“Why on earth did you do this……”

“I had no choice either. The duke promised to give me a title if I betrayed the young lord.”

Howard, who had been anxious when his nephew came of age, bribed August, and their plan was exposed.

Naturally, the fire was also deliberately set by Howard’s side.

Kyllen didn’t know from when August had betrayed him.

What mattered was that his trust had been abandoned once again.

He barely survived and began to wander aimlessly, and then he met Shailyn.

Like sleeves dampening in a drizzle, she seeped into his life, and Kyllen’s life reached another turning point.

New hope settled into a life that had been filled only with revenge against the uncle who had ruined his past years.

Perhaps he could live ordinary and happy again like when his parents were alive.

‘I really don’t want to go back to being Kyllen Celsior.’

The more he stayed by Shailyn’s side, the stronger that thought became.

He just wanted to be with her forever as the bondservant Carl.

While becoming her friend and family as he had promised Shailyn.

The precariously sustained peace was eventually broken because of Celsior.

When Shailyn was captured and Kyllen went to find Chester, he revealed his identity and asked.

“Please help me reclaim my family. Then I can use my authority to cover up the suspicions raised against Diart and my master.”

If he became Duke Celsior, Howard would lose all his power, and Kyllen would be able to control his uncle as the family head.

Chester also agreed to this, and the revenge that had stopped for nearly a year resumed.

With Chester’s help, Kyllen gathered again the knights and retainers from the ducal family who had once supported him.

Among them were some who still remained in Celsior.

While consolidating his forces, what he aimed for was finding the memorandum that his uncle had written as a proxy.

With that alone, he could legally take over Celsior.

In fact, when he had previously attempted to reclaim it with August, the first goal was also to seize the mansion and get that memorandum.

Though it ended before he could even look for it.

Similarly, one of the retainers who had participated at that time and been betrayed by August said.

“As far as I know, that memorandum was taken by Viscount Fernon when he went into hiding. I heard he secretly stole it from the safe when he left the ducal family and ran away.”

“Where is Viscount Fernon now?”

“I don’t know. His whereabouts have been mysterious since then, and I heard even the duke’s side couldn’t find him.”

Viscount Fernon was originally from the Celsior ducal family’s retainers, a person who had been driven out after conflicts with Howard.

He hadn’t participated in Kyllen’s plan, but he had deep affection and loyalty toward the Celsior ducal family itself.

Since meeting Viscount Fernon would allow him to get the memorandum, Carl tried his best to find him somehow.

But when everyone was struggling because no one knew the viscount’s whereabouts……

‘Young lord, the retainer your uncle drove out is living in seclusion in Lasia Forest in the northwest of the empire.’

Very unexpectedly, Raviel told him where the viscount was.

Kyllen, who went there half-believing and half-doubting, was truly able to meet Viscount Fernon.

“I thought you would come looking for me someday, young lord.”

The viscount, who had been living alone in a cabin deep in the forest, recognized Kyllen at a glance.

“But I question whether you truly have the qualifications to lead Celsior. I cannot follow you just because you’re the former duke’s only child.”

The viscount’s eyes sharpened as he looked over Kyllen. Kyllen calmly received that gaze and said.

“When my parents were alive, Celsior fulfilled its duties and responsibilities as a ducal family. We cared for the poor territory residents, didn’t *buse power, and shared what we had.”

Then the viscount’s eyes became briefly wistful as if recalling the past.

“But after my uncle became duke, everything changed. Celsior’s pride and values were damaged, and they only knew how to fill their own bellies.”

“That’s correct.”

The viscount had also been driven out after fighting with Howard over such points.

Instead of captivating the viscount’s heart with all sorts of sweet words, Kyllen honestly promised.

“I will probably be an objectively lacking duke. But I can swear to continue Celsior’s spirit that has been passed down for hundreds of years in my generation as well.”

In his firm and intelligently shining red eyes, the viscount glimpsed Henry Celsior.

The young man from his youth who was still unripe but full of talent and potential.

“……I’ll trust those words.”

Moved by Kyllen, he brought out Howard’s memorandum that he had been hiding.

In fact, he had stolen it from Howard intending to give it to the real master of Celsior when they returned someday.

“Take it.”

“Thank you.”

Kyllen carefully took the memorandum and rushed straight to the courtroom to save Shailyn.

Fortunately, he was able to arrive not too late.

***

After Carl’s story ended, I couldn’t easily open my mouth for a while.

I thought he too had lived a very eventful and difficult life.

Perhaps interpreting my silence strangely, Carl said seriously.

“You can take out your anger on me as much as Master is angry. Even if you curse or hit me, I won’t fight back, so do as you please.”

He even bowed his head slightly toward me, bringing his face close to make it easy to hit.

I stared at him quietly, then suddenly stood up from my seat. I walked around the table and approached his side.

“What I’m about to do is what I’m doing to my bondservant.”

“……?”

Carl, who had been quietly waiting for punishment, looked at me with a puzzled face.

I placed my hand on his fine black hair and stroked it roughly.

“Good job! Well done, our Carl!”

Even as his neatly styled hair became disheveled, Carl didn’t resist.

Like a dog suddenly praised by its master, he seemed puzzled but pleased and just stayed still.

Only after his hair was tousled like Carl’s rather than Kyllen Celsior’s did I withdraw my hand and smile brightly.

“Thank you for not giving up until the end and coming this far.”

No matter how much he said he liked being with me, if he had abandoned his original status and life to stay by my side, I would have felt very uncomfortable.

I would feel like I was an obstacle blocking someone else’s path.

But seeing him reclaim his place for my sake made me grateful and even happy.

Carl rolled his eyes as if reading my mood, then asked bluntly.

“Is this how you forgive lying?”

“Well……”

Honestly, I had no right to speak about hiding one’s identity since I had done the same.

I’m not really Shailyn.

But since I couldn’t reveal my true self like Carl, I could say I had no right to be angry at him.

“You didn’t do it with bad intentions.”

When I shrugged and smiled, he opened his mouth with a relieved face.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come earlier. My uncle’s family didn’t submit obediently, so there were many things to handle.”

Hearing that made me suddenly curious about what happened to the former duke’s family.

“What did you do with those people?”

“I locked them up in the annex for now.”

Carl smiled bleakly. Combined with his cool features, the gloomy atmosphere was maximized.

“I plan to expose their corruption one by one and thoroughly deal with them.”

“Can I contribute a bit too?”

I had already been thinking of using Emma to report them, so my eyes sparkled.

“Good.”

The moment Carl nodded readily—

【♥A mission has occurred♥】

An unwelcome system window notification appeared.

【Mission: Am I Sherlock Holmes of This World?

Did you know?

Actually, there’s a secret behind the death of the previous Duke and Duchess Celsior.

From now on, become a great detective and uncover that secret!

Time limit: 2 weeks

Success condition: Investigate the truth together with Kyllen Celsior

Success reward: Check the favorability of the person you want

Failure penalty: Hidden route discontinued】

……Hidden route discontinued means I can’t return to the original world, right?

I sighed at the combination of reward and penalty that invariably put me to the test.

“What’s wrong, Master.”

Carl asked in a pleasant voice. Suddenly the last title bothered me.

“But how long are you going to call me Master?”

He was no longer my bondservant but Duke Celsior.

If someone who’s a duke calls a count Master…… it would seem a bit strange to others.

Carl gazed at me intently, then pulled up the corners of his mouth.

“Why, didn’t you like that kind of thing? Being called Master while conquering and ruling over people.”

At the quite subtle word choice and tone, my cheeks burned hot.