“Waaaah, the wicked privileged class! This is just too juicy!”
Mu’en seethed internally at the luxurious corruption of the aristocracy while gracefully enjoying tonight’s dinner, relying on the muscle memory of his original host.
Dinner was just steak paired with some ancient wine that probably had a few centuries under its belt.
But—
It tasted absolutely heavenly!
Mu’en swore he’d never had steak this delicious in his entire life.
The meaty aroma wafted through the air, the rich fats melted away on his tongue.
The incredibly expensive so-called “top-tier steak” he had once splurged on in that fancy restaurant from his last life? It was barely worthy of being a plate warmer compared to this!
Waaah, how could it be this good?
What should I do? I suddenly find myself a bit reluctant to let go of this identity!
“What’s wrong? Our little Mu’en seems unusually happy today.”
Across the table, a refined and elegant lady, wiping her mouth with a white napkin, asked with a smile:
“Did you encounter something joyful?”
“Ha ha, he’s definitely looking forward to tomorrow’s coming-of-age banquet!”
Seated in the foremost position beside the lady, a man with a majestic beard like a lion’s mane and a naturally authoritative look chuckled:
“After all, that banquet is one of the most important events in Mu’en’s life!”
“…Yes, dear father and mother, I am indeed looking forward to it,” Mu’en replied with a bright sunshine smile, while also raising his inner guard.
The two people before him were none other than Mu’en Campbell’s biological parents.
Duke Long En Campbell, one of the four dukes of the Leopold Empire, and his wife, the former marquise, Noyas Campbell.
Despite the Campbell family’s high status, they had only one son, Mu’en, which naturally led to them pampering him to an extreme degree.
You could say that the tragic fate awaiting Mu’en Campbell was largely attributable to their overindulgent love.
But because of this, Mu’en had to tread carefully, ensuring that his overly doting parents didn’t catch on.
After all, he still needed to rely on this loving duke and duchess to plead for him. If there wasn’t a royal decree stating that he couldn’t be pursued, he feared that he might find himself chopped to bits on the very next day he became a commoner!
However, it seemed he was overly cautious; with the memories of the original host flooding in, and the lingering instincts accumulated over a decade in this body, his every move gave no hint of any unusual behavior.
“Tomorrow, my son will be the center of attention at the banquet; I don’t even know how many noble ladies he’s going to charm!”
The gentle and virtuous Noyas clasped her hands together, eyes shining with expectation as she viewed her little Mu’en as the perfect existence.
“Ha ha, that won’t do! He has a fiancée! If Princess Celicia sees him, she might get jealous!” Duke Campbell, usually serious, couldn’t help teasing after a sip of wine.
“Hmph! I don’t like that Princess Celicia; she’s so cold, how could she be worthy of our little Mu’en?”
“Eh, if Princess Celicia isn’t worthy, then no one is. But I do agree on one point: Mu’en, you should bring back a few more young ladies to expand the Campbell lineage. As for the King, I can take care of that! Hee hee, with my son’s talents, it should be a piece of cake, ha ha ha…”
“…”
Watching his doting parents boast about him, even Mu’en felt a bit shy.
As expected, excessive love can blind people’s vision, making them see only what they want to see.
Who is Princess Celicia? The third princess of the empire, the pure child blessed by the gods, known as the Ice Witch, and one of the leading candidates for the most beautiful woman in the empire.
In the original story, Celicia charmed a whole crowd thanks to her perfect appearance, cold demeanor, and unexpected warmth, making her one of Mu’en’s favorite characters – definitely not someone he could measure up to!
“Things unattainable should remain that way.”
“I will let everything return to the right track.”
“Celicia will find love with the protagonist and attain true happiness.”
“Even as a humble villain, I will survive!”
Mu’en made another silent vow.
…
After dinner and bidding farewell to the duke and duchess, Mu’en prepared to step out.
That was when he collided headfirst with a maid coming around the corner.
