In an otome game I'm a villainess!? I can't accept this!

Chapter 30 - In Ghislan's Private Quarters

And guys here is the promised 2 update today.

There was a small problem with the unveiling parade, but other than that, we made it back to the castle without any problems.

But afterwards, I heard a rumor that there was a place in the city where women dressed up in men's clothes and showed a play.

...maybe I'd like to go and see it.

And so, one day after returning to my usual routine again, I was walking alone in the castle's corridor when I heard a voice talking from the end of a bend in the corridor.

"...It must be nice—it seems that when the father is the director of the Ministry of Academic Research, the son gets preferential treatment too."

The obviously disagreeable way he said it and the words 'son of the director of the Ministry of Science and Research' bothered me, so I quietly huddled against the wall and peeked around the corner in the direction the voice had come from.

There was a well-built, middle-aged man dressed in ministerial clothes talking to a man standing across from him with an apparently malicious look on his face.

And although the man had his back to us, I was able to confirm that it was Ghislan by looking at his neatly trimmed and bound dark green hair in one piece.

"...What do you mean by that?"

"You're only the son of an earl, and yet you've been appointed as the 'Celestial Maiden's Tutor'. I've been wondering for a long time. My son, a marquis, is more appropriate for the position alone."

"..."

"Well, it's true that you were once called a child prodigy, but...it's probably just a rumor spread by your father. I think it's strange that this Count Dimitria has been the director for so many years in the first place."

"...My father earned his position on merit."

"Hmm, I'm saying that's suspicious. He's probably cheating in some way. As his son, you must have done something behind the scenes to get close with Prince Kaiser and his friends. I know what I'm doing, okay? So instead of keeping it quiet, I'm going ask you to..."

With that, the ministerial man grinned and was trying to bring up some kind of deal with Ghislan.

Huh! That stupid minister! How can you be so smug when you have no evidence and everything you say is based on your imagination!? And he's completely disrespecting Ghislan! It's so disgusting! I don't know how you put up with Ghislan...

All I could see was Ghislan's back, but I noticed an unmistakable dark presence drifting from his back.

However, the man in the minister's office didn't seem to notice Ghislan's condition at all, or that he looked even worse as he continued to speak.

"Make arrangements for Prince Kaiser's fiancée, Lady Cecilia, to meet my son. My son is very fond of Cecilia, but Prince Kaiser does not allow him to meet her."

"...What are you going to do with Cecilia? Cecilia is Kaiser's fiancée, remember?"

"Hmm, that doesn't matter once you've created an existing fact! Then, once the facts are established, I will call Lady Cecilia unfaithful, break off the engagement, and instead comfort the heartbroken Prince Kaiser with my daughter, and make her his betrothed. Then my son will have Lady Cecilia, and my daughter will be the future queen! Great idea, right? Well, don't worry, I'm gonna give you some juice too. How's that? Isn't that a good story?"

"Is that...is that all you're trying to say?"

"What?"

"I have nothing to be ashamed of, and my father has nothing to be ashamed of. Until this point, I had no business listening to what you had to say. But to blabber on about your plans like an idiot, are you really involved in the politics of this country? I'm honestly appalled. But I don't care about that. However...I can't allow you to involve Cecilia like this. I'll tell Kaiser everything you just said."