A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

* * *

If only all problems could be simple.

But, no. In this world, it was all complicated.

Just as it was possible for a victim not to be completely good, so too was it possible for a perpetrator not to be completely evil. Each person had their own reasons.

“…I see. So that’s your answer, Elder Brother.”

Mikhail leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. When Roen said that, his expression somehow looked forlorn.

The next Duke of Everett.

A talented person versed in both literary and martial arts.

A righteous knight.

“Brother is so nice. How can such a cool person like you exist?”

His life was without any stains.

Except for only one—his younger sister who never failed to go around doing evil deeds.

“Do not lose sight of your status as the Duke’s heir. Conduct yourself appropriately.”

He had always lived a knight’s chivalric life. At the same time, he did not neglect his studies so that he could assume the responsibilities of a military officer.

The amount of studying and pressure he had gone through was beyond one life, but the number of lives he had to bear was countless.

Mikhail had to think and act like the duke’s heir at all times. If not, just one mistake of his might kill dozens, hundred, thousands.

“Brother is so much like a righteous knight.”

“Ah, I read a book yesterday, and the knight in that story…”

Aileen’s voice echoed in his ears like a hallucination. That poor child.

Violet had persecuted that poor younger sister.

She despised the girl because they had not been born from the same womb.

Half of Aileen’s blood was of lowly origins, that’s why she had been criticized.

“Whenever the princess is in danger, the prince always appears and saves her. A prince on a white horse!”

Violet did not hesitate to insult the girl, nor did she forgive any slightest mistake.

She had thrown hot tea at the girl, deliberately spilled wine, and slapped her across the cheek.

“You are the coolest and most righteous older brother in the world!”

To have looked down on the girl so openly in front of others, what could that be called if not evil?

“I.”

“Conduct yourself appropriately.”

“…I was wrong?”

He just did what he had to do. It was Violet who was wrong.

“I…”

There was no answer that could be as clear as black and white, as unambiguous as good and evil.

Thinking in such a way would just be shallow.

Immersed in himself as he did not look back at others, he cut the world to just conflicting opposites, building relationships based on only his own criteria.

Holding firm to one’s beliefs was a noble act, but nothing was more twisted than obstinately clinging to false beliefs.

If those beliefs were to be broken, what should he do?

Should he justify his own actions just so he could protect himself?

However, if self-justification was impossible, the thing that’s left in its place.

“……”

What could it be?

* * *

The punishment that Roen decided for Mikhail was simple.

House arrest for one month. And, thereafter, seven days of probation.

Considering that Violet was also on probation, this punishment was very light.

Even so, the problem that Mikhail instigated when he ran wild and smeared the duchy’s reputation was somehow resolved.

There was no need to outwardly show political strife from within the family. It was good to use rumors to one’s advantage in moderation, but it’s wise to stop once the goal was reached, which was overturning the bad rumors about Violet.

Despite the penalty given to him, Mikhail was much too quiet. Aileen made a fuss about meeting her older brother, but she was not allowed to visit.

Perfect solitude and isolation.

Neither Mikhail nor Aileen were in much different positions.

Besides that, after Mikhail had been stripped of his status as the duke’s heir and when Roen was thus proclaimed as the next duke, the news about it spread throughout the empire.

Some were skeptical about whether the weak Roen would be able to handle the position. But on the other hand, those who knew his true nature only shuddered.

All of this happened so quickly, but there were no rumors going around about Violet.

As he was worried about the stability of Violet’s health—both physical and mental—Roen had blocked any information about her from leaking out.

“Is this your home, Young Lord?”

“Mmh. What do you mean by that?”

“You come and go as if it is.”

“Well, technically speaking, it is my home. There’s no place in the ducal residence that I can’t go to.”

“……”

As Violet was not completely aware of the goings-on outside, she only looked at Roen incredulously.

It’s a bit of a spectacle to see him coming here to personally report how he had blocked the rumors about her.

“Don’t tell me that you came all the way here just to say that.”

“Of course not. There’s many other things I’m here to tell you. First of all, I told you about how Elder Brother is going to be stripped of his position as the successor, right? He’ll be sent to Ashbourne soon, too.”

“Ah, that seaside town.”

“I can deal with him easily and disguise it as a death from an illness or an accident, but we did get along before though.”

“……”

Violet was born and raised in this world, but as she kept a modern way of thinking, she reacted to Roen’s words seriously.

Roen just added that he was merely kidding.

“Now, onto the next piece of news.”

“If you have nothing substantial to say, I’d like for you to leave now.”

“But like I said, I’m here because there’s something I have to tell you. I’m heading to the capital—would you like to come with me?”

Roen asked her casually.

Violet had to do everything she could to resist the urge of raising her voice.

“I already turned you down last time—”

“Is it because of the Crown Prince?”

“I don’t even know his face.”