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

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Chapter 39: Settling Things Like Brothers

Clarice had set the perfect stage.

The gathered crowd of nobles and students, their attention at its peak, eagerly awaited to see who was in the right. These were the future leaders of the kingdom, watching closely to determine what kind of individuals would shape its future.

The tide had shifted. But I wasn’t facing just anyone—my opponents were the prince, the prime minister’s son, and the marshal’s son.

In terms of standing, most people would instinctively side with them.

“Prince Edward, it seems Lady Clarice has entered this discussion as an impartial noble. However, as things stand now, it’s merely a conflict of opinions between you and me. If we leave this unresolved in front of such an audience, it would reflect poorly on both of us.”

Hearing my words, Prince Edward, Raul, and Gald exchanged uneasy glances.

“And most importantly, Liese is my attendant. I owe no explanations to you or anyone else regarding her. Yet here you are, using strong language like ‘judgment’ and dragging this matter before such a large audience. Is this truly a fair and just course of action?”

“Ugh!”

Edward clenched his jaw tightly, clearly feeling the sting of my words.

“But as nobles, honor is of utmost importance. And I am not the kind of person to remain silent when my honor is trampled. So, I will give you a chance.”

“A chance?”

Thanks to Clarice, the prince’s credibility had already been shaken.

Now, all Edward had left were his position, his honor, and his feelings for Liese.

“Yes. My honor has been tarnished by His Highness Edward. Therefore, I propose a duel to restore it.”

“What!?”

“And the stakes will be our positions. If I win, each of you will renounce your status as heirs. If my honor has been sullied by the words of mere noble sons, I would overlook it as the folly of commoners. But as nobles of equal standing, to insult me means you must be prepared to stake your title on it.”

Edward and Raul hesitated, clearly taken aback. It wasn’t that they doubted their abilities, but they were wary of a trap in my words.

“Of course, if you win, I will relinquish my title as Margrave and return it to the crown, becoming a commoner. Wouldn’t that fulfill your wish? You’d rid yourselves of the nuisance that is me. This is fair, isn’t it? If I win, you’ll only lose your inheritance. If I lose, I’ll accept judgment without complaint.”

The first to react to my bold proposal was Gald.

“Fine by me! I’ll take you on!”

“What’s with you, Gald? Your representative is Prince Edward. It’s only proper that the representative fights in a duel. I challenged Prince Edward, after all.”

“You coward! Are you planning to harm another brother like you did before?!”

Raul snapped, dragging up old wounds.

“That was something that happened when we were little. Why can’t you understand that you’re clinging too tightly to an accident from childhood?”

“…Very well, Cerios. I’ll accept your duel. Leaving this unresolved would be disrespectful to those who’ve gathered here.”

“Your Highness!”

“You mustn’t fall for his provocations! He’s likely planning something.”

Gald and Raul both tried to stop Edward, but his gaze was resolute as he looked at me.

“I’ll accept the duel. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“Of course. And if you like, I can take on all three of you at once.”

“What!?”

“You insolent fool! Are you mocking us!?”

“I simply offered you a handicap. I didn’t expect complaints for showing generosity.”

This was a calculated provocation. Nobles lived by their honor.

When their honor was tarnished, challenging someone to a duel was natural. Sometimes, they even appointed representatives to fight in their stead. But in this case, I wanted Edward himself in the ring.

“I don’t need anyone! I’ll face you alone.”

“Oh really? Then how shall we proceed? Will the kingdom’s traditional duel rules suffice?”

“Of course.”

The kingdom’s duel was straightforward—each participant armed with a sword would face off. Much like a fencing match, the fight continued until one opponent either surrendered or was killed.

“Very well, let’s begin. A brotherly duel to the death.”

Edward flinched at my words.

“I’ve never thought of you as my brother!”

“So? Then bring me a younger brother stronger than his elder.”

We squared off, standing opposite each other. Clarice stepped forward to act as the arbiter of our duel.

It was fitting. After all, she was the one who had set the stage for this moment.

“Now, we shall commence the duel between Prince Edward von Luclair and Margrave Cerios von Egrid.”

Clarice announced in a calm, measured voice.

Even in a situation like this, Clarice remained composed. Her poise made me feel a pang of guilt.

If I won, Edward would lose his position and perhaps even his fiancée. And if I lost, Clarice might face backlash for having supported me. Either way, I owed her a tremendous debt.

No matter what happened, I resolved to repay her someday.

“Victory grants forgiveness. Defeat means expulsion from the nobility.”

At her words, Edward and I raised our swords, ready to begin.

“Begin the duel!”

At the signal, we both swung our swords down simultaneously.

Edward’s style was textbook-perfect kingdom swordsmanship—precise, sharp, and undeniably strong.

In contrast, my style was rough and unrefined, forged not by formal training but by watching mercenaries and surviving battles against bandits.

Clang!

Our swords collided with a resounding clash.

“Ugh?!”

“Such a polite sword you wield.”

“And yours lacks any proper form!”

We never set out to hate each other, but somewhere along the way, the rift between us had grown irreparable.

“I will free Liese from you!”

“And why can’t you see that’s pure madness?”

I deflected his sword and delivered a kick to his stomach, forcing him back. Following up, I aimed my blade at his legs. He dodged, swinging his sword downward in retaliation, but I tackled him before he could strike.

“Ugh?!”

“I’ve got the upper hand now.”

I said, knocking his sword out of reach.

“Ever been in a fistfight, Your Highness?”

“Guha?!”

The once-pristine face of the sparkling prince now bore the mark of my punch.

I’d wanted to do this for a long time—ever since I saw him laughing so casually with Liese at the academy, I’d dreamed of punching him as hard as I could.

“S-Stop!”

“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Weren’t you going to save Liese?”

I sneered, raining down another punch, this time to his stomach as he raised his hands to shield his face.

“Gah!?”

“Stop it!”

Just as I was about to claim victory, Gald tackled me from the side.

“Heh!? That’s cheating!”

“Shut up! I’m your opponent now!”

“Is that so?”

Even against the towering, muscular Gald, I wasn’t about to let him win. And if he wanted to play dirty, so would I.

Grabbing a handful of sand from the ground, I threw it straight into his face.

“Argh! My eyes!”