Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat in an Otome Game, So I Bought the Main Heroine with Money - Chapter 01: Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat

Chapter 01: Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat

The moment I woke up, I felt the soft touch of silk against my skin and saw warm sunlight streaming through a window.

“…Huh?”

In front of me was an unfamiliar canopy bed, so luxurious it left me breathless. I could hear the steady ticking of a clock and the cheerful chirping of birds outside the window.

Was I dreaming? Or had I somehow woken up in some fancy hotel by mistake? My head was a mess, unable to grasp the situation. I sat up in the bed, trying to clear my thoughts.

That’s when I saw it—a face I didn’t recognize, staring back at me from the mirror.

“Who… is this?”

The reflection was of a stunningly handsome young man, with large eyes, a sharp nose, and well-proportioned features.

His hair was a silvery platinum blonde, close to white, and his skin looked smooth and pale, like fine porcelain. It took me a few seconds to realize that the person in the mirror… was me.

“No way… is this…?”

As my gaze wandered, a faint memory from my previous life surfaced.

I remembered it clearly—I had been working overtime until late at night, exhausted as I dragged myself back home. And then… the truck.

The driver must have dozed off or something because it suddenly veered out of a side street.

“Did I… die?”

The moment I said it out loud, a shiver ran through my entire body. I should’ve been dead. So why was I here? And what was going on?

As I wrestled with my confusion, there was a soft knock at the door, followed by a quiet voice calling out.

“Lord Cerios, are you awake?”

Cerios? Who’s that? I couldn’t bring myself to reply, stunned into silence. A moment later, the door opened, and a girl in a maid’s uniform stepped in, bowing gracefully.

Her refined features and elegant movements were like something straight out of a movie.

“…How are you feeling? I heard you were drinking quite a bit last night…”

“Uh, well… yeah, I’m fine.”

I struggled to find the right words, but a strange sense of familiarity crept in. This situation… I’d seen it somewhere before.

This is… a game world.

My little sister had played it countless times—the otome game “Rose of Grantia.” I’d even been forced to help her with strategies a few times. The maid standing in front of me looked eerily familiar.

The face I saw in the mirror earlier, the name the maid just called me… there was no mistaking it. I had reincarnated as Cerios von Agrid, the villainous noble from that game.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

The maid tilted her head, giving me a curious look.

“Is something troubling you, Lord Cerios?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I walked over to the large full-length mirror in the corner of the room, wanting to confirm it once more.

Staring back at me was a young man with a strikingly handsome face and an air of authority—exactly the kind of look women would swoon over.

Desperately, I dug into my memories to recall everything about this character.

Cerios von Agrid.

In the world of the otome game, the main heroine, Liese (the protagonist), had a strained relationship with Cerios. He antagonized the male capture targets and ultimately acted as an obstacle to their happiness.

Among the players, Cerios was infamous as a “classic villain character,” with almost every one of his actions leading to his downfall.

In other words, he was a disposable villain—someone who couldn’t be romanced and was despised the most by the heroine.

“Why… of all characters, why did it have to be him?”

But sulking about it wouldn’t change anything.

I needed to think rationally. Having knowledge of the game meant I also knew the future events. There was no way I was going to sit back and let this lead to ruin.

“Alright… first, I need to sort things out.”

Taking a deep breath, I began organizing the situation in my mind.

This was the world of the game, and I had reincarnated as the villainous noble, Cerios.

Knowing the original storyline, I had to avoid walking the path to ruin. Instead, I needed to rewrite the game’s plot.

But how could I do that? Should I focus on becoming stronger before the story began? Or perhaps, I could build connections with the capture targets to avoid triggering my downfall?

All of it was tied to the future, making it far too uncertain.

“…That’s it. Money.”

According to Cerios’s backstory, his family was a prestigious noble house with immense wealth, far surpassing that of the other capture targets.

This was also why they despised him, branding him as an arrogant and overbearing villain.

If that was the case, then I could leverage that financial power to dominate the territories and commerce, wielding overwhelming economic influence.

Solving everything with money—it was the most “Cerios-like” way to handle things.

“I’ll… change my future with money. There’s no way I’m letting myself end up in a bad ending.”

I whispered it to myself as if solidifying my resolve. The maid gave me a puzzled look, but I ignored it. I knew what I had to do.

First, I’d start by saving Liese, the game’s main heroine.

If I could help her, it would greatly increase the chances of avoiding conflict with the protagonist and the capture targets. On top of that, knowing her family’s financial struggles from the game’s storyline, I could act swiftly by using my wealth to help her.

“Maid… what’s your name?”

“Huh?”

“Tell me your name.”

I was probably supposed to know already, but hey, I was Cerios von Agrid, the villainous noble. It wouldn’t be surprising if I had forgotten the name of my maid.

“It’s Faina.”

“Alright, Faina! Get ready. We’re heading to town today.”

“To the town, my lord? You, personally?”

“That’s right. Sometimes it’s good to get some fresh air.”

This might be the first step toward defying my doomed fate. More importantly, it was the beginning of a new life in this world.

“Just watch… I’ll use the power of money to bend everything to my will!”

I clenched my fist quietly, determination coursing through me.

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[Author’s Note]

Hi there, this is Iko!

Since my spur-of-the-moment post worked out well last time, I’m going at it again—this time, without a plot.

This is a fun experiment to see how far I can take an idea on a whim.

If more people enjoy reading it, I’ll feel motivated to keep writing more, so I’d really appreciate your support (๑>◡<๑).

It’s a busy time at the end of the year, so please feel free to read this casually!