2. The Supporting Character’s Secret

“To be frank, I know that Your Grace has no intention of getting married.”

A clear, ringing voice echoed through the sitting room.

Duke Esperanza, Jack, let out a dry laugh. It was only natural. After all, standing before him was a nine-year-old girl with messy hair.

Of course, Jack wasn’t dismissing Laviela’s words simply because she was a child.

He had already taken in and was raising a monster in his household—one that defied all notions of age.

But ultimately, this was a matter of common sense.

‘There’s no way that silent brat would go around blabbing about my situation.’

There were only two people in the world who knew ‘that fact.’

Jack himself, and the monster he was raising.

So it was only natural that Jack found it incomprehensible for a nine-year-old girl he was meeting for the first time to bring up their secret.

“…Young lady, you have quite the imagination.”

Thus, the only response Jack could muster was predetermined.

Until he could determine whether the girl had stumbled upon his weak spot by coincidence or was deliberately targeting it, he couldn’t afford to reveal anything.

However, her next words almost made him lose his composure.

“Lucian Floyd.”

“……”

“Oh, or is it Lucian Cyclid now? You’re planning to pass on the dukedom to him and step down, aren’t you?”

For a moment, Jack almost let his astonishment show.

But the years he had spent as a duke weren’t for nothing.

Barely managing to suppress his surprise, Jack leaned back in his chair with a deliberately relaxed smile.

He knew that this posture made the smile on his lips appear more pronounced, while also subtly intimidating his opponent.

Tilting his head slightly, Jack spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you think I’d hand over my title to some insignificant collateral line?”

Though he had hidden his initial shock, a trace of killing intent slipped into Jack’s voice, driven by the sense of danger he felt.

It was a chilling aura, enough to make even adults hold their breath.

But the girl was unfazed. Her light blue eyes, contrasting sharply with her untidy light brown hair, were strikingly calm.

‘…Was this how she looked?’

Jack narrowed his eyes as he observed the girl.

Having only seen her unconscious for days, he found her appearance while awake to be surprisingly distinctive.

Laviela met his gaze with her seemingly hollow eyes and spoke.

“If he were truly just a ‘collateral,’ then yes, I suppose. But he isn’t, is he?”

“Young lady.”

Sensing danger, Jack growled lowly, attempting to intimidate Laviela.

His instincts told him that the longer she spoke, the more of a threat she would become.

Unfortunately for him, Laviela was quick-witted.

Before he could cut her off, she swiftly got to the point.

“My mother will be your shield, and I will be his.”

The murderous aura that had been so intense it seemed he might draw his sword at any moment subsided slightly.

He frowned and spoke in a confused voice.

“…What?”

In stark contrast to Jack’s reaction, Laviela appeared calm, as if she had rehearsed this speech countless times.

“First. By marrying my mother, Your Grace can avoid external pressure regarding marriage. Bringing in a wife will bring up the issue of children, and that could jeopardize your ability to pass the title to Lucian.”

After speaking quickly, Laviela paused to catch her breath before continuing.

“And second. Lucian is, after all, officially a ‘collateral.’ If you suddenly name him as your heir, there will undoubtedly be opposition.”

“……”

“And to marry Your Grace, my mother must be unmarried and without children, correct? So…”

“…You want me to pretend to adopt you, as if to suggest that even a collateral like Lucian would be a better option?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hah, look at this.”

Jack’s frown deepened further. Realizing at last that the girl was serious, he dropped his mocking tone and spoke gravely.

“If you do that, people will tear you apart. The capital’s people are crueler than you can imagine…”

But his words were cut off by a thin, unwavering voice.

“Does that really matter? If I can’t escape the Marquisate, my mother and I will just be used and discarded anyway.”

The calmness with which this child—who couldn’t have been more than ten years old—spoke of death left Jack momentarily speechless.

He stared at Laviela, overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.

Meanwhile, Laviela continued speaking.

“Marquis Diarmuid intends to use my mother to control Duke Bryan by arranging their engagement. But neither my mother nor I want that.”

Laviela met Jack’s gaze directly, driving her point home.

“So please, propose to my mother, Your Grace.”

“…”

“If you protect my mother, I will protect Lucian in return.”

Jack let out a groan, rubbing his furrowed brow with one hand.

A string of curses swirled in his mind, too crude to utter in front of a child.

‘What in the world is this situation?’

Just days ago, he had been living his usual life—kicking out parasites clinging to the Duke’s name, processing mountains of paperwork.

[My lord! There’s someone collapsed at the front gate…!]

Then, out of nowhere, came the report of a bloodied man fainting at the gates of the Esperanza estate, clutching a child in his arms.

At first, Jack had been incredulous.

