The Villain Wants to Change Genres

Chapter 84

It seems I’m being punished for trying to deceive Luwen. The heat I thought was just my imagination intensified, and when I put my hand on my forehead, I felt a fever.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve done well to hold out until now.’

It was good that I decided to enter the academy, but until departure, I had to prepare and educate about estate management, which further reduced my already insufficient sleep time. The carriage was comfortable and nice, but not as much as my room, so fatigue continued to accumulate, and I couldn’t rest properly even after arriving at the mansion.

I thought I’d be able to sleep properly after getting peace of mind by secretly watching Luwen at the academy, but that was limited to weekends. Moreover, now that I’m wrapped up in an absurd rumor and even pretending to study, it seems I’ve reached my physical limit.

‘Maybe I should have rested when I got a nosebleed.’

This was the result of being careless just because I seemed fine at the moment.

‘But I think I can hold out until today somehow.’

I’m not sure what will happen after I part with Luwen and return to the dormitory, but for now, it should be fine. The image of collapsing while attending lectures with an ailing body seems good too. Is there anything better to show the concept of studying excessively?

‘It’s even better because I’m actually sick, so they can’t accuse me of putting on a show.’

I grinned and picked up some salad to eat. I needed energy to move around today, so I had to eat even if I didn’t feel like it.

“I’m sorry. I was delayed because the vice-captain of the knights caught me.”

Luwen returned with an embarrassed face. Seeing that he couldn’t even make eye contact, probably feeling sorry for leaving me alone, I thought at least he cared.

“It’s okay. The appetizer just arrived, so I was enjoying the view outside while eating.”

“Outside?”

Luwen, sitting across from me, peered out the window. He seemed curious about why I kept looking outside.

“Yes. It’s fun to watch people.”

“Ah… Then you weren’t looking at the Honorary Duke earlier?”

“Earlier? I did see him earlier. By the way, when is the Honorary Duke leaving?”

Since we entered the restaurant around the same time, we might run into him if we’re unlucky. I asked, thinking I’d hurry if he was a leisurely eater, or take my time if he ate quickly.

“They eat quickly, so they’ll probably leave before us.”

Somehow, Luwen’s voice sounded stiff. It seems like he’s upset about something, but I don’t know why. Did the vice-captain say something unpleasant?

I examined Luwen’s face while crunching on the salad. Our eyes met briefly, and I thought I saw a flash of guilt or self-loathing.

‘What’s this? Why is he like that?’

He said he was caught by the vice-captain, could he have been bullied? If so, I can’t leave it alone. Just as I was about to open my mouth to confirm, Luwen spoke first.

“Please eat slowly.”

“Huh? Oh. I was planning to.”

He told me to eat slowly, but Luwen emptied his salad plate in just a few forks. When I tried to move some of my salad to his plate, he pushed the plate away completely.

“I’m fine. When you finish everything, I’ll order the main course.”

Right. Luwen prefers meat over greens. We ordered a lot of different things, so there’s no need to add salad on top of that.

“Okay. By the way, what kind of person is the vice-captain?”

“He’s a natural storyteller. When you talk with him, time flies by so enjoyably, but today it was inconvenient…”

Seeing him answer while checking my reaction, my misunderstanding was quickly resolved. He probably felt guilty for making me wait for a long time.

‘Of course. How much does Luwen follow me? There’s no way he’d neglect me on purpose. But why did I think so negatively earlier?’

If I had thought calmly, I would have realized there was another reason, but I was consumed by negative thoughts. Was it because I wasn’t feeling well? When the body is tired, it becomes difficult to think positively.

“No, I was fine. You don’t have to feel sorry.”

I grinned and stuffed the last of the salad into my mouth. I liked that it wasn’t burdensome to eat it all since the portion was small. It was fresh and tangy, and enjoyable to chew.

After confirming that I had emptied the plate, Luwen called for the main course to be brought out. I thought it would be small this time too, but an enormous whole salmon came out.

