The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 22

When I returned from my meeting, I noticed something odd—Primelia kept sneaking glances at me.

…Huh?

What was this?

It was like she wanted to look but wasn’t supposed to—like noticing a teacher’s wig slipping off during class but being unable to say anything.

And let’s be real here—this was definitely Heliotrope’s doing.

There’s no “Objection!” that can overturn this case!

“…Alright, what exactly did you say, Heliotrope?”

“My, what a terrible accusation. As someone in a position of leadership, I’d advise against wrongful allegations.”

Oh, she denied it outright.

So we’re playing the “No confession without physical evidence” game, huh?

Damn this medieval fantasy world and its lack of security cameras!

“No, seriously, something’s off. She wasn’t like this before the meeting. Who else but a certain someone could have put weird ideas in her head?”

Primelia was peeking at me but immediately whipped her gaze away whenever our eyes met.

Wait.

Did I have a stray nose hair or something stuck in my eye?!

“I merely offered a small piece of advice, nothing more.”

“Advice?”

“I simply warned her that you are a habitual offender of inappropriate behavior and should be approached with caution.”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

What kind of slander was this?!

Didn’t she just say something about “wrongful accusations” earlier?!

“I was lying.”

“Hey!”

I swear, you’re probably the only personal maid who outright lies to her master’s face.

“Lady Primelia seemed troubled about how to interact with you, so I merely offered a little guidance.”

“I appreciate the thought, but… isn’t this making things worse?”

“Not at all. Lady Primelia is simply processing her thoughts.”

“Hmm… Well, if you say so, I’ll trust you.”

“…………”

Say what you will, but Heliotrope has never done anything to truly harm me.

Her words might be sharp, but she never acts against my best interests.

If she ever did betray me, it would mean I was never worthy of her loyalty in the first place.

So, I let it slide and responded lightly—but Heliotrope just gave me a knowing, amused smile.

“Honestly… one day, you’re really going to get stabbed, you know?”

WHY?!

◇

After receiving a chilling prophecy from Heliotrope, Laps approached me next.

“Kraut-sama, considering the future, we should arrange to have dresses tailored for Lady Primelia.”

“That’s definitely necessary.”

A beautiful girl like Primelia deserved dresses that would make her shine even brighter.

This was a necessary investment for the ducal household.

“And while we’re at it, you’ll need a wardrobe befitting your status as well.”

“…………”

…Okay.

I had been considering making my high society debut after successfully stabilizing the region.

But what exactly did Laps imagine for me?

If I left it entirely up to her, I had a terrifying feeling I’d end up in some final boss-tier outfit—red and white, glowing ominously in the background.

“Well… putting my wardrobe aside, we should definitely get Primelia’s dresses made. Ventz, can we arrange a meeting with a designer soon?”

“I’ll have one visit the estate tomorrow afternoon.”

“Great, I’ll leave it to you.”

As we finalized the arrangements, Primelia suddenly spoke up in a panic.

“Th-there’s no need to go that far! The dresses here in the shop are more than enough for me!”

…What a sweet girl.

It must have taken a lot for her to voice an opinion like that.

Sure enough, her face was bright red, and her eyes darted nervously.

Still, she couldn’t just stay silent about this.

Based on the report I had read, she had never lived as a noble—even proper meals were a rarity for her.

That’s exactly why I wanted to spoil her a little.

“Primelia, I appreciate your concern, but this is an important duty of the ducal house.

Besides, we’re presenting our beautiful ducal princess to high society for the first time—of course, she must have the best dress!”

“Uuu…”

Oops.

I might have gotten too into it.

Her face turned even redder.

“A-ah… Well, in any case, we’ll have a few dresses custom-made.”

“…Okay…”

That bashful expression almost made me feel embarrassed.

Oi, maid duo—stop looking at me with those serene, all-knowing smiles!

Also, Ventz.

You’ve been looking at me like you want to say something for a while now.

“Kraut-sama.”

“…What is it?”

Ventz adjusted his glasses with his middle finger, then said—

“Are you a siscon?”

SHUT UP.

◇

“Thank you for today, Kraut-sama.”

“Likewise. I’ll leave tomorrow’s arrangements to you.”

“Of course.”

As we left the trading company, Ventz and I exchanged farewells.

As for his siscon comment—I would logically dismantle that nonsense at our next meeting.

I was normal. Completely.

After giving a brief wave to Ventz and his employees, I climbed into the carriage first.

As before, I extended a hand to help Primelia inside—only for her gaze to freeze on my palm.

“…………Ah.”

“?”

She was staring directly at my hand.

Was she… trying to read my fortune?

“It’s true…”

“Huh?”

“Ah! No, um…!”

The moment I asked, she freaked out.

Like, full panic mode.

Whatever this was, I felt strangely guilty for even asking.

But then, after staring at my palm one more time, she firmly took my hand.

And with a radiant smile.

“Thank you so much!”

She said those words.

…Okay.

That smile was lethal.