The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 01: Prologue

Arc 01: The Duke’s Daughter Came to My House

Chapter 01: Prologue

Me—Ragna Vel Brave—was swamped with the tedious chores of a country noble.

“Kuuh, damnit, damnit! How did it come to this!”

I kept reading documents and signing my name where needed. 

The paperwork for handover seemed endless. 

The work was just too much hassle. 

If only we had something like stamps, things would be different, but our culture doesn’t have them. 

We do have sealing wax, but it’s only used for special letters.

“Where’s the ink pad! It wouldn’t hurt to have one, especially in a world where swords and magic exist!” 

It’s unbelievable that in such a fantastical world, not even an ink pad is available.

Did nobody ever think of this?

It’s a straight path to tendinitis.

Actually, I’m already there, covering it up with healing magic and working tirelessly without sleep.

I’ve become numb to various sensations, reminiscent of the time I was bitten by a monster ant with paralyzing venom.

“That damn father, why did he have to die…”

I muttered curses while battling the paperwork.

My current predicament began about a month ago, when our neighboring enemy country invaded.

To make matters worse, a monster riot broke out simultaneously, and before I could join in, my father was killed in action. 

And to add to that, my older and second brothers also died in battle. 

As a result, I, the surviving third son, ended up inheriting the role of lord of this frontier territory.

“I was supposed to become an adventurer and live a carefree life!” 

From the age of 15, all noble sons are supposed to attend the academy in the capital.

But that was supposed to be for the first and second sons, not the third…

Now, I have to manage this troublesome territory and live a school life. 

It’s too much, way too much.

I really wanted to become an adventurer in a world with dungeons. 

I dreamed of holing up in a dungeon and leading a wild life. 

My generation has some incredible people in it. 

Right now, I’m delaying entering school because of family funerals, but isn’t that enough? 

I wonder if I can just say I forgot and decide not to enroll. 

“Probably not…” 

Breaking such customs would mean losing the support of other nobles. 

The Brave territory is rich in resources but infested with monsters. 

It’s next to an enemy country, and skirmishes are common. 

While there are plenty of materials from monsters and many adventurers, businesses catering to drifters thrive, but our self-sufficiency is practically non-existent. 

“Even if we clear the forests near us to farm, goblins and orcs come to wreak havoc!” 

We need food to live. 

Looking at these documents, it’s clear we’ve been depending on other nobles for these crucial supplies, in exchange for holding back monsters and enemy nations. 

“I guess I have no choice but to do it…” 

Managing the territory while trying to please other noble sons at the academy. 

Is that even possible? 

I’ve been trained from scratch to kill monsters and enemies. 

And our territory? 

It’s known by other nobles for something. 

A throwaway land, that’s what. 

Saying it out loud makes me sad, but that’s just how it is. 

In the Brave territory, life is cheap. 

I can’t even mourn my father and brothers killed by the enemy country. 

“Young Master Ragna, there’s something important we need to discuss.”

As I was grumbling and furiously working on paperwork, the door opened. 

The person who appeared was the Brave family’s butler, Sebas. 

That thought crossed my mind, but his name really is Sebas.

“Help me out, Sebas. And stop calling me ‘young master’; it’s ‘Lord Ragna’.”

“You haven’t officially taken over yet. Besides, these are documents that the lord must review personally, so even as a servant, I cannot assist you with them.”

“Tsk.”

I couldn’t help but click my tongue in annoyance.

Well, he’s also busy with the funerals for the former lord and my brothers who have passed away.

He’s also handling matters related to other nobles who had connections with our family. 

Thanks to him, I’ve been spared the incredibly bothersome task of meetings.

I understand that there’s not much more I can ask of him, even if his way of speaking irritates me.

“So, what is it?”

“I’m surprised that someone from the Brave family is actually capable of handling paperwork.”

“Did you come here just to say that?”

My father definitely wasn’t cut out for this kind of work.

That’s why my brothers and I split the tasks, and we had specialized servants for it.

But now, they’re all gone, damn it! 

There’s no use in getting upset.

I was prepared for this.

It’s sad, but we were taught to be like this. 

It’s just a matter of when.

“Actually, there’s a marriage proposal for you, young master.”

“A marriage proposal? Isn’t that a bit sudden?”

I was skeptical of Sebas’s words.

I understood that becoming a lord meant that such proposals would come my way.

However, a proposal to the Brave territory, known as the “discarded land,” is something everyone would usually avoid. 

After all, it’s a dangerous place that’s loathed by many.

“I bet the fiancées of my older brothers wouldn’t even show their faces, would they?”

