The Petty Villain Plays by the Rules: Rewriting This Otome Game with Honest Work!

The Valdias are a seemingly normal family of nobles that no one would expect to face a future full of death and condemnation—a fate which is about to be rewritten. After a mysterious accident, former salaryman and avid gamer Hajime Kanda wakes up as their eldest child, Reid, in the world of an otome game he once fully cleared. And he knows the terrible future that awaits them all. Reid may have been a petty villain in the main story, but he’s got exceptional stats that will help him grow into a total beast. The hard part will be avoiding the conflict to come, and doing that means bringing the family together again. He’s just got to be sweet to his younger sister, get in his father’s good graces, and cure his mother’s terminal illness, of course. Should be simple enough, right? Well, Reid’s determined to save his family from a dark fate, and he’s going to do it by playing by the rules!

Reid Valdia has gone through a whirlwind of events after regaining his memories of his previous life as a salaryman—he’s started a business, invented new spells, and even developed a medicine that can help recover mana! Thanks to the medicine he created with his magic tutor Sandra, his mother’s life is no longer in danger, but they still need to work on a cure. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, Reid’s father informs him that he must enter into a political marriage with the princess of the neighboring kingdom, Lenarute. Fortunately for Reid, a trip to visit his future wife’s home will not only be a chance for them to meet but also an opportunity to find the ingredient he needs to cure his mother’s illness. The relationship between Magnolia and Lenarute is complicated, to say the least, and such political tensions will prove to be obstacles for the young margrave’s son. But no matter what lies in his way, Reid is prepared to do everything he can to save his family!

After successfully thwarting the plans of the faction opposed to his marriage to Princess Farah, Reid can now focus on his second objective for his trip to Lenarute: finding rute grass, the ingredient he needs to make the silver bullet that could cure his mother’s mana depletion disorder. Thanks to his memories from his previous life, Reid already has a lead—he’s confident that he’ll find rute grass in the Evil Forest. Of course, the “nonconventional prodigy” isn’t going to return home without some additional triumphs. Reid sets out on a third mission: recruiting skilled artisans to invite back to the Valdia Mark in hopes of getting the best of both countries’ technologies. To accomplish all of his goals, he’s going to need the help of an apothecary, a pair of dwarven blacksmiths, and some furry critters, which might not be so easy given the bad actors that stand in his way. Reid was fated to be a villain anyway, so he’s not opposed to playing dirty to take down his foes!

Reid is finally back in the Valdia Mark after the incredibly hectic but fruitful trip to Lenarute. Instead of taking a moment to breathe and settle in, he’s already planning for what comes next. Now that his engagement to Princess Farah is official, the Valdias will be constructing a new residence to welcome and house his future bride. This is an opportunity to bring some Lenarutian culture to the mark, including tatami mats, cherry blossom trees, and perhaps even a special bathhouse! Of course, the little lord’s got several more irons in the fire. Reid’s crafting local delicacies, mass-producing charcoal, revolutionizing shipping and logistics, and even making progress on a cure for his mother’s illness! While it sounds like a ridiculous workload for a young boy, the nonconventional prodigy is determined to secure a happy future for his family and the mark. Now that he has an even wider network of allies, Reid will use all the resources he has to tackle any obstacle that comes his way!