The Reincarnated Villainous Noble Still Won't Try His Best!

Chapter 17 : Bad News

Life is unpredictable.

Even if you live carelessly, there’s no guarantee you’ll end up with the outcome you desire.

In fact, making hasty decisions can often lead to completely nonsensical situations.

And right now, I found myself in exactly such a predicament.

After my last failure, I thought, “Well, I’ll just be more careful next time.”

But acting on that lazy thought without really considering my actions… I’ve once again ended up stealing a key event meant for Lilia and the protagonist.

It’s no wonder I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Because it was something I had seen before.

It’s no skill to repeat the same mistake after making it before.

But then again, this is my life.

I have no idea what’s coming next, but even so, I’m not in a rush to act.

I refuse to put in any extra effort.

Even after parting ways with Lilia, I headed home with a calm expression.

A lot has happened recently, and I’ve resolved to live lazily for a while.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

“The princess looked so beautiful and happy when she received those earrings as a gift.”

The maid muttered sitting beside me in the carriage on the way to the mansion.

“Marius-sama, you’re remarkable. Even your choice of a gift for your fiancée was perfect.”

“It was you who told me to give her something in the first place.”

In hindsight, that was an unnecessary comment. Not that I hold any grudges.

“I only advised you. The fact that you were able to choose something so fitting for the princess is proof of your undeniable talent, Marius-sama.”

“Talent? You mean a talent for picking out gifts?”

“Yes, as a man, it’s quite a valuable skill.”

“It is completely useless, if you ask me. I’d rather you tell me how to break off an engagement without causing a scene.”

To be precise, I’m looking for a way to break it off without getting stabbed by Lilia.

“How can you say such inauspicious things! Do you really not want to be engaged to Princess Lilia?”

“Of course not. She’s a princess… No matter whether I’m the heir to a dukedom, it’s too much of a burden. I’m content with a simple life.”

“That doesn’t sound like something the future duke would say… So, you’re saying there’s nothing wrong with Princess Lilia’s personality or appearance? You could love her if not for her title?”

“…I didn’t say that. It’s just that I don’t think I’m capable of a normal relationship.”

Lilia is indeed adorable. She’s exactly my type.

Her personality is mostly perfect — sweet, cheerful, and considerate… except for the scary parts.

Still, I don’t feel like I’m fit to settle down and start a family.

“But you handled it well today, Marius-sama. You were perfect.”

“That was all thanks to you. It wasn’t my plan.”

“I’m not talking about the gift. You seemed to genuinely enjoy your date.”

“Really? It was… normal? Ah, I see.”

So that’s what she meant.

I must have been acting normal enough for ‘normal’ to come out of my mouth without thinking.

“Yes, it was a nice, ordinary date. The princess couldn’t stop smiling.”

“Sure, even though I was threatened by my fiancée just so she could hold my hand…”

I grumbled under my breath.

The maid laughed when she heard it.

“Hehe~, I can already imagine Princess Lilia bossing you around in the future.”

“Don’t joke about that. I’m well aware of it myself.”

Just give her a knife, and I’ll be bowing down in an instant.

“But you should be careful… Someone like her would abandon her royal title just to chase after you, Marius-sama. Honestly, you’d suffer less if you just accepted it.”

“Why am I suffering either way?”

“You’ll just have to accept that. It’s a necessary expense.”

“This is the worst…”

If possible, please tell me how to avoid this altogether.

I’m not interested in just minimizing the damage.

“The moment she fell in love with you, Marius-sama had already lost.”

“So basically… I can’t escape from Lilia?”

“Exactly.”

The maid smiled brightly as she confirmed my despairing words.

Even though my beloved home was drawing near, my heart was heavy and clouded.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

“I’m back,” I said as I walked through the front door that the maid had opened for me.

To my surprise, my father was there in the hall.

“Oh! Welcome home, Marius. You’ve returned at just the right time. How was your date with Princess Lilia? Were you able to keep her entertained?”

He beamed at me as soon as he saw me.

“Well, I’d say it went pretty smoothly. She was smiling until the end, so I think it was fine.”

“Good, good! As long as you’re getting along, I have nothing more to say.”

“More importantly, did something happen? You said it was good timing.”

“Hmm? Oh! Right, right. I got caught up thinking about the princess and forgot. It’s not that important, really.”

“I see.”

If it’s not important, could we discuss it later? I’m exhausted in every sense of the word.

“Your cousin, Flora, will be visiting in a few days. Apparently, Count Santa Maria will be away from home for a while, and although she has servants, she thought it would be nice to visit us for a change of pace. I agreed and thought I should let you know.”

“What?… Flora?”

I froze at my father’s words.

“Yes, the same Flora you used to play with when you were little.”

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

This is an incredibly important matter!

“The next heroine… is coming to my house already?”

I muttered under my breath, and then my legs gave out as I sank to the floor.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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