering as she was led away by the maid. I had suspected blood when I smelled it up close, and it seemed my guess was correct.

“Women have it tough every month.”

“I’m surprised by the Commander’s thoughtfulness.”

“Um…?”

Orel, older than me, seemed to understand, but the younger attendant seemed clueless about what had happened. Even if they graduate from the Royal Academy, they don’t study the intricacies of a woman’s body.

“Don’t worry about it, let’s go.”

I had lent out my coat, but now I had to think of an excuse for not having it as we headed to the dining hall.