Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 2.7

But even if it was just a setting, the fact remains that she has endured immense suffering until now.

I can’t go back in time to save her from her past. What’s done cannot be erased or undone. I can’t make her past misfortunes disappear. That is precisely why, at the very least, I want to reduce the injustices and hardships she will face from now on.

If nothing else, I want to do something about the bullying from Adelaide and the other noble ladies.

So that she no longer has to cry like this—

“A-ah… ah… Aaaaahhh!!”

I held the trembling heroine, who sobbed that all she ever wanted was to be loved, and embraced her tightly.

◇＊◇

“Alright…! It’s done…!”

It’s complete! The ultimate presentation materials (thirty-five sheets of parchment)!

“They say that if a person is desperate enough, they can do anything, and it’s true!”

Well, I did actually die once. And if you count before I reincarnated as Adelaide, that makes it twice.

If only I had a computer and PowerPoint, this would have been a piece of cake! Unfortunately, those don’t exist in this world, so I had to write everything by hand. With a quill. On parchment.

It was an exhausting task, but I managed to finish it.

I set down the quill and looked beyond the window—at the brilliantly blue sky, dazzlingly bright to my sleep-deprived eyes.

Last night—

After bringing the heroine back to the Kishtaria Ducal household late at night, I guided her to the finest guest room in the mansion and entrusted her care to Sheska. Then, without delay, I began working on this ultimate presentation material (thirty-five sheets of parchment).

In order to win over the heroine and bring down Siegvard, I needed to secure a certain man first.

That man was—Claude.

One of the three butlers currently serving the Kishtaria Ducal household. If I recall correctly, he goes by the name Claude Larimar.

In my “first life,” he was my personal butler. Like Sheska, he was someone I deeply trusted.

And yet, I say “if I recall correctly” or “goes by the name” because that’s not his real identity.

Claude’s true name is Claudius de Sapphirus. He is the fourth son of the Sapphirus Ducal family, which was eradicated twenty years ago for their involvement in a rebellion.

At the time, the previous Duke of Kishtaria took him in, risking his own reputation by sheltering a child of a traitorous house. To repay that kindness, Claude chose to serve as a butler.

The only ones who know the truth are my father, my older brother, and the head steward. In other words, Adelaide is not supposed to know this. I only learned about it in my “first life” because he told me himself.

Alright, time to recruit him!

I rang the bell to summon a maid, got myself properly dressed, and headed to the pantry.

“Claude.”

When I opened the door and peeked inside, a butler dressed in a tailcoat turned to look at me, a monocle resting over one of his eyes.

With his piercing blue-green gaze, sharply defined nose, well-shaped lips, and long indigo hair tied neatly at the nape, he cut a striking figure. Standing at 185 cm with a well-trained physique, he carried himself with effortless grace, his every movement exuding refinement.

If I had to guess, I’d say that at some point in the game’s development, he was probably meant to be a romanceable character.

His design is way too polished for a mere NPC, and his backstory—a fallen noble from a disgraced ducal family accused of treason—is too compelling to be wasted on a minor character.

In the version I played, there were only four love interests, but given that the game was titled Knights of the Round, inspired by Arthurian legends, I’m pretty sure the final goal was to have twelve in total.

That being said, while I was still alive, the number of love interests never increased, and in my “first life,” no one outside the original four ever displayed the Knights of the Round insignia.

Still, his appearance is on par with the main love interests. Seriously, he’s ridiculously handsome.

And yet, what’s with that sharp, murderous glare? It’s so intense I almost want to accuse him of being a serial killer.

I sighed softly.

Ah… That’s right. It was like this the first time, too. How nostalgic.

Claude, to put it bluntly, does not have a good personality.

Having lost everything as a child due to accusations of treason, he grew up witnessing the corruption and deceit of the aristocracy. He despises humanity. He trusts no one. If “black-hearted” were a term, he would surpass it—he’s more like shadow-hearted.

I know what you’re thinking: Why would you want someone like that?

But you see, Claude is unbelievably, ridiculously, absurdly competent!

To repay the former Duke’s kindness, he mastered every butler-related skill to perfection. But that’s not all—he also learned multiple foreign languages, mastered this kingdom’s martial arts and swordsmanship, and even studied combat techniques from other countries. His abilities go far beyond what any butler should possess.

And because he’s shadow-hearted, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. No matter how ruthless or immoral the method, if it benefits him—or those he deems important—he will carry it out without hesitation.

See? Isn’t he useful?

“…Do you need something?”

Claude looked at me with an utterly emotionless face, his gaze as cold as a killer’s.

That attitude—toward the young lady of the house he serves, no less. How nostalgic. Seriously, can’t you at least pretend to have facial expressions?

In my “first life,” the Claude who eventually became my personal butler had trusted me completely. Remembering that now, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Just like with Sheska…

I want to see that Claude again.

And I will get him back. No matter what.