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 2.4

The moment my life—Susia von Reinhardt’s life—began to spiral out of control was a few years ago, when my father, eldest brother, and eldest sister were killed by my third brother.

My eldest brother, Eurus, had grown resentful in the shadow of his exceptionally talented younger siblings. Meanwhile, my eldest sister, Lilisia, was obsessed with the idea of becoming the family head and constantly provoked Eurus, creating an atmosphere of tension.

While there was certainly friction among us over the succession, our sibling relationships, overall, were fairly amicable.

That was why, when I heard that Ark had killed our father, Eurus, and Lilisia, my mind went completely blank.

Among all our siblings, I was the closest to Ark. And precisely because of that, I understood his abnormalities better than anyone else.

Ark, who rarely showed affection to others, killed the other three to secure the position of family head.

At least, that’s what I believed. That’s what I couldn’t help but think.

That’s why I couldn’t forgive Ark. I couldn’t stand by and watch him take the position of Duke. I struggled desperately to return to our territory, even if it meant forcing my way back.

But before I knew it, my own life had fallen apart.

At a timing too convenient to be mere coincidence, my husband’s family was exposed for tax fraud, illicit research into necromancy, and various other crimes. All of their wrongdoings were brought to light. Before I could even grasp the situation, my marriage in a foreign land had crumbled beneath me.

Furthermore, due to the Reinhardt Duchy’s past involvement in necromantic research, I was accused of collaborating with my husband’s family in those experiments.

I was placed under house arrest—until Ark came to my rescue.

“I will uncover the truth. No matter what.”

After being saved by Ark and returning to my homeland, the Reinhardt Duchy, I made up my mind.

I would find definitive proof that all of this—everything—was a scheme orchestrated by Ark himself.

I was convinced that Ark’s governance of the territory must have been disastrous.

“…What is this?”

But on my very first day as acting head of the family, I found myself utterly crushed.

“It’s… too perfect. I—I’m not even needed here, am I…?”

Ark’s administrative prowess as the Duke was overwhelming. The systems he had put in place ensured that the territory functioned smoothly even without my presence.

In the few years since he took over, the economy had been on a steady rise.

No matter how capable I thought Ark was, seeing the numbers made it painfully clear.

“Then… what was the point of all this…?”

I had never received proper education to become the family head. The same likely applied to my other siblings.

Was there anyone in the Reinhardt Duchy—besides Ark—who could manage this territory?

“…There’s no way I can bring him down, is there?”

On the very first day of acting as his substitute, I was crushed by the sheer difference in ability. My fangs were broken before I could even bare them.