“Ah! I’m so sorry, Young Master Mu’en… It was my fault…”
Tea splashed onto Mu’en’s luxurious attire, leaving a large crimson stain. The maid, seeing this, turned pale, frantically pulling out her handkerchief to clean the mess, only making the tea stains more pronounced.
Her expression turned even worse, and she dropped to her knees, begging for mercy.
“Please spare me, Young Master Mu’en! I-I… it was an accident! I won’t do it again… please don’t hit me or strip me and throw me into the street…”
“…”
Facing the trembling maid, Mu’en was at a loss for words.
In your eyes, do I look like that cold-hearted, evil guy?
Well, actually, if it were the original Mu’en Campbell, he probably would have pulled such stunts!
“It’s just a small issue; no need to worry. Please get up,” Mu’en bent down to help the kneeling maid up.
“I won’t punish you.”
“Eh?”
The maid looked stunned, as if she couldn’t comprehend that the Young Master, who usually lashed out at his subordinates, was being so kind today.
Mu’en flashed a gentle smile, his handsome features leaving the maid momentarily spellbound.
Of course he was being kind! He wasn’t the old, wicked Mu’en anymore!
And he was about to become a commoner, so he thought it wise to keep the hatred meter low right about now.
Especially since he knew he might end up chopped to bits.
What if his past misdeeds made even the maid, who was closest to him, harbor resentment, and things took a dark turn?
“By the way, are you alright?”
Mu’en scrutinized the maid, sensing something off about her.
Her face was flushed, even though she had just been startled.
“Could it be that you’re sick?”
Without warning, Mu’en placed his hand on the maid’s forehead. The sudden gesture left the maid dumbstruck, standing frozen like a rock.
“Indeed…”
Her forehead was burning up.
The maids of the duke’s mansion were usually well-trained, it was likely her making such a rookie mistake was due to illness.
Gazing at the flustered maid, Mu’en said sternly:
“Why aren’t you resting if you’re this sick?”
“B-because tomorrow is your coming-of-age banquet, and the mansion is short on staff…”
“That doesn’t mean you should work while sick!”
Mu’en scolded her seriously, but rather than shrinking in fear at his reprimand, the maid’s expression brightened with wide, blinking eyes, as if stuck in a dream.
“An.”
“Yes?”
“Arrange for her… by the way, what’s your name?”
“I… I’m Noel.”
“Okay, arrange for Noel to rest.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
An respectfully acknowledged the order.
“However, Young Master Mu’en, what Noel just said wasn’t false; there’s a serious shortage of staff for your banquet tomorrow, and each maid has her assigned duties. If she rests, it will add quite a burden to the other maids.”
“Then hire some help from outside! This vast duke’s mansion can’t afford not to pay anyone, right?”
“…Yes, I will convey this order to the head maid.”
An turned to leave. She needed to communicate this order to the head maid ASAP, since the banquet arrangements fell under her purview.
“Ah, wait, An.”
“Is there anything else, Young Master Mu’en?”
“…Never mind, it’s nothing. You can go back to your work.”
“…”
An showed a slight hint of confusion but quickly masked it.
“Yes, I shall take my leave.”
“Phew.”
Watching An’s retreating figure, Mu’en sighed lightly.
He had initially called her back to ask her to procure an important item for this incident—sleeping potions.
After all, in the original storyline, An was tasked with that job.
But after contemplating, he decided against it.
Though it wasn’t mentioned in the original, as a co-conspirator in the princess’s downslide, An would inevitably face repercussions and punishment.
Yet this time, it was a conclusion that belonged solely to Mu’en.
There was no need to risk an unrelated life.
“Sigh.”
Reflecting on this, Mu’en couldn’t help but chuckle at himself:
“Who would have thought that I, who’ve never even killed a chicken in my life, would ever contemplate doing something so dastardly to an innocent girl?”
“Well, at least this will be a doomed operation.”
