I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One
“I had no idea this place existed… Even though I’ve worked in the mansion for years, I never knew about it.”
“Well, this is a path known only to the lords of the estate for generations.”
We walked together through a hidden door in the mansion’s underground library. The place smelled musty, likely because it hadn’t been used in a long time.
“Lord Weiss, the fact that you know about this means the previous lord recognized you as his successor, right? That makes me so happy!!”
“Ah, haha…”
I could only smile wryly as Rosalia rejoiced on my behalf. The truth was, I only knew about this because of my knowledge from the game. And it wasn’t Weiss who knew about this passage, but his stepsister, Felis… That’s just how it was… That’s why I wanted to acknowledge Weiss. He wasn’t chosen as the lord, but he still worked hard…
This debt, too, was the result of him trying to do everything he could for the people… But he lacked the knowledge and experience to succeed. Since he wasn’t the original heir, he never received the knowledge or connections that should have been passed down from his father, nor did he have the luck to meet companions who were well-versed in such matters, like the protagonist in the game.
It’s tough when you work so hard but don’t get rewarded… Weiss…
I spoke to myself in my heart. It’s painful to not be expected of anything, and it’s even more painful when no one notices your efforts. That’s why… I want to be the one to acknowledge his hard work. Well, it seems like he at least had Rosalia as someone who understood him.
“What’s wrong, Lord Weiss?”
“Ah, Rosalia, you’re really reliable… You work as a maid, and you even act as my bodyguard… What would I do without you?”
“Oh, what are you saying!! I’m your personal maid, so of course, that’s my duty!! Besides, I know how amazing you are, Lord Weiss. Oh, it seems like we’re about to encounter some monsters, so please stay behind me.”
Rosalia, who had been smiling happily, suddenly turned serious as she stared down the corridor, readying her spear. I could feel the presence of something.
The monsters here were Big Rats, giant rodents. They appear early in the game, so they aren’t very strong, but they’re quick and annoying to deal with.
“Ice, bind them!! Lord Weiss, I’ll take care of them quickly.”
“Ah, yeah…”
As we exited the passage, sure enough, there were five or six Big Rats. I raised my sword to help Rosalia, but she chanted a spell, froze the monsters’ feet, and swiftly dispatched them with her spear.
Wow, she’s way too strong!! Well, thinking about it calmly, these are the same monsters that gave the protagonist’s party a hard time, so of course, they’re ridiculously strong…
“Lord Weiss!! I’ve taken care of them. We should be able to proceed now.”
“Ah, Rosalia, you’re amazing. Taking them down so quickly…”
“Ufufu, I’m happy to be relied on by you, Lord Weiss. I’ll work even harder if you praise me more. Just kidding… Lord Weiss…?”
“You did great. Thank you, Rosalia.”
I patted Rosalia’s head as she beamed at me with a proud smile. Is this how I’m supposed to praise her? For some reason, Rosalia’s face turned bright red. Oh no, thinking about it calmly, she’s older than me. Did I offend her?
“Ah, um… I thought this might be the right way to praise you, but…”
“No… I was just surprised… I’m happy that you patted my head, Lord Weiss.”
“I see. Well, let’s move forward!!”
I started walking, trying to brush off the slightly awkward atmosphere between us. Finally, we opened a sturdy door, and inside were several leather bags with gold coins peeking out.
Whoa, this is way shinier than it looked in the game!! And there should be one more thing here.
“This is amazing, Lord Weiss!! With this much, we can pay off the debt and still have plenty left!! This is really great… We won’t lose the estate.”
“Yeah, that’s right. We should thank our ancestors.”
As I responded to the excited Rosalia, I retrieved a small wooden box hidden in a recess in the wall. Inside the treasure chest were two rings—one with a red gem and the other with a blue gem.
“Lord Weiss, what are those rings…?”
“They’re heirlooms of the Hamilton family. Rosalia, take this one. It will surely protect you.”
“What? I can’t accept something so valuable.”
“Just take it… This is an order. Hold out your hand.”
I forcefully took Rosalia’s hand and slipped the red gem ring onto her slender, white ring finger. This ring had the power to save its owner’s life once. It would surely protect her, as she was willing to give her life for Weiss.
And this one’s for me. I smiled broadly as I slipped the blue gem ring onto my own ring finger.
Ring of Magic
- Effect: Increases the wearer’s magic growth and magic power. A ring given to the first lord of Hamilton for his achievements in war.
Status Up
- Magic: 40 → 50
I couldn’t help but smile at the expected result. In the game, this money would become the protagonist’s funds for managing the estate, the red gem ring would protect the protagonist, and the blue ring would enhance Felis’s magic power…
But it’s fine if I take it, right?
After all, you protagonists have plenty of other people to save you. This… this much is okay to use to save Weiss, right?
“Alright, let’s go. Whoa, this is heavy!! These gold coins are no joke… Rosalia, sorry, but can you carry the leather bags? Rosalia?”
“Eh… Ah, yes. My apologies. I’ll carry them right away. Here we go.”
For some reason, Rosalia was staring at the ring on her finger, her face bright red. When I called out to her, she hurriedly started carrying the bags. Her physical strength is insane!! I can only carry two at most, but she’s carrying like ten… But what’s going on? She’s been acting a bit strange since I gave her the ring…
“Lord Weiss… In exchange for following your orders, may I ask a favor of you?”
“Ah, sure… That’s fine, but…”
Rosalia, unusually serious and not smiling, paused for a moment before speaking. Was she really that unhappy about wearing a ring similar to mine? As I was thinking that, she finally spoke, and her request was completely unexpected. I tried to object, but in the end, she insisted.
