I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One
“Lord Weiss… Are you alright? You seem tense…”
“I should be fine. Rosalia has helped me practice a lot.”
In the carriage heading towards the Bloody family mansion, I must have had an extremely stiff expression because Rosalia spoke to me with concern. In the real world, I was never one for manners, but it seems Weiss has learned them well. Once taught, they somehow stuck in my mind surprisingly well.
However, when it actually comes down to it, it’s nerve-wracking. I’ve become an idol, so I can’t afford to make any careless mistakes.
“Please use this… It’s infused with the calming scent of herbs. Use it when you feel nervous.”
“Rosalia… thank you!!”
“Hehe, I am Lord Weiss’s personal maid after all.”
When I took the handkerchief and smelled its fragrance, it had a pleasant scent. I do feel somewhat calmer just by smelling it.
“Lord Weiss… as much as I hate to say this… it’s a bit embarrassing to see you happily sniffing my personal belongings.”
“Could you not point that out? It makes things awkward.”
As Rosalia blushed while looking at the handkerchief, I made a remark before stepping out of the carriage and heading towards the grand mansion.
At first glance, the town didn’t seem very lively, but the mansion was quite impressive, given its scale compared to ours. Together with Rosalia, I headed towards the party hall.
“Wow…”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration at the sight before me. The party hall was filled with sumptuous food and elegantly dressed men and women chatting away. It was exactly like the noble party scenes from the game. In such situations, nobles greet the host in order of rank and chat with friends until their turn comes…
Yes, although Weiss may have been different in the past, being a lower-ranking provincial noble with little social experience, and having recently become a recluse, worsening the security of his territory, he has drawn unwanted attention for all the wrong reasons. Damn… memories of being paired up with someone by a teacher in my past life are coming back. But even now, there’s some salvation for me.
“Hey, Rosalia…”
Just as I was about to call out to her, she seemed to be chatting happily with another maid. If I interrupt, wouldn’t that be bad… Is there no hope…? Just as I was despairing…
“Oh, my dear friend! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Seems like you’ve had quite the troubles.”
The one approaching me was a boy with suspicious smile, around my age, with sharp features like a sculpture, and eyes thin as threads. Wait, who is this guy? He wasn’t even in the game. Or maybe he’s talking to someone else… While I was pondering what to do, he suddenly struck a pose right in front of me and called out again. His presence was overwhelming! And damn, he pulls off those poses effortlessly since he’s handsome.
“Oh ho ho, what’s wrong, my dear friend? Surely you haven’t forgotten me? No, I won’t let you say that. I’m Nial, your best friend! We read those naughty maid training books together and got scolded by Rosalia for being ‘too early’!”
“That’s hardly a good memory!! Hey.”
“Hahaha, finally you’re talking to me! But don’t blame me for your newfound maid fetish. Or are you mad because I didn’t visit you? Even I know how to read the room. Your territory was dealing with succession issues, after all. Misunderstandings would be troublesome for both of us. Though, as compensation, I sent you ‘Josephine.’ Have you been taking good care of her?”
“Josephine?”
What is this, did he send me a dog or something? If so, Rosalia would’ve said something… Come to think of it, the only thing I received was that creepy carnivorous plant that looked like tentacles… Oh yeah, it did say it was from a close friend.
“You sent that disgusting flower, didn’t you?!”
“Disgusting? How rude. To not appreciate its beauty… That’s where we disagree, my friend. Anyway, in my territory, we grow various plants, and thanks to that, rare ones are born. But I’m glad you’re doing well. I was really worried.”
He extended his hand with that same suspicious smile. Well, judging by his familiarity, it seems we were genuinely close, and being overly cautious might make me look suspicious.
I shook hands with him and tried to check his status, but nothing happened.
Why isn’t anything showing up? Is he using some kind of magic? No… I didn’t even know about his existence despite playing the game extensively. Could it be that I can’t view the stats of characters who don’t appear in the game? If that’s the case, it’s problematic. There are many people my usual advantages won’t work on. And as I walk a path different from the game, their numbers will only increase.
“What’s with that face, like you’ve encountered an orc in the mountains… Hmm, I see the reason why you, who’s been a recluse lately, came here. And that look in your eyes… You’re aiming to become one of the fiancé candidates for her, aren’t you? For Aegis Bloody, the second daughter of the Bloody family!”
