I Became The Guardian Of The Future Villain

“Baron Frost?”

“I apologize for coming so early, my lord. May I have a brief audience with you?”

Leonhard, who had just been about to rise from his seat, smiled broadly upon hearing that Frost had arrived.

“Come in! I’ve been wanting to speak with you, Baron!”

“Pardon? Uh… well, then please excuse me.”

Derrick was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected warm welcome but followed Albert inside.

“I’ll go and brew some fresh tea.”

Earlier, Malrus had arrived in such a rush that they hadn’t even been able to offer him a cup of tea.

While Albert stepped out briefly, Leonhard leaned slightly toward Derrick and spoke.

“Are you here to talk about becoming my guardian?”

“It may be presumptuous of me, but… yes, that’s correct.”

Derrick had arrived at the ducal estate ahead of his family, intending to speak with Leonhard.

He had been thinking over what Hestia had said and decided to act, but during the entire carriage ride, he couldn’t help but ponder.
Was this truly the right thing for him to do?
The most important question was how to begin. He had prepared several scenarios in advance, but…
“My father used to talk about you a lot, Baron. He said you were a good person.”

“…Did he?”

For the next few minutes, Leonhard shared all the things he had heard about Derrick from Icarus over the years. Since the two had been quite close during Icarus’s lifetime, there wasn’t a single bad word to be said.

“But… that alone isn’t enough to choose a guardian.”

Before moving to the main topic, Leonhard shed his childlike innocence.

“Why do you want to be my guardian?”

“…I believe that among the candidates for guardian, I would be the best suited to serve you, my lord.”

“And why do you think that?”

“The others have too much ambition. Count Humphrey, in particular, is known for handling matters efficiently, but he also has a ruthless side and can cut someone off without hesitation if they fall out of his favor. However, I’m aware that saying this may seem like I’m undermining others to elevate myself, so I am speaking cautiously.”

Derrick tried to be as reserved as possible, but when necessary, he spoke with objective facts in mind.

“If I choose you, what would be the benefit to me?”

“More than offering benefits, I can guarantee your safety until you come of age and inherit the title of Duke.”

“Isn’t that a given? A guardian’s job is to protect me until I’m an adult, isn’t it?”

“The world… doesn’t always work that smoothly, my lord.”

“…Are you looking down on me because I’m young?”

As Leonhard flared up, thinking he was being belittled, Derrick responded calmly.

“I’m not looking down on you, my lord. I merely wanted to inform you that there are forces who might target you by circumventing the law.”

“Target me?”

“To be more precise, they’d be targeting the ducal house, rather than you personally.”

“…Everyone keeps saying that my uncle might try to kill me and take over the duchy.”

“Everyone, you say? Who has been telling you such things?”

There were murmurs he’d overheard at the funeral and from people like Albert and Malrus.

But Derrick’s response was a little unusual.

“You don’t think that’s the case, Baron?”

“On the contrary, I believe Lord Luciard is someone to be trusted. The idea that he would target you is completely absurd.”

Leonhard’s eyes grew wide at this unexpected assertion.

“To my memory, Lord Luciard always admired and respected his brother, the late Duke. You’re aware of the circumstances regarding Lord Luciard, correct?”

“Roughly…”

He didn’t know the full details, but he knew that Luciard was Icarus’s half-brother.

“At the time, the late Duke could have erased Lord Luciard from the ducal family entirely. But instead of casting him out, he embraced him with love, and Lord Luciard understood that deeply. And, if I may share something I heard directly from him…”

Derrick glanced at Albert, who had come in to brew the tea and lowered his voice.

“One of the reasons he went to the academy early was to demonstrate that he posed no threat to the ducal family.”

“What does going to the academy have to do with the ducal family?”

“Once you were born, Lord Luciard’s position became uncertain. He had been receiving an education almost equal to that of a future successor. Because of that, there was talk that he was competing with you, a newborn and that he was scheming to take over the duchy in the future…”

“That’s nonsense! My uncle would never do that!”
Before Derrick could even finish his sentence, Leonhard shouted angrily, breathing heavily.
Seeing this, Derrick smiled faintly.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Lord Luciard is not that kind of person. But he believed that if he stayed at the ducal estate, he might unintentionally put you in danger, which is why he chose to leave and attend the academy.”

“My uncle…”

“More importantly, Lord Luciard has no interest in the ducal title.”

This was true.

Before Luciard disappeared, he had briefly returned to the ducal estate during a school break, and Derrick had happened to run into him.

Thanks to Hestia, Derrick had established a connection with Luciard and regularly delivered supplies to him while he was at the academy, so they exchanged words occasionally.

At that time, Derrick had asked Luciard what he planned to do after graduation, and Luciard had replied:

‘Though I haven’t decided exactly what I’ll do… one thing’s for sure: I’m not going back to the ducal estate. I have no interest in the ducal title. I don’t intend to be an obstacle to my nephew. In fact, that’s the reason I went to the academy in the first place.’

He had said this just before graduating.

Since Luciard had asked him to keep it a secret, Derrick hadn’t told Icarus or anyone else. It was something only he knew.

