I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble and I Want to Be Expelled, but the Yandere Princess Won’t Let It! - Chapter 29-31

Chapter 29: Punishment

“So, in the end, is it correct to understand that there will be no punishment for me?”

There are many things I want to say.

However, I suppress all of them and voice my question.

To begin with, I have discarded my dream of being a noble and traveling around the world. That dream has been shattered.

It’s hard to be told not to feel anything about it.

“So, then… does that mean I will be succeeding the Lastella Marquis family… as Foreign Minister, perhaps?”

But, I haven’t given up on the dream of traveling the world.

It’s fine to achieve that dream as a noble… there’s also the route of becoming a diplomat and traveling the world.

As for Rinonara, well, she’ll be at least in high school, the same age as in my previous life, before I could think of her as a romantic interest… I think I can cultivate love then.

Since I waited two years, I can wait another five or six years…

“No, it seems that the punishment will not be completely lifted. It’s true that it has been decided that you, Lord Reno, will become the head of the family, but it is still a gray area. So, it seems there will still be some consequences.”

“…Huh?”

However, the words of the Knight Commander stop my thoughts.

“We have heard that, instead of receiving a punishment, Lord Reno has been ordered to raise troops to deal with the traitors among his own kin. Are you truly not aware of this?”

“…”

Oh? Is the wind changing direction?

“I’m not aware of anything…”

I don’t know anything at all.

After all, I only had my legs crushed in front of the throne.

“For the sake of Lady Rinonara, it’s a bit embarrassing to say, but what kind of decision has been made? We only received the information just a moment ago. After seeing off Lord Reno, we were suddenly ordered by a messenger from the capital to bring the elite knights to the capital. We were quite perplexed.”

“…I see.”

It seems the royal family is adapting flexibly… this light-footedness makes it feel like one person is deciding everything.

“…Reno.”

A trembling voice comes from behind me.

There stands Rinonara, gripping the push handles of her wheelchair, and she speaks softly in my ear.

“For our honeymoon, where should we go? Hehe, I’d be happy to go anywhere as long as it’s with you, Reno. Just being with you makes me happy… A round-the-world trip sounds fun too, doesn’t it?”

Oh, I remember mentioning my desire to travel the world to Rinonara in the throne room.

“Ha, haha…”

All I could do was let out a wry smile in response to Rinonara’s words, thinking about it.

—

Chapter 30: Resignation

Now, is there any way to change this situation?

“…”

I don’t want to accept the punishment and raise troops.

Raising troops and participating in a war against a neighboring country would make it harder to achieve my dream of traveling around the world.

And, above all, I don’t want to fight my father.

He hasn’t shown his face to me, and I haven’t experienced anything like a father’s love… it’s safe to say that there is no affection left from a blood relative.

Still, my father is family by blood, and we’ve faced each other to some extent.

I am already prepared to kill, but fighting my own father in the first battle is something I’m reluctant to do.

“…”

Even though the situation seems hopeless, I still want to find some way to turn things around… With Rinonara as the opponent? Isn’t that impossible?

“Lord Reno.”

“Hmm?”

The Knight Commander, who is right in front of me, calls my name while I am already beginning to give up before the battle.

“We deeply sympathize with the misfortune of having to contend with your own father. However, I ask you on behalf of all the vassals. We want you to become our king and lead us. It is very selfish of us, but we cannot forgive the head of our domain who abandoned us. Please… grant us the opportunity to deliver a blow to the traitors…!”

The Knight Commander then kneels and bows his head as he speaks.

“…”

It’s not just him.

All the knights present bow their heads with refined movements.

“Please…”

And they speak in perfectly synchronized words, as if they had practiced.

The expectation I feel from them.

And the pressure to deliver punishment to the traitors together.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

I writhe in pain on the wheelchair, scratching my head and raising my voice.

In a world where individuals can surpass national military strength, it is unacceptable for someone in a leadership position to show weakness. If I back down now,

“…Hah.”

Let’s consider it that way.

“What are we?”

“…Huh?”

Then, I stand up from the wheelchair and raise my voice.

The words I raise are those spoken by the Lastella family when going to war.

“We are the sword of Lastella! The sword that crushes all things!”

“What are we?”

“We are the sword of Lastella! The sword that crushes all things!”

“Very well, then let’s go. To crush the enemy.”

“Oooooooohhhhh!!!”

As the words end, the knights cheer loudly, and I, in my heart, feel a sense of resignation.

—

Chapter 31: Declaration of War

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”

In the end, I just nodded and let everything flow.

Before I knew it, I received an official decree from the King to fight against the rebels, and everything was perfectly prepared for my departure.

“…Ah.”

Next, I have to find mercenaries in the capital and negotiate with merchants to sell weapons.

By the way, the meetings with the mercenaries and the merchants had already been arranged in advance.

What would have happened if I had refused?

“…Lord Reno.”

After the knights had already left, Rinonara speaks to me as I sit back in my wheelchair.

“How did you manage your legs?”

She is asking about my legs, which are already healed.

“Let me tell you, even though I lost to Rinonara at that time, it was because there were many spectators, and I was at a close distance, plus I was in a disadvantageous position as a criminal. If Rinonara were to attack me here, the result would be different.”

I calmly stand up from the wheelchair and declare this to Rinonara.

In reality, there isn’t much difference in fighting power between Rinonara and me.

“This time, everything was under Rinonara’s control… but I never intend to lose to Rinonara. Next time, I’ll be the one to outwit her.”

“…Hehe.”

Rinonara smiles with a relaxed attitude at my declaration of war.

“Indeed, that may be true… Lord Reno might be able to resist me. But that is not possible. My abilities are superior, and I have had the advantage all along.”

“Is that so?”

It may be true.

But still, I don’t think I’m losing to Rinonara.

“Rinonara.”

“Yes, what is it?”

There is a saying in Japan, “The weakness of infatuation.”

“From now on, keep your eyes on me only… I have no intention of letting you go. Rinonara, stay by my side always.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

I push Rinonara, who had been standing with a calm attitude, forcefully against the wall and give her a wall slam.

“Even so… I have various things…”

Rinonara, who has been slammed against the wall, blushes deeply and speaks in a flustered manner.

“What? Do you want to see anything other than me in those beautiful eyes?”

“Huff, huff, huff, ah ah ah”

But my onslaught does not stop.

I use a chin lift while still in the wall slam position.

By the way, it’s a secret that I’m using a bit of magic to make myself slightly taller.

I’m not floating slightly above the ground like some cat-like robot!

“Hehe… I can see that Rinonara likes me as a member of the opposite sex.”

After toying with her, I step back and speak.

“But I don’t like Rinonara as a member of the opposite sex… You understand that, right?”

“…”

Rinonara has already lowered her head, so I can’t see her expression.

But I continue speaking with the conviction that I am not wrong.

“So, prove it. Show me how you can make me fall for you. This is a competition between Rinonara and me. I will keep you close to ensure that I don’t get swayed like this again, and you will try to win me over. Isn’t that simple?”

My words to Rinonara are provocatively challenging.

In response, Rinonara says,

“…Alright then. Indeed, I was complacent. That is a fact. Therefore, I will declare this. I will make Lord Reno fall in love with me and make sure he cannot live without me.”

With one step.

Rinonara steps back toward me, stands right in front of me, and grabs my face with both hands, forcing me to meet her gaze.

“…”

Since Rinonara is taller than me, I find myself looking up at her.

Seeing her emotionless eyes makes me feel a sense of fear.

“I love you, Lord Reno.”

As she says this, Rinonara forcefully kisses me with a light kiss on the lips while expressing her love.