"I want to apologize for what Lord Cain did."
A little while after Cain and Agris's wedding, I was summoned by Agris.
At the Vermilion mansion's café terrace, Agris and I sat facing each other at a round table, drinking fragrant black tea.
This must be Agris's taste—there was no way Cain could have picked something like this.
For the record, I had renounced my noble title, so I didn't attend the ceremony.
Not that I had any intention of going in the first place.
Lord Geese had told me I could return to the Vermilion family or even establish a new noble house, but I politely declined.
I'd talked it over with Sophia too, but thanks to our past-life sensibilities, neither of us could bring ourselves to become nobles.
Besides, there was no way I'd ever go back to the Vermilion family, and a noble house headed by a guy with a trash-tier skill was never going to be treated with any respect.
"Don't worry about it, sister-in-law."
There had been all sorts of trouble with Cain, but that was all before he married Agris, so it had nothing to do with her now.
"There's nothing for you to apologize for. And as for Cain, I've already made my peace with him."
He had lost the father he deeply admired (though I couldn't respect the man at all), and was forced into a marriage with a woman he had absolutely no interest in.
On top of that, his slave collar made it impossible for him to even cheat.
"I have... decided to accept everything about him. His past included. Nobles are all tangled up in sordid affairs and mired in filth, no matter where you look."
Agris gazed off into the distance with a wistful expression.
Yeah, that's true.
Actually...
"Sister-in-law, forgive me for saying so, but I honestly always thought you were just a sheltered lady who spent all her time indulging in hobbies."
"I was educated as a daughter of a count's household too. But there was a time when I didn't want to see the ugly side of things, so I escaped into creative writing. There are rumors from that period, so I can't really complain"
So it's BL.
Well, as long as she's not causing trouble for anyone else, it's probably fine.
"So, how is... how is Cain doing now?"
"He's receiving education from my father on how to be a noble house head, and when that's done, he swings his sword in the training grounds every day"
Wow, how diligent.
Cain's a pain, but he undeniably inherited his father's talent with the sword.
He'll probably become a Sword Saint.
"Hehe, Lord Cain trains to his absolute limit so he can use exhaustion from our nights together as an excuse. Thanks to that, he now has the Sword Fighter skill"
The Sword Fighter skill is one tier below the Sword Master skill Cain once had.
He lost all his sword-related skills, and yet in this short time he's climbed from zero all the way there? Does he really hate it that much?
"Well, even if a gentleman says he's not interested, things still build up. In the end, he releases it all on me. Especially when I use my mouth on him, he gets all eager..."
Ah, ah, I can't hear, I can't hear.
"Still, what's so great about him anyway... he's just a pretty face."
I'd set Agris up with Cain as a way to get back at him, so if Agris learned his true nature and wanted to break things off, I was considering some way to get her out of it.
There's a lot you can't know without living together, after all.
"Lord Cain is genuinely handsome and exactly my type, so I'm perfectly happy"
She really doesn't waver on that, does she.
"Besides, there are plenty of gentlemen out there with both ugly faces and ugly personalities"
Apparently, Agris was doted on by her father and had been lined up with a great number of marriage candidates.
So she must have seen plenty of those kinds of men too, huh.
"I can't forgive Cain being with anyone other than me, but the collar prevents that anyway. That's more than enough for me right now. Thanks, Alan-kun. All he needs is to gradually improve his personality."
"Can you really do that?"
"As a margravine's wife, I can hardly fail at it. My own father is completely under my mother's thumb, you know. He doesn't seem to have noticed a thing."
That's terrifying.
"Since Cain is so dashing, plenty of women still pursue him even though he's married. And I still get told I'm not good enough for him, or whatever."
"That's..."
"But you know, I have plenty of allies too. Heheh, they really were right to say 'cultivated arts come to your aid.' It started as a hobby for escapism, but you never know how things will work out in this world."
Ah, so she's got BL friends.
Plenty of noble ladies share this hidden hobby, I see.
"Sister-in-law, want me to reverse your appearance with my power?"
"I'll pass. I wouldn't mind dieting or wearing makeup for Cain's sake, but if I did that, I wouldn't be me anymore."
"Sorry, sister-in-law. I spoke out of turn."
"It's fine."
So even my [Reverse] has its limits.
"Oh, by the way, Alan-kun."
Agris's eyes lit up.
"What is it?"
"Would you mind if I wrote a story about forbidden brotherly love with Cain and you as the model? The brothers who overcame their past rivalry eventually..."
"Absolutely not."
You won't budge on that either.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Later, Aralan received a whole bunch of personally signed books from Agris (not that he wanted them).
Thank you as always for reading!
This is a story set after the end of Part One.
Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Phantom Thief Gentleman] [Dark Magic] [Rock-Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Blazing Magic] [Freezing Magic] [Magic Hand] [Seduction] [Pain Dulling] [Complete Status Ailment Resistance] [Dark Spirit's Protection] [Berserker Strength] [Thunder God Sword] [Fortune] [Clear Sky Magic] [Master Summon] [Heaven's Gate] [Eloquence] [Truth Seeker] [Abyss Whisper] [Super Intuition] [Spear God] [Fist God]
Rank: Orichalcum
*Skill configuration based on the book edition.
◆Tomorrow (5/25) — Volume 2 of the manga goes on sale!
My loser skill awakened, so I'm reversing my oppressed past into a life of freedom! (2)
Manga: Maenabe You
Original Story: Kimagure
Character Design: Kōya
A spectacular life reversal from rock bottom!! A thrilling revenge fantasy!
Having reversed countless incompatible skills, Aralan obtained the ultimate power.
The approaching stampede, the eldest son of his family who seeks the title of "Dragon Slayer" through foul means, the corrupt nobles who commit every manner of evil, those who once looked down on him as trash... He ruthlessly smashes them all into the depths of despair.
Settling the grudges of his past with his extraordinary power, he seeks new strength and sets foot in the royal capital—but an unexpected "reunion" awaits him there...
The dark fantasy of rebellion, a tale of karmic retribution—Volume 2!
(From the Kadokawa Ace Comics introduction page)
The book edition is also currently on sale!