This was why Derrick believed that Luciard would be the most suitable guardian for Leonhard. Luciard had gone to the academy, which he didn’t need to attend, for the sake of his brother and nephew, and he had no interest in the ducal title whatsoever.

In fact, Derrick even considered the possibility that Luciard’s disappearance after graduation might be an extension of that same intention.

“Then, if my uncle were to return later, would you be willing to give up the position of guardian?”

“Yes, if Lord Luciard remains the same person I once knew, I would gladly step aside for him.”

Hearing the answer he was hoping for, Leonhard beamed with a broad smile. But he quickly caught himself and regained his composure.

To Derrick, it seemed like Leonhard was already trying to stand on his own, and the sight was somewhat pitiful.

“My lord, I have spent the past ten years building a friendship with the late Duke. I believe the time has come for me to repay the debt of gratitude I owe him. If you trust me, I will ensure your safety until you reach adulthood.”

“Hmm…”

Leonhard wore a somewhat troubled expression.

How could it be that the two people vying for guardianship were so different?

Both were asking him to trust them, but their approaches were so vastly different that he couldn’t decide who to choose.

His heart leaned more toward Derrick, but…

‘Albert was against it, and yesterday that woman told me not to trust anyone.’

The two men wanted him to trust them, but the woman who had comforted him yesterday told him not to trust anyone.

Who was right?

“Ah! Come to think of it…!”

As if suddenly realizing something, Leonhard looked at Derrick.

“Do you know someone named Hestia?”

“She’s my daughter… Why do you ask, my lord?”

As expected! Yesterday, Malrus had referred to Hestia as Baron Frost’s daughter, but she had told Leonhard not to trust even her own father, leaving him confused about her identity.

“She helped me a bit yesterday. She didn’t mention me at all?”

Leonhard asked with a bit of a shy smile, and Derrick, remembering what had happened recently, looked confused.

“She didn’t say anything about you, my lord, but… now I think I understand why she was pestering me.”

“Huh? Pestered you? About what?”

“It’s nothing. In any case, Tia is indeed my daughter. She’s my eldest.”

“How old is she?”

“She just turned 18, so she’s a full-fledged adult now.”

“If she’s your daughter, then she’s also from a branch family, right?”

“…Actually, Tia isn’t my biological daughter. My wife brought her into our family.”

“So, she’s not from a branch family?”

“By blood, no. But since I went through the legal adoption process a long time ago, she’s officially recognized as part of the branch family. I submitted the adoption papers with the recommendation of a cardinal.”

To ensure that Hestia wouldn’t face any disadvantages growing up because of her commoner background, Derrick had gone to great lengths to secure the best possible adoption process for her.

“The Duke played a significant role in Hestia’s adoption,” Derrick added.

“My father did?” Leonhard asked, surprised.

“Yes. I’m not entirely sure why, but the Duke was very fond of Hestia. He would often mention her. Do you remember anything about that?”

“Hestia? You mean Tia?”

As Leonhard repeated her name, he recalled something his father had once said:

*”There was a very bold little girl around your age. She was only eight, yet she acted so much like an adult, it was a little amusing. Of course, thanks to her, I regained something precious.”*

Leonhard realized that the girl his father had spoken of might have been Tia—Hestia’s nickname. His heart raced, and an unexpected thrill ran through him as he held his chest.

“Why do you ask about my Tia?” Derrick inquired curiously.

Leonhard almost mentioned what had happened the previous day but then remembered Hestia’s warning not to trust anyone. He closed his mouth instead.

“It’s nothing. I’ll think over what you’ve said, Baron.”

“Understood. Even if I’m not chosen as your guardian, please know that I am on your side. I’ll see you again soon.”

Derrick’s respectful demeanor was completely different from Malrus’ arrogance. Leonhard appreciated it, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he could trust Derrick just yet.

“I still have to choose between the two of them,” Leonhard muttered, folding his arms in deep thought.

As he pondered, Albert brought in tea and added gently, “I will respect your decision, my lord, but please remember that this person will manage the duchy on your behalf for the next ten years. I hope you will choose carefully.”

“Albert, you’re still on the same page as before, right?”

“Yes, I believe Count Humphrey is the best choice.”

‘Albert’s been serving the family since my grandfather’s time, so he must have his reasons.’

Albert had been loyal to the Winston family for over 12 years, and Leonhard couldn’t easily ignore his advice. The more he thought about it, the more complicated everything became. He hadn’t even had the time to grieve his parents’ deaths properly, overwhelmed by the need to make decisions for the future of both himself and the duchy.

Feeling downcast, Leonhard reached for a cookie from the plate Albert had brought.

Then, a memory of his father came to him. They used to play card games together, often betting on snacks. Sometimes Icarus would let him win, but when his father played seriously, Leonhard stood no chance.

*What did Father say back then…?*

*”Son, in life, there are times when a third option appears, even when it seems like you only have two choices.”*

*”How can there be a third choice when there are only two?”*

*”Not in every case, but sometimes an unexpected variable shows up. That third option might be the best one for you. So don’t just focus on what’s in front of you. Try to see the bigger picture.”*

Back then, Leonhard didn’t quite understand what his father meant, but now he was starting to see it more clearly.