2 days after the ballroom fiasco Aldrich was next to a lake. He looked down at the lake and had a slight smile on his face. Then he spoke.
"Well I can finally take my illusion magic off." Aldrich said and thought nothing much changed around his eyes, hair and body his face did change. There were gills on his cheeks though they weren't big. Aldrich then began taking off all his clothes and jumped into the lake.
"Ahhhh. Nothing beats water. I feel so comfortable here." This was Aldrich's true race. Well to say it was his only race would be wrong as his father was human. His mother was a race of mermaids and mermen. Though they weren't like the fictional mermaids with a fish tail they could still breathe underwater and were amazing swimmers. Half mermaids and mermen could still do the same but they looked more human only having gills to prove they were mermen.
Aldrich soaked into the warm water with a look of content on his face. He was truly happy and relaxed unlike before. Aldrich then swam up to an edge and rested his cheeks on his hands.
"Haaaa. Still I can't believe I got attached to his parents. So much that I cried when my mother died. I can't believe this is what it's like to have parents."
Aldrich wasn't just Aldrich. He was a man called Takanashi Kenji. The world he was in was a dating game or visual novel. It followed the main protagonist Alice, the princess of a powerful kingdom called schweinheim.
The game was mainly targeted towards women though that didn't need to be said. All five male love interests were cute boys. It was clear they decided to attract shotacons with this one like how they used Loli's to attract certain men. Naturally the game didn't really have much depth other than beautiful powerful female lead and puppy male leads.
Still though sometimes people don't want depth and just wanna read something stupid. Something that is so bad it's fun and exciting. At least that's what Kenji's sister said. Though they weren't related by blood as they were both orphan's, Kenji had adopted her the moment he turned 18 to get her out of that hell hole.
Kenji had knowledge of the game because he had bought it for his sister when she asked and watched her play it. The villain was the only non-cute boy. He was tall at 180 cm, he was androgynous possibly even more beautiful than the female lead but he was crazed.
His obsessive eyes followed the protagonist everywhere she went, constantly harassing the boys around her and doing whatever he could to get her attention. The reason why Kenji had an interest in the villain was that the villain wasn't even at fault.
The protagonist has a special ability called charm. Though it sounds like some stat in an rpg game the one in this world was deadly. It could cause one to lose their mind and focus on the one that charmed them. That's what Alice did to Aldrich.
When they were kids Alice wanted a cupcake made by Aldrich's mother. Aldrich didn't want to give it to her so he refused vehemently so Alice, annoyed used charm on Aldrich at her maximum power of it and made Aldrich so in love with her he'd kill her and himself if she ever married another.
One fucking cupcake. Alice had decided to ruin Aldrich's life over one fucking cupcake. Aldrich was a natural born genius. He was the son of a sword saintness and the son of a magic saint. He soaked up anything his mother and father taught him like a sponge and easily copied techniques a child his age couldn't possibly think of doing
But, he would never fully use his potential. He always made sure he was weaker than Alice. Why? Because the royal family was matriarchal. Unlike other noble families where it's usually led by a male the royal family was led by the females of the royal family.
It wasn't because of some grand reason or anything the main reason was due to a curse. A curse placed by the past Finacè of a former queen. Her finacè had caught her cheating with a personal knight and cursed her family. The royal family could only give birth to females and not males.
After he placed the curse he was executed but the curse remained. No matter how many priests came they were unable to shatter the curse. So the royal family was forced to be a matriarch due to the former queen. The royal family never bothered to have more than a single kid after that and forced the women to become stronger to hopefully one day break the curse.
Kenji found it hilarious they gave him an artifact that would tell if he cheated on Alice yet her family has had multiple times where they cheated on their fiancè's and husbands and wives. Yet he remained faithful to Alice the whole time.
Alice was a bitch. That was what Kenji came to. In the main story Alice hated Aldric because he always did whatever she wanted and harassed her harem members. In Kenji's life she hated him because he didn't follow every order she gave and refused sometimes. Alice could've used the artifact given to Aldrich by the queen but she had forgot about it's existence.
Though he acted like her fiancè he still refused things like sleeping with Alice and giving her lap pillows. Though it was hard to resist, Kenji had resisted her charm ability. He did it by training his mental fortitude by training swordsmanship with his mother. By constantly training until the point where couldn't feel his body he was able to resist Alice's charm.
The original Aldrich probably would have resisted as well if he trained. Aldrich didn't train much because the women of the royal family loved delicate boys. Cute soft and cheery boys were the ones that attracted the women of the royal family. So most nobles made sure to have 2 sons to make one dolled up.
