The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 10

“Lady Liona, we are approaching our destination.”

“Understood. Mary, are you ready?”

“Yes, everything is in order. But Lady Liona, please do not overexert yourself.”

“Of course. I know my limits.”

It had been two days since their departure, and Liona’s party was finally nearing the Mitsurugi domain, where Kaito resided.

“But really, just as Seiko and Lady Liona predicted, nothing happened along the way.”

“Yes, and even during our overnight stays, everything was handled flawlessly.”

From their entry into various towns to the hospitality provided during their stops, the Mitsurugi family had ensured that their journey remained smooth and trouble-free.

“Exactly! If they were capable of providing such excellent accommodations, couldn’t they have spared some effort for an escort as well?”

“It’s likely a form of political posturing toward the royal family.”

By arranging seamless lodging and travel, the Mitsurugi family demonstrated their capability—proving that, had they chosen to, they could have provided a proper escort. Alternatively, this also reinforced the message that their domain’s roads were secure enough to make additional protection unnecessary.

Either way, it was not an advantage for Liona and her party.

“We are now entering Lord Kaito’s territory.”

At Seiko’s words, they passed a signpost marking the boundary of the Mitsurugi estate.

“Seiko, 1,500 meters ahead—three knights approaching us. They’re strong. I’d say all three are on par with Royal Guards.”

“Dorothy, how does your detection ability even work…?”

Seiko let out a sigh, amazed that Dorothy could sense not just the presence but also the strength of unseen individuals.

“And considering how calmly you’re reporting this, I assume they aren’t enemies?”

“That’s right. If they were, I’d have already ordered a retreat.”

**”Lady Liona, three knights are approaching from the front. Based on Dorothy’s report, they are likely envoys from Lord Kaito.

We intend to meet with them—do we have your approval?”

“I leave it to your judgment, Seiko.”

Liona trusted the expertise of Seiko and Dorothy in such matters and immediately gave her approval.

Thus, Liona’s party proceeded to rendezvous with the approaching knights.

“I am Nobuyuki Iwaya, commander of the knights protecting this domain.”

“Am I correct in assuming that you are the retinue of First Princess Liona Justina?”

“I am Seiko Yamamoto of the Royal Guard. Yes, you are correct—we accompany Lady Liona Justina.”

At Seiko’s confirmation, Nobuyuki dismounted and knelt before them.

“Welcome to our domain, ruled by my lord, Lord Kaito Mitsurugi.

By my lord’s command, my men and I shall serve as your guides and escorts for the duration of your visit.”

“We appreciate your welcome. I am Liona Justina, First Princess of the Kingdom. I entrust our safety to you during this inspection.”

Liona and her attendants stepped down from the carriage to formally greet them.

“We shall devote ourselves fully to this duty. In that regard, may I introduce the two knights assigned to personally guard you for the next seven days?”

“I have no objections.”

“Thank you.”

At Nobuyuki’s signal, two knights stepped forward from where they had been kneeling behind him.

The first to speak was the slender knight.

“I am Yusuke Kunai.

It is my honor to serve as Lady Liona’s escort.

I shall protect you with my life.”

The second, a broader-built knight, followed.

“I am Daiji Fukuda.

Likewise, I have been assigned as Lady Liona’s personal guard.”

“Both of them are among the most promising knights of our order.”

“I see. I am Liona Justina, First Princess of the Kingdom.

I shall be in your care during this inspection.”

With the formal introductions complete, Liona’s party and the knights proceeded toward the city where Kaito Mitsurugi resided, led by Commander Nobuyuki.

“W-We pulled it off…!”

Once they were back inside the carriage, away from the knights’ gaze, Mary—disguised as Liona—collapsed with exhaustion.

“That was flawless, Mary.”

“Well… I was trained as your double, after all.

**But that was terrifying! I swear, those knights were suspicious of me for a moment!

One wrong move, and I would have been exposed!”

“As expected of the Mitsurugi family… Their knights are exceptionally well-trained.

It is likely due to the presence of the heir, but even without that factor, their forces far surpass those of most noble houses.”

Along their journey, they had already encountered multiple battalions of Mitsurugi knights, all of whom demonstrated skill rivaling the elite of the Royal Guard.

Even Dorothy, a seasoned warrior, admitted that the knights they just met were strong enough to qualify for the Royal Guard.

(Just how does one cultivate such powerful warriors? And more importantly—what kind of man commands them?)

According to Liona’s intelligence reports, Kaito Mitsurugi was a lazy noble with no ambition—someone who had grown complacent due to the kingdom’s long peace.

However, based on what she had just witnessed…

(That assessment seems highly questionable.)

Thanks to Mary drawing the knights’ attention, Liona had been able to observe them carefully.

And what she saw stood out immediately—

(They do not merely obey Kaito Mitsurugi out of duty. They genuinely admire him.)

It was not just loyalty to his title, but something deeper.

(That means Kaito either possesses extraordinary strength—or he has some other quality that inspires absolute devotion.)

Liona turned to Mary with a sharp gaze.

“Mary, observe Lord Kaito carefully.

Do not let preconceived notions about him cloud your judgment.”

“Understood, Lady Liona.”

Since Mary would have the most direct interactions with Kaito on the first day, it was crucial that she assess his true nature.

To confirm whether the rumors were true—

Or if Kaito Mitsurugi was far more than he seemed.

Liona had been anticipating her first meeting with Kaito Mitsurugi, the next heir of the family.

However, what awaited her was something far beyond her expectations.

(Lord Kaito… isn’t coming?)

Even as the scheduled city inspection was about to begin, there was no sign of Kaito Mitsurugi.

