I Was Reincarnated as a Villain Prince’s Follower, but I Refuse to Be Ruined—Turns Out the Prince Is Surprisingly Competent - Chapter 13

Upon returning to the royal capital, we headed straight to the Audience Chamber. It was Jeremy’s first-time stepping foot inside such a place. Unlike his previous meeting with the King, being called to the Audience Chamber meant this was an official event. Normally, a mere student would never be summoned here.

Jeremy couldn’t hide his surprise when he spotted his father sitting at the very end of the row of high-ranking officials who managed the country. Despite his lowly seat, his father looked delighted just to be included.

“Rufus Zane Sadquiel and Jeremy Randolph have returned safely from the inspection,” Rufus announced to the King, maintaining a posture of deepest respect.

The King sat on his throne with a kind smile, the wrinkles on his face deepening. “Umu, well done. And your success regarding the hidden gold mine is a magnificent achievement.”

“Your words are far too kind, Your Majesty. The details are in the report.”

“I have already received it. I did not expect you to perform this well. Your late mother was wise and quick-witted; I am glad to see you have inherited her blood.”

It was highly unusual for the King to mention a commoner concubine—a former dancer—in a public setting. This was especially true with the Queen and her son, Crown Prince Raven, standing right beside him. Raven had been glaring at Jeremy and Rufus ever since they entered the room.

A few days later, it would be revealed that the Governor had been in league with Thor Vogatt, one of the Crown Prince’s followers. The Governor had bribed Thor to receive inside information. Because of their treason against the state, both the Governor’s and Thor’s houses were stripped of their titles and exiled from the kingdom.

Naturally, the Crown Prince was furious that one of his close associates had been taken down, which explained the glaring. Jeremy secretly wondered if Raven had truly been ignorant of the connection between the Governor and Thor. Could a mere follower really get his hands-on audit schedules so easily? He suspected Raven might have been involved, but it was just a guess with no evidence.

“Baron,” the King called.

“Y-yes…!” Jeremy’s father stepped forward, his face stiff with nerves.

“You have a good son. I expect continued loyalty to the Royal Family.”

“Y-ye-yes! Even at the cost of my life…!”

The sound of amused chuckles echoed through the chamber at his obviously panicked response.

“Rewards shall be granted to the two of you in due time. For now, go and rest.”

With that, we were dismissed. Feeling a massive sense of relief, Jeremy took a long stretch in the hallway.

“Now I can finally rest without a care in the world!”

“It might sound strange to say this after finishing official business, but I had fun,” Rufus said. “I’m sure it’s because you were there.”

“! Y-Your Highness…” Jeremy’s cheeks heated up at the direct thanks. “…I also found the inspection very enjoyable.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Well then, see you at school. Don’t let the relief make you skip class. If you want, I can come pick you up tomorrow.”

“I’m not a child anymore, so you don’t need to go that far.”

Jeremy watched Rufus walk away until he was out of sight.

By the time Jeremy returned to the academy, there wasn’t a single student who hadn’t heard of their exploits. In the classroom, his classmates begged him for stories about the trip. Though he found the attention tiring, he saw it as a perfect chance to boost Rufus’s reputation. When he told them about the fight against the Governor’s men, his classmates’ eyes sparkled with excitement.

Seeing Rufus being praised made Jeremy feel as happy as if it were about himself. It felt like introducing a favorite idol to someone and getting a positive reaction. At lunch, he finally reunited with Chris and Reinhard. Rufus joined them, too.

“Thank you so much, Senior Jeremy!” Chris cried happily as Jeremy handed him his gift. “It’s so beautiful! I love the moon!”

Chris pinned it to his uniform. “How does it look?”

“Yeah, it suits you well,” Jeremy said.

“Rein, what do you think?”

“You look good in anything, but that moon is especially nice,” Reinhard replied.

“Right? Senior, I’ll treasure this for the rest of my life!”

“The rest of your life is a bit much but I’m glad.” Jeremy laughed.

“Senior Rufus, that necklace is lovely, too,” Chris noticed while they were eating.

“Jeremy gave it to me,” Rufus said with a look of genuine happiness. He looked almost proud; Jeremy wondered if he was just imagining things because he wanted his gift to be liked.

“It was a thank-you for my birthday present,” Jeremy added.

“It suits you very well.”

“Doesn’t it?” Rufus nodded, his cheeks turning a soft pink.

Jeremy felt embarrassed seeing that reaction. Beside them, Chris smiled brightly.

“You two have gotten a lot closer since before the inspection,” Reinhard muttered.

“Is that so? We’re the same as always,” Rufus said bluntly.

“No, it looks like the distance between you has shrunk. Are you dating or something?”

A bomb was casually dropped—and by Reinhard, of all people. Jeremy started coughing violently.

“W-what are you talking about…?” His voice went high with agitation.

Rufus, however, didn’t seem shaken at all. He remained as calm as ever. “No. We are friends. Important ones.”

“Hmm.” Reinhard nodded, though he didn’t look entirely convinced.

Ignoring him, Rufus pulled an envelope from his coat. “Right. I should give you this before I forget.” It was a formal envelope with a royal wax seal.

“An invitation to a ball?” Jeremy asked. “Shouldn’t this be given to my father, not me?”

“We are the guests of honor.”

“Eh?”

“His Majesty is hosting a celebration to honor our achievements from the inspection. I brought it directly since I knew I’d see you at school. Similar invitations should be sent to the nobles in the capital, so Chris, Reinhard—if you’re free, please come.”

“If you’re free” was an understatement; no noble would ever dream of ignoring an invitation from the Royal Family.

“Um… since I’m a ‘guest of honor,’ do I have to do anything?”

“Relax. Just do what you did in the Audience Chamber—stay quiet and smile. Everyone else will handle the rest.”

“That’s a relief,” Jeremy sighed.

Chris giggled. “You two are going to become even more famous. My father said you’re already the talk of high society. He said if Senior Rufus supports the Crown Prince, the future of this country will be secure.”

Reinhard agreed. “I’ve heard the same. Word of Rufus’s big fight has even reached the Knights.”

“They’re just exaggerating,” Rufus demurred.

“That’s not true! You were so, so cool back then, Your Highness! Have more confidence!”

“But I was saved by you in that moment.”

“Helping you was only natural! Being saved doesn’t take away from your value at all!”

When Jeremy said that from the bottom of his heart, Rufus stammered a “V-very well” and looked away.

(Did I say something weird?)

Chris and Reinhard simply watched the interaction between Jeremy and Rufus with warm, knowing smiles.