Did his estate look like some sort of clinic or daycare?

But when the guards relayed the man’s final words before collapsing, he couldn’t dismiss it outright.

[He said, ‘Tell the Duke. But make sure no one else knows.’]

The man had explicitly mentioned Jack by name before losing consciousness, making it difficult to ignore.

In the end, Jack had ordered them to be brought inside, reasoning that he could always throw them out later if necessary.

If he had known this little girl would turn out to be such a headache, he might have reconsidered…

‘No, damn it. I probably would’ve taken them in anyway.’

As cold-hearted as Jack was reputed to be, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon a feverish child.

Feeling as though he had aged ten years in the span of a few days, Jack let out a deep sigh.

Clutching his throbbing temple with one hand, he turned to Laviela and asked, “So, young lady… Ah, what’s your name?”

“You can call me Laviela.”

“Alright, Laviela. What you’re saying is…”

“You should become my mother’s contractual husband.”

“…A contractual husband, huh.”

Jack had received countless marriage proposals in his life, but never had he been asked to become a “contractual” husband.

And certainly not by a child who wasn’t even the one getting married.

With an indescribable expression, Jack finally spoke gravely.

“Laviela.”

“Yes.”

“How much do you know?”

His heavy voice resonated in the room.

At that, Laviela rolled her eyes, hesitating briefly before replying in a small voice.

“How much should I say I know so that you don’t get upset?”

“Hah…”

Jack let out a dry laugh, covering his eyes with the hand that had been rubbing his temple.

In other words, she knew everything.

It had been clear from the moment she mentioned the name Lucian Floyd, but hearing it confirmed still left him feeling drained.

At this point, he wasn’t even shocked anymore. It just felt like dealing with a ghost.

‘…Lucian.’

Lucian Floyd.

The child currently known as one of Jack’s sponsored collateral relatives was, in truth, the son of his late aide.

[That bastard dares to parade around claiming to be a prince?]

As a boy, Jack had punched the current crown prince—then a young prince—square in the face during a visit to the palace.

The incident had earned him the empress’s enmity, though Jack would’ve opposed her and the prince regardless.

After all, they prioritized their personal interests over the nation’s, standing as leaders of the aristocratic faction, while the Esperanza Dukedom had always been staunchly loyal to the emperor.

Jack had long since forgotten the incident, as he wasn’t one to dwell on others.

But the empress and the crown prince clearly hadn’t.

About ten years ago, they finally accused him of treason and tried to have him executed.

[Let me take all the blame.]

[Are you insane? What are you talking about…?]

[The fabricated evidence already points to the Esperanza Dukedom. If I confess to dreaming of usurping power with the Duke’s influence, they won’t be able to refute it without exposing their forgery.]

[Victor!]

Victor, Jack’s aide and childhood friend, had said this while the imperial guards surrounded the estate. Despite Jack’s protests, he couldn’t stop him.

All Jack could do was smuggle Victor’s young son out, raising him under the guise of sponsorship.

And one day, Jack planned to hand Lucian the reins of the Esperanza Dukedom, ensuring he could enact vengeance.

“Are you… alright?”

And now, this little girl seemed to know all of that. How she had learned it was a mystery.

‘…Not that she’d tell me if I asked.’

Jack let out yet another sigh.

Running a hand down his face, he looked at Laviela with a weary expression and asked, “That aside, Laviela.”

“Yes.”

“Does your mother know about this?”

At that, Laviela—who had been speaking so freely—clamped her mouth shut. Her pale blue eyes shifted slightly to the side.

Jack’s face grew twice as haggard at those words.

Laviela added belatedly, “…I haven’t told her yet. Escaping the Marquis’s estate before being dragged back was the priority.”

“Hah…”

“I want to explain it to her myself. So, please don’t say anything…”

Laviela fidgeted with her hands, glancing up at him nervously.

Jack let out a deep sigh and stood up. Then, he picked Laviela up effortlessly.

A startled sound escaped the girl’s lips.

“Eek.”

“The Marquis’s young lady must be worried sick. Fine. I’ll consider your proposal, but for now, return to your room.”

“Yes. But… can I go see Paul?”

“Paul? Who’s… oh, that knight.”

Carrying Laviela on one arm, Jack strode toward the door and opened it.

He set Laviela down in the hallway and clicked his tongue.

“When he wakes up, I’ll let you know through Odile, so stay in your room for now. If you want your plan to work, it’s best if no one finds out you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Who’s Odile?”

“The one who dressed you earlier. She’s the head maid, by the way. Now go and take the medicine prescribed by the physician.”

Jack ruffled Laviela’s hair with his hand and then raised his voice to call for Odile. After that, he shut the door and disappeared.