“When I went to greet them, they actually seemed relieved.”

“…Should I just kill them?”

I crushed the pen in my hand with a snap, feeling like it was an affront to the pride of my brothers who died protecting their people.

“That won’t do, young master.”

Sebas brought a replacement pen, his preparedness almost irritating.

With a resigned shrug, he said,

“Without connections, we wouldn’t be able to survive. You can’t go around saying you’ll kill someone just because they offended you.”

“They were women who couldn’t be introduced anywhere else, weren’t they?”

That’s why they were married off to us.

No one would fuss if such people were killed. 

Officially, there might be anger, but secretly they’d be relieved to be rid of a problem.

“So, what kind of trouble has this marriage proposal brought?”

Returning to the main point.

“We’re incredibly busy with everything piling up, as you can see. You understand, right Sebas? Could you kindly reject it using that as an excuse?”

Surely Sebas must think it’s too soon to be considering marriage.

“After finishing up here, I have to go to a school far from the Brave territory. I’ll have to ingratiate myself with many nobles at the school and then come back to manage the territory during breaks.”

Dealing with troublesome monsters and enemy nations had been taken care of in advance, giving me a bit of breathing room, but I’m swamped with the territory and school as it is. 

I’m stretched thin; there’s no way I can entertain a marriage now.

“Let’s just refuse. Yeah, please turn it down for me, however heartbreaking it may be.”

“It’s impossible to refuse.”

That was an immediate rejection. There could have been a nicer way to say it, though.

“Sebas, I don’t have time to rest. In a year, the number of monsters will increase again. And there’s a chance that the enemy country, once their wounds have healed, will attack us again without learning their lesson, you know?”

“Young master, regarding this marriage proposal, it comes from the Oldwood Duke’s family—who offer more support in terms of weapons and food than any other noble.”

“Ha?”

I accidentally dropped the pen I was holding at Sebas’s words.

“Oh, not the new pen! But, wait, that doesn’t make sense! Sebas, say our title.”

“You are a Count of the senior fifth rank at court. Technically, marriage with a ducal family is possible.”

“Add ‘frontier’ to that. ‘Frontier.'”

Just hearing the title might make it seem respectable.

But add the prefix “frontier” to it. 

Just that alone gives the Brave family’s territory the nickname of a “discarded land.” 

We’re like a territory prepared solely to deal with monsters and skirmishes with enemy nations.

Normally, a marriage with higher nobility wouldn’t even be a consideration given our title.

“And why would a ducal family… Oh.”

That’s when I remembered what kind of world this was.

I know what this world is.

It’s the same world as a game I happened to play in my previous life.

Yes, I’m talking about reincarnation in another world. 

In my previous life, I lived in a country called Japan, and I died somewhere. 

I can’t remember how I died or my name, but I remember that fact. 

I recalled it when I was knocked unconscious by an orc at the age of three.

At first, I was confused by these strange memories, but I figured it out when I heard the name of the kingdom.

―So, this is a reincarnation in another world, huh.

I had completely forgotten about it. 

The idea of being reincarnated in another world was exciting, but the reality was far from what I had imagined.

It’s no surprise, considering I was born into a family that taught me how to hunt monsters and kill people from the age of three. 

Every day was filled with battles against monsters, and occasionally, skirmishes with enemy nations. 

Before I knew it, I was desperately surviving day by day until I reached the age of 15.

“Right… it was that time… and the same generation too…”

“Young master, do you know something?”

“Nevermind!”

I held my head in my hands in front of Sebas, who tilted his head.

I remember, it was a game where a girl protagonist was recognized for her talents and went to a school, where she met and fell in love with princes and handsome guys who were the targets of conquest. 

The so-called otome game.

Why was I playing an otome game?

I don’t remember, I can’t recall because it’s not in my memories. 

But seriously, why was my past life playing an otome game?

Could it be that I was a girl?

No, that can’t be right; my memories clearly indicate I was a male in my past life.

Now, back to the game’s story.

About a month ago, the lovely prince and the protagonist must have met. 

The prince had been engaged since childhood to a duke’s daughter, who becomes jealous of the prince’s interactions with the protagonist and starts harassing her. 

This harassment is quickly discovered, leading to a duel over the prince, which the duke’s daughter loses, resulting in her engagement being broken off—a typical event.

After losing the duel, the duke’s daughter, held responsible for various things, gets married off to a noble family in the frontier and ends up dying.

That was mentioned in the story, but…

“THAT WAS OUR HOUSE!?” 

My scream echoed through the not-so-large mansion.