Episode 2: The Reply to the Letter Is Too Polite
-Side William-
“First of all, the reply to the letter is just too polite, you know.”
Rumors say there’s a despicable villainous heir at Royal Herbridge Academy. With his handsome face, black hair, and eyes, he’s academically excellent, but he’s tall and intimidating, giving people the cold shoulder. He’s none other than Sieghardt, the legitimate son of the infamous Desmond Duke family, a family plagued with unsavory rumors. He’s my friend, Sieghardt.
…Well, I’ll soon find out that rumors are just rumors.
His sincerity, which he can’t hide, is evident in the letter. A smile unconsciously creeps onto my face.
“William, how did your reply to Sieghardt-sama’s letter go?”
“Oh, Henry. I’ve decided to help him. It seems like the right thing to do.”
My name is William. I’m technically the second prince of this country. Right now, I’m having tea in the student council room at this Royal Herbridge Academy during a break from my duties as the student council president.
Recently, my friend Sieghardt hinted that he’s somehow managing to exile his father, Poche Desmond. So, I sent him a letter offering my support.
By the way, the person next to me is my bodyguard, Henry. He’s a red-haired, somewhat laid-back-looking knight.
“But still, the person we’re dealing with is the notorious Sieghardt-sama of the Desmond Duke family, right? Don’t you think that if you keep communicating with him intimately, it might create misunderstandings among various nobles?”
“Hahaha…! You might have a point there.”
“Then…!”
“But, you see, I don’t think he’s a bad person at all.”
“Why?”
“Look at this, his reply to the letter.”
Saying that, I show him the letter. It’s written like a well-experienced professional, with a business-like tone that’s almost too formal. I used to think he was a hopeless wimp, but sending something like this makes it ridiculous to doubt him now.
“…His handwriting is unbelievably good. And the reply is so polite. No, perhaps too polite? You can sense his culture not just from the format of the text but also from the content.”
Henry looks a bit surprised as he examines the letter. Heh heh, that’s right, isn’t it? His handwriting is elegant and extraordinarily skillful. Nowadays, even palace officials probably can’t write as neatly as him. His sophistication and witty writing style make reading his letters a learning experience for me as well.
“Isn’t it? He hides his wimpy side at the academy, projecting a scary villainous aura to avoid being underestimated by others. But in reality, he’s very sincere and a good guy. Unfortunately, it shows in his writing.”
“I see, I didn’t have that impression at all. But now that you mention it, every time I read this letter, I feel like there’s an undeniable aura of a good person that can’t be concealed. Haha…! A villainous heir with overly polite writing is something I’ve never heard of in a story before.”
“He claimed he didn’t know about this incident at all, and we’ve already confirmed that to some extent, his father Poche was the one behind it. He’s as serious as it gets, and given that the Desmond Duke family has managed to cover up this matter, I thought it would be best to exile Poche quietly without bringing it to light. Honestly, the economic and military power of the Desmond family is too valuable even for the royal family.”
“While it’s undeniable that their leader was involved in human trafficking, dismantling that family would have a massive impact on the common people. Therefore, I believe the most peaceful solution is to make their leader someone as sincere and serious as him. To achieve that, I’d like to somehow change his reputation as a villainous heir, but it seems like he’s willingly embracing that role. He even refers to himself as ore-sama (a way of asserting oneself in a bold or conceited manner) and sometimes it feels like he’s deliberately altering his voice. For a supposedly deep-voiced man, his voice is somewhat higher… Hmm, it’s puzzling.”
“I see… Given his current reputation, when he takes over, other nobles might have a lot to say. But if he’s someone with solid manners and a clear history of hard work, he could earn their trust. In reality, despite all the rumors, his academic performance remains at the top of his class without dropping. Judging from his combat training, he seems mentally strong too.”
“That’s right. We can’t just let someone who’s worked so hard and is so talented go unsupported.”
“Indeed.”
“Well, for now, let’s have a tea party with him and discuss things.”
“But don’t go too hard on him, William.”
“I’ll keep that in mind…”
Well, it seems like he’s putting in quite an effort to create this persona, but as long as people around him understand that and cooperate, it should be manageable. To start with, maybe I should confide in Henry. Given his personality, it can’t be helped that he’s a little rough around the edges.