“…Just in case, you’re not expecting me to eat all of this alone, right?”

I asked in shock, feeling intimidated even though it was just a dish. Luwen burst out laughing.

“Of course, I’ll eat too. This much.”

He cut exactly half with his knife.

“Won’t you reconsider? If I eat all of this, I’ll be so full I won’t be able to move. Don’t you want to eat a bit more?”

“Then how about this much?”

Luwen cut off a tiny portion from the tail end.

…There’s no helping it. When it’s time to take action, you have to do it. I immediately picked up my knife and cut my portion of salmon in half.

“This is still too much for me.”

“Please eat more.”

“This isn’t the end, right? Isn’t there more coming? I saw dessert too.”

“Then you’ll eat all the dishes that come after this.”

…Huh? Somehow, it feels like I’ve reached a point where I should agree. Did I just get led on by Luwen? This is strange, I usually feel like I’m holding back every time we eat together…

“Umm. I’ll try my best.”

But I didn’t want to have a battle of wills with Luwen over just eating, so I gave him the answer he wanted and put a piece of salmon in my mouth.

The salmon was more delicious than I expected. The fishy smell was masked with spices, the flesh was tender, and it was seasoned just right, giving it a sophisticated taste. Just like eating in a modern restaurant.

‘No wonder it’s popular.’

It was a revolutionary taste that’s hard to experience in this world, to the point where I wondered if someone like me had reincarnated and was living quietly. I started to see Cromwell, who found this restaurant, in a new light.

“It’s really delicious. How did the Honorary Duke find a restaurant like this?”

“I haven’t heard about that either. If you’re curious, should I check next time?”

“No, that’s not necessary. I was just curious. He didn’t seem like a gourmet.”

It’s not right to judge based on appearance alone, but a person’s attire and atmosphere reveal quite a bit about their tendencies. However, Cromwell didn’t look like someone who eats fussily.

“You’re right about that. I often saw him making do with jerky and hard bread during subjugation periods. If anything, the quality of the subjugation team’s meals seemed better than the Honorary Duke’s.”

“Really? He wouldn’t do that without reason. Do you know what he did after eating?”

“…He went around the camp encouraging the troops.”

How do only good stories keep coming out?

‘Cromwell. Cromwell…’

At this point, I started to think that if a war broke out, it might be better to entrust Luwen to Cromwell.

Just from what I’ve heard so far, he doesn’t seem like the type to recklessly charge in relying only on his own abilities. The meaning of looking after not just the knights but the entire subjugation team was probably to increase loyalty, boost morale, and improve efficiency.

‘Whether he did it consciously or not, the result is the same.’

If he did it on purpose, it means he’s a smart strategist, and if not, it means he values human life regardless of social status. There’s no need to look after and encourage people unless it’s to achieve maximum results with minimum casualties.

‘When the gardener arrives, I should assign him to investigate Cromwell.’

If I get to know in detail what kind of person he is, I might recall the ending from the original story. Even if there’s no mention of it, I can at least decide whether it’s okay to entrust Luwen to him.

If Luwen can be in a safe place just until the war ends, I only need to look after Irene’s safety. I’ll bring him back afterwards. If I think of it as temporarily evacuating him, there’s nothing I can’t entrust.

“How is he in battle? Is he the type to charge ahead? Or the type to observe the situation from behind?”

“…”

Huh? What’s this? Why did he suddenly lose energy?

Although he’s trying to maintain a poker face, for some reason he looks dejected. Wondering if I made a mistake again, I tried to recall our recent conversation, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything notable.

“Luwen?”

“Young master…”

“Yes?”

Luwen’s gaze dropped. His tightly closed lips didn’t seem likely to open, as if it was difficult to say.

“You can say anything, it’s okay.”

“The Honorary Duke…”

Luwen, who had been hesitating and only moving his lips, spoke painfully as if he had given up on something.

“Did you want me to introduce him to you?”