Reforming the Villain Family (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 2
The Leviche Knight Order belonged to House Crustel and was the only knight order in the Empire that rivaled the Imperial Knight Order in size.
That was true, at least, if one considered sheer numbers alone.
Yet, judging by the individual prowess of its knights, it might even surpass the Imperial Knight Order.
No matter how exceptional a knight might be, those who constantly engaged in real combat in the north inevitably outshone those who trained only within the palace walls.
Naturally, for that very reason, graduates of the Knight Academy saw positions in the Imperial Order as their ultimate aspiration.
From their perspective, choosing a safe and comfortable post in these peaceful times—when war seemed unlikely—was simply the more advantageous path.
However, Yan Bayholt, who had graduated top of his class from the Knight Academy, defied all expectations and volunteered for the Leviche Knight Order, the Crustel ducal house’s knight order.
He was a steadfast young man.
His decision to join the Leviche Knight Order, which guarded the northern frontier, stemmed from his unwavering sense of duty.
He sought to endlessly temper and train himself so he could protect even more people.
‘And later, he’d betray the ducal house and aid the protagonist.’
That made sense, after all—House Crustel was the antagonist of this world, a faction that opposed the protagonist’s cause.
Thus, he would gradually grow disillusioned with Duke Crustel, whom he served, and ultimately side with the protagonist to vanquish evil.
“Is there anywhere you’re uncomfortable?”
Yan, seated beside me in the carriage, asked.
Outside, the rain still fell steadily.
It was slightly chilly, but tolerable.
I shook my head, yet he somehow noticed my state and removed the blanket from his shoulders, wrapping it gently around me.
“We’ll arrive soon.”
I was mentally retracing the novel’s plot from my past life.
Then, once again, I fell into doubt.
Yan’s words from just minutes ago resurfaced in my mind.
‘We’ve come to find the Duke’s biological daughter.’
That was truly strange.
The Duke had no daughters. The sons he had were all carefully selected and adopted based solely on their abilities.
Nowhere in the original story was there any mention of him having a hidden biological child.
Moreover, just yesterday, when Rebecca brought me to the ducal manor, the Duke had chased us away himself.
‘…Or did I mishear?’
On second thought, that seemed plausible.
At the time, I’d been caught in pouring rain while Rebecca yanked my hair.
Truthfully, Rebecca had been shrieking so furiously that I could barely hear anything—had she not been yelling, I wouldn’t have caught even her curses clearly.
‘Right, me—the Duke’s daughter? Impossible.’
No matter how much I reconsidered, I must have misheard.
But setting that aside…
‘Then why am I heading to the ducal house?’
I still couldn’t believe I was riding in the Duke’s carriage. Yan must have noticed my hesitation, for he spoke first.
“Is there anything you’re curious about?”
Yan was considerate—just as he’d been in the original story.
After a moment’s hesitation, I finally shook my head.
Yan’s previously rigid expression softened. His lips curved into a gentle arc, and his eyebrows lowered slightly, as if regarding me with pity.
Yan wouldn’t lie—but could the Duke really have ordered him to bring me? Lost in thought, I barely noticed when the carriage halted.
A soft knock came at the door—the coachman’s careful rap, quieter than the earlier sound of rain.
Only after hearing that faint knock did I suddenly realize:
‘The rain has stopped.’
Outside, the coachman spoke.
“We’ve reached the main gate.”
Yan tapped the window twice in acknowledgment. As the carriage resumed moving, he said,
“We must be almost there.”
Passing through the main gate, the carriage started off again. Yan opened the window so I could see outside.
Thanks to the blanket, I didn’t feel cold.
The sprawling garden came into view, along with gardeners tending to it.
Exquisitely maintained flowers, heavy with lingering moisture, bowed gently in the breeze.
Though the scene was no different from what I’d seen yesterday with Rebecca, for some reason, it felt somewhat new now.
‘Could it be because the sky has cleared?’
Just as the blooming garden disappeared from sight,
the carriage stopped. Yan stepped down first and offered me his hand to alight.
“We’ve arrived, miss.”
Despite having seen this mansion yesterday, I was once again awestruck by its grandeur.
[This is the timeline separator]“Please follow me.”
As I trailed behind Yan into the mansion, I grew even busier scanning my surroundings. Yesterday, I’d kept my head down the whole way, too nervous about Rebecca to look around.
Now, with no one to scold me for lifting my gaze, I finally got to properly take in the place.
‘It’s enormous.’
Nothing was placed carelessly; nothing was cheap.
The chandelier hanging from the lofty ceiling stood solemnly in its place, and expensive marble—unseen even in back alleys—formed the floor beneath my feet.
Even the servants’ attire looked costlier than the dresses Rebecca kept carefully stored in one corner of our home.
Indeed, there was truth to the old saying that servants in noble houses had better complexions—it wasn’t just idle talk.
“Miss.”
Yan called out from behind, halting me. I’d been so absorbed in exploring that I’d strayed far ahead of him.
