Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: A Cheap Play
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“Aaaah!”
On his way to the office, Allen heard a sharp scream and headed toward the sound.
Rounding the corner, he saw a terrified-looking maid and Julius in a standoff.
“That…”
Having an inkling of what was happening, Allen stepped back, hid himself behind the wall, and quietly watched the situation unfold.
“Aah, d-don’t come any closer, Young Master.”
“Wait, I just wanted to apologize for what made you react like this…”
“I-It’s fine, Young Master. So please…”
A pleading maid and an approaching young nobleman.
On the surface, it looked like a young nobleman forcibly harassing a maid.
‘And on top of that…’
“I-I’ve already forgotten about what happened back then. You don’t have to apologize, so let’s just say it was a mistake the Young Master made while drunk…”
‘What happened back then, apologize, drunk, mistake.’
The implication of a past incident, the maid’s pale face, and her trembling gestures.
All of it combined to create a story anyone could imagine.
The fool seemed to have caught on to her meaning, his expression flustered as if he hadn't expected such a story.
A smirk formed on Allen's face as he watched.
‘A mistake… a mistake. Haha.’
He had a good idea who planned this cheap play.
‘Was it Father and those unknown figures nearby?’
The answer was obvious, seeing as no one came near despite the rather loud commotion.
The fool seemed to think this was just another incident caused by the body's original owner, showing no great suspicion about the maid's reaction.
‘My brother… was a scoundrel, after all.’
Father's purpose in approving such a play was obvious.
‘To remind him of the gravity of his past misdeeds?’
Or perhaps it was to instill a psychological sense of debt to the family.
There were many reasons for the play.
A few more came to mind immediately.
Since the fool occupied his brother's body, even if he was a different person, he couldn't escape the sins his brother had committed.
Therefore, it was highly likely that by making him re-confront the sins of the past, they intended to instill in him the awareness that he had harmed the family and the obligation to repay that debt.
After all, his surname was Reinhardt.
‘Did Father plan this himself? Or was it that unknown group? Truly…’
Disgusting.
That body was still his own flesh and blood.
No matter how much they wanted to control the fool, this wasn't the way. It shouldn't have been.
They were nobles. Such a crude method was for the ruffians in the slums; they were supposed to be above it.
He didn't know if this plan was worth trampling on what little honor his brother had left, but…
“What's going on over there?”
He had no intention of letting it be.
Because he knew the future, he knew how this play would end. And because it was a situation he could use.
The two flinched at the sudden voice. When they realized it was Allen, the fool's face brightened.
The maid's expression, however, was clearly one of surprise, as if flustered by the unexpected situation.
“Brother… In the past, I…”
“Enough.”
Allen cut him off, signaling that no explanation was needed, and asked a question as if to sort things out.
“Julius.”
“Yes.”
“I heard that you've been asking for forgiveness from the maids and servants of the estate for your past wrongdoings. Is that correct?”
“That is correct.”
“And this time, you were trying to apologize to this maid?”
“Yes, that's right. After that… I was planning to head to Father's office.”
As if he'd heard enough, he turned his head toward the maid and questioned her as well.
“You, what's your name?”
“I-It's Emilia.”
At his high-handed question, she shrank back as if frightened.
Beside him, Julius gestured with his eyes for Allen to speak more gently, but Allen had no such intention.
‘In the end, this maid's fate is not a good one.’
As he recalled, she, having taken part in deceiving Julius, eventually fled the estate, fearing that Julius would retaliate after learning the truth.
While fleeing to escape the count's territory, she had the 'bad luck' of being attacked by bandits.
After enduring all sorts of hardships, she managed to escape from the bandits' hideout, but…
“Right, Emilia. Let me ask you something.”
That was the end of it.
As if the world itself wanted her punished, she was unfortunately captured by goblins that suddenly appeared.
And in the end.
‘She was never rescued.’
He only learned this information several weeks after everything had concluded.
“Y-Yes. Please speak, Young Lord.”
For a maid, she was quite beautiful, and her frightened, trembling appearance looked rather pitiful.
But while it might have worked on other men, it didn't work on him.
Allen asked her in an icy tone.
“To my knowledge, the only misdeed Julius committed against you that night while drunk was accidentally throwing up on you…”
“…Vomit?”
Beside him, he could see the fool's mouth fall open, a dry laugh escaping him.
Emilia's face turned even paler, as if she'd been stabbed, and her eyes darted about wildly.
“I also recall that Mother gave you ample compensation for that incident—three days of leave, reimbursement for the dress, and a fair amount of money.”
“Th-That's, yes. Yes, that's correct, Y-Young Lord.”
At her answer, Allen's smile deepened. He stepped closer and asked in a low voice.
“And yet, that became so traumatic you'd scream at the sight of him?”
“N-No, it's just…”
“Was being vomited on once such a horrifying experience that you'd tremble in fear of him?”
“Y-Young Lord, that's not it…”
Unlike before, she now trembled genuinely, as if about to burst into tears.
“Leave.”
“Y-Young Lord…”
“I'll say this only once. Go. Go to Mother and confess that you lied to get compensation. Tell her you put on an act because you were greedy for the money the other maids received.”
“*Sob…*”
“Are you not going?”
“I-I'll go, Young Lord. I'll go. *Hic, sob…*”
Emilia bowed her head and quickly disappeared.
Did she know that, thanks to him, she had just avoided the terrible future she was meant to suffer?
Father's influence would prevent her from being kicked out of the estate, but her life from now on would clearly be difficult. Still, she was alive, so wasn't that better?
“Aren't you going?”
Julius stared at Allen with a dumbfounded expression. Allen tapped Julius on the shoulder and turned away.
“Brother. Just now?”
“It's simple. She got greedy when you started giving generous compensation to those you'd wronged.”
The reality was different, but there was no need to tell him the truth.
This answer would earn his favor, after all.
“So that's…”
“So be careful. It's good that you're repenting, but there will be people like her who try to 'use' it.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Patting the shoulder of the man with the complicated expression, Allen headed for the office, a step ahead of him.
There wasn't much time left before afternoon.
By the time the two of them arrived at the office, there was little time left before morning ended.
*Knock, knock—*
“Father, it's Allen.”
“Come in.”
Upon entering the office, Allen saw his father busy stamping a pile of documents. He glanced at the clock on the wall and immediately rose from his seat.
“It's already this late. Let's move.”
We moved directly to the reception room connected to the office.
Julius was silent until he sat down, seemingly lost in thought about what had just happened.
Father also didn't speak until the servant had prepared the tea. He simply stared at the two of them with his profound eyes.
Allen did not avoid his gaze.
Father was likely aware of most of the incidents that occurred within the estate.
Julius's sparring match with a knight in the training grounds with compensation on the line.
His compensating the estate's staff for his past misdeeds.
The fact that the fool had learned a secret technique not found even in the estate's ancient texts.
It was correct to assume that everything happening within the family was in the palm of his hand.
As an uncomfortable silence filled the room, broken only by the faint sound of tea being prepared beyond, Father leisurely began to speak.
“I hear there was a small commotion on your way here.”
Had he not yet received a report on how things unfolded? Or did he already know and was just testing them?
Allen replied with a faint smile.
“It's nothing for you to worry about, Father. Just a maid who made a mistake.”
“…Is that so?”