I Became The Guardian Of The Future Villain

“…So that’s everything that’s happened up to now. I just released Count Humphrey yesterday.”

She recounted the events of the rebellion, Albert’s death, and how Hubert, Oliver, and Count Humphrey ended up in prison.

When she finished, She looked up and saw Luciard covering half of his face with his big hand, so she couldn’t tell what expression he was making.

Creak—

But from the sound, she could guess what he was thinking.

“Damn it! How long has it been since my brother passed, and they’re already pulling this kind of crap…!”

“…So, do you believe what I’m saying?”

Luciard glared at Hestia, his teeth clenched tightly enough that it looked like they might crack.

“…There’s a chance I could be lying, but if such a big deal was happening, you could just grab a passing servant and they’d give you a similar answer.”

That was definitely true.

“If you were lying, I could just throw you into a performance troupe right now.”

“A performance troupe?”

“That’s saying you’re that good at acting.”

At first, Hestia had been trying to keep her emotions in check, but when she spoke about the incident, her face twisted with rising anger, no longer hidden.

If that had all been an act to deceive Luciard, she’d be good enough to join a theater troupe.

“…You’ve worked hard during this time.”

For a moment, Hestia saw Icarus in Luciard and felt comforted by him.

But that comforting feeling only lasted a moment.

“I appreciate your efforts. Now, you can put down the heavy burden.”

With those words, reality came crashing back.

“From now on, I’ll take care of Winston. You can go back to Byron.”

Compared to his earlier abrupt demand to hand over the guardianship, his tone was now more polite, almost considerate of Hestia.

“…Are you saying you want to become the guardian?”

“Yeah, I think that’s better for the future. You said it yourself; you had to take on the guardianship because Leon chose you.”

She had said something like that during her explanation, but—

“I never said it was against my will.”

He sounded like she’d been forced into the role.

Sure, the situation was tough, but she was confident in protecting Leonhard and the duke’s family.

“I know it’s a little late, but I think it’s better to put things in their right place now.”

Seeing Hestia silent, Luciard spoke gently so she would understand.

“Of course, from your perspective, it might be ridiculous. It might look like I’m suddenly trying to take your place. But you have your own life too. If you’re going to raise Leon, you’ll have to be tied down here for at least 10 years, and that’s too big of a gap for someone as young as you.”

Luciard genuinely felt sorry for Hestia.

She was just 18—a girl only two years younger than him.

At her age, she should be able to enjoy and experience many things, to spread her wings.

He couldn’t let her waste that golden time in Winston.

“I won’t forget your hard work for Winston so far. If there’s something you want, I’ll reward you for it. So you can finally put down the heavy burden…”

“I think you might be mistaken.”

Hestia, who had been quiet up to this point, interrupted Luciard.

“You can’t just change guardians like that.”
One of her eyebrows shot up, and the veins in her neck stood out.
If you listened quietly, it seemed like Luciard genuinely came running for Leon.
But what if his acting was so good that it just looked like that?

“I received an imperial decree yesterday. It’s an official document proving that I am the guardian of the young lord. Do you think it’s possible to annul it in just one day? I think it’s impossible.”

“…So you’re saying you’ll continue being the guardian even though I’m here?”

“Yes, I’ve been doing it until now, so why couldn’t I continue?”

The cracks began to show on Luciard’s face.

His eyes went wide open, and for a moment, he radiated an ominous energy.

To Hestia, who was already at the end of her patience, that menacing aura didn’t affect her much.

“Do you know how much work is handled in Winston every day?”

As soon as she entered the duke’s estate, Hystia had been working day and night.
The workload that had piled up for months was now cut down to about a week’s worth.
Plus, she had been running around trying to catch Count Humphrey and his underlings, digging traps and busying herself.
This wasn’t just a matter of being ‘tired and busy.’
“Sir Luciard has been outside for the last two years.”
He’d spent those two years wandering the world and forming a mercenary group, gaining experience, but none of that would help Winston.
On top of that, he graduated from the Academy’s swordsmanship department.
He might have taken basic classes at the academy, but he likely hadn’t received any further education.
Even if he was speaking from the heart, that alone wouldn’t keep the duke’s estate, the territory, and all the numerous businesses running.
“I don’t think you have the knowledge and experience necessary for noble work.”
“Are you looking down on me?”

“I’m just speaking reality. Why do people appoint heirs in advance? Because you can’t just become a Duke and handle everything overnight; it’s a gradual process of learning.”

“…So you think you can?”

Realizing he was pointing out that she was only two years younger than him, Hestia sneered.

“I’ve been running my father’s business since I was 15. If you’d ever seen my office, you wouldn’t say such things.”

With no room for rebuttal, Luciard fell silent.

“Sir Luciard, you’re absolutely lacking in knowledge and experience regarding noble affairs. A guardian not only protects the young lord but also needs to know how to lead Winston.”

“…What do you want to say?”

“I’m saying that I can’t hand over the guardianship to you right now.”

At Hestia’s firm words, Luciard’s expression crumpled.

“You know how often power struggles occur between relatives in history, right? You might be trying to push the young lord aside and take over Winston.”

In other words:

‘You’re really suspicious.’

Luciard stood up abruptly, his anger turning his face pale.

“Who do you think you’re talking to… Ugh!”

“C-Calm down!”

“Captain! Don’t get mad! The opponent is a lady!”

“Lady, step back. The captain is really scary when he’s angry.”

Brina and Yeluna surrounded Hestia, pulling her back.

Seeing Luciard trembling while being held back by Lavio and the twins, Hystia felt a bit tense but quickly furrowed her brow.

“Anyway, I can’t hand over the guardianship right now. If you really want to be the guardian for the young lord, then learn about the family, territory, and running businesses. And prove both your sincerity and ability to put the young lord first.”

