When I Cleared the Death Game World, I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Even if They Talk About Doom Flags, I'm Actually Immortal. - Chapter 4

The Orion Marquisate’s estate was vast.

The grand entrance hall, the very face of the mansion, was adorned with lavish decorations. A massive staircase led to the second floor, and at its landing, a grand portrait of the marquis—plump and dignified—hung in a place of honor.

Despite its usual elegance, today the hall was in chaos.

Servants had gathered in a disorderly cluster—maids, cooks, and even administrative officers responsible for managing the domain’s affairs.

Something severe had happened.

A man stood at the top of the grand staircase, positioned beneath the marquis’ portrait.

He was a middle-aged man with a gaunt, nervous appearance, his frame thin and frail like dried wood.

His name was Mason Notley, a steward of the Orion family.

In the marquis’ absence, he was entrusted with overseeing all matters of the estate and domain—essentially, the marquis’ right hand.

Clearing his throat with deliberate exaggeration, Mason addressed the gathered crowd.

“Some of you may already be aware… but last night, Lord Lior was kidnapped.”

His words sent a ripple of shock through the room.

Gasps and murmurs spread among the servants.

It was only natural.

Lior Orion was the heir to the Orion Marquisate—the future head of the house.

Within the estate, only the marquis himself commanded greater respect and importance.

For such a person to be kidnapped from his own home was nothing short of a catastrophe.

If news of this reached the marquis, heads would literally roll.

“Lord Lior was kidnapped? What were the knights doing?!”

“Drinking, as usual, I bet. That so-called knight order is just for show.”

“That’s not true! The knights were on duty! I heard rumors that a maid was involved!”

“W-We had nothing to do with it! That was her doing alone—!”

“Oh, really? And here I thought you all enjoyed complaining about Lord Lior behind his back.”

“T-That’s because he’s constantly making unreasonable demands—”

“Enough!”

Mason’s sharp voice cut through the bickering.

The room fell silent.

Sweeping his gaze over the assembled servants, he let out a quiet sigh.

“We don’t have time for useless arguments. This is a crisis. The kidnappers left behind a ransom note.”

“A-Are we going to pay it…?”

“Of course. If Lord Lior’s life can be secured with money, then that is a small price to pay. Gather the necessary funds immediately, and send word to the marquis in the capital. Once he authorizes the payment, we will proceed with the exchange.”

The gathered servants gradually calmed.

The initial panic had subsided, replaced by a structured course of action.

If they acted together, they could rescue Lior.

(Not that it matters, since I was the one who arranged for him to be kidnapped in the first place.)

Mason brought a hand to his chin, as if deep in thought.

But beneath his fingers, a smile curled on his lips.

This plan had unfolded far more smoothly than he had anticipated.

It was almost too perfect.

He had to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside him.

(That foolish maid probably thought she made the decision on her own… but it was all orchestrated by me.)

He had subtly fed the information about the hidden passage to a financially struggling maid.

He had spread rumors among the local criminal underworld—specifically to traffickers—about Lior’s poor reputation among his own household.

Then, with a gentle nudge, he had set the two parties on a collision course.

And just as planned—

Lior had vanished.

(Now that the brat is gone, he’ll never return. One of those kidnappers was a complete psychopath—someone who enjoys killing children. There’s no way Lior is making it back alive.)

Mason’s goal was Lior’s death.

To him, Lior was a failure.

A useless, obnoxious waste of space.

(I had planned to mold him into my puppet… but I spoiled him too much, and now he’s nothing but an arrogant, disobedient brat. Once he’s dead, the marquis will have no choice but to sire another heir. This time, I’ll raise the child properly—my way.)

Mason had long sought control over the Orion Marquisate.

His original plan was to manipulate Lior, ensuring that the boy would grow into a puppet leader, obeying his every command.

But his gamble had failed.

Lior, indulged beyond measure, had grown into an uncontrollable tyrant, unwilling to listen to anyone—not even Mason.

Thus, he shifted his focus.

If Lior was unfit to be controlled, then he would simply be replaced.

But for some reason, the marquis had never sired another child.

It was an anomaly.

Among noble families, it was standard practice to have multiple heirs—insurance against tragedy.

And yet, the marquis had adamantly refused to produce another.

But if Lior died, that would change.

With no heir, the family line would face extinction—something the marquis could not allow.

He would have no choice but to remarry or take a mistress, ensuring the birth of a new heir.

And that child—

Mason would mold them into the perfect puppet.

The Orion Marquisate’s true power would belong to him.

(Heh… It won’t be long now. The Orion household will soon be mine.)

