Chapter 77
“So, that’s how it is…”
“We still haven’t had a proper conversation about the guardian.”
As the two recounted a series of events to Derrick, they suddenly felt embarrassed, their cheeks heating up.
“Speaking directly like this is really…”
“How childish we were to fight.”
Neither of them could pinpoint whose fault it was; they were both equally to blame. At that moment, they had been too emotional to realize how ugly their fight had been.
Feeling a mix of shame and curiosity about how Derrick would take the news, Hestia and Luciard subtly glanced at him.
Slurp—
Derrick, rarely showing a serious face, sat with his arms crossed next to Melvin, who was savoring his tea.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of crisis, Hestia hurriedly explained, “W-well, we were planning to have a proper conversation before Dad arrives. Right, Luciard?”
“Kid… No, no, Hestia is right.”
Derrick’s eyebrows twitched at the familiar address.
Of course, he didn’t know that Hestia was teasing Luciard by calling him that, while Luciard couldn’t bring himself to call her ‘kid’ in front of Derrick.
After briefly closing his eyes, Derrick let out a deep sigh.
Tension hung in the air as Hestia and Luciard swallowed nervously.
“I have a lot to say, but… first.”
Derrick glared at them, his eyes narrowing.
“I understand that your opinions might clash and voices might rise, leading to arguments. However! You absolutely cannot have those kinds of disputes in front of His Highness!”
The sharp reprimand made their shoulders flinch, but it was only for a moment before they looked puzzled.
“…You weren’t angry because I unilaterally accepted Luciard?”
“I thought… you were angry because I tried to drive Hestia away?”
“Of course, I have a lot to say about that too, but what’s the issue at hand? Why can’t you two compromise?”
It was about the guardian.
“It’s certainly important to lead the duke’s house well as a guardian and raise His Highness properly! But more importantly, what matters is the emotional well-being of the children. Don’t you know that fighting in front of them is not okay?”
“We didn’t fight that much…”
“Your raised voices made His Highness cry.”
Luciard weakly protested, but his words were drowned out by Lavio’s murmurs.
Derrick’s gaze became sharper.
“No matter how angry you are, even if you have to argue, you must show a good relationship in front of the children.”
“But Dad, we’re not a couple… I’m sorry.”
Hestia also attempted to argue, but when Derrick’s piercing gaze turned towards her, she quickly retreated.
“Isn’t the person whom His Highness relies on the most right now you and Luciard?”
“That is…”
“Correct.”
“Is it good for the only two adults that the child can trust, who is already struggling from losing his parents, to be fighting every day instead of getting along?”
Recalling the raised voices from their earlier argument in the dining room, both felt a sudden wave of shame.
“Hestia, think about it. Have I ever fought with Anna in front of you?”
“Huh? Do you two fight?”
“Hey… We’re human too. How could we always get along? Sometimes we fight.”
“But…”
Although she found it hard to believe, they had always shown a united figure in front of the children.
“If we were to fight in front of you all the time, what would that be like?”
Hestia, having returned to the past, had higher mental age, so she was somewhat alright, but…
“…It would feel a bit unsettling.”
“Right? Children can be more sensitive to their parent’s arguments than you might think. You two aren’t their parents. It’s just…”
“You’re people that are important to Leon, right? I understand well.”
Listening to Derrick’s words, Luciard recalled long-buried memories.
Before Icarus became duke, during the time he was persecuted as a bastard.
He had to endure verbal abuse and beatings from the former duchess almost daily. While the violence was certainly terrifying and painful, there was something even harder to bear.
‘It was when they raised their voices in front of me.’
‘Why do you create this mess when you can’t even handle your lower half!’
‘Please stop talking about that! I’ve already said I’m sorry so many times!’
‘Do you think this can be solved just by saying sorry?!’
‘Then what do you want me to do?!’
They had never given him affection. He had never seen them as parents.
Even so, when they fought in front of him, it was scarier than being beaten all day long.
‘I must not let Leon feel that kind of emotion.’
“Thank you for your stern advice. I hadn’t thought that far.”
“Next time if something similar happens, make sure to discuss it in a place where His Highness is not present.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Now, let’s leave this matter here. Coincidentally, we were going to talk about the guardianship today, weren’t we?”
Luciard and Hestia exchanged glances. Neither of them could easily open their mouths.
“So, what are you thinking of doing moving forward?”
Eventually, Melvin, unable to hold back, spoke up.
“Ultimately, Hestia should either continue to stay here, or Luciard should step in to take over, right?”
That was not an incorrect statement, so both had many thoughts on the matter.
“I…”
“Actually…”
Luciard and Hestia spoke at the same time. They both paused, and Hestia spoke first.
“Can I go first?”
Luciard nodded.
“Initially, I was hesitant to step down from the guardian position because I was suspicious of Luciard.”
She candidly revealed her thoughts that she had been contemplating.
“But through observing everything until now, I realized that my worries were unfounded. So… I’m thinking of handing over the guardian position to Luciard.”
