I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Who Gets Killed Midway Through the Story but It Looks Like I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Try to Do Good Deeds

68: Quiet Anger

As I headed to school, I was welcomed by Julia as usual. I’ve gotten used to this routine, and now I think of Julia’s existence as a part of my life. Perhaps she’s the protagonist, but that doesn’t matter; I just want to get along with her.

Now that I think about it, it might have been safer if Julia didn’t have the power of the protagonist. The original protagonist might have thought so, but since they’re someone else, they could just shift the burden to others. To be honest, I have some reservations about getting Julia involved.

When I think about it, it’s quite cruel to push everything onto someone just because they’re the protagonist. I’m glad I realized that.

Today, we had a rare occasion to eat together. It’s not so bad to do that sometimes. If we do it too often, my father might have a problem with it, though.

“Lord Rex, let’s play today!”

“Not now, Julia. Don’t be too spoiled. What if you get abandoned?”

“It’s okay, Lord Rex. You’ll be fine, right?”

In my heart, I want to say that I’ll never abandon her, no matter what happens. But I don’t know who might be listening, and someone might report back to my father. So, I can’t say it.

Julia and Ster are both very precious to me. That’s why it’s impossible to abandon them just because they invited me to play.

However, there’s something I can do. I can make sure to protect their happiness. At least, while we’re attending Astral Academy, I can be by their side. Their magic will surely work.

“Do as you like. I’ll do what I want.”

“What game should we play today… wait, what’s going on!?”

When I turned to look at Julia, I saw children suffering. It was clearly strange. I had to investigate what was happening.

“How many people are affected? Show me!”

“Lord Rex, please help everyone!”

The children in my line of sight were all suffering. That means something must have happened at school. Then, what about the two of them? As I thought about it, I had an idea.

“Ster, Julia, is everything okay with you two?”

“I’m fine, I think. Why are the others suffering?”

“I’m also fine. Is something going on?”

The two of them had something that the other children didn’t. It was the accessories I had given them, infused with my magic that could counteract poison.

“So, it’s poison. Good luck or bad luck. Bring the patients over here!”

“Got it, Ster!”

“I’ll help carry them!”

We started treating each child one by one, using magic to heal them. We had to hurry, but we also had to be careful. After using my magic to its fullest extent for a while, I didn’t see any more suffering children in my range.

“Is that everyone? Is Milra here?”

“I’ll call her!”

“I’ll call Lady Rana!”

As the two of them ran off, the children who were nearby came closer.

“Thank you, Lord Rex…”

“It’s no big deal. It’s just my ability.”

“I’m sorry… I made the food, but I didn’t notice…”

They were saying it was poison. If that’s the case, it’s natural to think that something they ate recently was suspicious. I was lucky to be there, but if I hadn’t been, it could have been a disastrous situation. The child in front of me was also thinking the same thing, with a very worried face. That’s only natural.

In fact, I had also eaten the same food, and if I didn’t have a poison countermeasure, I could have been affected too. It was fortunate that my magic was complete.

“The one at fault is the person who poisoned the food. Don’t get it twisted.”

“But… but…”

The child was really cornered. It’s an unavoidable situation, but I couldn’t offer any comforting words. If I did, it would just be a way to avoid feeling sad. I’m still powerless, after all. I’m just stuck, unable to take action.

“I’ll definitely find the culprit. What you should do is reflect on your actions. Will you regret it and make sure this incident doesn’t happen again?”

“I understand… I’ll be more careful from now on…”

“In the end, everyone was safe. Don’t forget that.”

“Yes, thank you…”

I don’t know if I was praised with good words, but I’m just praying not to overthink. At least, my feeling that the criminal is evil is genuine. I also didn’t notice it after eating. So, it’s a shared crime. Still, everyone was saved, so that’s good.

The kid who was eating with his head down left. Then, Lana, Millra, and Julia, whom I had called, arrived.

“What happened while I was away, Rex-sama?”

“Someone seems to have poisoned the food. Well, what can we do? Oh, is the food still here?”

“It’s here, Rex-sama.”

“Millra, can you determine what kind of poison was used from your side?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll definitely identify it.”

“It’s an insult. I’ll definitely make the criminal pay with their life. I won’t forgive them for looking down on me.”

No mistake, that’s my true intention. I have no intention of letting the criminal live. I won’t forgive them for putting the children in danger. It’s not just about killing them; it’s more about making them suffer. Honestly, I’m so angry that I can feel my teeth grinding.

“I understand the situation. From now on, we should conduct magical inspections on our food. I also have some knowledge about it.”

“Ah, leave it to me. It’s difficult to inspect with dark magic, but treatment is possible, like this time.”

“I understand. If I can be of assistance to Rex-sama, that’s all that matters.”

If Lana can remove the poison with her water attribute, I’ll feel at ease. Water is indeed suitable for inspections. I’ve heard that it can detect the state of water. Many ingredients contain water, and if poison is involved, it’s likely to be in a liquid state.

So, our immediate countermeasures are in place. We’ll wait for Millra’s investigation and decide what to do next. That’s the flow.

No matter what, I’ll find the criminal and make them pay with their life. I no longer have any mercy. However, I must be careful not to make false accusations. I can’t afford to mistakenly identify the wrong person as the criminal.

“However, we can’t find the criminal. Well, what kind of method did they use?”

“I don’t think I can be of help, I apologize.”

“Then, I’ll do something about it. It’s ridiculous to be treated like a fool until now.”

They tried to involve my loved ones. I’ll definitely make them pay for it. I no longer care about using legitimate means. I won’t rely on the law’s judgment.

What does it mean to make me an enemy? I’ll show them what it means. If I can, it will also serve as a deterrent for the future.

In any case, I have to find the criminal. If I let them escape now, it’ll be troublesome. And I’m angry, too. Honestly, I want to vent my emotions.

I won’t show any mercy, so be prepared.