Part of it was that weaker boys who needed protection got them more excited and the royal family loved weaker boys. Maybe it stirred some desire or something but that was their preference and it showed in Alice. Of course the developers gave them that preference so they could put a few shota's in her harem.
"I hope my sister is fine. I had quite a bit of money left over for her to go to college and live fine." Kenji said, reminiscing about his sister. His sister was what Kenji knew as an otaku. Kenji didn't really have time for such hobbies as he had to work enough to support her but he still asked her about it when he was free.
Kenji had been from the same orphanage as her though she was 9 years younger. The orphanage they were at was a hellhole. They didn't care for the kids and locked them up in their rooms after they finished school. Only allowing them one hour outside. They were like prisoners.
Kenji had been protecting his sister Kazuki. At first he took pity on her and gave her some of his food but over time he started getting protective of her as he saw what the orphanage director was doing. He was attempting to molest her. Kenji had caught him before he could fully do it to kazuki.
Kenji had decided to take kendo in high school as a way to stay away from the orphanage longer. Kenji had decided to ask the director for permission to go to a kendo competition and caught the director about to rape kazuki. The director was a fat middle aged old man so it was easy to fight him off.
Kenji had then protected Kazuki and quit his kendo club. As soon as he graduated and turned 18 he adopted kazuki. Normally it wouldn't be that easy but Kenji had proof of their terrible treatment so they begrudgingly allowed him to adopt kazuki.
Of course Kenji reported them. As soon as he legally adopted kazuki he called the authorities and gave them evidence of the crimes the orphanage had committed. As much as he hated that place he still cared for the other children there.
After Kenji had got enough money from his part time job to rent an apartment though not grand it was enough for him and kazuki. After that they lived together before kenjis's passing when he turned 27. Kenji, now that Kazuki had turned 18, had decided to ask a woman in his office out for a date. The two had been interested in each other for a while but Kenji didn't want to date her until Kazuki was an adult.
Kenji was a handsome man in his past life. He wasn't like a beauty like Aldrich which can enchant anyone with his looks but he was still above average to the point he'd get confessions. In high school he's been popular since he was the star of the kendo team. Even in his office he was popular though not as much.
So excited to finally go on a date, Kenji had gotten dressed well and he was robbed. A weird figure dressed in black came out of a nearby alley and stabbed him directly in the chest and took his belongings. Kenji could've survived if the ambulance got there quicker but he died as soon as it got there.
Kenji didn't know what he was supposed to feel in his final moments but he felt concerned. Over his sister and how she would do without him. She was an adult and on her way to a university that Kenji worked three jobs to save up money for her. She was a smart girl so he was sure she'd easily graduate.
"I didn't even get to see her high school graduation." These Were Kenji's final words as he left his mortal body. After that Kenji spent 9 months wandering around in a weird place. Though he didn't know it was 9 months.
After that he was born he never wanted to experience that again. Once he got out of his new mothers womb he was instantly surrounded by a bunch of people. They were in a Forest a humid place and the people surrounding him were mermaids and mermen and a human.
He couldn't really see much but he was able to see the people surrounding him and his mother. He remembered the first words that were spoken.
"Finally, you're in our world now. My Aldrich." The woman said in an exhausted tone but she was clearly happy. After that Kenji lived as Aldrich. Surprised at his own emotions he never felt before he got attached to his new parents. Their warm embrace and kind nature had gotten Kenji to be enamored with them.
His mother Melody was a mermaid of common birth. Unlike his father Albert Von Hein. Albert was the son of the Duke of the schweinheim and he had an immense talent for magic. So much so he created magic that allowed him to create gates to other nations which was used now to have meetings with nations.
His mother was talented with the sword. A weird weapon choice for mermaids and mermen as they tended to use spears. Spears were easy to use in waters and they could surround their enemies with it. Melody loved the sword and became known as the sword saint in the mermaid kingdom. Though they weren't a kingdom they were as powerful as one so other nations called them a kingdom.
Both Melody and Albert met on a battlefield when they fought against demons. Both of them had met each other more and more after that and started to fall in love. It was a rule for dukes and royals to marry other humans as they wanted to keep the bloodline pure. But Albert was the first to fall in love with a mermaid.
Melody had been placed under a disguise by Albert to make her human. They had a grand wedding and the whole dukedom celebrated it. Albert didn't feel satisfied with that kind of wedding and had a small in Melodie's birth home with some friends and Melodie's family. It was a very commoner wedding compared to their previous one but Albert and Melody much preferred their second wedding compared to the first.
