I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble, Nothing More Than the Hero’s Foil: Since the Hero Can Only Bring Misery to My Favorite Heroine, I’ll Use My Game Knowledge and Over-the-Top Effort to Rewrite the Scenario and Make Her Happy. - Chapter 2

So, that’s how it is.

Selvia must have been worried all along about whether Cain would accept her back.

It makes sense, considering the Cain from the original game:

“How dare you betray me and grovel to Prince Leon, Selviaaa! I’ll make you my slave for life! Kneel before meee!”

Yeah, that guy was always blowing a fuse at her.

“I was so worried, but now I know! Just as I’ve been thinking of you this whole year, Brother Cain, you’ve also been thinking of me all this time, haven’t you?”

Selvia’s smile bloomed like a flower. Her voice was light and joyous, unlike anything I’d ever heard in the game.

Now that I think about it, she always felt guilt in the game for having to defeat Cain, someone she admired as both her fiancé and an older brother figure.

Ah, so that’s how it is…

Selvia never intended to betray Cain. She truly loved him.

But Cain, so consumed by his own selfishness, never realized how she felt.

Warmth spread through my chest, but at the same time, the meaning behind Selvia’s words dawned on me, and my face flushed hot.

“Brother Cain, why don’t we share a bed tonight and talk like we used to when we were children?”

“W-wait, hold on! We may be engaged, but we’re not married yet! Sharing a bed is out of the question!”

I hurriedly tried to reason with her.

Sleeping next to a 14-year-old girl? That’s a big no-no, legally and morally!

Even if she’s my favorite heroine… no, especially because she’s my favorite heroine, I couldn’t take her lightly.

“But I loved falling asleep using your arm as a pillow, Brother Cain.”

She pouted slightly, her tone playful and sweet.

“We’re not kids anymore, Selvia. That’s not something a proper lady should do.”

“Alright… If you insist, Brother Cain.”

Selvia looked disappointed, her shoulders drooping.

“But tonight, I’d still like to spend some time catching up with you. You’ve changed, Brother Cain. Not in a bad way—you seem… kinder than before.”

“I-I do?”

It must have been because of my memories from my past life.

The old Cain, the future head of a count’s family, was arrogant and full of himself. But with my current mindset, there was no way I could act that way.

Selvia had always been breathtakingly beautiful, even as a child. I remembered promising her, “If you ever need help, come to me!” and, “I’ll protect you as your future marquis!” just to impress her.

“I also spoke with Uncle Schwarz earlier, and he welcomed me warmly. He even told me to call him Father from now on.”

“Father… did?”

That’s when I realized something critical.

Prince Leon’s command to torment Selvia into despair and force her to take her own life wasn’t just directed at me—it was also given to my father, Count Schwarz, the head of the family.

My father had prioritized currying favor with the future king, Prince Leon, over maintaining good relations with Viscount Fernand’s family.

The entire Schwarz household was set to begin mistreating Selvia at tonight’s welcome banquet.

When my father told Selvia to call him “Father,” it was part of a calculated plan to make her trust him, only to betray her later for maximum psychological impact.

…There’s no way I can allow that.

More importantly, if I don’t disrupt Prince Leon’s scheme, everything will follow the original game’s storyline.

To prevent that…

“Brother Cain?”

I rummaged through my desk drawers, searching for the letter from Prince Leon. There it was.

“Oh, is that the royal family’s seal?”

Selvia peeked over curiously.

“Selvia, calm down and read this letter. It’s a secret directive from Prince Leon.”

Her eyes scanned the contents, and she gasped, her hands trembling.

*‘Selvia falsely claimed to be the Saint of the World Tree to deceive the royal family and secure a betrothal to me. She even had the audacity to insult me. Annulment alone will not suffice to quell my anger.

Cain Schwarz, accept her back as your fiancée, torment her relentlessly, and drive her to despair until she takes her own life. Fulfill this command, and I promise to make you my right hand as the future king.

—Leon Albion’*

At the bottom, it bore Prince Leon’s signature and the royal family’s seal.

“B-Brother Cain, this…!”

Selvia looked up at me, her tear-filled eyes wide with shock, her whole body trembling.

I met her gaze and spoke firmly.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of following such orders.”

“Huh…?”

“Remember what I promised you as a child? If you ever need help, come to me. I’ll protect you.”

I tore the letter to shreds and dropped the pieces onto the floor, stomping on them for good measure.

“I’ll say it again. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you, Selvia. I want you to be happy.”

There was no turning back now.

What I just did could be seen as an act of rebellion against the royal family. If discovered, I could be charged with treason.

But I had to destroy the game’s scenario and create a future where Selvia and I could be happy together.

If anyone could do it, it was me—the one who had mastered every inch of this game.

“B-Brother Cain…!”

Selvia threw herself into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Ah, um, Selvia? I’m sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to make things clear right away…”

I gently patted her head, trying to calm her down, but it didn’t look like she’d stop crying anytime soon.

This was… a problem.

Before confronting my father, I needed to understand what Selvia might have said to provoke Prince Leon’s wrath.

Now that I think about it, Prince Leon’s orders seemed excessive.

If Selvia wasn’t the Saint of the World Tree as prophesied, wouldn’t it have been simpler to execute her for fraud? The royal family had the authority to do that easily.

But this level of cruelty felt like overkill.

The game hadn’t covered these details, leaving me in the dark.

“Lancelot, come here!”

“Yes, Young Master Cain. What is it?”

At my call, Lancelot, the butler, promptly entered the room.

“Lancelot, please escort Selvia to her room and help her settle down. I have urgent matters to discuss with Father.”

“Understood!”

I needed to convince my father to stop the abuse planned for Selvia.

If I couldn’t, I’d never be able to thwart Prince Leon’s plans.

But knowing my father, who prioritized the family’s interests, this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Selvia, I’ll see you later, alright?”

“Sniff… O-okay, Brother Cain…”

“Now, Lady Selvia, this way, please.”

Lancelot guided the reluctant Selvia out of the room.

Once she was gone, I gathered the shredded pieces of Prince Leon’s letter.

This letter would be a key card in convincing my father.