I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 75: The Prince’s Torment [Ernest’s Side]

In the territory of the Taleraan Margraviate, the third knight division led by Knight Commander Vandière of the Vandière Knights prevented Stampede beforehand.

Since the day when such reports reached me, the life of mine, the crown prince of the Rafios Kingdom, began to distort.

First, His Majesty the King, my father, proposed to ennoble Vandière. Having observed his actions since our academy days, I opposed them, but upon reconsideration, Father decided to offer him just rewards, which relieved me.

From our first meeting, Vandière seemed to harbor hostility toward me, often picking fights for no apparent reason, leading to frequent confrontations. Even with his already arrogant behavior, granting him a title would make him even more difficult to deal with, I foresaw.

In fact, my fiancée, Diane, has been troubled by him since our academy days, but as equals among noble children, she could firmly refuse him. However, if he were to hold a title, Diane, not yet a member of the royal family, would find it difficult to stand firm in her position as my fiancée.

Despite my concerns, upon returning to the capital after a long absence, I was surprised to see Vandière, who had previously directed obvious malice toward me, not displaying such hostility anymore. Yet, it must be an act before Father, the King. When I heard the report that he returned to the capital with a stone supposedly containing a fragment of a malevolent god, I contacted the High Priest, who also dislikes Vandière like I do, to request an appraisal.

However, the High Priest affirmed that the fragment was genuine. Thus, it was proven that he did indeed prevent Stampede beforehand. Furthermore, Vandière claimed that the credit belonged to his subordinates, not himself. Previously, he would have undoubtedly boasted proudly, even if it were his subordinates’ achievement.

Certainly, the reports from the Margraviate of Taleraan addressed to Father mentioned that Vandière, the Knight Commander, had changed. It seems Diane received a similar letter. However, I was convinced that it was just an act to deceive us. Even if he gained our trust, he would surely harass Diane again.

On that day, immediately after Vandière and his vice-commander left the audience hall after being invited to dinner, I noticed him grabbing a maid’s hand in the salon. I had heard that he sometimes unfairly advances on maids or young ladies. I rushed into the salon and separated Vandière from the maid.

“Um, Your Highness…”

“Don’t worry, now that I’m here, everything will be alright.”

I smiled reassuringly at the hesitant maid. However, when Vandière looked at me, he twisted his mouth as if mocking me.

“What’s so funny!?”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice in anger at his unrepentant attitude. Normally, he would have made a sarcastic remark while glaring at me, but for some reason, he calmly and impartially expressed his opinion to me.

“No, I just thought that rulers who don’t listen to others won’t have a future… Ignoring others’ opinions, being self-righteous, refusing to hear inconvenient truths – kings who fulfill these conditions are called dictators, you know? It’s important to verify your judgment of the situation; acting based on assumptions can lead to irreversible consequences.”

Even afterward, he continued to assert how wrong I was and kindly spoke to the maid, saying that my manner of speaking was forcing her to give the answer I desired. Though I admit there’s some truth to what he said, even my close aides, who would usually agree with my opinions, were speechless in response.

If you only look at the present moment, Vandière is the one speaking sense. But things are as they are, and he must be up to something. He declared that he would continue to watch over us as he left the salon.

Why? Why has Vandière changed so drastically!? The situation just now felt like a complete reversal of our positions, and I was shaken by a sense of fear. And to add insult to injury, something happened just before the evening meal on that day.

Diane’s maid was holding Vandière’s coat, which I had just seen him wearing. There’s no way he would lend his coat to a maid, so it must mean Diane borrowed it. Indeed, at the dining hall, Diane was thanking Vandière.

I was shocked by this sight as if I had been punched in the head. Vandière, whom I had despised so much, was showing a genuine smile, not just on the surface. Throughout dinner, Vandière was the center of attention, and everyone, including my parents, seemed to have a favorable impression of him.

The topic of bestowing the title, which I had opposed so strongly, came up again from Father. However, just like in the audience hall, he declined, saying the credit belonged to his subordinates. He might fool everyone else, but I won’t be deceived. People’s true nature doesn’t change so easily.

For eight years since that day when I entered the academy at the age of twelve, I’ve been interfered with and harassed countless times. Seeing everyone talk with smiles as if they had forgotten the old Vandière, I felt an urgency to act quickly.

At that moment, a report came in that Diane and her maid were almost kidnapped. Simultaneously, information from the High Priest arrived, along with evidence, stating that Vandière was present at the scene… Diane insisted Vandière wasn’t the culprit, but it’s clearly a setup to gain favor through deception.

For the sake of Diane’s protection in the future, it was necessary for her to disappear from the royal castle at this opportunity. So, without conclusive evidence, I brought the case to trial. Although I regretted having to confine Diane to prevent interference, she should have been properly informed rather than attempting reckless escapes.

Ultimately, I was the one deceived regarding the abduction, and it wasn’t until the trial ended that I realized Diane had been telling the truth. What awaited me afterward were lectures from my parents and a life of confinement.

Since the trial and apology acceptance, Diane started behaving strangely formal toward me. Could it be that Vandière had calculated his actions this far? At that time, I seriously believed I had fallen into Vandière’s trap.

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The struggles of the floundering Crown Prince continue. Will it all end next time?