Breaking a Romantic Fantasy Villain - Episode 7.
Episode 7. Siegfried
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“Come in.”
The door opened and an older man with unkempt white hair walked in.
Sebastian.
The loyal butler who had served the Dmitri family for generations.
The only person Maurice could count on in this world.
“Have you been well while I was away?”
“No.”
Sebastian’s gaze fell on the CCTV spell he’d set up.
“Your master’s walls must have changed while I was away.”
“Ordered by the Emperor.”
“Ah.”
Sebastian looked at Seria panting in the CCTV.
“So the rumors were true.”
“Has it reached your homeworld already?”
“I heard it as I entered the capital. The rumor that the Emperor had bestowed a great gift upon the Count.”
“A great gift, and a bomb.”
“You’ll have to be careful with it.”
He looked at the CCTV wordlessly.
“Is it torture?”
“More like s*xual torture, if you ask me.”
“Don’t savor it, Count, though you’ll have to start thinking about the afterlife. Even your ancestors were…….”
“I know. I’ll leave it at that.”
He bowed wordlessly.
“You’re early, by the way.”
“I felt better sooner than I thought.”
Sebastian lifted his arms, showing off his muscles.
“You’re fit.”
He snapped my fingers to turn off the CCTV spell.
“I hope you train her well in the future.”
“You mean train her to be a maid?”
“Yes.”
“I see. In that case, you can leave the cleanup to me tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“And one more thing.”
Sebastian held up a finger.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve seen how the Master has ruined people who were sincere…….”
“Stop nagging me. I know better.”
“Then I will step aside.”
Sebastian bowed and walked out.
he felt like he could relax now.
he’ll teach her chores and future work.
***
The next morning.
“I apologize. Master. I think she should be the one washing things.”
Sebastian’s face was etched with vertical red lines.
“I tried, but I just can’t get myself to wash it.”
“Ha.”
His stubbornness was almost at the level of auger tendons.
“I’ll take care of it.”
As I entered the room, Seria lowered her eyes.
“Why, why did you come?”
It was worth the trouble.
“You’ve done something that’s troubling Sebastian.”
“That, that is!”
“Sebastian is higher ranked in pecking order in this house. You know that Siegfried doesn’t count.”
She couldn’t refute it.
“I’m sure you understand my point.”
He glanced up to see her biting her lip.
Her soft flesh brushed against mine.
“Then let’s start your bath.”
“What, what?”
“You know, the one I did on the first day.”
“Well, that much…….”
Seria’s eyes fluttered open.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to work.”
It was necessary for proper training.
My hand glowed blue.
***
I arrived at the Ministry of Magic, and upon arrival, I sought out Sadrick.
“What can I do for you?”
“I need you to call Duke Siegfried.”
“The Duke, you mean? Do you know what’s going on?”
His eyes glowed eerily.
As if he were interrogating my intentions.
It was Siegfried, who, since the birth of the prince, had become the head of the entire aristocratic faction.
In other words, the current Emperor’s most powerful enemy.
To meet such a person, one must be wary.
‘The Emperor’s nemesis.
A troublesome opponent.
“It’s simple. It’s about reparations for the civil war.”
“I thought that was the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.”
“There are a lot of magical items among the reparations, so I, as the Minister, should know.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
This is annoying.
I didn’t want him to keep talking over me.
“Sadrick.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“Are you pouting at my words?”
My eyes locked with his, and he averted his gaze.
“I apologize.”
“Don’t nag me, just call him.”
“Yes, sir.”
After bowing, Sadrick left the office.
As he did, Jane, who had been watching him from the sidelines, came up to him at a shuffling pace.
“Why is it just Sadrick, when there are so many others, like the Deputy Minister, or the Chief Wizard, or even me?”
She looked at me curiously.
“Why?”
She nodded vigorously, and I only had one word for her.
“Listen to the Emperor”
Hearing my words, Jane’s eyes lit up like a viewer who had just seen the secret of birth on a morning soap opera.
***
Duke Siegfried arrived at the residence.
“Good to see you, Minister Dmitri.”
“It’s been a long time. Duke.”
I greeted Duke Siegfried with a leisurely smile.
