The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 37

“There are people plotting to take your life.”

I see.

So that’s why Lilliane, who is usually a rational person, came all the way here in secret.

And undoubtedly, the mastermind behind this must also be the one who orchestrated Primelia’s attempted kidnapping.

But there was one thing that still puzzled me…

“How did you come to know this?”

Surely, she wouldn’t discuss something like this in front of others.

Then again, game-version Kraut might have.

At my question, Lilliane responded with an ominous smile, one that sent a chill down my spine.

…Why does that look so terrifying?

“The royal family has very capable ‘ears.’ Especially when it comes to monitoring nobles engaged in suspicious activities.”

“…Oh.”

Ah.

So she was saying the royal family had spies embedded within the noble houses.

Which meant…

Yeah, there was definitely one inside our own household too.

“Recently, one noble family in particular has been unusually active. Apparently, their territory underwent a large-scale purge in recent years.”

“…Hmm?”

“Fearing that the same fate would befall them, they sought to strengthen their influence. Their plan was to marry a newly adopted member of their house into the royal family.”

“…Hmmmm?”

“After their attempt at abduction failed, they have now resorted to a final, desperate measure—to eliminate the one responsible for the purge before they themselves are eliminated.”

“…Hmmmmmm!?”

Wait.

Why does all of this sound far too familiar!?

“…So, your ‘ears’ overheard this conversation where exactly?”

“At House Veltheim’s royal capital residence.”

“THOSE BLOODY IDIOTS!!!”

What kind of foolish plan was that!?

To save themselves, they thought forcing Primelia into a royal marriage would be a solution!?

So, in the end, this whole ordeal was just internal family strife.

I owed both Primelia and Lilliane an apology.

“Your Highness, I deeply regret that you had to witness such disgraceful conduct from my own household.”

I bowed my head in complete and utter shame.

Technically, this wasn’t something I needed to apologize for personally, but considering she had come all the way here to warn me, it was the least I could do.

Lilliane, however, gave me a gentle smile.

…Oh no. That’s a heroine smile.

“Not at all. The royal family, too, would be most troubled if we were to lose you, Lord Kraut. As I have stated before, I would like you to inherit House Veltheim.”

“Ah, right, you did mention that. I was prepared for trouble, but I thought I had a bit more time before things escalated.”

“Oh?”

“My parents… well, let’s just say they have little interest in governing the territory. As long as I keep sending them money, I figured I could stall them for a while longer.”

“Your parents are not the ones plotting against you.”

“…What?”

That caught me completely off guard.

Wait. What?

I had expected my parents to get involved eventually, but if it wasn’t them, then—

Oh.

OH.

There was someone far more suspicious, wasn’t there?

“It’s your half-brother.”

“OF COURSE IT IS—!!”

The son of my father’s concubine.

He’s the same age as me, though I couldn’t even remember his name.

In terms of looks and personality, he’s practically a carbon copy of the old Kraut—meaning, he took after our father.

Technically, he was just a spare in case something happened to me.

However, in recent years, he had been attending social gatherings in my place.

Did he develop ambition after stepping into the world of high society?

Or was he simply afraid of my purges?

…To be fair, I wasn’t planning to let him live as lavishly as he had been.

But I also wasn’t planning to kill him.

I would have been fine with him either working for the duchy or living quietly somewhere.

But now that he had chosen to come for my life, a peaceful resolution was off the table.

“He does resemble the old you quite a bit—both in physique and personality. And he also has a habit of constantly trying to woo me every time we meet.”

“I am SO sorry!!!”

This was beyond simple apologies.

I should be groveling on the floor.

…Wait, does groveling even work in this world?

“That being said, even if he succeeds in killing you, he won’t inherit the duchy. Without a valid legal reason recognized by the kingdom, the law still favors the legitimate heir.”

“Would he even have a legal claim?”

“I can’t think of one. Which means his only real option would be to fake an accident… or something along those lines.”

“Hmm…”

The kingdom’s nobility followed primogeniture.

