Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother Volume 6 (eBook)

Chidori Hama (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025
250 Seiten
J-Novel Heart (Verlag)
978-1-7183-0660-8 (ISBN)

Infos

The long summer vacation has finally come to an end, and Ekaterina, her beloved brother, and their friends-Mikhail and Flora-are back in the capital for the second semester. After school kicks off and Ekaterina reunites with her classmates, her friend Marina has a genius idea: They should organize a musical evening where everyone can showcase their talents! As a former choir girl, Ekaterina is more than happy to take charge. Her preparations for the event lead her to make the acquaintance of a classmate of theirs named Renato Selesar, a prickly yet adorable boy with an unbelievable talent for music. At the same time, tensions start rising between Ekaterina and Lydia Selesnoa-the daughter of a powerful marquess-who has her sights set on the empress's throne. It appears Ekaterina's recent closeness with Mikhail hasn't gone unnoticed...

Textauszug

Chapter 1: Back to the Residence in the Capital

“Your Grace, my lady, welcome back.”

Our summer vacation was coming to an end, and Alexei and I had just returned to our residence in the capital after we’d spent the summer in the duchy. Between the purge of the nobles hostile to Alexei, the pilgrimage to the Mountain Sanctuary, my meeting with Dragon King Vladforen (plus his subsequent proposal), and the crown prince’s visit, the summer had been especially packed.

The servants of our capital residence had lined up behind our butler, Graham, to welcome us. Graham hadn’t changed one bit in the time we’d been away. His silver hair was neatly combed, and he bowed at the perfect angle when we approached. He was exactly what the butler of a powerful house with a long history of over four hundred years ought to have been.

However, I got the feeling that his smile was just a bit wider than the polite one a butler was required to wear.

“Thank you,” Alexei said with his usual briskness.

“I’m happy to be back! Have you and the others been well, Graham?” I asked.

“Yes, my lady. We’re all in good health.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” I said. I smiled at the servants in the room, and everyone returned the expression.

“And I’m glad to find you well, my lady.”

I turned around to look at the person who’d just spoken, and my face lit up. “Mr. Halil!”

“Welcome back, my lady, Your Grace.” The duchy’s trade advisor, Halil, appeared from behind Graham. His beautiful foreign features were as striking as ever. He grinned before bowing to us.

“It’s good to see you. There’s so much I hope to discuss with you!” I exclaimed.

Halil chuckled. “I had a feeling there might be.”

Graham insisted we rest and relax first, so we entered the residence.

“You seem to be in high spirits,” Alexei said, taking my hand to escort me. “Do you prefer the capital?”

“I enjoyed our time in the duchy too, but it’s in this residence that—”

I stopped myself mid-sentence. It was in this residence that my memories had fully returned. This was the place where my old self and my current self had merged to become a new me—the place where I’d been reborn.

But I couldn’t let my brother hear about any of that!

I looked up at Alexei with a warm expression. “This is where we first started spending time together. Do you remember how I collapsed right after I entered the capital? When I came to my senses, you were by my side, holding my hand, and I felt as though my entire world had shifted. It’s a very precious memory to me.”

Alexei paused, then said softly, “It’s just as precious to me.” He squeezed my hand. “I don’t care whether we are in the duchy or in the capital. Ekaterina, my dearest sister, wherever you are is my paradise.”

After the two of us had tea and relaxed for a while, Alexei went to his office. Novak and Aaron—who’d returned from the duchy alongside us—and Halil were to join him. I expected they’d be exchanging information for a while.

I stayed in the lounge where we’d had tea and asked Graham to fill me in on what had happened in the residence while we were away. This was the role of the lady of the house. I didn’t need to do much, though. Graham was one of Alexei’s most trusted servants, and he was a walking encyclopedia on the residence. Instead of giving me a report and leaving me to figure things out for myself, he more or less told me exactly what I needed to do to keep the staff of the residence unified. I was thankful for his advice, and after listening to everything he had to say, I shared the latest news about the duchy with him.

“So Raisa has become the new butler of the fortress...” Graham whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

“I heard you and Raisa know one another.”

“Indeed. Duke Sergei introduced us. He thought of her as his adorable, clever ‘sister’ and joked that she’d truly grown into that role. She left the capital to marry soon after I entered Duke Sergei’s service, but the two of us had similar circumstances. I imagine that is why His Grace introduced us to one another—so we could bond over our similarities.”

