The Genius and Calamity of the Villainous Noble: A Brilliant Prodigy Unaware of Their Reincarnation as the Game's Antagonist Defies the Scenario and Dominates with Talent and Hard Work - Chapter 2.10

In a rundown inn tucked away in a corner of the imperial capital—so shabby that it was hard to believe a noble could be living there.

“Excuse me for intruding!”

I called out cheerfully as I stepped into Maria’s lodging.

“T-This room is hardly suitable for someone of your stature, Duke…”

Unlike my enthusiastic demeanor, Maria’s face had gone pale. Her voice trembled as she tried to protest.

…Honestly, as long as it’s better than sleeping outside, I couldn’t care less.

“Come on… If you’re going to get hung up on something so trivial, you’re hopeless, Maria.”

“T-Trivial…? This is anything but trivial!”

“If I say it’s trivial, then it’s trivial! Listen carefully. A throne is simply the seat a king occupies, right? If a king sits on a torture chair, it still becomes a throne. Likewise, as the Duke of Reinhardt, wherever I choose to reside automatically becomes a ducal estate!”

“T-That logic feels a little… forced…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Since I don’t mind, you don’t need to worry about it either! Hmm, let’s see… There’s a kitchen, a proper living room, and a separate bedroom. It looks like there’s at least enough space for me to stay, right?”

I had been worried Maria’s inn might be a cramped one-room space, but it had multiple rooms. That meant there was somewhere I could settle in.

“I still think it’s completely inadequate… I mean, my bed isn’t exactly—”

“Hmm? Who said I’d be using your bed? Until I buy a futon, I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

“Wha—!? There’s no way I can allow that!”

“But I already said it’s fine? Besides, I’ll need money for a futon, and since I’m freeloading here, I should at least cover my share of the food expenses. Heh… Just you wait. With my business acumen—honed from rising to the ranks of the world’s wealthiest in just a few years—I’ll show you how it’s done!”

“No! Absolutely not! You’ll be using a proper bed! I can’t have you sleeping on the floor!”

“Heh… If you’re going to follow me, you need to get used to these things. My body’s built differently, so I can handle sleeping on the ground just fine.”

Ignoring Maria’s continued protests, I walked over to the window.

The sun was setting, casting a breathtaking glow over the horizon.

“Being a duke… what a dull position. If possible, I just want to be treated like any other student and enjoy a normal academy life.”

Once upon a time, Marina was always by my side.

But now, there was no one.

Standing alone at the peak—isolated, with no one to share it with—was an incredibly lonely, empty feeling.

“Heh… I’m looking forward to this, Maria.”

I smiled at the girl whose name, just slightly, reminded me of Marina.