The firstborn son of the legitimate wife held the strongest claim.

This law was meant to prevent messy inheritance disputes.

However, there had been rare cases where the eldest son was a disaster (like the original Kraut) or when a younger sibling assassinated their elder brother.

In such cases, an appeal could be made to the Royal Inheritance Tribunal for reassessment.

If my half-brother was planning to take my place, his only options were:

1. 1. Find a way to fabricate a legal justification for my removal.

1. 1. Make it look like I had died in an accident.

Either way, this was no longer something I could ignore.

The Royal Inheritance Tribunal consists of six members, including the King and his ministers, who deliberate on succession matters. If a candidate is deemed unqualified, their inheritance rights are revoked.

That said, even if a tribunal were to be held against me… I wouldn’t be particularly affected.

Which means the more likely option is an assassination disguised as an accident.

I should remain more vigilant than ever.

◇

“Oh my, how wonderful!”

“Wow, that’s pretty cool! So, what happened next?”

“W-well… after that… he held me tightly…”

“Kyaa—!!”

“At that moment, Master truly seemed like a different person.”

“……”

Hey, everyone… where do you think hell is?

Because I’m pretty sure it’s right here.

“Oh my, Lord Kraut, is something the matter? We were just reminiscing about your most splendid moment.”

“Indeed, Lord Kraut. Even someone as boyish as me nearly swooned, you know?”

“A-aah…”

“Lord Kraut, why not try holding me as well?”

“Master, shouldn’t a loyal personal maid receive a reward for her hard work?”

“……”

I once said that three women gathered made a lively chatter… but five gathered make an unstoppable force.

I was completely overwhelmed.

But even that wasn’t the real issue here.

“…Why, exactly, am I being forced to sit through my own embarrassing story?”

After my conversation with Lilliane, I somehow got dragged into this girls’ gathering, where I had to listen to a romanticized retelling of the kidnapping incident—with me as the star.

And the way Primelia described me… It sounded like something out of a shoujo manga, all sparkles and dramatics.

Did I really come off like that…?

As I sat there feeling deeply uncomfortable, I suddenly noticed Primelia looking at me with a sad expression.

Wait. Why!?

“D-do you… find it embarrassing?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant—”

Oh, crap. She misunderstood!

We just got closer, and now I was messing everything up!

“Back then, I was acting purely on instinct. I wasn’t thinking about appearances or anything—I was just being honest. That’s what’s embarrassing.”

“Brother…”

Now Primelia’s eyes shimmered with emotion.

Good. Crisis averted!

The problem now was the smug faces on the other women.

But I’d endure it.

Because there was no way I was letting Primelia feel sad.

“I had already noticed it at the last party, but I must say, you and your sister share a truly wonderful bond.”

“Lord Kraut, please take care of her as a friend of mine as well.”

“A-a friend!? That’s too great an honor…!”

“Oh my, we’ve visited each other’s homes and had delightful conversations, haven’t we? I believe that makes us friends, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hahaha, I’d be delighted if you two remained close.”

“Brother!?”

I welcomed Primelia growing close to Lilliane.

Having the royal family as an ally would be a great advantage for her.

Even without the political benefits, Lilliane was a genuinely good person.

They could be wonderful friends.

And for me?

It was just a feast for the eyes.

After an extensive conversation—**with the main topic still being me, for some reason—**Lilliane finally departed for the royal capital.

That was quite a hectic visit.

◇

So, the one behind Primelia’s kidnapping was family.

It wasn’t a shocking revelation.

I mean, this was the household I was raised in.

The royal family was already keeping a close watch on us.

We were always going to be the prime suspects.

And now, they were targeting me next.

As Lilliane and I had discussed, simply killing me outright wouldn’t give my half-brother the right to inherit the duchy.

Which meant…

They would try to stage an accident.

I needed to discuss this with Heliotrope.

But a few days later, I learned something far more disturbing.

My half-brother was an even bigger idiot than I had imagined.