I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Who Gets Killed Midway Through the Story but It Looks Like I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Try to Do Good Deeds

17: The Childhood Friend of the Prison Flames

Even after being appointed as the next head of the family, my daily life didn’t change much. The maids took care of me, the instructors trained with me, and I had casual conversations with my sisters. Those were my days.

But after my father suddenly showed up, my life would take a different turn.

“Rex, we’re going on a greeting tour. We need to tell many people that you’ve learned dark magic.”

In reality, dark magic was special in “Destiny Blood.” Light was controlled by the royal family, and darkness was controlled by the protagonist alone. That’s why the nobles’ hope lay in dark magic. At least, that was the case in the Replacoon Kingdom.

However, most dark magic users in the original story were villains. So, I didn’t feel like celebrating. The performance was incredible, but the image was bad.

“Got it, Father. Who’s coming with us?”

“We’ll bring one maid as an attendant, and Camila and Mary will come along.”

“What about my brother and Jan?”

“I’ve judged that they’re not necessary for now. Besides, we can’t leave the house completely empty.”

Well, the Black family had many enemies, after all. If we left the house empty, we might not have a place to return to.

So, I ended up riding in the same carriage as Aria, my attendant, and Camila and Mary. My father rode in a separate carriage, which made me feel more at ease. Aria was a given, and Camila and Mary were easy to get along with, too.

“I think I can get along with Felicia.”

“Why’s that?”

“I won’t teach you, so don’t ask!”

It’s cruel to start a conversation myself, but I suppose it’s part of showing affection. That’s what I want to think. If Camilla truly hated me, she wouldn’t even talk to me.

“Sister, you’re so easy to understand. You’ve always kept your sword by your side, after all.”

I see. I didn’t notice, but if that’s the case, then she must be thinking of me dearly. What a relief. I want to thank Mary, who taught me this.

“Mary’s been carrying the Overlimit (sevenweekday) with her all this time, hasn’t she?”

“Yeah! It’s Mary’s treasure!”

Mary’s existence, which genuinely shows her good intentions, is truly precious. I can believe that I have an ally within the Black family.

“Do you have any troubles, Rex-sama?”

“If I had to say, I’d say I’m bored.”

“I apologize. I wish I could do something to help, but…”

“There’s no need. I don’t need a maid like you to alleviate my boredom.”

Honestly, I think his words have thorns. But Aria is smiling, and that’s all that matters. I think I can trust her.

As we spent time with the three of them, we eventually arrived at our first destination. The Violet House. This is a house that appeared in the original story and has a connection to the Black family.

When I thought about it, I realized that it’s not just the Black family that’s dangerous to cross. The people around them, who cooperate with them, are also equally perilous. That’s why I need to be cautious.

“Well, we’ve arrived. I’ll go greet the master of the house, Rex.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

After Father left, a girl was standing in front of me. I knew her well. She was Felicia Lavin Violet, Rex’s childhood friend from the original story. She was a fire-attribute mage known as the Blazing Lady.

She had silver hair and blue eyes, with a gentle expression. She wore a purple dress that left a strong impression in the original story. Her calm demeanor was a stark contrast to her intense personality in the original story, where she burned countless enemies to death.

Felicia smiled softly and approached me, lightly holding the hem of her dress.

“It’s been a while, Rex-san. I hear you’ve awakened to dark magic, which is quite enviable. I, on the other hand, have only one attribute (Monodeka).”

However, in the original story, Felicia was a top-class mage who could kill mobs with four attributes (Tetramega) using her single attribute. She was an exception in a world where having more attributes made you stronger.

“I think Felicia can surpass even those with multiple attributes.”

She was undoubtedly a powerful individual, even in the original story. There’s no doubt she’ll become stronger. She might already be strong now.

“Enough flattery… your eyes are serious, aren’t they? Then, show me proof. You gave swords and wands to your sister and younger sister, didn’t you? The rest is clear.”

She wants me to make a wand. It’s not too difficult, since I’ve done some experiments. However, I don’t have the materials.

“I need to infuse magic into the wand, so I need a base wand.”

“Then, please take this.”

What she handed me was the wand Felicia used in the original story. It was bright red and as tall as she was. In other words, failure was not an option.

“Alright, I’ll put my all into it.”

If I succeed, I might be able to improve my relationship with Felicia. Then, it’s only natural to give it my all.

“If I want to increase the power of a single attribute, I can use the combined technique from Camilla’s Thunderbolt and Mary’s Overlimit. Alright, let’s do it.”

With Camilla’s lightning-attribute Thunderbolt and Mary’s air-attribute Overlimit, which absorbs magic in the air, I had the theory down. All I needed to do was focus my magic.

I closed my eyes, poured my magic into the wand, and changed its properties to match Felicia’s fire attribute. It felt like a success. I opened my eyes and handed the wand to Felicia.

“Is that it?”

“Yes, try using it.”

“Then, I’ll give it a try. Inferno Flame!”

A massive pillar of fire erupted, piercing the sky and making me think it would reach the heavens. The heat, impact, and wind were so intense that I had to use my dark magic to protect Aria, Camilla, and Mary, who were nearby. But I suppose they would have been fine even if I didn’t do anything.

“How is it?”

“It seems like your current magic can break through at least three attributes.”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes, of course. I can feel that you truly love me. I’ll name this Crimson Staff. I’ll treasure your love dearly.”

With a serious expression, Felicia clutched her staff. Seeing this, Mary and Camilla approached us.

“Brother is mine, Mary’s!”

“Sorry, but this foolish younger brother can’t be let out. He’s hopeless.”

Family and childhood friends having a falling out is wrong in many ways. Well, Mary wants to monopolize her parents, and Camilla has a servile attitude towards her older sister.

“Hehe, this is interesting. But it was Rex-san who passionately persuaded me. He gave me a staff imbued with all his might.”

Indeed, he said he put all his might into it, but those weren’t words of persuasion. I didn’t want to see Mary and Camilla’s faces.

“No, I just wanted to say that Felicia is strong…”

“Of course, I understand. It was a joke.”

Felicia smiled cheerfully, as if she was really joking. I was worried, thinking that things had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

“I’m really troubled… but let’s get along from now on.”

“Yes, let’s get along from now on.”

With her beautiful smile, I think I succeeded in getting close to her. So, even Felicia can change. In the original story, she was a person who burned people she didn’t like to death. That’s why I want to prevent that from happening.

Felicia will become an important key in dealing with the nobles around her from now on. Although I dislike thinking about benefits, I’ll build relationships for the future.