I Enrolled as the Villain
Chapter 7: Once but not twice

Chapter 7: Once but not twice

I sat on the edge of the bed, groggy.

"Didn’t I say I’d go back to the academy today...?" I muttered, frowning.

A soft knock came at the door.

"You’re awake, Lord Kael," a servant said, stepping inside.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "What time is it?"

"A little past nine."

I blinked, still piecing things together.

The servant cleared their throat.

"Today is a rest day, my lord. Classes resume in three days for Founding Week."

"I see..."

Three days off. Good. That means I don’t have to pretend to know how to act around everyone yet.

I let the silence hang for a moment.

Then stared at the folds in the blanket. Then around the room—clean, organized.

But...

It didn’t feel like I lived here.

"Oh... so what’s your, uh—"

The maid cleaning my room didn’t respond.

I cleared my throat and spoke louder. "So—?"

She glanced up. "Yes, Lord Kael?"

"What’s your name?"

She paused, barely a beat. "Elira, my lord."

I nodded. "Right. Elina. Got it."

Silence.

She dipped her head politely. "Yes, my lord."

I walked past, scratching the back of my neck.

"Weird name," I muttered.

She stood still until I turned the corner.

Only then did she exhale—slow and quiet—and whisper to no one:

"...It was Elira."

As I walked through the hallway, another servant approached me.

"Please allow us to guide you to your breakfast, Sir Kael."

"...Hm. Alright then."

When I entered the dining hall, I found a large round table, every seat perfectly arranged—yet I was the only one present.

"Where’s Evelyne?"

"She eats in her room, my lord."

"I see..."

The breakfast looked straight out of a comic book. A feast fit for twenty, all prepared just for me.

There was also decorated food that looked more like display pieces than anything edible.

So this is what Kael eats every day.

I’ll have to request a reduced portion later.

As I began to eat, a maid approached me.

"Good morning, Lord—"

"Kael."

"Sir Kael, my apologies. I’m here to brief you on your schedule. Would you prefer I explain it now, or send it directly to Vice Lord Evara?"

So even Kael has a schedule, huh?

"Brief me," I said, chewing.

She raised an eyebrow, but continued.

"Then I will begin," she said, voice crisp and unreadable.

"You’re expected to review and sign documents regarding the new public academy being built at the Valery compound."

I blinked. Public academy? I didn’t remember authorizing that in Kael’s memories. Hell, I barely remembered what his own academy looked like.

She continued without pause,

"After that, you’re scheduled to visit the construction site for inspection, accompanied by Vice Lord Evara."

I raised a brow. "That’s... a lot."

She bowed slightly. "These matters are usually forwarded to Vice Lord Evara, but since you are awake and present, the staff assumed you might want to resume your responsibilities."

Ah. They expected me to skip it all again.

I leaned back in the chair. "...How long has Evara been handling these?"

She hesitated. "Since the day after your father left this world, my lord."

"I see... I’ll go," I said softly. "Tell Evara I’ll be there."

She gave a tight nod—professional but her eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary. Like she wasn’t sure if this was just another passing whim.

She adjusted the tablet in her hands. "One more thing, my lord."

I didn’t look up. "Let me guess—more paperwork?"

"No, sir. A meeting. Tonight."

I glanced up.

She continued, careful now.

"The Elder Council has called for an emergency session in the Emergency Chamber. All key factions will be present... They expect you to attend."

I set down my fork.

"Why?"

"The heir succession issue," she said, almost in a whisper. "Your request to give up heirship to Evelyne... it’s destabilized the current balance. The council is—"

"Panicking," I finished for her.

She didn’t deny it.

I leaned back, staring at the chandelier above the empty table.

I wasn’t ready for politics and all its weight. But neither was I willing to hand it off anymore.

"...Tell them I’ll be there."

"Yes, my lord."

She bowed and turned to leave.

I picked up the fork again, poking half-heartedly at the decorated platter in front of me.

"So this is what Kael eats every day, huh?"

No one answered.

As I ate, I idly clicked the silver button on the table.

A hologram flickered to life above the plate.

Most of it was reports. Boring. Bureaucratic. I swiped through them lazily.

Then something odd.

A video of a public square.

At the center, a man stood on a crate—glasses, short hair, sleeves rolled up—shouting:

"I don’t have a Ketsugan! I don’t have a Lumigan! But you know what I do have?"

He pointed dramatically to the crowd.

"Guts! And a twenty-year plan to transition this empire into a constitutional democracy!"

I blinked, chewing slowly. "...What?"

"The Tier System is a lie! A rigged machine for monarchies and nobles! Vote for me—Erian Malks, your next president!"