After arriving in the city under the escort of the knight commander, Liona’s group had been greeted with a grand welcome and eventually led to Kaito’s estate.

Liona had expected that Kaito would personally greet them upon their arrival at the mansion.

However—he was nowhere to be found.

Instead, the servants proceeded with unloading luggage and preparing for the inspection tour as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Liona waited, thinking he might simply be running late, but no matter how much time passed, Kaito never appeared.

(Does Lord Kaito have no intention of meeting us?)

(Is he implying that royalty holds no significance in the Mitsurugi household?)

(No, I need to stay calm.)

The carefully arranged hospitality suggested that the Mitsurugi family was not outright disrespecting the royal family.

There must have been another reason for this.

(Perhaps I should ask Mary.)

With a subtle glance, Liona signaled to Mary.

Understanding her intent, Mary immediately took action.

“Excuse me, but where is Lord Kaito?”

Mary inquired to the knights assigned to their escort, Daiji Fukuda and Yusuke Kunai.

“Apologies. We forgot to mention it earlier.

Our lord, Kaito, has urgent matters to attend to.

As such, we have been entrusted with overseeing the seven-day inspection in his place.”

(An issue more important than meeting with royalty?)

(Could such a thing even exist?)

(And even if it did… would it really be enough to excuse himself for all seven days?)

(Just what is he thinking…?)

Liona, normally composed, found herself unable to grasp Kaito’s reasoning.

She wanted nothing more than to confront him directly about this.

However, given that she was here to request an alliance, she couldn’t afford to be aggressive.

Instead, she instructed Mary to handle the situation diplomatically.

“I see. We appreciate your time despite your busy schedule.”

“Not at all. If anything, we must apologize for this arrangement.

Though Lord Kaito is unavailable, we will ensure that Lady Liona and her entourage receive the best possible hospitality.”

“We are grateful for your efforts.”

(The knights are treating us with utmost respect.)

(It feels as though only Kaito himself is downplaying the significance of the royal family.)

The contrasting treatment between the knights’ reverence and Kaito’s complete absence left Liona’s party thoroughly perplexed.

Though the purpose behind this arrangement remained unclear, Liona instinctively sensed that if she followed the planned itinerary, she would gain nothing from this trip.

Thus, she decided to act swiftly.

“Sir Kunai, may I make a request?”

“What is it, Lady Liona?”

Kunai, responsible for managing the schedule, turned his attention to her.

“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but we have yet to finish unpacking.

Would it be possible for me to remain behind while the others proceed with the inspection?

The unexpected request caused varied reactions among her companions.

• • Seiko and Mary, though surprised, remained composed.
    They had been warned in advance that Liona might act independently.

• • Dorothy, having witnessed Liona’s bold nature before, was not fazed.
    She was concerned about security but knew Liona was not weak—though still inferior to her, Liona’s strength was comparable to a Royal Guard.
    If necessary, she could defend herself.

• • Kunai, the one in charge of logistics, considered his response carefully.

Normally, he would have refused outright.

However, there were several factors preventing him from doing so.

1. 1. Privacy Concerns
      • • The princess and her attendants would naturally want to unpack their belongings in private.

1. 1. Kaito’s Request
      • • Though absent, Kaito had expressed concern that his actions might be perceived as impolite.
      • • He had instructed his knights to grant reasonable requests whenever possible.

For Kunai, the latter reason weighed the heaviest.

As someone who deeply respected his lord, he wanted to honor Kaito’s wishes.

“Understood. As long as you remain within the estate, I see no issue.

I will notify the others accordingly.”

(Kaito Mitsurugi… what exactly are you up to?)

Though Liona had planned for many scenarios—

This situation was something she had not anticipated.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. And thank you for your understanding.”

(I expected more resistance, but they let me off surprisingly easily.)

Thus, Liona was granted unrestricted movement within the mansion.

However, Kunai’s miscalculation was twofold:

1. 1. He underestimated the time it would take for the princess and her attendants to unpack.

1. 1. He assumed that a royal maidservant would never wander around the estate unsupervised.

Unfortunately for him, Liona’s true objective was not simply to inspect the territory—

She intended to win over the Mitsurugi family.

To do that, she needed to understand them and find a way to negotiate from a position of strength.

And if that meant taking risks to uncover something unexpected, she would gladly do so.

Thus, by a series of coincidences, circumstances aligned—

And Liona found herself exploring the estate.

(This is… surprisingly ordinary.)

As she navigated the corridors, she mentally mapped possible escape routes in case of emergencies.

However, the mansion itself seemed unremarkable.

There were no notable architectural features or any signs of excessive luxury.

It was simply a well-maintained noble estate.

(Does the Mitsurugi family not prioritize extravagance?)

Just as that thought crossed her mind—

She stumbled upon something unexpected.

A hidden garden, cleverly designed to remain unseen from the outside.

And at its center—

A boy with jet-black hair, basking in the sunlight on what appeared to be a floating bed.

His expression was one of absolute relaxation.

Kaito Mitsurugi had made one major miscalculation.

He had assumed that First Princess Liona Justina would be predictable—

That she would adhere to royal decorum and never take unnecessary risks.

That she would prioritize safety over bold action.

But the truth was—

Liona was far more fearless than he had anticipated.

She was a woman willing to risk her life for the kingdom’s future.

And so, despite all of Kaito’s meticulous planning, despite the great lengths he had gone to avoid this encounter—

His carefully crafted plan to complete the entire inspection without meeting her even once…

Collapsed spectacularly.

In a twist of irony—

The one person he had most wanted to avoid had now become the first to meet him.