The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 23

“Damn it! I swore to protect her, and yet it’s been two days and I’ve done absolutely nothing!”

“Miss Seiko…”

It was the second day of the inspection, and the only message they had received from Lady Liona came in the form of a letter delivered at night by Commander Iwaya of the knights.

“Don’t raise your voice like that. It’s undignified.”

“On the contrary, Dorothy, you’re being far too calm!!”

Seiko shot Dorothy a sharp glare.

“Dorothy, you’re Lady Liona’s direct knight! You should be the one most concerned in this situation!”

“Miss Seiko…”

Even when they first heard that Liona was placed under the care of the Mitsurugi family, Dorothy remained calm and composed, never showing any signs of panic.

“Sigh… Seiko, you’re too serious—and too rigid. If you want to rise through the ranks, you’ll have to improve that.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Seiko’s frustration began to subside as Dorothy’s composed eyes met hers, allowing her to listen more intently.

“There are many things, but first—you need to face reality. And stop trying so hard to act based on what others are doing. If I lost my composure, would that help save the princess?”

“…No, it wouldn’t.”

“Exactly. The only thing gained from me panicking would be your peace of mind.”

“Grr…”

Seiko clenched her fists tightly.

“Listen carefully. If you want to stay true to your convictions, it’s vital to keep your goal in sight and learn to endure. Those who’ve achieved something, even while crawling through mud, never lose sight of their purpose. They endure until their chance comes—and then they seize it.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

Seiko had gone through intense training to become a royal guard. She understood the meaning behind Dorothy’s words.

“It’s fine. As long as you can admit your own mistakes and reflect on them, you’ll never stop growing. You’ll become stronger.”

“Yes.”

Thanks to Dorothy’s words, Seiko managed to regain her composure.

“Still, what should we do from here on out…?”

Mary, who had been impersonating Liona, asked Dorothy with a look of concern.

The youngest among them and bearing the heaviest burden, Mary was doing her best to endure for Liona’s sake—but her heart was clearly starting to darken.

“Right. I think it’s time I shared my thoughts on the matter.”

Dorothy leaned back into her chair and began to speak.

“First, regarding our next steps. I believe the time to act will come. Until then, the best course of action is to sharpen our blades and rest our bodies so we’re ready when it does.”

“Is that your usual gut feeling again?”

Seiko asked, sounding exasperated.

Until now, Dorothy had mostly operated based on intuition.

“What do you think I am? I don’t rely solely on instinct for every decision.”

Dorothy shot a reproachful look toward Seiko.

“Then… do you have any basis for this?”

“Well, maybe not a solid basis, but—judging from how things have played out these past two days, it feels like the intentions of the Mitsurugi main house and Mitsurugi Kaito aren’t aligned.”

“…Not aligned?”

Seiko asked, puzzled.

“Yes. There are several reasons, but the biggest one is the disparity in how the royal family is being treated.”

“…Disparity in treatment?”

Dorothy calmly began laying out the differences in how the royals had been handled.

“There are quite a few inconsistencies. Especially as Lord Kaito’s influence has grown, the treatment toward the royals has become increasingly considerate.

Since we arrived here—despite exceptions like the princess and Lord Kaito—we’ve been treated with the utmost respect and provided with flawless protection.”

“…That’s true.”

Thinking back, they had no escorts on the way from the Mitsurugi domain to this place. But once here, they received full security and the highest degree of hospitality.

“I understand what you’re saying, but doesn’t that alone prove nothing? It could just be a carrot-and-stick tactic. The Mitsurugi family is known for their cunning.”

“You’re right—that’s certainly a possibility. But… there’s something that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Something that doesn’t sit right…?”

“Yes. It’s about the princess.”

“…”

It was their sore spot—the topic none of them wanted to touch. Mary and Seiko fell silent. But Dorothy continued without hesitation.

“I’ll say it outright—the princess’s impersonation plan was likely seen through early on. What’s more, I believe the princess was caught breaking the rules.”

“…”

That was the core reason this inspection had become so difficult. If the rules were broken, their safety could no longer be guaranteed.

“Why do you think that…?”

“Because the princess is strong.”

Dorothy answered Mary without hesitation.

“If it were her, unless they had undeniable proof against her, she would’ve made a move to reunite with us. And yet, even after two days, there’s been no sign of contact.”

“…”

In the past two days, there had been no indication of Lady Liona trying to reach out.

“That can only mean one thing—there’s a reason she can’t contact us.”

“And you believe that reason is because she broke the rules and they’re holding that over her head.”

“More or less, yes. But…”

Dorothy, who had been speaking clearly until now, suddenly hesitated.

However, as if making up her mind, she continued.

“Mary, I’m sure you understand this better than anyone—but the princess has a tendency to devalue her own life. After Lady Isabelle, the Saintly Mother, passed away… she’s only gotten worse, trying to replace her great mother.”

