I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Werner Chartra tightly closed his mouth and gazed out the window.

It was a morning in the Imperial Capital, no different from any other.

The streets bustled with people heading to work or preparing for business.

Though the Chartra estate was a prosperous place, compared to the Imperial Capital, the largest city in the Black Continent, it felt like a small village.

Including the areas beyond the city walls, it was large enough to be considered a small country.

“Absolutely not.”

A sharp voice snapped Werner, who was lost in thought, back to reality.

“Is attending a banquet without guards such a strange thing?”

“That’s an entirely different matter! Leaving guards outside the banquet hall and not bringing any guards at all are not differences to be taken lightly!”

“Mind your manners, Helmut Chartra. We’re meeting now not as father and son, but as a Guard officer and a Duke.”

At the stern voice, Helmut fell silent.

The young Guard officer took a moment to catch his breath and bowed his head.

“…My apologies, Lord Duke.”

Werner nodded slightly, accepting the apology.

He had no intention of treating his eldest son, who was struggling far from home, harshly, but the situation was serious.

“When a Duke visits the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor, isn’t it customary to hold a banquet? Even if His Majesty and I have differences, there won’t be any disputes at the banquet hall.”

“But coming to the Imperial Capital without guards goes against precedent. Moreover, it’s even further from custom since the Duke’s guards are supposed to show respect to the Imperial Guard in a ceremonial manner.”

Werner stared out the window without a word.

There was nothing wrong with what his eldest son said.

The meeting between the Emperor and a Duke was a political event. Every minor custom was typically coordinated with care.

The Emperor’s order to come unarmed was, at best, unconventional, and at worst, implied ulterior motives.

Helmut’s concern was not unreasonable.

“Since the audience was arranged suddenly, His Majesty likely has some unease as well. I don’t think it’s a major issue.”

“You mean to go to the Imperial Capital without guards?”

Helmut’s tone was almost pleading now.

The safest choice would be to refuse, citing custom. But that was unthinkable for the Chartra family.

“It’s an Imperial command, regardless. Every citizen of the Empire, high or low, has a duty to follow Imperial commands. Isn’t the Empire in chaos now because everyone, from the bottom to the Dukes, fails to uphold this simple principle?”

Helmut sat down with a half-resigned expression.

What child would be pleased to see their father walk into an obvious trap?

Except perhaps that reckless Til Chartra.

“If word spreads that even the Chartra family ignores Imperial commands, who will listen to the Emperor?”

“If His Majesty’s command comes, I’ll have no choice but to draw my sword against you, Lord Duke.”

Werner gave a faint smile at those words.

If the situation were reversed, he would have done the same, Any Chartra would.

Except, of course, that reckless Til Chartra.

“Think of it another way—it’s also a chance to show sincerity to His Majesty. If I, not as a Duke but as a loyal subject, show my sincerity, His Majesty will understand.”

Helmut nodded weakly. Even he found his own words absurd, so how must they sound to others?

He knew it was a pipe dream. But he had to try until the end.

If the Emperor still didn’t change even then…

Then the Chartra family would have to shift their loyalty.

* * *

Til and I looked around the dazzling mansion with dazed expressions.

I never imagined we’d be led to a grand—no, an overwhelmingly massive—mansion on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

“What’s going on?”

Til asked with a half-stunned expression.

How would I know?

When we arrived at the rendezvous point with Blaiher, an elderly man, clearly a butler, was waiting.

I tensed, wondering if the rendezvous point had been leaked, but the butler said something completely unexpected.

“You must be Blaiher’s guests. We’ve been expecting you. Please follow me.”

There was no way a hidden illegitimate child would have a butler, and I briefly suspected a scam, but I concluded no one would impersonate an unknown child of the Emperor for a con.

So, half-doubting, we followed him to this ostentatious, almost burdensome mansion.

“Please wait here. I’ll fetch Blaiher.”

“Oh, yes, yes.”

Before I realized it, I slipped into my own speech instead of Valheit’s.

It was fortunate that Til, half out of her mind from running all night, didn’t notice.

“Blaiher, is he secretly filthy rich or something?”

“The Blaiher who lived under old man Strauss? Get a grip.”

I chided her, but I was just as bewildered. As far as I knew, Blaiher had no hidden wealth or backing.

‘That means there’s another owner.’

The Chartra family wouldn’t be playing real estate games near the Imperial Capital, so Joseph was out.

That left only one possibility.

“Teacher!”

Blaiher appeared with the elderly butler.

He was exactly the Blaiher I remembered.

Plain attire, slightly tanned, with the appearance and humble demeanor of someone between a boy and a young man—completely out of place in this lavish mansion.

“It’s good to see you. No trouble on the way, I hope?”

“Well… there were some things, haha.”

His evasive response suggested now wasn’t the time to ask.

