98.
“Suicide?”
The Viscount’s eyes trembled violently.
“Isn’t it boring to die easily?”
Lucian shrugged lightly.
“I want you to suffer as much as possible before you die. So why don’t you struggle as hard as you can?”
His voice was filled with cruel enjoyment, like a child pouring water on an anthill and watching.
“Let’s see how long you can survive.”
Lucian continued, his tone almost sounding gentle.
“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen to you, Viscount. First of all, as of today, the Craig Viscounty is completely bankrupt.”
“What?!”
The Viscount’s eyes widened in shock.
Lucian met his gaze calmly.
“Well, you should have expected as much. Your Viscounty has been leeching off our family for ages.”
“Wa-wait! What do you mean by that…?!”
“You’ve been skimming off the wealth of the Kalleid ducal family, selling off treasures as well, haven’t you?”
Lucian held out a sapphire ring, cracked and large, right in front of the Viscount’s face.
“Even our family’s heirloom ended up in the dark market’s auction house. I found that quite incredible.”
“….”
The Viscount recognized the ring immediately.
The Heart of Winter.
An heirloom passed down through generations to the head of the Kalleid family.
…The very item he had been forced to auction off under the pressure of Marquis Offenheir.
“For the record, I’ve already calculated everything. Even if I wring out every last bit of wealth from the Craig Viscounty, it won’t be enough to cover the damages to our family.”
Lucian shrugged and added calmly,
“So I’ll be going after the other families that were associated with the Craig Viscounty as well.”
“L-Lucian, no, Duke!”
“The expressions on the faces of the noblewomen who were once my cousins when they receive the summons for restitution will be something to see, don’t you think?”
Lucian’s blue eyes were like cold, icy glass.
It would have been better if there had been any sign of hatred or anger—some human emotion—but there was nothing.
The only thing clear was Lucian’s unwavering determination to completely destroy Viscount Craig.
“And this is just a side note. The biggest thing is yet to come.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“The responsibility for locking me up in that boarding school and daring to impersonate the acting Duke of Kalleid.”
Lucian spoke with a steady tone.
“His Majesty the Emperor personally promised me. He will hold the Craig Viscounty accountable for imprisoning the rightful head of the Kalleid family for so long, revoke your title…”
Lucian looked directly into the Viscount’s horrified eyes as he continued.
“And as a bonus, there will be a thorough tax investigation into the Craig Viscounty.”
“….”
In other words, Viscount Craig would never recover.
With his title revoked, he would no longer be a nobleman. All the dirty deeds he had done behind the scenes to take control of the Kalleid family would be fully exposed.
“No, no, this can’t be…!”
Viscount Craig stammered, unable to cope with the shock.
After all, the Imperial family had their own reasons for having tolerated Marquis Offenheir for so long.
Lucian simply shrugged.
“They’ll have to cooperate with me as much as possible, if only to prevent the Kalleid family from openly challenging the Imperial family.”
“….”
Facing the Viscount, who could barely string a sentence together, Lucian coldly declared,
“Your family, and you as well, were only treated with respect because you were at least distantly related to the Kalleid family.”
“….”
“So, I’ll be taking all of that away.”
Lucian smiled at the Viscount, whose face had gone blank. It was a bright smile, as clear as a summer sky.
“Then you’ll naturally come to realize just how worthless you really are.”
With those words, Lucian rose to his feet.
His demeanor made it clear that there was no need to continue talking with the Viscount.
‘This… this can’t be happening.’
Suddenly, Viscount Craig’s eyes widened in desperation.
‘If this continues, my family will truly be ruined!’
The Viscount crawled over and clutched at Lucian’s ankle.
“D-Duke? Duke! Please, have mercy…!”
“….”
Lucian looked down at the Viscount clinging to his ankle, his expression calm.
Then he asked in a composed tone,
“Should we bet on when you’ll commit suicide?”
“….”
“I give you six months.”
Lucian’s smile deepened slightly.
“And that’s being generous.”
At that moment, Lucian forcefully shook off the Viscount’s grip on his ankle.
As he cast one last, cold glance at the trembling Viscount, Lucian posed a final question.
“Will you leave quietly, or do you want to be dragged out by the knights?”
* * *
After the commotion had ended, Lucian entered the lord’s office.
His blue eyes scanned the room, carrying a faint sense of nostalgia.
“….Nothing has changed here.”
Memories began to surface.
When he was young, he used to sneak in here while his father worked diligently.
As his father meticulously read through documents, stamped the family seal, or left notes, a brilliant sapphire ring gleamed on his hand…
“….”
Lucian suddenly froze in place.
He opened his hand and looked down at the ring he was holding.
The Heart of Winter.
The blue sapphire was now cracked, looking unsightly.
It was the Kalleid family heirloom that Elze had handed over to him—the symbol of the family head.
In that moment, Lucian’s eyes, which had been as still as a frozen winter lake, began to tremble slightly for the first time.
“Lady Lepherian…”
The warm lips that had softly covered his own.
The gentle touch that had carefully supported him, ensuring he wouldn’t fall.
[You’ve been through so much until now.]
The hand that had tenderly caressed his cheek.
[I’m sorry… for not being able to take you to the fireworks, or on a walk in the park.]
The voice that had sincerely apologized…
[Forget everything that happened at this boarding school…]
[I hope you find happiness.]
The warm gaze that had genuinely wished for his happiness…
[Goodbye.]
And the coldness with which she had turned away from him without hesitation.
“…Find happiness?”
Lucian gritted his teeth as he muttered the words.
Unable to contain his rising emotions, Lucian squeezed the broken ring in his hand so tightly it seemed as if he would crush it.
“How dare she say something like that?”
In that sunlight-deprived boarding school, she had been the only one to show him kindness.
She had returned his father’s keepsake, the lost heirloom.
She had freed him from the confines of the boarding school.
…And then she had abandoned him without mercy.
Even though he had left the boarding school, it still felt as if he were trapped there.
‘Elze.’
Her memory clung to Lucian’s mind like shackles around his ankles.
He would continue to be bound by Elze…
…perhaps for the rest of his life.
“I must find Lady Lepherian… no matter what.”
Lucian murmured, his face cold and composed.
The titles—Marquis Offenheir’s lover, the hateful administrator of the boarding school—lost all meaning in the face of the intense emotions that raged within him.
To Lucian, Elze was the one person who had reached out to him when the entire world had abandoned him.
‘I can’t possibly let go of someone like that.’
Even if it was just to sever the chains of regret that bound him, he had to face Elze again.
Lucian’s smile was cold.
The innocence that Elze had once cherished in him was now completely gone.
He had become a twisted and distorted male lead in this world.
4. Reunion
The early morning was filled with a bluish hue.
Though the sun had yet to fully rise, the small market was already bustling with activity.
The bakery was alive with the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread.
The fruit vendor, butcher shop, and general store had all opened their doors.
Women shopping for breakfast ingredients and young boys delivering newspapers and milk filled the streets.
Despite the early hour, the market was quite crowded.
With a wicker basket hanging on my arm, I leisurely strolled through the market.
‘Bread, milk, sausage, butter… Oh, I’m out of pepper too.’
As I mentally listed the items I needed to buy, I heard a voice calling out to me.
“Miss Aria!”
It was Mr. Tom, the fruit vendor.
I smiled warmly.
“Oh, good morning! It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?”
