Reincarnated as a Villainous Duke (37) Who Gets Condemned by His Daughter ～I Stopped Acting Like a Villain, Yet My Daughter Keeps Becoming the 'Ice Lady'～ - Chapter 12: Aftermath

Chapter 12: Aftermath

After the chaos, the gathering dissolved, and the assembled nobles, accompanied by their attendants, returned to their residences in the royal capital.

I had hoped to resolve the issue between Forsina and Crown Prince Roax that same day, but there was no choice but to retreat to our estate for the night.

The next day, I was summoned by the King and made my way to the royal castle.

In the audience chamber, I had a one-on-one meeting with King Argalm. Thankfully, Roax was not present, sparing me additional irritation. Standing behind the King, however, were his royal guards and the female knight commander who had handled the cleanup after yesterday’s event. She was a striking beauty with short, bluish hair and a sharp demeanor, though her tired expression betrayed the lack of rest caused by the aftermath of the Chaos Demon incident.

“Oh, Blaumont! You’ve come. Your deeds yesterday were truly impressive. I summoned you today to discuss your reward and, of course, Roax’s proposal from yesterday.”

“I appreciate you granting me this audience. I also feel the matter should be clarified.”

“Indeed. I have an idea regarding that. As one of your rewards for your remarkable actions yesterday, how about offering your daughter to Roax as his bride?”

“…Ha?”

Uh-oh, I nearly let my mid-boss expression slip there.

To me, this sounded like an absurd suggestion, but from their perspective, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. For a high-ranking noble, having their daughter become the queen and forging a familial tie with the royal family is usually a coveted opportunity. That is, of course, if I had any interest in such an arrangement—which I did not.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I must decline. As I mentioned in the letter I sent recently, I intend for my daughter, Forsina, to remain under my care, marry a husband of her choosing, and produce an heir to carry on our lineage. Her behavior toward the Crown Prince yesterday stemmed from my firm teachings on that matter. Therefore, if Your Majesty would consider forgiving Forsina’s rudeness as the reward for my actions, that would be more than sufficient.”

“Hmm, I see. That does explain things. I recall you’ve not been blessed with many children. Still, with such a beautiful daughter, it’s no surprise the royal family would desire her…”

The King’s expression as he said this was uncannily similar to the lecherous look Roax had shown yesterday.

I’d met the King countless times in my role as a duke, yet I’d never noticed this side of him. Then again, our discussions were always professional, and this sort of behavior was probably something his attendants worked hard to hide. In the game, he was portrayed as a wise and noble ruler, which made this revelation all the more surprising.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the female knight commander furrowing her brows, her displeasure clearly written on her face. It seemed she was well aware of the King’s tendencies. Being a beauty herself, she might have even been on the receiving end of his advances at some point.

“With the utmost humility, Your Majesty, I must reiterate my refusal. I ask that you forgive this matter in light of my actions to resolve the incident under your command.”

“Hmm… well… indeed, you are correct. As you acted under my orders and saved the lives of everyone present, I cannot dismiss your request lightly. Your daughter’s future shall remain as you see fit.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Good. This should put an end to any further interference from both the King and the Crown Prince.

Essentially, I had just struck a deal with the King. By framing my actions during the Chaos Demon incident as having been carried out under royal orders, I gave him a way to save face. In return, I ensured that neither he nor Roax would ever involve themselves with my daughter.

After all, that room had been filled with high-ranking nobles. If word spread that the King prioritized his own safety over everyone else’s, his reputation would be utterly ruined. By letting him claim that he had entrusted me to handle the situation, he could justify not deploying the guards or royal knights, saying, “It was all under Blaumont’s command.”

What mattered most was that I acknowledged this version of events. By doing so, I turned it into valuable leverage for negotiation.

The King cleared his throat with a cough, then nodded in an exaggerated manner.

“Very well. However, it would not be fitting for your reward to end there. I shall have a medal and a monetary reward sent to your estate.”

“I am most grateful, Your Majesty. I humbly accept your generosity.”

With this, the route where Forsina ends up with Crown Prince Roax has been erased for now. The matter of her defiant attitude has also been smoothed over, making this a win-win deal. As expected of the scheming, backstabbing mid-boss, these kinds of behind-the-scenes negotiations are my specialty.

That aside, this event played out very differently from how it did in the original game. Normally, Roax would choose one of the main heroines, fight the Chaos Demons alongside the royal knights, and hold out until the knight commander arrived. It served as both a tutorial battle and an opening event. Some nobles in attendance would inevitably fall victim to the Chaos Demons, but I had hoped to at least prevent those casualties. The fact that things turned out so differently—and in my favor—was a pleasant surprise.

Still, the numerous deviations from the original game are concerning. Once I return to my territory, I’ll need to organize the information and figure out what’s really going on.

The next day, we left the royal capital.

Even inside the carriage, Forsina didn’t hold back her criticism of the Crown Prince.

“I’m truly glad you reconsidered my marriage, Father. Just thinking about the Crown Prince’s outrageous and self-centered words still sends chills down my spine.”

“Even I couldn’t overlook what he said. That being said, your response was rather strong as well, so it wasn’t a situation where I could entirely blame him.”

“My apologies… I couldn’t help myself…”

“No, I’m not reprimanding you. Even if he is the Crown Prince, speaking to the daughter of a duke in that manner is unacceptable. In any case, thanks to those Chaos Demons, the matter worked out well. I doubt the Crown Prince will ever approach you again.”

“Thank you, Father. In that moment, you truly looked like a hero from a story. I’m sure everyone there is grateful to you.”

“For me, it was merely a matter of protecting you.”

This was the perfect opportunity to raise Forsina’s affection toward me.

Blushing slightly, Forsina said, “That makes me very happy.” With that, I felt a little more secure in avoiding the condemnation route. Considering the progress I’ve made so far, it’s important to seize every chance to increase her goodwill.

“By the way, Father, did you happen to notice something?”

“Notice what?”

“Nearly all the noble daughters present were looking at you with admiration in their eyes, as if they were enchanted.”

“Hmm? Well, I suppose a scene like that might have been overwhelming for young women of that age.”

“It’s possible that you’ll receive many marriage proposals in the near future.”

Forsina’s tone carried a hint of probing curiosity as she said this.

Could she be worried about whether I, her father, might take a second wife? I suppose if a father suddenly announced plans to marry someone decades younger than him, it would understandably come off as unsettling.

“I have no intention of accepting such proposals. The only person who matters to me is you, Forsina.”

“F-Father…! Yes…”

Forsina’s cheeks turned red as she covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her flustered expression. It was the classic “affection up (large)” reaction I’d seen in the game.

I see now. I had dreaded these long carriage rides, but thinking of them as opportunities for affection-raising events might make them enjoyable. The more I increase Forsina’s goodwill, the farther I move from the condemnation route. For the sake of the future, I’ll keep working at it.