I decided to change the subject.

“Quite the splendid mansion. Provided by Chancellor Hendrick?”

“How did you know?”

Only someone high up in the Imperial ranks could maintain a place like this.

Though he was exiled for giving out fish freely, his wealth was largely untouched.

I judged there was no need to confiscate it since it could be useful later.

“Well, yes. I heard it’s Hendrick’s villa. He said he didn’t like staying in the Imperial Capital much and came here alone sometimes.”

“Is that so? It does feel like a place fitting for the Emperor’s uncle. Quite grand.”

“And now, well, it’s mine.”

Til and I both stared at Blaiher. Scratching his head sheepishly, the butler began to explain on his behalf.

“His Excellency Hendrick said he received great help and transferred this villa to Blaiher.”

“The whole thing?”

“Yes, the staff were also inherited, so all of us, including myself, now serve Blaiher.”

“…Wow.”

Even Til, a daughter of a Duke’s house, couldn’t close her mouth at such generosity.

What on earth did he do?

“Let’s unpack first. I’ll explain the details later.”

“Music to my ears. I’m dead tired.”

Having stayed up all night chasing Victor, it was a natural reaction.

We never found Victor’s trail, but seeing Blaiher arrive safely, it didn’t seem like a big issue.

“You may use all the facilities in the mansion freely.”

“Is that alright?”

“Blaiher instructed us to treat you the same as him, so there’s no need to feel burdened.”

As expected of someone destined to be Emperor—such a generous heart.

We needed a field headquarters for this operation, and this was perfect timing.

But one thing bothered me.

“Please don’t tell the former owner we’re here.”

With my relationship with Hendrick in tatters, if he found out I was involved, he might react strongly.

Such variables needed to be blocked in advance.

The butler smiled kindly and bowed.

“Of course. Blaiher already instructed us, so you needn’t worry, Count Valheit.”

I glared, wondering if he was lying, but the butler showed no sign of faltering.

Seeing his considerable composure, I decided to trust him for now.

“Are you well-informed about Imperial Capital news?”

“I’d say I know what’s worth knowing.”

“Do you know when the Fourth Duke’s reception banquet is?”

“This weekend. They say it’s smaller than usual.”

The butler said, politely offering the topmost newspaper from a neatly stacked pile on a shelf.

“You can find more details in the article.”

I thanked him and immediately scanned the paper.

Four days until the banquet.

All preparations to seize the Imperial Palace had to be completed by then.

* * *

That evening, I had dinner with Blaiher.

It was less a meal and more a private meeting in an inner chamber.

Til had gone to scout the Imperial Capital, and Joseph had gone to meet his father, so aside from the staff, it was just Blaiher and me in this vast mansion.

“So, the Three Blades did follow you?”

“Yes, it was a close call.”

Blaiher let out a long sigh.

His expression alone told me he’d been through something big.

“There was no sign of anyone, then suddenly three of them jumped out. Even Joseph-san was caught off guard.”

“Probably the shadow magic the Geller family boasts about. Spells as insidious as that family.”

Melting into shadows for an ambush meant the Three Blades tailing them were no pushovers.

They’d be among the top assassins in the Dagger ranks.

So how did they survive?

“Even for Joseph, facing three of the Three Blades would’ve been tough.”

“Yes, without the help of a passerby, either I or Hendrick would’ve been done for.”

A passing master lending a hand, huh.

In reality, I’d scoff at such a thing, but this is a novel’s world.

Such fortunate encounters aren’t unusual here.

“You got lucky. Who helped you?”

“A woman with orange hair.”

I nearly spat out the water I was drinking.

Orange hair immediately brought the Commander to mind.

‘No, no, there’s no way it’s that coincidental. Not even in a novel.’

“Ahem, sounds like quite a skilled person.”

“Scarily so. She skewered all three in an instant.”

Skewers, huh.

In Stunner’s book, the orange-haired saintess was always associated with skewers.

Not for stabbing people, but for draining pus, as a simple symbol, or for slaying monsters.

Wait, now that I think about it, there was a record of her using them as weapons.

“You should thank her. Do you know where she went?”

“She said she was parting ways because a friend was coming. What did she say? Bad personality but smart, I think.”

Hmm… she couldn’t mean me, could she? How would she know how I’d move?

No, it could be someone else entirely.

“But she did tell me her name.”

“Her name? What was it?”

I couldn’t help getting eager at the mention of the Commander’s name.

With the task she gave me and the investigation, having a name would make things much easier.

“She said it was Anat.”

“Anat…”

Good thing Til wasn’t here.

If she knew the Commander was nearby, she’d do anything to find her.

For now, I decided to keep it to myself.

The banquet was fast approaching, and that had to be dealt with first.

But the name Anat kept lingering in my mouth.