Several years had passed since the one now called Arkhiel reincarnated into a world identical to that of an Otome game he was forced to play due to a lost bet. In his mind, his goals were clear: to gain enough power and money to live a comfortable and quiet life and to distance himself as soon as possible from the clutches of that secondary villain. Arkhiel had been found and taken in during his early years in this new life by the late wife of Duke Cedric Vallenwood.
Who would have thought that during the birth of that villainess, she had caused the death of her mother? This was just one of the many tragedies Arkhiel believed she would cause. However, he had mixed feelings, for it was thanks to that kind woman that he had a small chance at life. He knew very well that if they hadn't taken him in, he could have experienced a worse fate.
Arkhiel sighed, thinking about how a woman with a kind heart could have given birth to such a horrible being. Without dwelling further on the matter, he continued practicing his unique magic as he had been doing for the past year. He was grateful to possess his cheat ability, even if it wasn't a system.
He was near some trees adjacent to the servants' quarters, where he had lived during the early years of his new life. Because Arkhiel was considered very intelligent for his age, the servants left him alone while they attended their duties in the Vallenwood mansion. Of course, a servant would occasionally come to observe him.
After exhausting his mana, Arkhiel decided to lie down under a nearby tree to sleep and replenish his energy. Suddenly, he began to feel something tickling his cheek, and without even opening his eyes, he turned over, thinking it was a fallen leaf, but then a blow jolted him out of his sleep.
Before him stood an adorable girl, dressed in a delicate yet slightly dirty dress. Arkhiel couldn't help but think that before him was a beautiful porcelain doll, though he knew her identity.
"Who are you?" asked the charming girl with crimson hair.
"Can you stop bothering me?" responded Arkhiel, somewhat uncomfortable.
"Not until you tell me who you are."
"My name is Arkhiel."
"Akel?"
A sinister thought crossed Arkhiel's mind. "If I eliminate her now, I'll save the protagonist from a lot of trouble," he thought. However, he had never harmed anyone and certainly wouldn't commit such an atrocious act as hurting a defenseless girl despite knowing all the harm she would cause. He preferred to simply distance himself from anything related to the video game, aware that it wasn't his problem.
Arkhiel knew that the route where the protagonist saves the world and achieves the reverse harem was the canonical ending, so he wasn't particularly alarmed by the world's fate, although he should confirm that the protagonist indeed followed the correct path.
"I'm Cedica Vadenwool," said the girl, attempting a curtsy in her dress.
"Nice to meet you, I guess. You should go back home."
"I don't want to," she said, shaking her head adorably.
"Your caretakers must be worried."
"Papa´s not here."
"Would you like to play a game?"
"Umu," she nodded. "I love playing."
"Let's race in that direction. If you win, I'll do whatever you want," he pointed towards the mansion.
"I'm the lady of the house, and you'll do as I say, and I say you're a villain I must defeat," she declared, brandishing a branch like a sword.
Arkhiel took the blow, not expecting it to hurt so much, almost shedding a tear from the pain. In his mind, he wondered about Celica's strength.
Without giving him a chance to recover, Celica continued hitting him, laughing innocently.
Arkhiel channeled his mana into his hands to neutralize Celica's branch.
Celica, seeing her weapon neutralized, tried even harder to wrest the branch from Arkhiel.
He was surprised that such a young girl could manipulate mana so instinctively. He knew Celica would become a powerful swordswoman, but he had not yet grasped her innate talent.
"I order you to let go of my weapon!"
"Only if you stop hitting me."
"…Fine," she reluctantly agreed.
Arkhiel let go of the branch, but Celica didn't keep her word and tried to hit him again.
Arkhiel quickly stepped back, using his mana to move with agility and dodge Celica's blows, surprising her.
"Hey, come back! I haven't defeated you yet!"
"If you want to defeat me, then catch me," said Arkhiel, seizing the opportunity to lead her towards the Vallenwood mansion.
Celica was so focused on defeating the villain that she didn't notice the trap Arkhiel had set, so she ran towards him.
After running for a few minutes, Celica stumbled and started to cry.
Arkhiel quickly thought. He tried several things to calm her down until he came up with one last resort.
He channeled his mana to externalize it, forming black smoke. This was his unique magic.
Arkhiel shaped the black smoke into a rabbit, capturing Celica's attention and stopping her tears.
"It's a rabbit. Do you like it?"
"It's so cute," she said, trying to touch it, but the smoke dispersed when she approached her finger.
Arkhiel continued shaping animals and figures out of smoke, making her giggle.
"Celica, are you here?"
It was Harriet, the head housekeeper and mother figure to both Celica and Arkhiel.
"What's that?" Arkhiel pointed toward nothing.
Celica turned, and when she looked back, Arkhiel was gone.
"Akel?" She glanced around in confusion until Harriet found her, visibly relieved.
"What happened to you, Lady Celica?" Harriet asked, noticing her scraped hands and torn dress.
"I fell," Celica replied nonchalantly.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not really."
"Where were you?"
"Playing with Akel," she pointed toward the servants' quarters.
