I Became the guardian of the future villain

The funeral for the Duke and Duchess of Winston was conducted in a somber atmosphere.

The unexpected deaths of the Duke and Duchess had caused a stir, but no one dared speak up as they were all mindful of the young master standing at the front.

“Before the coffin is closed, you will have a final moment to say farewell to the deceased, Young Master,” the officiant said carefully, offering his hand to Leonhard.

With tears welling in his eyes, Leonhard placed the white cloth he held onto the coffin.
Normally, there would be an opportunity to open the coffin for a final farewell, but…
“I heard the body was quite damaged.”
“They couldn’t show it to the young master.”

Hestia gathered the general details of the situation from the murmurs behind her.

This situation was somewhat different from before her regression.

Previously, Leonhard had reportedly wept over Icarus’s body, but now the future was subtly different.

Hestia closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the altered future.

Soon, the coffin was buried, and Leonhard took the first shovel of earth.

After the ground was tamped down and the headstone erected, the mourners began to stir.

Leonhard stood numbly in front of his parents’ gravestone.

Hestia watched from a distance.

A sense of guilt for not preventing Icarus and Flora’s deaths overwhelmed her, mingling with a fear that felt like witnessing the villain’s transformation.

In the small, frail figure with red hair, she saw the face of the villain who had once commanded her death.

A chill ran down her spine, making Hestia shiver.

“Are you alright, sister?”

“Do you still not feel well?”

Annie and Elvin approached, concerned about Hestia’s pale complexion, which had shown no sign of improvement.

“I think I need to rest,” Hestia said.

“Alright, let’s take a break,” Annie agreed.

“I’ll go ask Father where we can rest,” Elvin said, running off to find Derrick, who was with Anna. They soon approached Hestia with worried expressions.

Derrick placed a warm hand on Hestia’s forehead.

“You have a bit of a fever. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Just… a bit tired.”

“Yes, these past few days have been tough. I’ll ask if there’s somewhere to rest at the residence. You should take a break there.”

“What about you, Father?”

“I need to have a discussion with the adults for a moment.”

Following Derrick’s gaze, Hestia looked towards the cemetery.

Leonhard was now surrounded by the branch family members.

The sight of the young boy, unable to accept the death of his parents, was strikingly out of place among the greedy adults.

Hestia glanced away, startled by Derrick’s unusually sharp eyes.

‘Is something bothering him? Or maybe…’

Derrick’s eyes flickered.

Realizing the emotion behind his gaze, Hestia was suddenly overcome with a shiver.

She clutched Derrick’s arm tightly.

“Father?”

Derrick’s eyes softened, returning to their usual warmth as he looked at Hestia.

Hestia took a trembling breath, tightening her grip on his arm.

“…Father, please don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“People… when they desire something they cannot handle, it leads to trouble.”

Derrick’s eyes widened in surprise. He glanced briefly toward Leonhard before adjusting his expression.

He then gave a small chuckle and patted Hestia’s head.

“Do you think your father would be that kind of person? Look at all the favors we’ve received from Winston. I am not someone who would act without regard for duty.”

His gentle smile reassured Hestia, calming her uneasy feelings.

Soon, Derrick headed towards the branch family members, and Hestia decided to rest in the lounge with her family.

‘Was it just my overreaction?’

She was sure that Derrick’s gaze had been filled with desire.

But perhaps she was misinterpreting things.

Knowing the future, she saw everyone, including Derrick, as potential threats to Leonhard.

‘No, it can’t be. Father wouldn’t act like that. There’s no reason for him to target Winston.’

As Derrick said, he is a person who understands gratitude.

For ten years since her regression, he had been close to Winston and had accumulated many debts to Icarus. Derrick would be more likely to support the remaining Leonhard rather than pursue Winston.

‘It will be alright. Father is not that kind of person…’

Reassuring herself, she arrived at the lounge with her family.

Once inside, Hestia leaned back on a sofa and covered her eyes with one arm.

Her body felt heavy and drained.

“Mother, what will happen to the Duke of Winston’s family from now on?” Elvin asked Anna, breaking the silence.

Hestia glanced up, listening.

“Well… the young master is very young, so it’s uncertain whether he’ll be able to lead the Duke’s household,” Anna replied.

“But didn’t you say there’s the Duke’s younger sibling?”

“They’re currently missing. We haven’t been able to contact them, so it’s uncertain what will happen. But if a guardian is appointed, things might work out.”

“So, will Father become the guardian?”

“I’m not sure. That’s something the young master will decide.”

As Anna and the siblings continued their conversation, Hestia sighed lightly, relieved by the mundane nature of the discussion.

“Is it good to become a guardian?” Annie asked.

Elvin answered.

“Isn’t it? After all, the guardian would be leading the Duke’s household in place of the young master. So, Father would also take over the Duke’s business. Like you said before, the more businesses, the better.”

Hestia, trying to rest and avoid further concerns, became suddenly rigid as Elvin’s last comment struck her.

‘…Business?’