He had the same platinum hair as Seria, swept neatly back.
Deep wrinkles etched his clean-shaven face.
“Why has the minister called me?”
He asked, glancing at the knight who followed the Duke before answering.
“You have more escorts than I thought?”
“I am meeting the greatest mage in the empire, so I must be prepared.”
“It’s useless.”
I quickly dropped my gaze to them.
“The reason I called you here is simple. It’s about reparations for the civil war.”
“I thought that was already settled.”
“A third of Siegfried’s landed estates, and nearly half of the landed nobility’s, have been returned to the imperial family.”
“There are more. Minister.”
“Who doesn’t know that you, the nobility, have been diligent in your payments?”
I lowered my voice and asked.
“Do you wish to save your daughter?”
“I have no daughter anymore?”
I spit the words out calmly, but the Duke’s eyebrows wiggled.
I know how you feel.
Your precious daughter has fallen into my possession.
I’m sure you want to take her back.
But a warlord is a man of few words.
I just crouched and waited for my next chance.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot. Anyway, I have an item that the Duke used to treasure.”
He once again brought up his daughter, but now he succeeded in controlling his expression.
You have a lot on your mind.
Why on earth am I telling the story of the executed Seria?
Am I contemplating treason?
Do I already know something?
Think about it.
The more he thinks, the better for me.
“I’m trying to get her to adapt, but she’s stubborn.”
“…….”
“I could use some help with that?”
I asked, leaning back in my chair.
“You want to save the Duke, don’t you?”
Boom!
I snapped my fingers at the same time.
One of the knights, enraged at my arrogant behavior in the presence of the Duke, drew his sword from its scabbard.
“What?”
The knight made a dumbfounded face as he watched the sword slip from his hand.
“How dare you wield a sword in the Ministry of Magic, you need some training, Duke.”
The Duke didn’t protest when I began to speak up.
He just looked at me through gritted teeth.
“You’d better not do anything foolish.”
I gestured lightly.
The knights’ longswords flew into the air, as did the memorization of the daggers they’d been hiding.
“Unless you really want to die.”
One knight locked eyes with me and went still.
The Duke looked at him and clicked his tongue.
“What is it you wish?”
“A complete disconnect between Seria and Siegfried.”
“That’s it?”
“Of course. Send the person Seria trusts most to the mansion.”
“Will you do that?”
“Send the person, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“…….”
He fell silent.
I channeled my telepathy to ease the choice.
The Emperor wants Seria to suffer, and if he doesn’t get it right, he’s prepared to destroy the Duke as well.
If you want to save both the Duke and Seria, you’d better listen to me.
I hope you make the right choice.
There is no human in the Tower who can penetrate my telepathy.
Duke Siegfried thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Very well. I will do as my minister says.”
Without hesitation, he rose from his seat.
The knights rushed out after him.
I watched the door close behind them and sighed heavily.
“Tough.”
Being Maurice Dmitri is difficult.
I’m exhausted.
This personality won’t last much longer.
As I rubbed my face, I made eye contact with Jane, who was watching me from the side.
She was watching me in avid viewer mode.
If the Duke hadn’t listened, would the Emperor have really banished him?
Did he hear it all?
I say it again.
There is no ‘human’ who can penetrate my telepathy in the Magic Tower.
Never mind.
As soon as Siegfried was out of earshot, I felt the stares disappear.
To them, it would be the business of the Minister of Magic and the Minister of Finance.
‘Suspicions remain, I see.
The emperor’s eyes were everywhere.
‘You must be wondering.
Why I sent for Siegfried.
‘Wonder all you want.
My reason for calling Siegfried was simple.
I didn’t want to be a chess piece that simply followed the Emperor’s orders.
It was Maurice’s damned personality.
The way he refused to listen to anyone else.
Even if it was the Emperor.
‘I didn’t like the Emperor in the first place.
There were other characters I liked in the novel.
Smart.
“Come in.”
“Minister, you asked for me?”
The door opened and a woman with striking blue hair walked in.
She was once the sub-mistress of “Happy Endings in Evil,” Evil Happy.
A character who changed her gender in despair of a love that would never come true.
A large merchant who used to be called Ymir.
She is now a woman named Emily.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
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