I Became the Villain of a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 94: Luden (1)

[ To my dear friend, Damian.

Ah, I remember you telling me not to use this expression. My apologies.

But if I erase it now, it would just dirty the paper needlessly, so Ill leave it as is. Its too bothersome to find a new sheet.

As I mentioned in my last letter, even though the opening line is a bit cheesy, my hand just writes it automatically. Its become a habit that isnt easy to break. Habits are indeed terrifying. If you find any overly sappy expressions here and there, I hope youll just skim over them.

That aside, its almost been a year since we started exchanging letters.

Writing for something other than work is quite a hassle, but it has been enjoyable. Father was right to encourage making friends. Thanks to you, it feels like Ive found an extra breath of fresh air in this stifling place.

Of course, its a bit heartbreaking every time I remember that the recipient of my letters isnt a beautiful lady but a man like you. Still, it gave me a good excuse to take a break.

As you know, my father tends to be a bit strict with his children, but in this regard, hes somewhat lenient.

Seeing that hes starting to relieve me of my duties, it seems he plans to have me focus on my studies from this year. Honestly, juggling studies and work, even if the academy is close to the royal palace, is quite unscrupulous.

But, lets cut the chit-chat here and move on to the topic we discussed last time.

I agree with your opinion that there might still be rats lurking in the capital.

Some of the ministers who have been bothering me might be their minions. No joke, this is a conclusion Ive come to after some thought. Its just a suspicion, but still.

However, I never considered the academy in this aspect.

After all, what is Estelia Academy? Along with the Seven Towers, its known as a sanctuary of learning. The staff is meticulously selected and only the most vetted can enter. So I completely overlooked this.

But doing some house cleaning myself made me realize something. They hide in places youd never think of. As old as the history of the royal family, even a place like the academy could have a few of them posing as professors. Thats how theyve managed to survive this long.

As the academys enrollment period approaches, Ive been getting all sorts of requests for approval.

Naturally, the first thing that comes up with the new semester is funding. Ive sorted out those who have recently left the capital or whose reasons for going out are unclear.

It was a bit cumbersome to include not just full-time staff but also adjuncts and casual workers, but I decided to do it alone rather than share the task with Noel, feeling uneasy.

Ah, Im not bragging about this.

1. I Am the Fated Villain Chapter 2

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The names listed here are just those who raise suspicions. Well think about how to handle this after you arrive in Luden. Anyway, heres the list Ive compiled:

Knight Department, Professor of Tactics: Neilson Pailer (42)

Knight Department, Assistant Professor of Spear Technique: Jessica Hunt (26)

Knight Department, Professor of Knighthood: Leopold Uber (36)

.

.

.

Magic Department, Professor of Alchemy: Philippus Paracel (45)

Magic Department, Assistant Professor of Alchemy: Altman Edelweiss (24)

Thats about it for the faculty members.

You might find some names odd, but lets overlook that.

Dont think its too many.

These names Ive written down are those Ive meticulously picked out, so naturally, there are quite a few. Its not at all a reflection of any inadequacy on the part of the royal house.

Ive only listed those whose names might be useful to remember. For now, just familiarize yourself with these names.

Ill talk to you about the newly added casual workers and their detailed information in person.

Given the nature of this content, its not suitable for a letter, and to encrypt it like this, Id have to write it all by hand, which is a bit much even for me. Since youll be coming to Luden for enrollment, this is likely the last letter Ill write to you this year.

Next time, lets talk in person, my friend.

But lets not just talk about work when we meet.

Ive got a new board game that we should play. Its quite a brain teaser. Im confident I could even beat Elena as a substitute in this game.

The letter attached is, as always, written by Noel. I didnt think it necessary to encrypt it, so make sure not to discard it just because I didnt write it.

Honestly, the content is almost the same as the last one, so you might not need to read it.

But no, do read it and write back. Otherwise, Ill be the one whos inconvenienced.

My fingers are starting to ache.

Theres still more I havent said, but lets save that for when we meet. If someone is sent to the imperial castle, I will go with Noel. Anyway, Im looking forward to seeing you in Luden as soon as possible.

Your friend. ]

***

The passage of time is indeed relative.

