Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 4/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

What Duncan handed over was a piece of parchment the size of a palm.

On it was drawn the face of a young girl.

And that girl’s face was almost identical to her own childhood face.

It felt like looking in a mirror.

“You look alike, don’t you?”

“…Yes. Who is this girl? Why does she look so much like me?”

“She might be someone who could cause a great upheaval in your life. Let me explain.”

Duncan brought up an old story. The story of Diana, who was the saint of the three men. The tragic tale of Diana who died young.

***

Duncan loosened the tie that was choking his neck.

While as Guildmaster he wore loose robes, having to dress up like this every time he returned as Center Director felt suffocating.

‘I can’t quit being Center Director either…’

“Hah.”

Duncan, letting out a deep sigh, lay down on the sofa.

How long had he killed time wiggling his feet when Evans, whom he had sent on an errand, returned to the study.

“Mountain Path has returned.”

Duncan opened his closed eyes and lazily looked at Evans.

“I see.”

“…’I see’? Did you just say ‘I see’? I let it slide with Minky because it was cute, but Mountain Path? How could you call that beautiful parrot Mountain Path…”

Evans chattered as he walked over and sat on the sofa opposite Duncan.

“I thought it was a perfect name. You know, it has a homey feel to it.”

“Then I’ll call you Dungy! It’s just overflowing with affection! How’s that?”

Duncan snorted at those words.

Look who’s getting bold.

“Want to get fired?”

“I might switch to Jinjijo Transportation.”

Why did Evans’ huffing and puffing look so annoying?

Imagining Evans getting closer to Yerena after joining Jinjijo somehow made Duncan feel bad.

“You can go anywhere else, but absolutely not there.”

As Evans was about to ask why, Duncan beat him to it.

“Besides, would my darling even accept you? I’ll make sure to interfere.”

“Really…! Really…! That’s too much!”

Worried that Evans might actually run away from the Center if teased further, Duncan decided to stop.

“Alright, Mountain Path. Next time you transform into another animal, I’ll give you a fancy name.”

“Fine, I’ll accept that for now.”

“Good. So, did Miss Olivia’s examination go well?”

“Yes.”

The temporary examination done in the Philia Islands wasn’t sufficient, so they had to do another one at headquarters.

Duncan was very curious about those results.

“The results come out tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. But I think the matching rates will be high with the three from the Allen Knights Order, just like in the mock examination. Especially with Benjamin.”

“That’s good news.”

Not only did she resemble Diana, but she also had high matching rates as a guide.

He thought the three men might consider Olivia as Diana’s reincarnation.

Duncan recalled his earlier conversation with Olivia.

After explaining Diana’s relationship with the three men, he had asked for Olivia’s understanding.

“…I cannot control these three men, and they might bother you. This would be true even if you don’t become the dedicated guide for the Allen Knights Order. As long as you’re at the Center, as long as you catch their eye, they won’t leave you alone.”

While Duncan hoped Olivia would take responsibility for them, he had no intention of forcing her.

If Olivia found the three men too overwhelming, he planned to send her back to the Philia Islands. There was a Chelsea Center branch there, after all.

In that case, they would lose control over the three men, but perhaps another solution would present itself.

However, Olivia had said.

“What an interesting event. The capital really is fun, isn’t it?”

It was such a willing response.

“Besides, I worked as a private tutor for children in the Philia Islands. I specialized in dealing with disobedient children. Leave it to me.”

…Wasn’t she perfect for taking care of the three men?

Duncan found it amazing how such a suitable woman had appeared at just the right time. It was as if God actually existed and had sent Olivia down.

However that couldn’t be true.

If there was a God, He would have answered at least one of his desperate prayers. Duncan believed in neither God, religion, nor anything else.

Remembering the desperate prayers that no one had answered made him feel suffocated all at once.

The feeling of being trapped in a maze with no exit. A sense of helplessness he never wanted to feel again spread throughout his body.

At that moment, a low voice resonated from beyond the closed door.

“Mr. Duncan, are you here? We’re from the Imperial Palace.”

Imperial Palace?

At those sudden words, Duncan raised himself from where he was lying on the sofa. Just as he was about to feel powerless, an uncomfortable tension began to build.

“What have you done this time?”

Evans whispered reproachfully.

But Duncan felt wronged.

“I haven’t done anything.”

“…”

“Still, open the door first. We need to hear why they’re here.”

Evans, who gave him a suspicious glance, opened the study door.

Three men in full uniform entered the study without hesitation.

The uniforms bearing the imperial palace’s crest were familiar.

‘Investigators?’

They wore the same uniforms as the investigators he had met when reporting Rosie.

Duncan smiled politely.

“What brings you here?”

“We are investigators from the Imperial Palace. We are here to investigate Duncan on charges of instigating the murder of Yerena Botman.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Did Lady Rosie file the complaint?”

“That…”

The investigators hesitated to answer. Their hesitation was as good as confirmation.

‘So she won’t just take this lying down.’

While it was admirable that she tried to pin her own crime on him, that would be all.

There were no circumstances suggesting Duncan killed Yerena. There was also no evidence.

With nothing to worry about, what punishment could they possibly give him? Duncan couldn’t help but sneer.

“Investigate all you want. Though you won’t find what you’re looking for.”

However, at that moment, a voice that made Duncan tense up interrupted his casual demeanor.

“We might find something.”

“….”

This voice…

Duncan looked toward the doorway in disbelief.

A man was walking out from behind the investigators.

“I also filed a complaint.”

“….”

“The Center Director seemed very suspicious, you see.”

The man who said this slowly wiped off the blue blood of the Komodo that had splattered on his cheek.

“Lord Benjamin?”

The visitor to Duncan’s study was Benjamin, who had just defeated the Komodo.

He walked up to Duncan and stopped in front of him.

“You said before, Duncan. That whether Yerena’s death was true or not, I should stop caring and focus only on what I need to do.”

The words seemed somehow familiar.

“If you’re not obsessing, over whether Guide Yerena’s death is true or not, you should stop caring now and focus only on what you need to do, Benjamin.”

“….”

“What you’re doing now looks ugly.”

Benjamin remembered every word Duncan had said at Tachis Cathedral perfectly. As if he had been waiting to throw those words back at him.

“Yes, I did say that.”

“So I went to the battlefield, and now I want to clearly uncover the truth about my guide Yerena’s death.”

“….”

“If you’re hiding anything, it would be better to confess quickly.”

“….”

“Before things get ugly later.”

Benjamin raised one corner of his mouth in a cold sneer.

‘So this is how you want to play it?’

Duncan stared straight at Benjamin.

“I’m very curious to see who will truly end up looking ugly later.”

Though he usually despised confrontation, for some reason, he didn’t want to lose to Benjamin in particular.

Was it because of Yerena?

Was he getting so worked up because it involved her?

Evans’ question rang in his ears like a warning bell.

“About Guide Yerena. Why did you help her and treat her so warmly?”

To say he helped her out of pity didn’t explain his strong competitive spirit toward Benjamin.

He didn’t know how to process this uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling.

However, first, he needed to stop Benjamin and Rosie’s attempt to frame him.

Duncan followed Benjamin’s lead and smirked as if to say he wouldn’t back down either.