Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband

Neonidas was an extremely selfish, egocentric person who didn't care about others, but in recent days he had been acting out of character. However, this didn't mean that Neonidas had changed; rather, he was forced to do so. After all, there were so many people who disliked the original Neonidas that if a list were made, it would probably be meters long.

And among those who disliked Neonidas the most were the other eleven dukes. The reason there were so many dukes in the Donnadan Empire was due to the empire's vast borders. To give an example, the Donnadan Empire was somewhat similar to the Roman Empire, and the lands governed by the dukes were large enough to be considered small kingdoms. This is why the other eleven dukes hated that someone as useless as Neonidas held equal status with them. Moreover, Neonidas' lands were the closest to the capital, though this was thanks to his father's achievements.

As you can imagine, all the dukes wanted to reduce Neonidas' status or, if necessary, eliminate him altogether, and they were waiting for the right opportunity. This new version of Neonidas was aware of this, which is why he had to act out of character. Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to curse at or even resort to violence against the viscount before him, but if he killed a noble of the empire without reason, the High Court would pursue Neonidas.

Of course, with the support of the other dukes, the High Court could reduce Neonidas' status, and even the emperor could do nothing about it. This is why Neonidas was restraining himself and trying to acquire Soren's sister in the most peaceful way possible. Naturally, he didn't care much about Soren's sister; what he truly valued was Soren's loyalty, as Soren had the potential to stand up to his betrothed. However, Soren, even at his strongest, couldn't oppose his fiancée, and so he needed to act quickly to become even stronger.

"So, what do you say, Mr. Kalderon? I'm offering to pay you twice the value of the slave or twice the price you bought her for."

The viscount thought for a moment upon hearing Neonidas' offer. Even though Neonidas had a terrible reputation and was disliked by everyone, he was still a duke supported by the emperor. So, rather than provoking him, he would prefer to give up the slave, but… his son had, for the first time, genuinely wanted a woman, and the viscount didn't want to disappoint his spoiled son.

"... I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but could we reach an agreement in another way? If you like, I could even increase the taxes I pay you, but I don't want to separate my son from the woman he loves," said the viscount in a polite tone.

"Does Solara love your son?! How dare you say that?!"

Suddenly, Soren, who was standing behind Neonidas, shouted angrily at the viscount. Viscount Kalderon was about to open his mouth to rebuke Soren's harsh words, but the next moment, something unexpected happened.

Slap!

Soren had been slapped so hard that he leaned against the nearby wall to keep from falling, but what truly shocked him was that it was Neonidas who had struck him.

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

Soren looked at Neonidas with pain in his cheek, both surprised and hurt. But there was no softness in Neonidas' gaze; he was looking at him coldly and mercilessly. To him, Soren was just a pawn, like everyone else. But to Soren, he was a savior, and the fact that he had angered his savior was what truly broke his heart.

"I apologize, my lord. This slave will never make such a mistake again..."

Viscount Kalderon, on the other hand, smiled slightly at this scene, watching with satisfaction as the situation turned in his favor. He knew Neonidas' patience was limited. As a duke, this man had little tolerance for many things, even his own servant. Hence, Kalderon thought that if he remained patient, he could leverage Neonidas' anger for his own gain.

Neonidas turned his gaze back to the viscount and raised his voice. "Mr. Kalderon, I'm negotiating with you but you're rejecting my offer over your son's whims. This means you're testing my patience," he said, stepping closer to the viscount.

The viscount took a deep breath. He was testing Neonidas' limits, but he was also playing a risky game. "Your Excellency, please calm down. Imperial ethics allow slaves to have families, and if I disregard my son's feelings, I would weaken his loyalty to our family. I am simply doing my duty as a father."

Neonidas placed his hand on the viscount's shoulder. "You misunderstand me, viscount. Negotiating with you was an option for me, but I can take Solara from you without any negotiation… Now, if you don't want to bring an end to your household, accept my offer," he said, gently squeezing the man's shoulder.

At that moment, a large figure appeared from the corner of the room. Edwin Kalderon, overweight and unkempt, with a confident expression, approached with heavy steps. Standing beside his father, he fixed his gaze on Neonidas. This sudden development drew everyone's attention, further heightening the tension in the room.