A gleeful smirk spread across Mason’s face.

He could already see it—his future.

Vast lands. Boundless wealth.

With absolute control over the estate’s treasury, he could drown himself in luxuries.

Wine, women, power—everything would be his.

His perfect life was within reach.

BANG!!

Like an overinflated balloon bursting, the mansion’s front doors swung open with explosive force—shattering Mason’s blissful fantasies in an instant.

The gathered servants turned, stunned, toward the entrance.

Even Mason, momentarily disoriented, followed their gazes.

“…L-Lord Lior?!”

The one who had barged in was none other than Lior Orion.

In his arms, he carried a young girl with black hair and cat-like ears—a beastkin.

Both of them were disheveled, their clothes dirtied by dust and grime, but aside from that—they were completely unharmed.

Not a single wound.

“H-How are you alive—?!”

Mason caught himself mid-sentence, his eyes widening in horror.

He immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

“How are you alive?”—saying something like that implied that he was supposed to be dead.

It was practically an admission of guilt.

That was far too suspicious.

Mason swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead, as he cautiously watched Lior.

“…I managed to slip away when they weren’t paying attention. This girl was captured along with me. Could someone take care of her?”

Lior’s explanation was simple, delivered with a neutral expression.

A nearby maid hesitated before stepping forward.

“A-Ah… I’ll take care of her.”

Mason silently exhaled, wiping his sweaty palms on his handkerchief.

It seemed no one had caught his slip-up.

“L-Lord Lior! Thank goodness you’re safe! We were just about to begin preparations for your rescue!”

Mason rushed forward, eager to maintain his flawless façade.

He needed to establish that they had intended to save him all along.

If he played his part well, there was still a chance to cover his tracks.

But then—

“…I wonder if it’s really a good thing that I survived.”

“…What?”

“I mean, I’ve caused trouble for everyone. Maybe there were people who would have been relieved if I had just disappeared.”

Lior’s words were spoken genuinely, without malice.

His past-life memories had brought him painful clarity—an overwhelming disgust for the life he had led as Lior.

It had left him in a self-deprecating spiral.

A moment of introspection, a passing thought—

But to Mason, it was something entirely different.

Cold dread clawed up his spine.

(…Does he know? Did he figure it out?)

To Mason, it didn’t sound like self-reflection.

It sounded like a veiled threat.

“I know what you did.”

That was what he heard.

Lior was testing him.

If Lior had truly uncovered the truth, Mason was finished.

Of course, there was no proof linking him to the kidnapping.

There was no concrete evidence that he had set the plan in motion.

But Lior Orion was the heir of the Orion Marquisate.

If he declared Mason guilty, then Mason would be guilty—evidence or not.

And the worst part?

Lior had never needed proof to destroy someone before.

If he decided Mason was a traitor, then that was the end.

(I’m doomed! My life is over!!)

Just moments ago, Mason had been envisioning his bright, golden future.

Now, the sound of his own destruction was racing toward him, its footsteps growing louder by the second.

His entire body trembled, soaked in cold sweat.

He pulled out his handkerchief and frantically wiped his face—

So violently, in fact, that his thinning hair was now gleaming under the hall’s chandelier.

“N-No! No one would be happy if you died, Lord Lior! R-Right?!”

Mason desperately turned to the surrounding servants, hoping for support.

“W-Well…”

“I-I suppose not…?”

Their hesitation only deepened his panic.

He was losing control of the situation.

He had to fix this—immediately.

“…You’re right. I said something unnecessary.”

Lior sighed softly, shaking his head.

Then, he turned to Mason with a gentle smile.

“Thank you for your concern, Mason.”

Mason froze.

A cold shiver ripped through his body.

Because Lior Orion did not smile.

At least, not like this.

He only ever smiled when he was amused or when he was plotting something terrible.

His smile was never a gesture of kindness—

It was a death sentence.

And Mason knew it.

His legs nearly gave out beneath him.

“A-Ah, w-well, um… L-Lord Lior, you must be exhausted! Y-You should take a bath and rest!”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll do that.”

With an innocent nod, Lior turned and began walking toward his chambers.

Mason, however, stood frozen in place.

His limbs had gone stiff, his heart hammering in his chest.

It was as if something cold and inescapable had just slithered around his throat.

“Oh no! Master Mason just collapsed!!”

“Wha—Is he okay?!”

“Someone get a doctor! Quickly!!”

Under intense psychological distress, Mason’s body finally gave out.

With a choked gasp, his eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the floor.

The mansion erupted into chaos once more.