An idea flashed through her mind.

Hestia jumped up and approached Anna.

“Startled me. Tiara, what’s the matter?”

“Mother, if our family had not become wealthy and had remained poor, would they have aimed for the young master’s guardian position?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking, hypothetically. We accumulated wealth through our perfume business and established a connection with the Duke of Winston. What if we hadn’t done that? What would have happened?”

Anna, initially confused, took a thoughtful stance as she considered Hestia’s serious expression.

Although they had grown accustomed to a wealthy and comfortable life, if they had continued their early days of poverty…

“Maybe we would have aimed for the guardian position, as you said.”

Hestia’s heart sank.

“But realistically, it would be difficult to target the guardian position. If our situation had been worse, a higher-ranking branch family member would have become the guardian.”

“What if they were collaborating with someone else?”

“Collaboration… that might be more realistic.”

Hestia swayed.

Anna, alarmed, grabbed her and guided her to a seat on the sofa.

“Sister, are you feeling unwell again?”

“You look very pale.”

“Ah, you’re even sweating.”

Anna and the siblings gathered around Hestia, trying to comfort her, but she couldn’t hear them.

‘No, it’s not that.’

What shocked her was not Derrick’s current actions, but what he had done before her regression.

Just before his death, Leonhard had said:

How could someone be so cruel to an eight-year-old child who had lost their parents?

He had claimed that his parents were among those who had taken Duke Winston’s life.

Up until now, Hestia had been busy resenting Leonhard, believing that he had misunderstood and led to his death. But what if the one who had been mistaken was herself?

What if Derrick had indeed agreed to eliminate Leonhard, as Leonhard had said?

At that time, Derrick had been drowning in debt and was desperately trying to revive the family. If another branch family had asked Derrick for cooperation in exchange for a share…

A cold sweat broke out over her body, and she struggled to breathe.

“Tia, are you okay?”

Hestia, panting heavily, turned her head away.

Hestia abruptly stood up.

“Tia!”

“Sis! What’s going on!”

Annie and the siblings rushed after Hestia as she abruptly left.
When Elvin grabbed Hestia’s hand, she roughly pushed him away.

Elvin, taken aback by Hestia’s intense and rigid expression, paused for a moment.

“…Just give me some time alone.”

Though five years apart, Hestia had always been a friendly and playful sister to Elvin. As such, Elvin had grown fond of their playful relationship, but today, seeing her push him away with such severity was new to him.

In the end, Elvin could only watch helplessly as Hestia disappeared behind the closing door.

***

“It’s unfortunate that the Duke passed so suddenly, and there is no will left behind,” Albert, the chief butler of the Winston estate, said.

With the central figure in the south now gone, the key members of the branch families had gathered for a meeting.

Leonhard was among them.

He sat with a blank expression, staring down at the table.

It was impossible for an eight-year-old who had just lost his parents to take charge of a meeting.
In fact, it was nearly impossible for an eight-year-old to assert his opinions among adults.
Everyone here knew that, but due to the disparity in status, they were still trying to show respect.
Seeing Leonhard’s lack of engagement, Count Malrus Humphrey cleared his throat and spoke up.
“We all understand that this is a great crisis for the South. Although we are in disarray right now, we must at least solidify our own positions to avoid being swayed by external forces.”
Though it was a diplomatic statement, everyone knew that working together was more beneficial than engaging in disputes at such times.

“We should divide the tasks among ourselves and ensure that our businesses don’t suffer disruptions until stability is restored.”

“It’s indeed unfortunate, but from our perspective, it’s quite troublesome. We had planned to expand the coastal city under the Duke’s instructions a few days ago, but now everything is in disarray…”

“Is city expansion really the priority right now? I need to deliver goods to the Duke’s estate by next week. In that sense, our family’s issues are more pressing.”

“Oh, come on. Is it really necessary to argue about whose needs are more urgent in this situation?”
“But we’re not all just digging up the land for business. The businesses centered around Winston and the contracts in place are indeed crucial.”
Soon, as each person argued about their own concerns, the once-formed sandcastle quickly collapsed.
‘The time when blood was thicker than water has passed.’

Though they could trace their roots back to Winston, the relationships had long since become distant.

Those gathered here were merely individuals beneath the guise of branch families.

Gradually, the voices around the table grew louder, and Leonhard was soon forgotten.

Malus, observing the situation, smiled and tapped the table twice.

“Everyone’s emotions are running high. The bottom line is that things will only proceed smoothly if we start with Winston, right?”

Those who had been arguing looked at each other, nodding in agreement.

“If that’s the case, there’s only one way forward.”

Malus’s gaze turned to Leonhard, who now faced the cold stares of the five branch family elders.

“Young Master.”

Malus, with a smile on his face, clasped his hands and rested his chin on them.

“You need to appoint a guardian.”

Leonhard, feeling the pressure from all directions, clenched his fists tightly.

[Translator Note: Hi readers, Are you liking my project? If yes, Can you please drop some comments to motivate me? Thank you]