“Ugh, this lady…!”

As if adding fuel to the fire, Hestia pushed one last remark, causing Brina and Yeluna to gasp and push her out.

After closing the door and no longer hearing the commotion inside, Brina and Yeluna sighed in relief.

“Lady, having spirit is good, but you need to know when to pick your battles.”

“Captain is scary when he’s mad…”

They were worried that the clueless noble lady was unnecessarily risking her life.

But—

*Crack!*

They froze at the chilling sound.

Hestia was gritting her teeth, her face twisted like a demon.

“What’s with the guardianship? Responsibilities, blah, blah, blah? Who do you think you are, acting like you know everything about territory work without ever having done it once?”

Brina and Yeluna exchanged glances.

‘What’s going on with her too…?’

‘…This personality is no joke.’

“Instead of handling work, you just make things worse! How can you talk big when you don’t even know how the Duke’s family operates? If solving everything was just about responsibility, I would’ve become the Emperor a long time ago!”

“Um, Lady, could you lower your voice a bit…?”

“…Everyone can hear you inside.”

As Brina and Yeluna tried to calm her down, Hestia took a deep breath.

It seemed like her anger was about to boil over.

“…I’m sorry. I’ve shown my ugly side to the guests.”

After a few deep breaths, Hestia regained her composure, but Brina and Yeluna exchanged glances, looking somewhat uneasy.

“We’re fine. We argue among ourselves sometimes too.”

“…It’s better than when the twins fight.”

Still, Hestia felt a bit embarrassed for her earlier outburst.

“I should get going. You all can handle Lord Luciard however you like… I’ll send someone later to assign you your rooms. Goodbye.”

As she turned to leave, it sounded like she accidentally stepped on something. She managed to keep her dignity intact until the end, but her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked away.

“…I think we’ve gotten caught up in something pointless.”

“Honestly, it might be easier just to sleep at an inn.”

“Agreed.”

It was a power struggle between nobles, after all. Getting involved could only lead to unnecessary complications.

“Ugh, I don’t know. The captain will figure it out.”

Scratching her head, Brina opened the door.

“…”

Then she closed it again.

“Should we take a short walk before going back?”

“Brina.”

Brina was about to sneak away with Yeluna when a voice softly called her name from inside, making her pause and carefully reopen the door.
The members of their group were sprawled out, each with a bump on their heads, and Luciard was sitting on the floor, pinning Neville down.
“That little brat…”
“If you’re talking about the lady, she’s gone.”

Luciard’s hands began to tremble.

“Forget it! That kid had no intention of stepping down from the guardian role to begin with!”

His booming voice echoed down the hallway, and the members exchanged glances.

“Whoa, the captain is really angry.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen him this furious in a while.”

“Isn’t he angrier than when Neville accidentally smashed the inn’s window and door?”

The members knew better not to provoke him in such a mood, so they remained silent.

“What? Am I not qualified? Just because she’s two years younger than me…!”

As Luciard’s furious words poured out, everyone just ignored him, letting them go in one ear and out the other.

“Haha… Let’s see what you can do. Just you wait; I’ll uncover every little detail about that kid and make her cry!”

It felt like Luciard’s anger was burning brighter than fire.

“Oh boy, this is bad.”

“I don’t think anything we say will get through to him.”

The members who had been lying down slowly got up, whispering among themselves while looking at Luciard.

“That girl is impressive. She really got the captain this worked up. I don’t remember Neville ever making him this mad.”

“But I’ve been wondering, why does he keep calling her a kid?”

Luciard, still simmering with anger, lifted his head at Brina’s question.

“She may be young, but she’s 18 now. She isn’t a kid.”
“I met her ten years ago,” Luciard replied.
“Wait, you knew her before?”
“Then isn’t that the same for both of you? Why are you acting like you’re meeting for the first time?”

“Isn’t it weird to act close after ten years?”
“Maybe…”
“Right? But it does seem strange…”
Luciard briefly reminisced about ten years ago.

Even back then, she was much smaller than him, but she spoke her mind so confidently…

He felt a rush of emotion.

From the way she disrespected him earlier, it seemed her words had grown sharper over the years.

“Anyway, if it weren’t for that incident ten years ago…”

He would’ve kicked her out by now.

While briefly recalling his past with Hestia, Luciard reflected on how the servants treated her when she arrived.

‘They seemed to follow her pretty well.’

In contrast, Luciard had no one he could call his ally in the duchy.

If anything, he was close to Lloyd and the knights, but even they weren’t really…

‘…I’m an outsider here.’

The memory of the servants looking at him with disdain for being a bastard was still fresh in his mind.

Even if Icarus replaced the problematic servants, Luciard had gone to the academy before he could even form bonds with the new ones, so there was no loyalty or bond between them.

‘Am I at a disadvantage here in many ways?’

It was absurd that even half-hearted servants trusted Hestia more than him, a legitimate member of the Winston family.
“Hey captain, are we getting kicked out?”

Neville’s words snapped Luciard back to reality.

“They told us to stay, but what if the lady gets upset and tells us to leave?”

“Come on, no way. The captain is part of Winston, after all.”

“But the guardian could potentially run the duchy in place of the young lord. So could they kick us out?”

Silence fell. Neville’s comment made sense, and no one could argue against it.

Everyone’s gaze naturally shifted to the table filled with refreshments.

“…This might be our last supper, so let’s hurry and eat,” one member suggested.

“When will we get to eat these tasty treats again?”

“Hey! That’s what I claimed for myself!”

With their earlier worries now forgotten, Luciard sighed as he watched the members eagerly munching on snacks.

Both this guy and that one.

Everything was irritating.