The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 13

“Oh-ho! Walking around with a bunch of beautiful women, must be nice, huh? Ain’t that right, Lord Nard?”

――――Oh no, I’m going to die. I’m seriously about to laugh myself to death at how ridiculously stereotypical these thugs are.

They look like they came straight out of some post-apocalyptic wasteland. No mohawks, but they sure give off that ‘purge the filth’ kind of vibe.

“Whoever you may be, I must ask you to leave. My master has no time to waste conversing with the likes of you.”

Heliotrope stepped forward, blocking the path of the largest thug leading the gang, and bowed with exaggerated politeness. Though I could only see her from behind, I was sure her expression was as icy as ever. I should know—I’m usually on the receiving end of that glare.

But the gang of thugs paid no mind to her frosty demeanor and instead burst into raucous laughter. Wait, are they into that sort of thing? I shuddered at the thought, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Whoa, I’ve never seen a woman this gorgeous! This is gonna be fun!”

“Hah! Feisty, aren’t you? Wonder if you’re just as spirited in bed?”

“Look at that figure—talk about curves in all the right places!”

Stop! Do they have any idea what they’re messing with? Harassing Heliotrope is basically the same as taking a Lüger dive into permafrost!

This is bad—if things continue like this, we’re about to witness a gruesome homicide right in the middle of the street. Just as I was bracing for the bloodshed to begin, a new voice cut through the tension.

“Enough. Can’t you see you’re frightening the lady?”

A gaunt, elderly man dressed in what was clearly an outrageously expensive outfit strode toward us. No, sir, the one who’s truly frightened is not the lady you see before you, but the gentleman cowering inside the carriage.

The man stopped before Heliotrope, then looked past her shoulder, directly at the carriage.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lord Nard. I am Delhaide, a loyal vassal of His Grace, Duke Wertheim.”

He made an ostentatiously exaggerated bow, his mocking attitude so obvious that it was almost laughable.

“And what business does His Grace’s most devoted servant have with us?”

Heliotrope’s words were clipped, sharp. She was still clearly angry. Please, calm your wrath.

…Wait, does Delhaide not realize she’s my personal maid? I suppose, being of noble birth himself, he’s never paid much attention to the faces of other people’s attendants.

Completely unfazed by the charged atmosphere, Delhaide smirked and continued his speech, his voice rich and theatrical.

“I have been entrusted with overseeing the budget for His Grace’s charitable endeavors. And yet, I have uncovered a most shocking revelation—Lord Nard, in collusion with the orphanage director, has been embezzling funds meant for the orphans!”

“What—?!”

Kizalis was struck dumb. If some shady noble suddenly appeared and falsely accused you of a crime in front of a crowd, you’d probably be speechless too.

A murmur rippled through the gathering bystanders. It seemed the commotion had drawn quite the audience. At this rate, the orphanage would fall into the hands of a corrupt official (not that he was technically an official).

Just as planned. (Smirk.)

Blissfully unaware of the devious grin on my face, Delhaide pressed on.

“This very charity initiative was one that the Duke’s esteemed son, Lord Kraut, had taken great interest in. As the future Duke of House Wertheim, Lord Kraut will not stand idly by and allow such disgraceful misconduct to continue!”

Oh, I can’t take it anymore. My stomach hurts from holding in my laughter. The setup is perfect. The cast is in place.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of my deliberate applause echoed within the carriage, reverberating throughout the square.

At the same time, Heliotrope and Laps stepped forward, flanking the carriage door with graceful precision. They bowed in unison, the picture of courtly elegance. What is this? Some grand entrance scene with dramatic orchestral BGM?

Suppressing my inner excitement, I stepped down from the carriage. Passing between my two stunning maids, I strode forward with unwavering confidence. Starting at the climax—what a way to make an entrance!

A hush fell over the crowd. Delhaide, Kizalis, the gang of thugs, even the bystanders—they all went silent. Wait, why is everyone suddenly so quiet?

Oh well. Time to address him.

“What’s wrong, Delhaide? Have you forgotten my face?”

From a humble merchant’s son to an unexpected general’s role—I never thought I’d be the one delivering this line. Should I break into a samba next?

The old man before me looked as if he’d seen a ghost. His face was deathly pale—though, to be fair, I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for him.

“L-Lord Kraut…? Why… why are you here…?”

Delhaide’s voice trembled with disbelief, his expression a mix of shock and denial.

I flashed him a dazzling smile and began to speak—

“Eh?! EHHHHHHHHH?!”

“Urgh?!”

My words were drowned out by the collective screams of sheer astonishment that erupted from the crowd.