I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Regina took several deep breaths after getting out of the carriage.

It wasn't her first time coming to the headquarters.

Since her father had never paid attention to the Eight Council meetings, Regina had always attended as his representative.

Her impression of the Eight Council headquarters was something like ‘a lonely and gloomy place’.

The building itself was excellent, but the interior had a shady feeling that never went away.

“To think such a place would change like this just because Count Valheit stepped forward.”

The headquarters staff, who had previously kept their mouths shut without any passion or vitality, were all diligently working on something.

They looked tired, but they were full of energy.

“Isn't that Miss Regina? You've arrived a little early.”

“It's been a while, Mr. Doruga. You look busy.”

“We haven't had much time to rest since Count Valheit stepped to the forefront.”

The gaunt Head of Strategy gave a slight, bitter smile.

It was quite a fresh sight.

“You wouldn't have come early for no reason. Do you have some business?”

“I informed Count Valheit that I would be visiting, were you not told?”

“That man isn't one to tell us everything he knows, is he? He probably thought we didn't need to know. I must be going first to prepare some materials.”

The Head of Strategy shrugged and trudged away.

I see.

He intends to treat me as a personal guest, not a member of the Eight Council.

If that's the case, a butler will come to guide me soon.

“You've arrived.”

Regina flinched and took a few steps back at the voice that suddenly came from behind her.

When she turned her head, a man of huge stature was bowing respectfully.

Every time she saw this butler, she doubted if he was even human.

She corrected her posture and received his greeting.

“The Count is waiting for you. I will guide you to the reception room.”

“Yes.”

The inside of the building still had a gloomy atmosphere.

At least, unlike in the past, people were walking around, so it didn't look like an abandoned house.

“What kind of person is Count Valheit?”

Regina had never met Valheit before.

Although she had heard him being called an old snake to the point her ears were ringing, she had never heard what kind of person he was.

“He is a very robust person. Once he sets a goal, he never misses it. He is often misunderstood, but he is not such a bad person. Especially these days.”

“These days?”

“You will know when you meet him yourself.”

The butler, who had stopped walking, quietly opened the door.

Regina steeled herself and entered the reception room.

The sunlight reflected off the lake created a wonderful view, but that light was cut off right in front of the reception room.

The wall lined with lifeless taxidermied animals was eerie, but not as eerie as the person sitting in the chair.

The young man with closed eyes and a subtle smile was looking straight ahead without a single movement.

No, since his eyes are closed, is the word "looking" inappropriate?

‘Is he sleeping?’

“I am not sleeping.”

The man said cheerfully, as if he had read her mind.

Regina hastily composed herself with proper etiquette.

“It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Count Valheit. My name is Regina de Leitche….”

“I know. So you can skip the self-introduction. More importantly, please have a seat! It's uncomfortable for me to watch.”

For an Imperial noble, especially one with the title of advisor to the Imperial family, his attitude was too informal.

As he waved his hand for her to sit, she sat down in a flurry, but a question suddenly arose.

Is this person really Count Valheit?

Although she had received detailed reports about Valheit when he was active in the Imperial Capital, she had never actually seen his face.

As Valheit was a man without a single portrait, Regina could not judge whether the man in front of her was Valheit or not.

Perhaps he had set up a stand-in to test her.

Once suspicion began to arise, everything looked suspicious.

But there was no definite proof.

“Is something making you uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. Thank you for your hospitality.”

As a member of the intelligence organization Raven, she couldn't just lash out without proof.

Let's slowly gather information first.

“First, I would like to apologize for my rudeness. I sent it with the intention of asking you to drop by if you had business in the Imperial Capital, but my thoughts were short.”

“It's an easy mistake to make. Since it's only been a short while since I've become active again.”

“Your skill in taking control of the Imperial Capital in a single day was truly remarkable.”

She lightly tossed out the topic and observed her opponent, but she couldn't figure anything out from his smiling face.

If that's the case, there's no choice but to unravel it through conversation.

“I suppose the Count will now manage the future of the Empire.”

“That is for the Emperor to handle, it is not a matter for an advisor like me to interfere in.”

Valheit answered curtly.

This part matched the intelligence.

Valheit, who had put the illegitimate child Blaiher on the throne as the new emperor, had virtually disappeared from the Empire's central politics.

However, no one knew why he had taken a step back after going through the trouble of seating an emperor.

She decided to dig into that part.

“That may be the official reason. But for someone of your stature, Count, there must have been another reason, don't you think.”

“I didn't think we'd be having this kind of conversation. Well, it's fine. It would be odd for me to reveal the answer sheet first, so I will hear Raven's opinion first.”

Regina was convinced that Count Valheit was testing her.

Now the only problem was whether the man in front of her was the Count or not.

“The former emperor was an uncontrollable figure in a bad sense. Didn't you need a puppet for your future plans?”

For now, he isn't putting pressure on the newly enthroned Blaiher, but when the time comes, he will surely collect his debt.

Because Count Valheit never does business at a loss.

“Half right, and half wrong. The former emperor was a troublemaker, so I replaced him, but I didn't need a puppet. I just needed an emperor to stabilize the Empire.”

“…Is that so.”

Does he mean he won't reveal all his cards to a mere representative?

If so, it was her turn to strike first this time.

“My father asked me to send his regards. He also asked about the promise you made last time.”

The man's lips twitched slightly.