Sometimes it seems to crawl by, and at other times, it rushes past.

This is evident just by looking at the stack of letters in front of me.

At first, there were only one or two, but now, enough to fill a drawer, greeting me as if to question when all this time passed. Considering weve been exchanging letters every two weeks or so, the amount of time that has elapsed since then becomes apparent.

I close the drawer and turn my head towards the window.

The mist on the glass and the snow falling beyond it present a different landscape than before.

Even though three seasons have passed, it doesnt feel like a long time has gone by. In fact, it feels as if time has sped up.

Someone once told me that when people are happy, time seems to pass more quickly. Its not that my time with Father and Alphonse wasnt happy, but the addition of Elena to our lives seems to have accelerated the passage of time.

Nothing particularly remarkable happened until the winter of the new year, as if all the misfortune had been crammed into the beginning of the year.

It was a repetition of ordinary days. No major incidents, just a continuous flow of tranquil and happy days. If I were to give an example of the most fitting times in the life that lies ahead of me, these would be it.

If one asks whether there has been any progress in my relationship with Elena, thats a different story, but then every day is special, so I wouldnt necessarily include that.

I flip through Noels letter and look at the unopened one.

The seal on the envelope, a wax stamp featuring a wolf standing beneath three stars, signifies the Edelweiss Ducal Family.

Naturally, one would think of Joachim, the head of the Edelweiss family, as the sender, but surprisingly, this letter isnt from him. Its unlikely that a letter from Joachim in the north would arrive with Orcuss letter from Luden, which is far away.

Ha... why do I feel so nervous about this?

Considering who from the Edelweiss family is currently in Luden, identifying the sender of this letter isnt difficult.

As mentioned in Orcus earlier letter, currently in Luden are Altman Edelweiss and his mother who, to me, are my mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

Knowing Altman, he isnt likely to write letters, so this must surely be from my mother-in-law.

With only a month left until the academys entrance, Elena and I will soon be heading to Luden, so receiving a letter from family there makes sense.

However, I feel a peculiar sensation. Having had numerous conversations with Joachim and seeing him argue with my father, Ive grown somewhat accustomed to him. But Ive never met my mother-in-law, and thinking of her as the sender of this unopened letter, I sense an odd pressure emanating from it.

In the original story, compared to Altman and Joachim, her presence was almost negligible, barely mentioned now and then. To me, both were essentially strangers.

Since I had never even seen her at the engagement ceremony, I once wondered if she disliked me. But realizing the engagement ceremonys insignificance in this world, I temporarily shelved that thought.

If she had disliked me, she wouldnt have permitted the engagement in the first place, right?

Last year, Altman was busy preparing for his graduation from the Golden Tower, so she must have had her hands full assisting him. Thats probably why she was out of touch, not just with Elena, but even Joachim.

But now, with Altman appointed as an assistant professor at the academy, she must have some free time. Hence, the letter.

Still, it is rather unconventional to only now receive a message from my mother-in-law. What makes it truly awkward is the lack of information about her. I have no idea what she thinks of me.

Elena and Joachim mentioned that the other family members dont think poorly of me, but is that something I can trust?

Ah, I cant open it.

Despite understanding this logically, the anxiety hadnt completely dissipated, so I couldnt bring myself to break the seal of the letter. Of course, Im curious about its contents, but this overpowering trepidation has stalled my hand.

It didnt seem this intense with Joachim.

Perhaps because her role in the original novel was so minimal, the concept of her being my mother-in-law seems to precede her being a character, unlike with Joachim.

Holding the unopened envelope along with the letter from Noel, I headed towards Elena.

Just to clarify, this is definitely not running away.

How could an outsider open a letter meant for family first? It would be utterly impolite for me to read the letter before Elena. Undoubtedly, Elena would be delighted to receive a letter from her mother after such a long time.

Though my name is written as the recipient on the envelope, who knows what the contents might reveal.

Oh, Damian, Mother says when we come to Luden, we can stay at the Edelweiss familys residence instead of the Kraus familys house. She must be feeling lonely with Brother being appointed and not coming home as often... Shall we leave a bit earlier?

Someone once said, dont run from whats inevitable, but accept it.

That seems like the perfect advice for my current situation.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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