Luciard’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What’s with that expression? Did you think I’d insist on staying?”
Seeing Luciard’s bewildered face, Hestia chuckled softly.
“I’ve thought a lot about it too. Especially seeing His Highness with you made me think a lot.”
Luciard filled in the parts she hadn’t thought about or hadn’t been able to provide.
She thought no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t provide the warmth and love of family.
“After all, I’ve only lived with him for about two and a half months, and you’re his uncle. His Highness will quickly get used to it.”
Luciard, lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Are you really going to leave?”
“I have to. There’s no reason for me to be here if I’m not the guardian.”
“But there’s still the issue of the Emperor’s decree from last time, and you have to handle the handover…”
“Of course, I’ll resolve all those issues before I leave. I’ll make sure to handle the handover properly and regarding the Emperor’s decree… Hmm, I think I should inquire about that separately. But since it’s not just anyone but his uncle becoming the guardian, I don’t think it will be a big problem.”
Hestia turned to Luciard.
“I’m sorry for all the inconveniences until now, Luciard.”
As she displayed a respectful demeanor, just as when they first met, Luciard kept his mouth tightly closed.
“Well, then the guardian issue should be settled…”
“I haven’t said my part yet.”
Just as Derrick was about to conclude, Luciard interrupted.
“I think it would be better for Hestia to continue as the guardian, not me.”
With his statement, they entered another phase, and everyone’s eyes widened.
“What? What do you mean…?”
“As much as you have observed me, I also have been watching how hard you’ve worked for the duke’s house all this time.”
Setting aside personal feelings and looking objectively, Hestia was indeed a necessary talent for the duke’s house.
“To be honest, I don’t have confidence in leading the duke’s house.”
With those unembellished and straightforward words, Hestia’s eyes became as wide as a rabbit’s.
“You said it before, didn’t you? How can someone like me, who has never studied anything related at the Academy and has only been wandering outside the mansion for two years, lead the duke’s house? That’s not wrong.”
“No, that…”
Back then, it was just something she blurted out to stop Luciard, who she couldn’t believe.
“Do you know why I disappeared without attending the graduation ceremony?”
It was to show that he had no ambitions for the duke’s title or power.
So he enrolled in the martial arts department and vanished without a trace after the graduation ceremony.
“I’ve never told anyone this, but there were a few people who approached me occasionally.”
At first, he thought they were approaching him because he was from Winston, seeking his connection, but digging deeper revealed a different story.
“Becoming a knight at just 17, that’s quite an accomplishment. Have you ever thought about becoming a duke, Sir Luciard?”
It wasn’t a question of what I wanted, but more like they were hoping I’d be interested in the title.
Luciard scoffed, seeing the shocked looks on the faces of the Frost father and daughter.
“Believe it or not, it’s true. Though we never really went into detail, it felt like they wanted me to overthrow my brother and Leon to take over the ducal house.”
“That’s ridiculous… Lucierd, you’re a b—well, considering your origins, it wouldn’t be easy to become a duke, right? Not to mention Leon is already there…”
“Yeah, I thought the same. But the world is full of crazy people. As unfortunate as it is, stuff like that happens once or twice a year.”
“So… that’s why you didn’t want to trouble the Duke with this?”
Derrick recalled the last conversation he had with Lucierd before he disappeared.
“Why would anyone even want that? What’s in it for them if you become the duke?”
“Because he is easy to control.”
Melvin answered in his place, drawing everyone’s attention to him.
“Pardon me for asking, but are you an illegitimate child?”
“I am.”
“Then it’s clear. Those people must’ve wanted to make you a puppet duke they could manipulate. Or even if that wasn’t the plan, they probably thought helping you become the duke would give them something in return.”
“Isn’t that too reckless? The damage they’d suffer if they got caught would far outweigh any potential gain.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. But don’t assume they did it just to gain the prestige of the dukedom.”
“Huh?”
Hestia tilted her head, confused by the remark.
Melvin set down his empty teacup.
“They probably wanted to replace the current Duke because they didn’t like him.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
“And, coincidentally or not, the Duke and Duchess tragically passed in an accident. If the people who approached Sir Lucierd back then start showing up again…”
“…They could be a threat to the ducal house.”
The mood darkened instantly. Hestia, who had thought Winston was free of any more impending disasters, suddenly felt the weight of anxiety pressing down on her again.
Memories of her family’s bankruptcy, the deaths of her parents, and her struggles to raise her younger siblings before ultimately being killed by Leonhard—who had turned into a villain—flashed through her mind.
“I feel like I’m going to be sick.”
Her face was pale, Hestia covered her mouth.
“Sir, Sir Lucierd! Do you remember anyone who made those kinds of comments or proposals to you?”
Derrick asked urgently, and Hestia, regaining her composure, also turned toward Luciard, waiting anxiously for his answer.
“Could it have been Count Humphrey…?”
Thump, thump, thump!
The pounding of her heart echoed loudly in her ears as Hestia waited for Luciard’s reply.
