Failed To Abandon the Villain - Chapter 9

“Master, it’s been a while.”

“Ah… yes.”

She quickly averted her eyes and gave a half-hearted reply. Closing the door behind her, Valetta moved to leave, but Reinhardt didn’t seem inclined to enter the study. Instead, he followed her.

“Didn’t you have business in the study?”

“I think I did.”

“Ah… right.”

It’s either yes or no. What do you mean you think you did?

Glancing at him with suspicion, Valetta turned and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

“Master.”

“…I’m not your master anymore.”

So please, just forget about me.

Valetta thought to herself. She knew the fate of this estate all too well—that no one who mistreated or humiliated Reinhardt would survive.

But in this particular matter, she felt a deep sense of injustice. Not a little, but a lot.

She had tried in her own way to give him freedom. She had deliberately handed him a handful of coins, told him the route to escape, and even provided a map in case the path seemed confusing.

But Reinhardt had rejected it all.

At one point, hoping to gain his favor, she’d spent about a year treating him with the utmost kindness, doing her best to be gentle.

Yet, his cold gaze and fake smiles never wavered, and when it became clear that her efforts were futile, she gave up entirely.

In the end, she resorted to pleading with Count Delight to drive him away. Of course, all those plans had long since crumbled to pieces and now lay scattered like trash on the floor.

“Master seems to dislike me very much,” he said.

“…Not particularly.”

If she hadn’t known better, she might have fallen for his act, giving him everything without hesitation.

It wasn’t that Valetta disliked attractive people; on the contrary, she had a soft spot for those who could pull off a gentle smile.

“Why, I wonder.”

His voice whispered softly behind her, so close that she could feel his presence looming over her. His breath ghosted against her ear, making her shudder.

Valetta swallowed hard, rolling her eyes nervously.

When did he get so tall…?

They had maintained enough distance over the years that she’d never noticed how much he’d grown. Seeing him up close now caught her off guard.

“I’ve never done anything to you, Master,” he murmured.

He still called her “Master,” but his tone carried the same indifferent disdain one might use when addressing a speck of dust on their shoulder.

His hand brushed lightly along the back of her neck, barely making contact. The touch sent a wave of chills down her spine, and her body froze.

“No matter how hard I try to earn your favor, you always seem to find me unsettling.”

The voice that had been so close to her ear now retreated. When she slowly turned her head, she found Reinhardt smiling warmly once again, as if nothing had happened.

“There was some dust, so I brushed it off for you. My apologies if I overstepped. I’ll be off to see the master of the house now.”

“Oh… okay.”

She responded while pressing her palm to the nape of her neck, trying to shake off the lingering sensation.

Reinhardt bowed politely before descending the stairs he had climbed moments ago. Valetta leaned against the wall, lowering her head.

…He’s insane.

* * *

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Good, very good.”

“Yes, thank you.”

As Madam Joshua concluded the lesson, Valetta bowed politely in response.

It was yet another tedious dance lesson. As the wedding date approached, her etiquette and cultural lessons grew increasingly rigorous and exhausting.

Her wedding to the Crown Prince was scheduled for three months after her birthday. As a result, her days were packed with lessons, leaving no time to rest. Valetta often muttered to herself that she would rather go back to her senior year of high school and prepare for college entrance exams again.

Gifts and tea party invitations flooded in for the future Crown Princess, and she found herself meeting the Crown Prince more frequently.

Initially, she had found him unsettling, but over time she realized he was neither arrogant nor overly demanding.

That didn’t mean she developed any romantic feelings for him. She simply acknowledged that he wasn’t a bad person. Yet, her skepticism about this political marriage remained firmly in place.

“Madam Joshua,” Valetta called.

“Yes, Lady Valetta?”

“Could you remind me what day it is today?”

“Let’s see… It was your birthday a week ago, so today is December 22nd.”

Valetta nodded, though her expression was stiff.

Her birthday had passed. The massacre of the Delight estate, an event that was supposed to happen on her birthday according to the novel, had not occurred.

