The Genius Villain Dies Tomorrow

Rian got back to the side manor without much of a hassle.

The only thing he got was a surprised look from all the knights that had probably all been bribed as Alicia pushed him right back the way they came.

But instead of returning to his room, Rian decided to visit the unused office at the side manor. It had once belonged to Cordelia Rosenheim, Rian’s mother, as well as the Duke’s second wife.

The side manor itself had been constructed at her insistence. While she was alive, Cordelia had spent most of her time here with her two children, away from the rest of the Rosenheim family.

And if the original novel was correct, she had left more than memories behind.

Rian felt slightly guilty about taking advantage of a dead woman’s secrets. However, guilt wasn’t going to keep him alive.

The door to the room was locked precisely for that reason. Before they left, Alicia had retrieved the key Rian kept hidden among his belongings.

She inserted it into the lock, and with a sharp click—

The door opened, revealing the secrets hidden within that no one had dared to touch.

The entire room was filled with a softer blue motif, yet much of it had been covered in dust and webs. At least Rian knew that no one had entered from the fact, because this amount of dust would’ve given away an intruder already.

’Strange... Even Elaine hasn’t entered?’

Then again, his sister spent most of her time in the capital, struggling to preserve what little remained of Cordelia’s political faction.

Slowly, Alicia pushed Rian inside and closed the door behind. After confirming that there were no unruly spectators, Rian simply stood up and took a look at the room.

He didn’t know exactly what he was looking for, not really.

In the original novel, the side manor had barely been mentioned after Rian’s death. From that point onward, House Rosenheim’s storyline shifted toward its internal power struggle between Elaine and the First Lady’s three children.

Elaine eventually inherited everything Cordelia left behind, but by then, the First Lady had already taken most of it for herself.

Rian carefully made his way through the office, trying not to disturb the room any more than time already had.

Despite years of neglect, everything remained quite orderly. Books were arranged by subject along the shelves, while stacks of documents sat nearly within wooden trays upon the desk.

"Young Master," Alicia followed closely behind him. "What exactly are you hoping to find in the Second Lady’s office?"

"Anything I can use as an excuse," Rian answered simply. "My plan is to stay healthy but not much of a threat in the others’ eyes just yet."

"And to do that," something amongst the shelves caught his eyes. "I need some kind of plausible excuse. An absolute backing that the others can’t question."

Rian reached up and pulled the thing half-hidden behind several aging books. Dust scattered from its surface, forcing him to turn his head as he suppressed a cough.

Once the air cleared, he wiped the glass with his sleeve, only to find out that it was some kind of certificate.

Its parchment had yellowed around the edges, but the silver emblem stamped across the top remained unmistakable...

The official seal of the Blue Magic Tower.

Rian’s eyes moved toward the name written just beneath it—

Cordelia Rosenheim, First Seat of the Seventy-Third Ascension Class.

The novel had mentioned that Cordelia was an exceptional mage. It was the entire reason Rian had inherited such an absurd sensitivity to mana.

’But maybe...there was more going on?’

Rian thought as he looked behind the books to find even more frames.

One commemorated Cordelia’s contribution to a new branch of restorative magic. Another recognized her as the youngest mage of her generation to reach the Tower’s upper floors. Medals, commendations, research awards...each one bore the same silver seal.

"Why were these placed back here?" Rian asked.

Alicia examined the certificates over his shoulder. "The First Lady ordered everything belonging to the Second Lady removed from display after her funeral."

"Huh..." He muttered, pulling out the final frame.

Unlike the other formal certificates, this one looked much more personal. It was actually a picture, depicting a younger Cordelia standing beside a man who appeared to be in his forties.

He had a neatly groomed goatee and long hair tied behind his head. One hand rested upon Cordelia’s shoulder while she held a silver trophy against her chest.

Rian recognized him. Even more than two decades later, the man’s appearance had hardly changed.

’Aldrich Eis, the Tower Master...’

Along the bottom of the photograph, a short message had been written with meticulous care:

"To Cordelia—the Tower will always welcome its brightest disciple."

Rian stared at those words.

He knew she was of esteemed upbringing, but never thought that she would have such a close connection. Rian slowly smiled, realizing that this could be used to his full advantage.

More importantly, it was precisely Aldrich who had diagnosed Rian’s curse. If the Tower Master could be persuaded to reconsider, then no one in Rosenheim would dare question Rian’s recovery.

But before he could consider it further, Alicia’s voice rang out from the other side of the room, next to the office table where she had been dusting.

"Young Master, I found something."

"What is it?"

"I’m not certain."

She held up a small brass key.

Unlike the other keys they had found inside the desk, this one was remarkably ornate. A tiny golden lion had been engraved into its bow.

Rian had recognized that lion as well. It belonged to another important noble house within the novel...

House Lowenhardt.

"Where did you find that?"

Alicia pointed beneath the desk. "There was a hidden compartment behind the lowest drawer."

Rian took the key from her and examined it more closely.

"Is there anything here that it could open?"

"Nothing within the desk."

His gaze moved across the room.

There were three cabinets against the wall, but their locks were far too large for such a delicate key. The bookcases offered nothing obvious either.

Then he noticed the painting hanging directly behind Cordelia’s chair.

It depicted a garden beneath a pale-blue sky, with a single woman standing beside a bed of white roses. There was nothing particularly unusual about it...except for the fact that it hung slightly crooked.

Rian approached it and lifted the frame, finding a small iron safe that he proceeded to open with the key.

Yet inside, there were no coins, jewels, or emergency funds at all. Instead, a small basket lay inside, containing only a few documents and a small box.

’Well, that’s disappointing...’

But the more Rian looked at the basket, the more he realized how the pieces clicked together. He had forgotten this obscure piece of information because it was only mentioned once in the game.

The key with a lion motif...the basket hidden within the iron safe.

It could only be one thing.

A bride price.

’That’s right...!’

Rian might’ve looked like he had nothing, but there was one thing that kept the others from haphazardly messing with him.

His engagement to the only daughter of House Lowenhardt—

Charlotte Lowenhardt.

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