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 2.17

As I was casually chatting with Susia—two commoners enjoying a lighthearted conversation (well, one of us technically being the head of a ducal household)—a new girl entered the classroom and spoke to us.

“I overheard a bit of your conversation before coming in… Are you two the same as me?”

“Oh! You’re a commoner too? That makes us the same! My name is Susia. Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Alto.”

The girl who had approached us had an exceptionally well-proportioned figure, shoulder-length black hair, and striking violet eyes…

Wait.

Haven’t I seen her somewhere before?

…No, it must be my imagination.

As the head of a ducal house, I rarely have the opportunity to interact with commoners.

“I’m Eletoria. Nice to meet you both!”

The new girl introduced herself as Eletoria and smiled warmly at us.

“Whoa…! That makes three commoners! Some years, there aren’t even any in a class, but this time we have three! I finally feel a bit more at ease…!”

Technically, that number should be two.

“People are stronger in groups! They say three heads are better than one!”

“Well, even with three of us, nobles could crush us on a whim.”

Eletoria bluntly shot down my optimistic comment.

She wasn’t wrong.

Even a noble child with the bare minimum of influence could easily erase the existence of three commoners.

The life of a commoner was… incredibly fragile.

“…Yeah, I suppose so.”

“That’s right… Nobles are truly terrifying…”

Susia trembled slightly as she spoke.

“Yes… Absolutely terrifying.”

“Hahaha… Yeah, you’re right.”

I nodded along with Susia’s words.

…Honestly, the guilt was starting to weigh on me.

“There’s no way I’d ever step foot near Class 1! The Third Prince is there, along with a Duke’s daughter, and even that so-called ‘King of the Dead’—that notorious, ruthless Duke! That place is a hellscape!”

She was talking absolute trash about me right to my face…

I couldn’t help but wonder—what kind of reaction would she have if I revealed my true identity right now?

“…Huh?”

“Hiiiii!?”

Out of nowhere, Eletoria let out a dangerously low-toned growl, sending both Susia and me into a panic.

“I happen to be a devoted follower of Duke Reinhardt. So don’t you dare insult him.”

“I-I’m so sorryyyyy…!”

Susia frantically bowed her head as Eletoria seethed with righteous fury.

“She’s got… convictions…”

And so, our little group of “three commoners” (one of whom was, in fact, a Duke) continued chatting animatedly in the classroom.

“…Shh, quiet! Some noble-looking people just came in!”

As a group of children, adorned with jewelry and clearly the offspring of barons, entered our classroom, the three of us instinctively lowered our voices.