The hologram zoomed in on his passionate face.

He was sweating. A lot.

"The empire has too many eyes! Ketsugan! Mythrigan! Lumigan!"

He held up a crude poster with three crossed-out eyeballs.

"But what about vision from here?"

(He dramatically tapped his forehead. Then his heart. Then both. No one seemed sure what he meant.)

I stared blankly at the projection.

"...He’s definitely going to get himself arrested," I muttered, picking up my spoon.

In the corner of the screen, a small caption appeared:

Erian Malks — Independent. Tierless. Disruptor Party. Approval rating: 3.7% (mostly outer sectors and meme forums).

As I finished eating and stood up, a group of servants immediately entered the dining hall to begin clearing the feast.

One of the maids stepped toward me, trying to clean me up, but I backed away and called over the head maid who briefed me earlier.

"Reduce the portion. Just for me. No need for this kind of feast."

"...As you wish."

As I walked through the mansion, lost in thought, a maid passed by me.

Then she suddenly backflipped.

Thud.

I blinked. "Did you just—?"

Elira quickly straightened, brushing her skirt. "Stretching, my lord."

"...Right. Of course."

She bowed, expression unreadable, and left.

I scratched my head. "What kind of maid backflips down a hallway...?"

I sighed and looked around. "Aren’t I supposed to review some paperwork? Where is it... in my office?"

A voice answered from behind me, calm and composed.

"It’s in the Lord’s study, Sir Kael. Allow me to lead you there."

I turned.

It was her again. The same head maid who briefed me earlier.

A little thrown, I asked, "Did you follow me?"

She only dipped her head in response.

My eye glimmered faintly—Mythrigan activating without conscious intent.

In that instant, a translucent afterimage shimmered beside me:

The head maid, walking a step behind, soundless as a shadow. Her presence woven into the hallway like a hidden thread.

"...Huh," I murmured. "That’s not unsettling at all."

When I stepped into the office, the silence hit first.

Spacious. Immaculate.

Luxury dripped from every inch of the room—marble inlays, polished wood panels, books arranged by color. Like a showroom for an heir who never really used it.

I walked to the chair behind the desk and sat down.

It didn’t feel like mine.

The head maid stepped forward with practiced ease and placed a neat stack of folders on the desk.

"Please review and sign these, Sir Kael," she said, bowing slightly.

I stared at the papers for a second too long.

Then flipped through the stack—project approvals, budget revisions, internal surveillance logs—

And then paused.

A line in sharp black font, stamped with the Council seal:

Authorization for Elrian Malks’ Removal

Reason: Direct provocation and public endangerment regarding the Mythrigan and House names.

Status: Approved. Signed by Elder Council and Vice Lord Evara.

"An assassination?" My voice was low.

The head maid turned slightly. "Yes, my lord?"

I reached for the disapproval seal, the heavy black one with my crest and pressed it against the paper.

"As the current heir," I said, "any attempt that endangers Elrian Malks will be blocked. Swiftly."

A pause.

Her eyes flicked to the seal, then back to me. She didn’t speak. Just nodded slow, unreadable.

Then carefully gathered the document and stepped back.

I changed into the formal attire laid out near the wardrobe: deep black with silver trim.

A five-star insignia gleamed on both shoulders, polished and impossible to miss. Across my right shoulder looped a golden braid, ceremonial in design like something borrowed from an old naval officer’s uniform.

No medals or ribbons.

And covering my left eye: a thin veil of black fabric.

As I stepped outside the Valery mansion, the estate guards straightened instantly.

They stood in perfect formation along both sides of the path. Each soldier wore a sleek grey uniform and tall, rigid hats reminiscent of old parade regiments.

What stood out most were the dark goggles. Not worn for intimidation, but necessity. Every soldier under House Valery bore a unique ocular gift some have Ketsugan, some otherwise and the goggles shielded both their vision and others from their gaze.

Ahead, a sleek, futuristic black car waited at the foot of the stairs—a shadow of modern luxury.

Standing beside it was a tall woman in a fitted grey coat, arms folded.

A scar cut down her right eye, clean and brutal.

Vice Lord Evara.

She didn’t smile. Didn’t salute. She only nodded once, sharp and exact.

"My lord."

I returned the nod, adjusted the braid on my shoulder, and stepped into the car.

A moment later, the door on my right opened.

Evara entered without a word, her presence sharp as ever. She didn’t need to speak.

She just sat—silent and straight-eyed.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Silence settled between us.

She didn’t look at me as she spoke.

"If you weren’t the bearer of Mythrigan, Lord Kael...

We would’ve already replaced you.

This House doesn’t forgive twice."