Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 586

"Lord Ridd, please take care."

"Yeah, thank you. Fara, if anything happens, make sure to contact me right away."

After saying that, I lightly hugged her, and she twitched her ears happily, nodding with a cheerful "Yes."

Right now, we are at the entrance of the new mansion.

Outside, the area is bustling with many charcoal cars, carriages, cargo carts, and a large number of people preparing for departure.

After finishing all my duties in baldia—reporting to my father, clearing the backlog of paperwork, and conducting training sessions for the young nobles and cadets of the Fox Clan—I am setting off again today for the Fox Clan territory.

The old Grandork faction of the Fox  tribe , who were involved in embezzling funds from the "Fox Clan Reconstruction Five-Year Plan," were mostly stripped of their titles and rapidly lost their power.

The territories they once governed are now under the management of the new Grandork family, with Amon and me overseeing them.

To fundamentally reform the Fox  tribe territory, we had to deal with the corrupt and politically decayed nobles. As a result, Amon and Capella are likely swamped with administrative work right now.

After all, we’ve taken direct control of all the territories previously managed by the deposed nobles, which has naturally led to a massive increase in workload.

On top of that, we’re also uncovering the illegal activities these nobles thought they could get away with in their own territories.

The new Grandork family is in the midst of what you could call the "pains of childbirth," dealing with an overwhelming amount of work.

As Fara shyly pulled away from my chest, I noticed my mother, dressed formally and seated in a wheelchair, smiling at us.

"Ridd, please take care of Tis and Citri as well."

"Of course, I will."

I answered immediately and glanced over at the two of them, who were chatting and laughing with Mel and Kiel a short distance away.

At their feet were Cookie and Biscuit, both in their kitten forms.

Tis, who recently became a  adopted daughter of the Baldia family, is now engaged to Amon.

As part of my assignment to the Fox Clan territory, the two of them will meet formally.

This engagement isn’t so much about sending Tis, my foster sister, to marry Amon, but rather about having Amon marry into the Valdia family through Tis.

That would be a more accurate description of the power dynamics.

Amon, who has become the new   tribe leader of the Fox  tribe with the help of the Baldia family, secretly agreed to "submit to the Baldia family" in exchange for their support.

Only a very limited number of people within the Vbldia family, including my father and me, are aware of this arrangement.

Although my father has reported the situation to Their Majesties at the top of the empire, outside the territory, only those two are likely to know about it.

Citri, Amon’s sister, has also returned home to attend the formal meeting.

Afterward, it will be officially announced that she will return to Valdia for an extended period of study to broaden her horizons.

As a girl of the clan leader’s bloodline, Citri was at risk of being targeted by the remnants of the old regime who might try to usurp her position in the early days of the new government.

In fact, there were signs that nobles like Gabriel of the Santas family and others were plotting to make her their wife.

Although the old regime nobles have been stripped of their titles, it was decided that Citri would stay in Baldia territory until the new government becomes more stable.

To put it harshly, she also serves as a sort of "hostage" to ensure Amon’s compliance.

However, Citri has grown very fond of baldia and adores my mother as if she were her own, so from an outsider’s perspective, she doesn’t come across as a "hostage."

"Huh…"

As I watched Mel and the others chatting, I suddenly realized something.

"Come to think of it, I don’t see Father around."

"Oh, now that you mention it, you’re right."

He’s usually here to see me off at times like this.

As I looked around with my mother, Mel and the others approached us.

"Brother, Mother, is something wrong?"

"No, I just noticed Father isn’t here. Have you seen him, Mel?"

"Father said he had some business to attend to and went out earlier."

"Ah, I see."

Business, huh?

Whenever I’m about to leave like this, Father always makes sure to see me off.

I wonder if something came up.

As I tilted my head in thought, Citri, who had been standing behind Mel, shyly murmured, "Um, Brother Lidd…"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"How… how do I look in this outfit?"

Citri said this while glancing down at the dress she was wearing.

She was dressed in a formal empire-style dress, similar to what Mel and my mother were wearing.

However, compared to Mel’s frilly and lively dress, Citri’s had fewer frills and gave off a more calm and elegant impression.

Looking at her more closely, her complexion and overall health seemed much better than before, with her black hair and pale skin now glowing with vitality.

When she first arrived in Valdia, her cheeks were slightly hollow, and she looked thin.

I heard that she hadn’t been treated well in the Fox Clan territory, so she might have been malnourished at the time.

Since coming to Valdia, Citri has been able to eat nutritious meals and live in a much better environment than before.

This must be her true, healthy self.

"Yeah, it suits you very well."

"R-really? Thank you."

Citri smiled shyly, clearly pleased.

Still, there’s something about her that reminds me of someone, especially around the eyes.

As I stared at her, Citri tilted her head and asked, "Brother, is something wrong?"

At that moment, a certain person came to mind, and I suddenly realized.

"Ah, that’s it. Citri, you look a lot like Rafa."

"Like Sister Rafa?"

Now that I think about it, they are sisters, so it’s only natural that they resemble each other.

However, Citri didn’t seem too happy about the comparison, as her cheeks gradually puffed up in displeasure.

"Brother, with all due respect, I am not a 'scoundrel woman' like Sister Rafa, nor do I intend to become one."

After saying this, Citri pouted and turned her face away.

At the same time, the word "scoundrel woman" caused a stir among everyone present at the entrance.

If I recall correctly, "scoundrel woman" is a derogatory term used to describe a woman who is unruly, cunning, and lacks refinement.

In any case, it’s not a term you should casually use about your own sister.

"Ci-Citri, where did you learn such a word?"

"...The nobles and Brother Marbas, who were often manipulated by Sister Rafa, would mutter it behind her back. I was curious, so I looked it up and fully understand its meaning."

She answered my question and then snorted, turning away again.

Even if they were frustrated with Rafa, Marbas and the nobles shouldn’t have used such crude language in front of a child.

This suggests that Citri has a very low opinion of Rafa, or perhaps there’s some misunderstanding between them.

Otherwise, there might be some serious conflict between the sisters.

Come to think of it, I remember Citri being much more reserved in the past.

Perhaps, after regaining her energy and confidence in Valdia, her naturally strong-willed side has started to show.

As I stood there, a mix of exasperation and confusion washing over me, I suddenly felt a cold gaze from behind, sending a shiver down my spine.

Turning around, I saw Fara smiling thinly, her eyes narrowed, as a dark aura and chill emanated from her.

"To say they look alike... You’ve been paying quite a lot of attention to her face, haven’t you?"