I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 31: Trouble Arises

Returning to the dormitory, I took off my coat and collapsed onto the sofa in my room, gazing up at the ceiling.

“Ah… I’m exhausted.”

Physically, it was easier than fighting monsters, but mentally, I was drained. I had asked Miss Diane not to mention me, but I wondered if she had managed to come up with a good excuse.

I didn’t know if I should tell others about the attack. Since the maid returned unconscious, we might be questioned about what happened…

Miss Diane herself had been through a lot, tumbling and being carried around, so her clothes were dirty.

As I idly pondered these things, there was a knock on my door.

“Knight Commander Vandière, a letter has arrived from your family.”

The voice belonged to a civilian officer from the Third Knight Order. It seemed a letter had arrived while I was away.

Opening the door, I saw the officer, who looked pale.

While it might have been peaceful while we were away in the Taleraan Marches, it seemed he was tired from managing the increased budget and demands from the members since our return.

“Thank you for your hard work. You don’t look well. You can put off any non-urgent tasks and take a proper rest.”

“Huh!? O-Okay!”

He seemed bewildered by my response, but despite his confusion, he showed a smile at the suggestion of resting. After closing the door, I sat on the sofa and opened the letter. It instructed me to return home.

It would take three days by carriage to reach the Vandière Marquisate, or one day if I rode my beloved horse, Eleanor. I had one more day of approved leave, but the round trip would take at least three days, so I needed to apply for more time off.

The letter from my own parents was devoid of any affection, just a formal notification.

Sighing heavily while slouching on the sofa, I placed the letter on my face. With a single breath, the letter fell to the floor.

“They probably don’t even think about how their actions affect me, Justin… Most noble families are like that, favoring their legitimate sons too much. Still, it’s better than being treated like my second brother Cyril, who’s just being kept around as a spare.”

I rose sluggishly and left the room without picking up the fallen letter, heading to the office.

I needed to apply for leave and report my departure. I didn’t want to go, but as a member of the Marquisate, my father’s orders were absolute.

“Huh? Knight Commander Vandière, what’s going on? You’re supposed to be on leave until tomorrow, right?”

As I entered the office, the civilian officers who hadn’t received leave due to not going on the expedition looked at me curiously. All of them seemed to have terrible complexions.

“I received a letter from my family instructing me to return home. I intend to take a maximum of five days off. If I can return earlier, I will… But more importantly, all of you, as I told Garry earlier, take turns and make sure to take proper breaks since you all look unwell. Don’t push yourselves until you collapse.”

I informed them as I headed towards the director’s office at the back of the office, where I prepared the documents for leave. I also checked the papers on the desk, processing only the ones that seemed necessary within a week.

After about thirty minutes of work, I left the commander’s office and handed a stack of documents to the civilian officer serving as the chief clerk along with my leave request. The chief clerk’s eyes sparkled upon seeing the stack of papers.

“I’ve taken care of anything that seemed necessary until I return. Now, I’ll leave the vacation request to you.”

“Thank you very much! Understood!”

And so, on the final morning of my rest day, I left the dormitory with my beloved horse, heading towards my family’s estate, the Vandière Marquisate.

My subordinates grumbled about extending their vacation, but when I showed them fists in both hands, they fell silent.

The Vandière Marquisate was located on the opposite side, south of the Taleraan Earldom. Although not very far, it should be significantly warmer than the capital.

As I headed towards the southern gate of the capital, I saw two platoons from the Second Knight Order riding towards me. Something must have happened. Perhaps they had found the mastermind behind yesterday’s attempted abduction of Miss Diane.

If that were the case, it would put my mind at ease. Since the Second Knight Order seemed to be in a hurry, I moved to the side to let them pass… but for some reason, instead of passing by, they surrounded me.

“Commander Vandière of the Third Knight Order, you are under arrest as a suspect in the attempted abduction of the Taleraan Marchioness! It’s futile to flee to your territory!”

The one who informed me was Constant de Roche, the vice-commander of the Second Knight Order and my classmate from the Royal Academy.

“…Huh? Constant, are you serious? What would I gain from abducting her? Do you have any evidence? Oh, by the way, just so you know, returning to my territory is at the command of the Vandière Marquis.”

However, Constant chuckled at my words.

“Hmph, it’s a well-known fact that you have feelings for the Taleraan Marchioness! And we have evidence! Stop resisting!”

As the situation made clear, Constant was among those who disliked me. Moreover, he resented me, the same age as him, for becoming commander before him.

“Evidence, huh… You always need to keep your information updated. Anyway, why don’t you ask the victim herself? Let her know that I’m willing to tell everything.”

“…Very well. However, you will come with us. If you can escape after seeing the evidence, then try.”

That Constant… He’s been giving me a hard time since I became commander, so maybe it’s time for him to reflect a bit. While simulating the events to come, I followed Constant as the members of the Second Knight Order surrounded me.