With an indifferent attitude, Edwin looked at Neonidas and gave a smug smile. "Father, why is this man still here?" he asked in a cold tone. "Solara is mine. We don't have to give her to anyone. Isn't it unnecessary to make such a fuss over just one slave in an entire empire?"

Neonidas simply smiled at the words of the spoiled young man before him. Edwin's arrogant manner showed that he felt no fear. Standing beside his father, he was challenging Neonidas.

"Edwin, isn't it?" Neonidas asked in a calm voice. "I see you enjoy speaking confidently on your own land. But let me tell you something; I came here with an offer, giving you an opportunity. This is merely out of my own goodwill. Whether you seize this opportunity or not is up to you."

Edwin responded with a mocking laugh. "Your Excellency, I wouldn't want to be indebted to someone like you. I only want my father to keep his word. Solara belongs solely to me. There's nothing to negotiate here."

Neonidas' face suddenly grew serious, and a cold gleam appeared in his eyes, but he remained adamant about not making the first move.

"Viscount, if you reject my offer, I will personally go to the emperor and request a war against your household. Your small, viscounty army cannot match my ducal forces. Furthermore, you may have heard that I recently received a substantial loan from the emperor; it would take me a week to build a large army with that money. Now, be careful with your answer."

Neonidas' words were enough to make the viscount break into a cold sweat. The viscount stood up and called the nearest servant to his side. "Go and bring that slave," he ordered.

As Viscount Kalderon told the servant to bring the slave, Edwin, paralyzed with rage, turned to his father. His eyes burned with ambition and jealousy. "Father, are you really this weak? Are you bowing to this man just because of a slave?" he said, gritting his teeth. Unable to control his anger, he took a step forward and shot a harsh look at Neonidas.

Neonidas' calm demeanor only aggravated Edwin further. The cold expression on Neonidas' lips made it clear that he looked at him with utter disdain. Edwin couldn't bear it any longer. "Who told you that you could give orders here?" he shouted, lunging suddenly at Neonidas.

But Neonidas stood still, as if he had anticipated Edwin's attack. As Edwin's fist shot toward him, Neonidas calmly stepped back, causing Edwin to lose his balance and stumble to the ground. As Edwin fell, Neonidas placed his foot firmly on Edwin's back, pressing his face mercilessly into the ground. While Edwin struggled on the floor, groaning, Neonidas didn't take his eyes off him for a moment.

Viscount Kalderon, watching his son's foolish move in shock, trembled as he said, "Your Excellency, please forgive him; he is just a child..." in a panicked voice. But Neonidas' expression had already turned cold and merciless, like that of a predator. He pressed his foot down harder on Edwin's back, forcing his face further into the ground.

"You have spoiled your son too much, Mr. Kalderon, and this means you are a poor father," Neonidas said, drawing the long sword from his belt.

As the viscount's eyes widened in fear, Neonidas drove his sword precisely into Edwin's groin. The viscount fell helplessly to his knees. None of the guards in the room dared even think of drawing a weapon against a duke, and they inwardly wished the viscount would do nothing.

"AAAAAAHH, YOU SON OF A BİTCH…!"

Edwin's screams echoed throughout the mansion as Neonidas withdrew his sword and did the same to Edwin's other leg again. He drove it in so deep that the blade pierced through Edwin's legs, hitting the stone floor with a resounding clang.

"AAAAAH, FATHER, HELP ME HELLLP!"

"Please, please, Your Excellency! I will do anything you want. Just let go of my son, please!"

Since Edwin was the one who had attacked Neonidas first, Neonidas would receive no punishment, even if Edwin were to die now. In fact, the viscounty would be the one penalized, and both Neonidas and the viscount knew this. Neonidas withdrew his sword and summoned the ducal knight standing tall by his side. The knight approached the viscount with a paper in his hand.

"On this paper is a contract stating that I will take as collateral all your property and every member of your family as a slave, except your son, this worthless piece of trash. Now you have two choices, and the result of these two choices is that either your entire lineage will die or you will live as a bastard next to your son. The choice is yours."