The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 1

—Or so I dreamed!

…No, actually, it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory from my past life.

“…Ow!”

A sharp pain throbbed in my head. It wasn’t the kind of headache that comes from remembering a past life—it was something much more immediate and physical.

“Young Master, are you all right!?”

An elderly butler and several maids anxiously peered down at me. Judging by their worried expressions, I must have collapsed onto the ground.

Letting them fret over me like this wasn’t ideal, so I attempted to sit up… only for my weak stomach muscles to fail me. Ugh.

With no other choice, I rolled onto my side and pushed myself up using my arms. As I did, I casually dusted off the absurdly luxurious clothes I was wearing.

“I’m fine, everyone. See? No need to worry.”

“…”

As I flashed them a reassuring smile, they all froze in shock, staring at me as if I had grown a second head. If this were an anime, I could practically hear them shouting, “N-No way!?”

I get it, though. The me standing before them was completely different from the me they had known just moments ago.

Kraut von Wertheim

That was my new identity—the villain from Swords, Magic, and Flower Crowns. The infamous idiot brother doomed to die with a 100% mortality rate.

Born as the heir to a ducal family, Kraut had been spoiled rotten from birth. His personality? The textbook definition of an arrogant, selfish noble brat who looked down on commoners as if it were second nature.

That said, his face wasn’t bad. With striking blue eyes, a sharp nose, and neatly trimmed silver hair, he could have been popular—if not for the fact that his body resembled an overstuffed sausage.

Had he not been so comically overweight, he might have even had a decent fanbase.

Still, despite being a mid-tier boss, his personal combat ability was laughable. Honestly, he’d probably struggle against a goblin—the weakest enemy in the game.

The only reason he held any power was thanks to his incredibly strong subordinates. Money and authority really worked wonders.

Of course, that didn’t stop him from dying in every single route. He was so despised that players dubbed him “Trash Brother,” “Punching Bag Pig,” and “The Pig Destined for Defeat: Excaliboar.”

And now… I was him.

As much as I wished this was just a bad dream, the pounding headache, along with the sharp aches in my back and waist, told me otherwise.

Oh, and those pains? Courtesy of the fact that I had just been thrown off a horse.

Apparently, Kraut had decided on a whim to “show off his magnificent horseback riding skills.” He had mounted a horse… only for it to refuse to budge. Frustrated, Kraut—being the genius he was—hit the horse on the head. The horse, of course, promptly launched him off.

That impact must have been what triggered my past life’s memories. Honestly? I would have preferred to stay ignorant.

Reincarnation was supposed to be an otaku’s ultimate fantasy, yet I couldn’t be happy about it—not when I had been reborn as the one character I hated most! Why couldn’t I have been the protagonist!?

Kraut was currently nine years old. Given that I had lived more than twice that age in my past life, my previous self’s personality felt stronger.

However… I also had access to Kraut’s memories. That meant every single embarrassing and disgraceful thing he had ever done was now part of my consciousness.

You know that gut-wrenching cringe you feel when you remember a past mistake?

Yeah. This was like that—times a thousand.

Even though I had nothing to do with Kraut’s past idiocy, his memories were now mine. Kill me now.

At just nine years old, I already felt like I had lived a lifetime of shame. And worse, Kraut himself had zero remorse. My modern-day moral compass was practically screaming in agony.

…It’s only been ten minutes since my reincarnation, and I’m already on the verge of breaking.

As I stared off into the distance in despair, the elderly butler—who had finally recovered from his initial shock—hurriedly addressed me.

“Y-Young Master… Just to be safe, perhaps we should have a healer examine you. There’s a chance you may have sustained a head injury.”

Was that his polite way of asking if I had gone insane? Not that he’d be entirely wrong…

Also, could we please drop the “Young Master” thing? My mental age made it unbearable.

Well, since I did hit my head and my entire body aches, it’s probably best to follow the advice of a seasoned butler.

For the record, in this world, healers serve the same role as doctors.

As expected of a world filled with swords and magic, medical treatment here is primarily done through magic. Meaning—this is my first chance to experience real magic since reincarnating! Just thinking about it actually makes me feel a little more motivated to stay alive.

“You’re right. Just to be safe, I’ll have them check me out. …But first, I need to change clothes.”

Even though I had dusted myself off earlier, my outfit was still covered in dirt and grass from the fall.

Walking around like this would be embarrassing, and honestly, I’d prefer something simple over these ridiculously decorated clothes.

“Allow me to assist you with your change of clothes. Please, this way to your room.”

“Ah, thanks—…Wait, huh?”

As I turned around, a stunningly beautiful maid was standing right next to me, gazing at me with a composed expression.

…Wait, she is going to help me change?

Seriously?