“Oh, sorry!”
Startled, I hurried back to him. At my words, Yan’s brow furrowed slightly—he seemed displeased. I resolved firmly not to get distracted again.
He replied curtly,
“It’s fine.”
Inside the room, several maids placed steaming teacups and light snacks onto the table. A rich, sweet aroma filled the air.
Yan guided me to a seat in front of the table.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
I swallowed hard. My eyes were already fixed intently on the cookies before me.
‘Those cookies look delicious.’
After days of rain and with nothing to eat at home, I hadn’t eaten properly. It was only natural my entire focus would latch onto those cookies.
“You’ll meet the Duke shortly. He…”
I didn’t catch a word Yan was saying.
My mind was too occupied with an internal struggle between two voices.
‘Can I eat one? Am I allowed to?’
These treats were far too precious for someone like me.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t.’
I clenched my hands tightly, forcing myself to stay composed.
Don’t cause any trouble.
Just as I steadied my resolve, I suddenly noticed the room had fallen eerily quiet.
Curious, I lifted my head—and found Yan staring at me intently. Our eyes met, and he spoke again.
“If you’d like to eat, feel free.”
Taken aback by his sudden words, I blinked several times. Yan opened his mouth once more.
“Do you dislike cookies? Shall I have something else brought out?”
My eyes widened in shock. Good heavens—were there really people who didn’t like cookies?
Seeing my astonished look, Yan genuinely seemed prepared to order different snacks.
“Oh, no!”
I quickly spoke up as he moved to clear the cookie plate.
“I don’t dislike them!”
In fact, I loved them—I once even sneaked a cookie from a gift Rebecca had received. It had been so sweet and delicious.
That was the best thing I’d ever tasted in my life.
At my hasty reply, the corners of Yan’s mouth softened into a gentle curve.
“Understood. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
“Okay…”
His words barely registered. Slowly, I picked up a cookie and popped it into my mouth, chewing quietly.
‘Delicious.’
It far surpassed the cookie I’d eaten before. Instantly, it rewrote my personal ranking of the best foods I’d ever tasted.
My stomach clamored for more, but I gripped my knees tightly, deliberately averting my eyes from the plate.
‘I shouldn’t eat too much.’
Overindulging would instantly earn adults’ disapproval. Judging by Yan’s behavior so far, he clearly meant well—and I didn’t want to lose his good regard.
“Miss, shall I bring more?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. Instead, I decided to ask the question that had been bothering me.
“But, Sir Knight…”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Why do you keep calling me ‘miss’?”
“Because you are the daughter of the one I serve.”
I couldn’t grasp his words immediately. The Duke had no daughters—so why keep insisting I was his biological child after bringing me here?
Yesterday, the Duke himself had denied I was his daughter!
Of course, if I hadn’t regained my past-life memories, I might have wondered whether I truly was his long-lost daughter.
But the Duke had no biological children—only adopted sons. That much was certain.
Unable to explain using memories from my past life, I simply replied,
“I’m not the Duke’s daughter.”
Yan hesitated, his lips moving several times before he finally spoke.
“I can’t disclose details, but the Duke himself said you are indeed his biological daughter and ordered me to bring you.”
He spoke slowly and clearly, as if stating an undeniable fact. At this point, doubt inevitably crept in.
‘Could the Duke be trying to accept me as his daughter?’
Surely he hadn’t fallen for Rebecca’s deception.
‘But why me?’
While I was lost in thought, the door opened.
“Where is she?”
A cold voice rang out, and all the maids nearby immediately stepped back.
“My lord.”
Yan rose from his seat and retreated behind me.
Though Yan was the most familiar presence here, his disappearance from my sight made me slightly uneasy.
‘It’s okay—Yan’s standing right behind me now.’
I forced myself to calm down and turned toward the voice.
Instantly, my body froze with tension.
Perhaps because we were closer now,
I felt even more shaken than yesterday.
Truthfully, even Yan had seemed intimidating at first—not because of his face, but due to the sharp aura emanating from his posture and bearing.
But compared to the man who now appeared, that had been nothing.
It was Duke Crustel himself, the same man I’d seen yesterday.
The air around me seemed to thin, making it hard to breathe.
Though his expression clearly showed no ill intent toward me, the effect remained.
The Duke offered me a smile—but his eyes didn’t smile with it.
“So, it’s really that child from yesterday.”
Just as he reached out his hand toward me, I instinctively jerked backward.
In that instant, I lost my balance and landed hard on my backside with a thud.
The Duke, whose hand had been extended toward me, froze.
The smile on his lips vanished, and one eyebrow arched sharply upward.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (117)
Oh, how pitiful our little one is! What is this? Is she really not his daughter? Why did he lie?
Well done, our little one, you’re very clever. Don’t let him deceive you. You must escape from this crazy duke.
Yes, yes, you have to leave. You cannot stay with a crazy person trying to kill you, but that’s a stranger whose name you never said.
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Miioo
What is this? Is he trying to scare our little girl?