Harriet was relieved. Celica had been entertained and hadn't wandered off too far. The girl was always slipping away, and someone had to keep a constant eye on her.
Harriet had known that eventually Celica would meet Arkhiel, but she had hoped it wouldn't happen during their childhood. Someone of Celica's standing shouldn't befriend a boy of low birth.
"Did you have fun?"
"Yes."
"Arkhiel is also a servant of House Vallenwood. You shouldn't speak with him."
"Why?"
"Because someone of your status mustn't play with servants."
"Why?"
"Because it isn't proper."
"Why?"
"You'll understand when you're older. Now let's patch up those scrapes and get you a clean dress."
"I don't want to! I want to keep playing."
"In two days, the Hartley family will visit. You'll get to play with Master Dorian and Lady Cordelia."
At the mention of those names, Celica's expression darkened. "No! I want to play with Akel!"
Seeing her refusal, Harriet picked her up and carried her off, flailing and crying in protest.
"Waaaaah!" Celica kicked and screamed, carried away against her will.
From high in a tree, Arkhiel watched the scene unfold. What he didn't realize was that Harriet had been fully aware of his presence the entire time.
He felt a little bad for Celica, but also a small sense of triumph. Now the branch is mine, he thought, only to remember he wasn't a child anymore, at least not mentally. A wave of disappointment followed.
From that day on, Celica began to visit him regularly to play (or rather, pester him).
---
"What a day!" exclaimed Celica as she lay back on her luxurious bed. The pale pink silk curtains elegantly draped around her, creating a soft and cozy atmosphere. The delicate floral patterns embroidered on the wall tapestry added a touch of elegance.
Lina, sitting awkwardly in an adjacent chair, replied, "But you didn't lift a finger."
For most servants, speaking like that to their master—especially someone like Celica—would be a death sentence.
Celica continued, gazing at the delicate embroidery on her canopy bed, "Trying to keep composure with all the pretty things Percival had. I wanted to take everything and leave as soon as possible, but I had to restrain myself."
Lina pouted, behaving like a child, and exclaimed, "It's not fair, we always do what you want."
"I am the lady of this house," Celica reaffirmed her authority, then turned her gaze towards Lina, "But I suppose it's your turn to choose. What do you want to do?"
"You already know."
"Absolutely not."
"Eh...? Why not?"
"You know how dangerous it is," explained Celica.
"If Arkhiel is with us, nothing is dangerous," Lina insisted.
"But what if we encounter a monster we can't defeat? That idiot will surely dive into battle without a second thought."
"Don't talk as if I'm not here," Arkhiel intervened in the conversation, as he stood at the other end of Celica's bedroom studying a grimoire.
"Hey Arkhiel, what are you reading? Can I see?" Lina asked curiously.
"A necromancy grimoire," he replied, handing her the book.
"Forbidden magic!" She flipped through a few pages, then handed it back, her expression turning from intrigued to bored.
"Ugh. Boring."
Arkhiel took the grimoire back, only to notice something sticky between the pages.
"...This is blood. And... chocolate?"
"Hehe." Lina giggled like a mischievous child caught red-handed.
"…"
"So, what do you think? Should we go?" Lina asked him.
"Sure, why not?" he replied.
"See?! It's two against one," Lina exclaimed, addressing Celica.
"Fine," Celica replied, dejected, but then, with an authoritative tone, continued, "However, you're forbidden from venturing too far."
"You're so boring," Lina retorted.
Arkhiel nodded silently in agreement with Lina's words.
"At least I'm not as boring as Arkhiel," Celica added.
"At least you're right about something," Lina whispered.
"I'm always right!"
Celica then grabbed Lina and started shaking her in a manner one could only describe as comical. But Lina retaliated, smearing her face the same way she had ruined the grimoire.
It was interesting to see how well they got along, considering that in the video game, their relationship was never deeply explored. What was shown was a mistress-servant dynamic, and although that dynamic persisted when no one else was present, it was obvious why. Someone of Celica's social standing shouldn't consider her servant her friend.
"Let's head to the dungeon!" Lina exclaimed excitedly.
It seemed that Celica and Lina were not concerned about what had just happened at Percival's mansion. It was evident that he had set a trap for them, and despite Celica's suspicions, she had decided to go. As far as Arkhiel remembered from the game, it was mentioned that Celica, with the help of an assassin, managed to kill everyone in Percival's mansion in an event known as the Somerset Massacre, which occurred shortly before the start of the story. Because of this, Celica's reputation worsened even more, although nothing was ever confirmed.
Both Lina and Arkhiel had made sure there were no witnesses to their presence there and avoided stealing anything to prevent suspicion. He supposed it hadn't been any different in the novel. So, what could point them out as suspects? There were many unknown variables he needed to confirm that night. After all, Celica didn't plan her actions very meticulously, which often led her into trouble. He wasn't sure if she truly realized the consequences of abruptly ending a marquess' life.
The only person who came to mind who could blame them for everything that had happened was Percival's son, who was the captain of the Royal Knights. However, he had no concrete evidence, as Percival had many contacts related to his illicit activities.