Graham had once been a traveling actor. After Sergei had hired him as his attendant, he’d concealed his true background and often told those who asked that he was the guardian spirit of the House of Yulnova. Sergei had done the same for Raisa, a lowly servant from a poor village, by letting everyone believe she shared the blood of the Yulnova. Graham’s and Raisa’s statuses should have prevented them from climbing the ladder, but Sergei had made sure that wouldn’t stop them, even if he’d had to lie for them.

“Now, our residence in the capital and the main house are both in the capable hands of people our grandfather handpicked and loved,” I said. “My brother can rest easy knowing you and Raisa will protect them, and that pleases me greatly.”

“Thank you, my lady. Although I believe Raisa wouldn’t have been chosen to become the butler of the fortress if it weren’t for you.” Alexei was a competent leader, but he wasn’t the type to come up with unconventional ideas; Graham seemed to know that very well. “Still, if he hadn’t secured firm control over the duchy despite his young age, Raisa’s appointment would never have been possible. Duke Sergei could get away with unprecedented choices because he was feared as much as loved. He had a stern face that terrified many.”

I see. Alexei only ever talked about our grandfather’s kindness, but it was only natural Sergei had sides he’d never shown his young grandson. Sergei had been a sharp politician and had ruled a vast territory.

This thought brought a famous book from my past world to mind: Machiavelli’s The Prince. In this book, Machiavelli theorized that it was ideal for a ruler to be loved and feared. Perhaps our grandfather embodied Machiavelli’s ideals.

“You and His Grace both resemble Duke Sergei very much,” Graham continued. “You each inherited unique facets of his personality. It’s a true blessing to serve you.”

“Please say that to my brother, Graham. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it.”

“As you command, my lady,” Graham replied with a smile. “It is my understanding that the biggest difference between this residence and the fortress is the presence or absence of other houses. The capital is where all the influential houses are gathered.”

“That’s true.” In the duchy, the House of Yulnova was the sole ruler. In the capital, however, we were subjects of the imperial household like many others.

“Several houses with which the Yulnovas have relationships contacted me throughout the summer. They seem to have a favor to ask. Those with sharp ears have heard about the servants His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and His Grace the Duke of Yulsein sent to visit Mr. Halil, after all.”

“My...”

During our time away, Halil had been acting as an intermediary between the emperor and Lev, my glass artisan, to discuss the glass pens the emperor intended to give his wife. The same went for the Duke of Yulsein, who’d ordered some as well. If word of these exchanges had already spread, and important families with ties to our house had started getting in touch, I imagined it could only mean one thing: They wanted preferential access to glass pens! In other words, the imperial household and the Duke of Yulsein had been the perfect advertisements I’d hoped they’d be.

When I speak with Halil later, I’ll get back my job as the boss of the glass workshop and do my best to make it grow! It’s time for another round of Project Something!

“I’ve been getting more and more questions about the glass pens. Not only from important nobles but also from very wealthy people in general. They’ll do anything to get their hands on these writing utensils that are rarer and more beautiful than gems,” Halil said, sounding pleased.

In my heart, I struck a triumphant pose.

After my conversation with Graham, I’d gone to my room to change out of my traveling clothes and into something comfortable—but still classy enough to befit the lady of a ducal house. Then, I’d taken some time to rest before I walked to Alexei’s office.

“Please leave the rest of your work for later and take some time to alleviate the fatigue of our long journey,” I’d declared once I was there. “I’d like to get Mr. Halil’s opinion on some things, and I insist you rest at least until our conversation is over. Overwork is poisonous to the body.”

My worries about Alexei and the others overworking themselves wasn’t anything new, so they’d looked at me with awkward smiles. Eventually, Alexei had agreed. He’d said that, since they’d already exchanged the most urgent pieces of information, the rest could wait, and he’d do as I said.

Truth be told, I’d been pleased with myself for interrupting at the perfect time. That was how I’d found myself discussing the glass pens with Halil.

“Who are these wealthy individuals who aren’t nobles?” I asked.

“Well, the head priests of important sanctuaries, for instance. The first to get in touch with me was the high priest...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 7.11.2025
• Reihe/Serie: Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother
• Illustrationen: Wan Hachipisu
• Übersetzer: Rymane Tsouria
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Schlagworte: female protagonist • Isekai • Light Novel • Magic Academy • Nobility • Otome Game • Shojo
• ISBN-10: 1-7183-0660-1 / 1718306601
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7183-0660-8 / 9781718306608