After that Albert and Melody traveled as part of their honeymoon. The fought demons and monsters went into labyrinths and had fun exploring the nature of the world. Until 6 months into their honeymoon melody had become pregnant.
They rushed back to their dukedom to announce her pregnancy. With her pregnancy announced Albert had become the new duke while his parents moved to a house they had in the capital to retire.
Kenji had spent a lot of time with his doting parents. He learned magic and swordsmanship from his father and mother. Aldrich was supposed to hide his strength due to the nature of Alice.
Kenji also took 'bridal training' Kenji didn't know why it was called bridal training even though he was male. He learned how to deal with political problems and how to cook. Kenji didn't really like having to deal with a bunch of paperwork but he did enjoy the cooking part. He wasn't taught by chef's or the queen or king.
Rather he wanted his mother to teach him. His mother was an amazing cook, she was of common birth so unlike nobles she knew how to cook. She was also an excellent baker which is why Alice desired that cupcake. Alice loved sweets.
The queen was the only one along with the king who knew Melodie's true identity as a mermaid and sword saint. Which is why the queen gave them an ultimatum. Their son would be engaged to her daughter and become a future king. If they refused she'd put Melodie's race to the entire kingdom.
Though it didn't seem serious to Kenji, to the nobles of the kingdom this would be the chance to invade the dukedom and take the land. It was tradition to marry humans for dukes, if they found out that their duke married and had a child with a mermaid they'd be furious. Stupid right? It was very weird but Aldrich was a villain so he didn't need much depth other than being evil.
The queen's motive was to have the child between Alice and Aldrich to break the curse. Aldrich was the child of the magic saint, someone the queen wanted in her harem of men. Though he didn't fit her type she still wanted him. The duke, Albert's father refused vehemently as his wife was weak and couldn't give birth to another.
Albert was the sole heir of the dukedom and he wasn't about to let his queen take his son just to have him in her harem of men. So the queen had to back down but she made a deal that if Albert had a child he would be engaged to hers. They made a deal but the duke said if Albert agreed to have his child engaged.
That was to prevent the queen from freely being able to take his future grandson. The queen agreed reluctantly but after she found out that melody was a mermaid she didn't need that contract anymore. After that the engagement was announced and Alice and Aldrich met. As it was stated before it was the same as the visual novel except Kenji was able to resist her charm and kept the cupcake.
After that Kenji figured out that the world made sure every event that happens in the visual novel happened now. The harem members saying they were bullied and harassed happened though Aldrich didn't do it. It was as if the world kept him as a villain and the others thought that as well.
Aldrich figured that out the hard way. His mother on the day of his 13th birthday had been assassinated. As a sword saint she wouldn't be an easy target, but this was a fixed story. Mermaids were weak to a certain poison that sapped the water and moisture out of them.
Killing them fast. Melody should've been able to call Albert with a magic pendant Albert made but she didn't. It was a fixed point in this world; her death was meant to happen. Kenji was devastated when he saw her dead body. Unlike the original Aldrich who didn't care when Melody died due to him being afflicted by Alice's charm, Kenji was crying almost every night in the month she died.
Kenji, who had endured a terrible life in his past life when he was a child, never cried. Even when the director locked him in a well he Never cried. When he broke his hand by falling from a roof he never cried. Yet this woman, his mother dying, finally made him cry. He wondered if this was how his sister felt when she found he died.
He spent 2 weeks crying and having to sleep with his father to be able to calm down. That moment caused Kenji to figure out the nature of the world. Kenji as Aldrich had created a magic that made him not feel strong emotions other than towards his father and mother. He made sure he wouldn't form attachments to anyone.
He separated himself from his peers, his maids and butlers. Kenji realized no one but his parents would be on his side. Everyone in this world would see him as a villain even if he did nothing wrong. That was why Kenji had created a plan for the engagement part of the story.
He would act the part of her fiancè perfectly. Do nothing to her harem members and do everything he was expected as a future king. Still though he was called a villain. Then the day came, the day he could be free. It went perfectly as he planned it out.
"Ahahaha. I can finally live my life." Aldrich laughed with happiness as he slumped into the lake. Finally he would be able to do what he wants and not be held back by the world. And so the villain was done. He finished his part in the world.
Though Kenji probably wouldn't care, the fate Alice would get is far worse than the one he has now. While Kenji was happy Alice would soon lose her happiness.