Even Dorothy, who was usually composed, now spoke with a deeply worried expression.

“…It’s true, Mary.”

As a royal guard, Seiko had more opportunities than most to interact with Princess Liona, but she had never been as closely involved with her as Dorothy or Mary had. That’s why she turned to Mary for confirmation.

“…Yes. Lady Liona is a kind and noble person—no, perhaps it would be more accurate to say she is too noble.”

“Too noble…?”

Seiko, not yet grasping the core issue they were discussing, asked again for clarification.

“Having grown up close to her great mother, Lady Isabelle, Lady Liona truly believes—deep in her heart—that dedicating herself to the kingdom is her life’s purpose.”

“But… isn’t that a good thing?”

A royal who carried such a sense of duty seemed admirable on the surface.

“The problem is… that it has become everything to her.”

Dorothy spoke gravely, but Seiko still couldn’t fully understand.

“Let me continue from where I hesitated earlier. Even if her enemies had gained fatal leverage against her, Her Highness would still attempt to resolve the situation—even if it meant sacrificing her own life.”

“Using… her own life…”

Though Dorothy worded it softly, the implication was clear: for the sake of the kingdom, Princess Liona would not hesitate to die.

“…That can’t be…”

Such a mindset might seem fitting for royalty, but Lady Liona was still only an eleven-year-old child.

“It’s true. Lady Liona would never weigh her own life against the kingdom. Her every action is for its sake. Especially after her mother passed away, she’s been pushing herself relentlessly, as if racing toward something, never stopping to rest.”

“That’s horrible…”

Even Dorothy and Mary, who admired and respected her, viewed it as something close to madness.

“Why did she end up like that…?”

“There are several reasons, but ultimately—it’s a combination of her extraordinary potential… and an unfortunate environment. Her Highness inherited Lady Isabelle’s ideals nearly perfectly. Add to that the prophecy of the Demon King’s resurrection, the growing threat of underground organizations, and the presence of the Second Princess, Lady Elea, whom she believes she must protect…”

The kingdom was in a state of crisis. It was an era where even the idea of being coddled was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

“The world left her no room to be anything but the ideal royal. And Her Highness accepted that burden.”

Dorothy spoke as if she were confessing regret.

“Honestly, I wish Her Highness had declined this inspection. Or at least… that she would have struggled between her role as a royal and her identity as an individual—just once.”

“Dorothy…”

Shaking her head slightly as if to clear her thoughts, Dorothy took a deep breath and continued.

“Anyway, even with a major weakness against her, it’s no simple feat to completely subdue the princess. And yet, she hasn’t contacted us—not even once. Even though she has the chance to send a letter every day.”

The letters they had received so far contained apologies for causing concern, reassurances of her safety, and polite requests to wait patiently. Not once had she asked for help or suggested any action.

“Her Highness is extremely cautious and sensitive when it comes to matters concerning the kingdom. Not even the Mitsurugi family should be able to restrain her like this.”

“In other words, Her Highness must believe she is in a situation that benefits the kingdom…?”

“Exactly,” Dorothy nodded at Mary’s words. “That’s the most likely explanation. And I don’t believe this outcome is something the main branch of the Mitsurugi family intended.”

“Because if that were the case, they wouldn’t need to act so inconsistently—alternating between distant coldness and sincere hospitality.”

“Right.”

If Liona was remaining silent, it meant there was something to gain for the kingdom in her silence.

That would suggest that the Mitsurugi family intended to cooperate with the kingdom—but that didn’t explain their contradictory behavior: sometimes pushing the group away, other times welcoming them sincerely.

“If there’s one way to make sense of that contradiction,” Dorothy said, “I’d say it’s the result of conflicting intentions between the Mitsurugi main family and Mitsurugi Kaito himself.”

“You mean… Kaito is more cooperative toward the royal family than the main house is?”

“I’m saying that’s a possibility.”

Dorothy couldn’t say for sure. She couldn’t see what value Kaito would find in siding with the royal family, even if it meant opposing his own powerful backers.

“If my theory is correct… then this inspection is being used as a stage for a conflict between the Mitsurugi main house and Kaito—and that means something is bound to happen. The situation will shift. Soon.”

“I see. And when that happens—it’ll be the turning point. That’s when we need to give it everything we’ve got.”

“Exactly.”

Seiko and Mary, now understanding Dorothy’s reasoning, visibly shed some of their earlier anxiety. Instead, they began preparing for what was to come.

(That should keep their spirits steady for now.)

Dorothy gazed out the window at the night sky.

(There’s no doubt that the one pulling strings behind all this… is Mitsurugi Kaito.)

She didn’t yet know what he intended—but it was clear they couldn’t afford to remain uninvolved.

Because, most likely, the key to this upcoming struggle wasn’t the princess—but Liona herself.