Unable to believe it, Valetta had spent the past week obsessively asking everyone she met what day it was. And the answers were always the same: Your birthday has passed. Your birthday has passed…

Her birthday had been celebrated with grandeur in the capital.

As the future Crown Princess and the first alchemist among the nobility, it was only natural.

Of course, to liven up the party, she had been ordered to perform a few alchemy demonstrations, turning herbs into potions like some kind of dolphin show.

Honestly, it was hard to tell whose birthday party it was supposed to be. It was humiliating, but Count Delight had commanded it.

Until she could escape his grasp, it was in her best interest to obey him. The last thing she wanted was to be tied up, locked away, or starved like in the past.

“Then, I’ll see you next week, my lady.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you again for today.”

“Not at all. You’re exceptionally gifted, and as your instructor, I feel inspired to strive harder myself. As expected of the future Crown Princess, you’re truly extraordinary.”

Valetta responded with an awkward smile. All her instructors were top-tier.

But at the same time, they were nobles navigating the social world. Naturally, they were all desperate to form a connection with her in some way.

Some had already risen to prominence in the social circles merely by claiming to be her tutors.

Though not all of them made their ambitions obvious, it was clear they were eager to hear anything about her relationship with the Crown Prince.

“Thank you for the kind words. Madam Joshua, you were my last lesson for today, so I’ll be heading in to rest now.”

“Oh dear, I’ve taken up the time of such a busy lady. Please, rest well.”

“Yes, have a safe trip back.”

After the formal exchange of farewells, Valetta was finally left alone.

She let out a slow, deep sigh in the now-quiet room.

As Valetta prepared to retire for the evening, she found herself drawn upstairs by the maid’s reminder of her absence. She stepped into her room, removed her dress, washed up, and changed into more comfortable clothing.

Despite her new attire, Valetta didn’t dare leave her room. Being caught by Count Delight would surely result in a severe scolding, so she routinely had her dinner brought to her room.

“My lady, will you be having dinner in your room again tonight?”

“Yes, please prepare it here.”

“Understood.”

As the maid bowed and began to leave, Valetta called out hesitantly.

“Wait.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“What’s that slave been up to lately?”

“Slave…?”

The maid blinked once, then let out a small “Ah” of realization and nodded.

“You mean Reinhardt, don’t you?”

“Yes. You know his name?”

“Yes, at first it was… well, a bit strange, but… he’s actually quite well-liked among the maids because of his pleasant demeanor. Though, of course, some of the footmen and others still dislike him.”

Valetta nodded slowly. It was a relief, she supposed, that he seemed to be adapting well. But why was he still here? His awakening period should have passed, and yet he hadn’t left for the magic tower…

“Lately, he’s been attending to His Excellency, doing odd jobs, or cleaning out the stables.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes… but, um… lately… His Excellency has been treating him rather harshly.”

Valetta stiffened. The casual nod she had been about to offer froze in place as the maid’s words sank in.

Harshly? Who? To whom?

“What do you mean by ‘harshly’?”

“Well, it’s… uh, it seems His Excellency tried to make him… do something inappropriate… but Reinhardt resisted…”

The maid’s voice dropped to a whisper as she delivered the news.

Inappropriate?

Valetta’s mind reeled. What?! Something like that? With him? Why isn’t he running away?!

“So, I saw him with a swollen cheek recently. He must have been struck.”

“When was this?”

“It was the day before your birthday, my lady.”

“….”

This house is insane. I should be the one escaping.

Her thoughts spiraled into anger and confusion. How could something like that happen? And why hasn’t Reinhardt reacted?

Was the infamous “Delight Estate Massacre” from the story truly not going to happen? Had the plot changed? Or had Reinhardt undergone some sort of internal transformation?

Her mind spun, but no clear answer came.

“I’ll go fetch your dinner now.”

“Ah, yes.”

She waved dismissively, barely paying attention to the maid as she left.

“…My birthday really has passed, hasn’t it?”

Left alone, Valetta sat on the edge of her bed, murmuring to herself.