Seeing my shocked expression, he misunderstood and pointed to the VIP seats. No, I was surprised at you… But now that he mentioned it, sitting there was a middle-aged man with a well-built physique and a beautiful girl slightly younger than me, with hair as red as blood.
She was simply watching the middle-aged man talk to what seemed to be visiting nobility, looking bored. Her aloof expression was familiar to me.
Perhaps she already showed disinterest in others even at this age… The image of her decapitating her former fiancés and wielding the ancestral magic sword on the battlefield truly fit her title as the “Crimson Villainess.”
And… she too meets a tragic end. Gradually cornered by the protagonists, she continues to fight with her magic sword until the very end, refusing to surrender even when repeatedly urged to do so. Ultimately, she dies in a duel.
“She may be beautiful, but she’s a thorny rose. Look, even Vassago from the neighboring territory gets crushed.”
True to Nial’s words, an older youth approached Aegis confidently, only to return crestfallen after she muttered something uninterested.
“That bitch… how dare she…”
The young man muttered some un-noble words and left the venue. Wait, what did she say to him? His mental state is completely broken.
“Even so… has anyone else been rejected by her?”
“Hmph, by the way, I got rejected in three seconds.”
Nial smirked at my question. Seriously, even you?! But yeah, despite his good looks, he failed too… He does seem shady. Probably the type to pull off marriage scams.
“My dear friend, didn’t you just think something really rude? I’m actually pretty down about it! Oh, are you going to tell me what happened?”
“It’s just your imagination. Besides, I have a secret plan. The reason you fail is because you try to seduce her too quickly. Just watch me.”
I replied smugly to Nial’s pitiful expression. Yes, I’ll show off the knowledge I gained from reading books on how to attract girls easily in my past life. What, actual results? If I had the courage to talk to girls, I wouldn’t still be a virgin.
But I’m not the same person I used to be. Weiss, being a noble, has decent looks, and more importantly, I have a secret weapon. According to the fanbook, she loves roses. Of course, I bought some in town just for this occasion. Besides, right now, I’m Weiss. There’s no way I’d get rejected. If it were me, I’d gladly dance with her.
“Thank you for inviting me today, Lord Reinhard Bloody.”
“Ah, welcome, Weiss Hamilton. Your parents had unfortunate fates, but I’ve heard rumors of you defeating criminals in your territory. I’m proud to see young men like you.”
Lord Reinhard praised my achievements without a hint of mockery in his eyes. Despite knowing about my bad reputation, he seemed to focus on the present rather than the past.
And Aegis… After glancing at me briefly, she turned her gaze towards the garden, looking uninterested. Wow, harsh…
“Come now, Aegis, greet our guest. This young man is close to your age; it would be nice if you could get along…”
“Lady Aegis, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Weiss Hamilton. Please take care of me.”
With the biggest smile I could muster, I greeted her. Then she…
“I see. I hate you.”
“Hey, Aegis!”
She turned away and headed towards the drinks. Lord Reinhard seemed to be holding his head in exasperation. Truly, the “Crimson Villainess” who doesn’t open her heart to anyone. Was she like this even as a child?
“I apologize; our family has been through a lot… Because of that, she’s like this with everyone. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take it personally.”
“Not at all, it was my fault for approaching her suddenly. Please don’t worry about it.”
Lord Reinhard apologized sincerely. I assured him I wasn’t offended and ended the greeting. However, there must be more to it… Just as Weiss went through things with his father and stepsister, perhaps there’s a reason behind her behavior.
The game only briefly mentioned that she lost trust in people due to past experiences, but it didn’t specify what happened. That’s why, if I can understand her current self and solve whatever problem she faces, maybe I can save her. That’s what I believe.
My villainous instincts are stirring. Since I’m here, I’ll make her open her heart to me!
“Lady Aegis, I apologize for approaching you so suddenly earlier. As an apology, please accept this.”
With renewed determination, I offered her a pressed rose with a big smile… Yes, Aegis pauses momentarily when shown the rose her late mother loved. It holds precious memories for her.
Indeed, after looking at the rose, she met my eyes…
“I don’t want it. I hate you!”
So I got rejected again, huh?! This hurts… She quickly left the party venue after saying that.
“Well well, even you got rejected, my dear friend! But going twice shows courage.”
“Lord Weiss… I adore you so much!”
Nial tried to suppress his laughter while Rosalia smiled warmly as they witnessed my exchange with Aegis.
Ugh, what am I supposed to do now?!
