The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 14

Not even a general can stand against the sheer force of overwhelming numbers.

“No way! That’s the idiot son of House Wertheim?!”

“That orc turned into a human… wait, are orcs and humans actually the same species?”

“This has to be a fake, right? …He doesn’t look anything like him.”

“Hey, handsome, why don’t you come over to my place? Don’t worry, I won’t do anything… huff huff.”

Wow. They’re saying whatever they want about a duke’s son, of all people. Also, why do I suddenly feel like I’m in danger?

I struggled to keep my face from twitching at the constant barrage of insults flying at me from the crowd. But I endured.

After all, compared to the sheer killing intent radiating from the two beautiful maids behind me, my anger was nothing but a tiny ripple in the ocean. Seriously, why are they angrier than the person actually being insulted?

Not that I should be angry in the first place—this is all going exactly according to plan.

The Villainous Heir’s Rehabilitation Project

The greatest obstacle in my grand plan was my own abysmal reputation.

The Duchy of Wertheim, heavily reliant on commerce, had an enormous wealth disparity. The imbalance was so severe that when I first assessed the state of the domain, I thought I was going to die from stress-induced ulcers.

The people’s deep-seated resentment toward me wasn’t something I could ignore—it was bound to come back and bite me eventually.

At this rate, I wouldn’t even make it to the game’s main storyline—I’d be lynched by my own people long before that. And most importantly, I couldn’t allow my adorable little sister, who’d be joining my household in about a year, to see her older brother completely shunned by the people!

Thus, I devised this strategy—“The Dramatic Makeover Plan.” Wow, my naming sense is still garbage.

Delhaide had been siphoning off a significant portion of the charity funds into his own pockets. So, with the help of Sebastian and some competent officials, I persuaded him—through a little intense negotiation—to return the money.

We restructured the charity efforts, placing me in charge and having the business handled by a merchant named Nard. Of course, Nard was just an alias I used, so the whole thing was a staged act from the start.

Having lost his illicit fortune, Delhaide falsely accused Nard and the orphanage of embezzlement, trying to reclaim the stolen funds. Not that it was his money to begin with. Idiot.

I’d laid traps for several corrupt officials, but Delhaide was the first to take the bait. As always, my ever-reliable butler Sebastian had played his role to perfection, manipulating the flow of information masterfully.

But this wasn’t just about exposing a fraud—it was about reinventing Kraut von Wertheim in front of the people.

Kraut’s long history of villainy wasn’t something that could be erased with a few good deeds.

Hell, I once tried to help a child who had fallen over, and they ran away screaming. That hurt.

Which is why I spent nearly two years out of the public eye, building my reputation in secret. All leading up to this moment.

To rewrite history, I needed something with overwhelming impact—both in appearance and actions. This was the grand debut of “The New Kraut.”

Yes… that bloated, disgraceful villainous heir is dead!

“Nard’s true identity is me, Delhaide. I figured it would lure out those with ill intentions. And look—here you are.”

“T-this can’t be…”

Delhaide’s face had gone beyond pale—he was practically corpse-white. He looked so lifeless that I half-wondered if he was actually undead.

“I let you off with mere asset confiscation the first time. But now? You’d better be prepared.

I, Kraut von Wertheim, heir to the Duchy, will not tolerate your misdeeds any longer… Wasn’t that how you put it earlier?”

No mercy. I parroted his own words back at him with a smirk, twisting the knife further.

How does it feel now, huh?

…Oh? Delhaide’s condition is changing!

“You… you little brat! How dare you talk down to me?! Fine, I’ll teach you a lesson and make you my puppet!”

Ah yes, the classic old noble losing his temper when a younger noble humiliates him in public. Truly, a microcosm of societal decay.

“You lot! Beat this brat within an inch of his life! As for the women… do as you please.”

…Wait. Do these guys not realize they’re surrounded by hundreds of witnesses right now? How exactly do they plan to talk their way out of this?

“Hah! Should’ve just done this from the start!”

“Heh heh heh, I’m not letting you sleep tonight!”

At Delhaide’s command, the thugs grinned wickedly and advanced.

Disgusting. Hard to believe these are even human beings.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

Because this means I’ve just met another objective of mine.

One thug swaggered up to me, looking down with a sneer.

“I don’t know what kind of spoiled duke’s brat you think you are, but—”

Schlkk.

He never got to finish his sentence.

Because—

I had already cut him down.

With a sickening squelch, his torso slid clean off his lower body. Bl00d gushed onto the cobblestones, forming a crimson pool at my feet.

A beat later, the realization hit the crowd, and horrified screams erupted all around.

Delhaide and his lackeys were frozen in stunned silence, their eyes darting between the corpse, my expressionless face, and the sword dripping with fresh bl00d.

“W-what the hell did you just do?!”

“What does it look like? I cut him down. That’s all.”

“Y-you bastard! Just because you’re from a ducal house, you think you can get away with murder?!”

The thug leader, the biggest of the bunch, glared at me in outrage.

Good question.

“Of course not. Even a duke’s heir has no right to cut down an innocent man.”

“Then—”

“Are you innocent?”

I cut him off before he could finish, my voice sharp and unwavering. He froze.

“I know what you and your gang have been up to—robbery, assault, fraud, rape… murder.

The investigation is complete, the evidence has been secured.

I do not have the right to kill an innocent man…

But I have the duty to execute criminals.”

If I cut down an innocent thug, I’d be nothing but a tyrant, no better than the villain they thought I was.

But if the people saw me passing judgment on real criminals—it would solidify my transformation.

Naturally, it was Sebastian who gathered all the intelligence. That butler is an unstoppable force when it comes to uncovering secrets. I should probably check which direction my bed is facing tonight—I wouldn’t want to accidentally disrespect him.

I slowly slid my blade back into its scabbard—then drew it again in one smooth motion.

A chilling smile curled my lips.

“Well then… you have two choices.

Surrender quietly—

Or end up just like him.”

Oh, and just so you know—option two is my recommendation.

Because Heliotrope, who’s been boiling with rage this whole time, is itching for an excuse to start slicing.