It was a fleeting moment, but a sense of bewilderment was revealed.

“It would be good if you could tell the Duke not to worry. I do not break the promises I make.”

“Thank you. Could you please confirm the contents of the promise once more? My father asked me to be certain.”

Regina's father, the Duke of Leitche, had received a promise from Count Valheit as a condition for joining the Eight Council.

Regina herself didn't know the contents, but she knew it was a promise that could never be forgotten.

“That is not a story that can be easily told.”

“I am here now as the representative of the Duke of Leitche, so you need not worry. I am not asking you to fulfill the promise, just to confirm its contents.”

The man clicked his tongue.

With that, Regina was sure of her victory.

“Where is the real Count Valheit?”

“That would be me.”

“No. You're just a double. Deployed to test me.”

“An interesting perspective.”

“If you were the real Count Valheit, then tell me about the promise you made with my father. My father told me it was content that was harder to forget than to remember.”

A sly smile was his answer.

Regina, thinking there was no point in sitting here any longer, shot up from her seat.

“When the real Count Valheit feels like meeting, I will see you then….”

“Valheit, it's an urgent message from the Federation.”

The door burst open and a white-haired woman stuck her head out.

Regina, who had been holding her head high with arrogance, froze.

“Regina, you're here too? What did that old snake say to you when you came apologizing?”

“That old snake?”

“Why are you so surprised? I'm talking about that unpleasant Count sitting over there.”

She slowly turned her head and looked at the man, no, Count Valheit sitting there.

Her heart sank at the sight of his sly smile.

Regina slowly sat back down in her seat and said in a voice that was barely a whisper.

“I am so sorry….”

***

Phew.

That was a close one.

If Til hadn't popped out at the right moment, I would have been suspected.

I knew there was a secret pact between the Duke of Leitche and Valheit.

It's just that the series was canceled before its contents were revealed.

The story of the Grand Duchy of Leitche was canceled before it could properly proceed, so I didn't know much about it either.

There were many scenes of them using an intelligence organization called the Raven, but that was it.

It was a perfect situation to arouse suspicion, but I managed to get through it this time.

“So you thought I was a fake?”

“Yes….”

“She says, Mr. Fake Count?”

Til, who had found something to chew on in her boredom, smirked.

Thanks to her, the atmosphere had lightened up a lot.

Although Regina was still dispirited.

“Let's end that conversation there. Miss Regina, you came because you had something to say, didn't you.”

“Yes. Well, upon hearing that you would be returning to this Eight Council meeting, Count, I have prepared a few proposals.”

I took the documents Regina held out and briefly looked them over.

It consisted of two proposals requesting the support of the Eight Council, and one proposal to support the Eight Council.

My eyes went to the documents themselves rather than the proposals.

Even without Word or Excel, the expenditures and revenues, and the expected profits and losses were neatly organized in a clear and concise manner.

“Who made this proposal?”

“I did….”

“By yourself?”

“The Ravens helped with data collection, but I decided on the contents.”

I thought she was a nepotism hire who got her position through her lineage, but it seems that's not the case.

A bit of curiosity arose.

“How did you come to be in charge of matters related to the Eight Council?”

“She was pushed out of the succession battle.”

“I didn't ask you, Til.”

“Tsk.”

Regina, who had been hesitating for a moment, opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“Among my five siblings, I was the most, um plain. So I was assigned to the less important Eight Council duties.”

In the original work, the Duke of Leitche was a heterogeneous entity that acted separately from the Eight Council, so it wasn't strange that the Eight Council duties were considered an unimportant post.

Since she's a talented person who was pushed out of the succession battle, she could be helpful if I handle her well.

“We will deal with this during the Eight Council meeting, or after the meeting is over. Since I need time to review it.”

Regina nodded her head eagerly.

It seems that her suspecting me of being a fake was weighing heavily on her mind.

I don't have a hobby of watching others be anxious, but it's better than having a bad relationship.

“You must have had a long journey, so please rest for today. Ron.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Please guide her to her lodgings.”

After Regina, who was bowing repeatedly, left, I brought up the status window.

There were two things to check.

Relationships

Regina de Leitche (0)

The fact that there was a separate entry for her meant she was a fairly important person.

Moreover, her starting relationship was a whopping 0.

Considering Valheit's human relationships, which were overflowing with negatives, this could be called a very good relationship.

‘Though it's stranger to call this one a good relationship.’

[Relationships]

Schultz de Leitche, Duke of Leitche (10)

(+) Promise with Valheit!

What on earth was the promise that his relationship with Valheit is positive?

Well, it's good to have at least one person on my side, but I'll have to find out what the contents are.

“Valheit.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“You completely forgot that I said an urgent message came from the Federation, didn't you?”

Come to think of it, that's right.

“What are the contents?”

“Cesare says the Demon problem has been resolved, so he'll come to the Eight Council meeting without any issues.”

Resolved?

Don't tell me he sank the ship?

Or does it just mean he lost them?

As if she had read my mind, Til answered nonchalantly.

“He chased them hard, but he said he gave up because someone else got to them first.”

“Someone else got to them first, who do you mean?”

“Pirates.”

If it's pirates, don't tell me.

This time too, Til answered one step ahead.

“It means Avantnik snatched them.”

It was a troublesome matter, but I couldn't move right now.

Because the Eight Council meeting was two days away.