I was Reincarnated as the Youngest Child of a Villainous Noble Family Who Controls the Kingdom from Behind the Scenes

"Are you hurt?"

It was truly unexpected to find the protagonist in a place like this.

She was already a mischievous princess from the start of the game, but I never imagined she’d sneak out of the castle and end up here. It’s so unexpected that I’m at a loss for how to handle the situation.

"Ah, you’re from the Balfont family…?"

"It's not important  . What are you doing here?"

"Well… I wanted to see if the peace in this country is real…"

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

 She played it off as a joke, but has she already realized at her age that this country is being manipulated by the Balfont family? Even if not, she must sense something is off. That’s probably why she’s been wandering around and ended up stumbling upon Bellanna’s trading scene.

Right now, she’s like this, but in the future, she’ll gather a large amount of  followers  and build a significant force. Her sense of justice might be spinning its wheels now, but she’ll eventually realize what truly matters. Letitia, as the protagonist, will face numerous hardships and grow stronger in both body and mind. Secretly, I want to see that growth.

But if that happens, my death flag will be raised. This is really troubling. I need to find a way to  handle this situation smoothly.

"But you’re in no position to be checking on peace. You’re weak right now."

"Wha—! How rude! I can  take  care of myself!"

"You should head back. I’ll escort you to the castle."

"You’re taking me to the castle!? Why would you do that?"

"Someone dressed like you can’t possibly be a commoner."

It was a painfully awkward excuse, but I think I pulled it off, right? The Balfont family has little interaction with royalty or nobles aside from my father and mother. The head of the family, Leorg, makes sure to keep the family’s structure mostly hidden.

There’s not much that’s worth revealing, after all. It does make things easier for work.

"Alphiss -sama , are you really going to escort her?"

"It wouldn’t be good if a member of the royal family died here. There might be other  people lurking around, so keep an eye out."

"Yes, ."

With Lushiel  keeping watch from above, I decided to escort the princess back to the castle. Letitia remained silent the entire time. Probably caught between her pride and the situation she’s in, she couldn’t properly express her emotions. I didn’t say a word either, trudging through the royal capital at night. The silence was broken by the demon from the cursed sword.

"Alphiss , surely you’re not satisfied with just cutting down small fry like that?"

"Of course not. I won’t call them weaklings, but it wasn’t enough for me."

Letitia was left speechless by the appearance of the demon god. She’s had way too many experiences in one night—it’s almost pitiful. Well, as the protagonist, she’ll have to overcome this.

"Wh-what is that!?"

"How rude, little girl. Have you not heard of the demon god Hiyori, who resides within the Disparaged Blade?"

"D-d-demon god!? You can’t mean the one who served the emperor of the ancient Eldia Empire… No, that can’t be…"

"Ah, those were the days."

The princess is totally freaking out. The demon god’s name sounds Japanese, probably just the developers’ preference. No deep meaning there.

"The Disparaged Blade… I had no idea the Balfont family possessed something like that… Do the others also have such ancient relics?"

" We are not here to talk about my family."

"The Balfont family… I knew they were  warped in mystery, but…"

"Should I stop you there?"

When I muttered that, Letitia fell silent. Guess I hit a nerve.

"The Balfont family practically rules this country. You’ve seen the corruption within the nation with your own eyes, haven’t you?"

"That’s… So, you’re complicit in that rule?"

"For now."

"For now?"

I stepped in front of Letitia. Standing before her, I raised the cursed sword to the sky and looked her straight in the eye.

"I will eventually surpass my family. To do that, I’ll stop at nothing. This is my justice."

That’s right. If I think about my ultimate goal, my family is just a stepping stone. They’re nothing more than bosses character  in the story. But even so, they’re among the most powerful in this country.

This is my honest thought, and I believe it’s something I should convey to Letitia. I don’t want to die. But even so, I’m not going to try to win her favor to spare me. If I continue to grow stronger, Letitia might one day become a wall I have to overcome.

As the protagonist, I want Letitia to remain strong. And I’ll continue to grow stronger myself.

"Believe in your own justice. If your justice conflicts with mine, I won’t hold back when the time comes."

Letitia seemed deep in thought. This continued until we neared the castle. Getting too close would risk being spotted by the guards, so I decided to part ways with her at a distance.

"This is as far as I go."

"Wait!"

Finally, Letitia spoke up.

"Thank you for escorting me—no, for saving me."

"You might regret what happened today, but don’t let it break you. You lost today, but today’s defeat is tomorrow’s victory. That’s how you’ll grow stronger."

"Y-yes!"

She responded so earnestly. I thought she’d rebel against me, given her personality.

"I’ll never forget what happened today! Goodbye, Alphiss  !"

With her face flushed, Letitia waved goodbye to me. Lord Alphius? I don’t remember her being the type to add honorifics like that. But I guess it’s possible since the game hasn’t even started yet.

Finally, Lushiel  descended to the ground.

"Lushiel  ,good work."

"She’s got potential, don’t you think?"

"She’s still green, though."

I’m glad it didn’t turn into an argument. After all, I still have things I need to do. With that, I started walking in the direction of the Demaseka family’s estate.