“Business, you say.”

Sigmon approached him with a gentle voice.

As Sigmon drew closer, Wigen swallowed hard.

Even though Wigen might be a foolish man blinded by power, the fierce years he had lived were by no means short.

The experience of those years was screaming.

This man is dangerous.

Suppressing the urge to flee immediately, Wigen looked at Sigmon with a deliberately calm face.

Sigmon responded with a surprised expression, as if this was unexpected.

Then, a satisfied smile formed on his lips.

“Indeed… It seems I’ve come to the right person.”

“I asked what your business is.”

After a moment of silence at Wigen’s sharp tone, Sigmon soon spoke with a faint smile.

“Very well. Let’s get straight to the point. Elder of the Council Wigen Sanjes. Or… are you no longer the Elder now?”

“….”

It was a clear provocation.

Even Wigen, who would normally respond calmly, couldn’t hide his agitation this time.

Noticing this weakness keenly, Sigmon took another step closer and said.

“It’s truly unfortunate. Those rat-like creatures of unknown origin have been gnawing away at Mercedes, and now they’ve finally destroyed the Elder’s position as well.”

“….”

Wigen pressed his lips tightly together.

In truth, it was Wigen’s own fault that his position was ruined.

Not satisfied with the position of Elder of the Council, he had been eyeing the Duke’s position.

Due to excessive greed, not knowing what he was trying to devour, his belly had burst.

But Wigen didn’t think it was his mistake. He was simply furious.

And…

“You are certainly qualified to be the master of Mercedes, Elder. All those years of dedication to Mercedes. Isn’t it terribly unfair to be excluded simply because you didn’t inherit the bloodline?”

Sigmon perfectly exploited his vulnerability, touching on his desires.

“….”

Wigen held his breath.

His gaze grew cold.

Though his reason told him to be wary, his heart was gradually wavering.

Sigmon took another step closer.

By now, the distance between them was so close that another person couldn’t fit between them.

“Throughout my years as the Mercedes family physician, I’ve always thought that the true master of Mercedes should be you, Elder.”

“…What meaning do those words have? I have no power now.”

“Then you simply need to acquire new power.”

That won’t be an obstacle.

Sigmon whispered with a natural expression.

Wigen’s eyes began to waver.

“New… power?”

“Yes. I, too, have been reborn through their power. Offer your soul. Then you will gain power. The power to obtain Mercedes, which you’ve yearned for your entire life…”

“Power…”

Wigen’s focus gradually began to blur.

Sigmon took out a stone with a golden glow from his chest and held it against Wigen.

The golden light cast shadows on Wigen’s wrinkled face.

“Everything is according to that person’s will. Rom Abda.”

Soon, golden light burst from the stone and enveloped Wigen.

“Aaaaargh-!!”

Watching Wigen scream in agony, Sigmon let out a viscous smile.

***

After the lesson, Cardien and I left Vincent’s room together.

Walking down the corridor, I glanced at Cardien.

Without saying anything else, Cardien simply stayed by my side as if it had always been that way.

I looked at Cardien’s profile with fresh eyes.

‘How strange.’

How should I put it?

I’ve been around Cardien many times, but this was the first time sharing daily life with him.

It’s a bit of a flaw that it’s a one-sided sharing, but anyway.

When Cardien first declared he would be my escort, I was filled with worry.

I thought it would make me nervous and self-conscious.

But now that we’re actually together, Cardien wasn’t as difficult as I had thought.

Above all…

“…? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Cardien asked as our eyes happened to meet.

I hesitated before speaking.

“Honestly… I’m surprised.”

“About what?”

“The things you said to Vincent. I didn’t expect Your Grace to say such things.”

“….”

I quickly added, fearing he might misunderstand.

“I mean, it was impressive. How should I put it, you really felt like a father.”

At my words, Cardien stared at me quietly.

Eventually, he smiled slightly and said.

“So I didn’t feel like a father until now?”

Yes.

I pressed my lips together.

I almost answered reflexively.

But Cardien looked at me with an incredulous expression, as if he had already heard the answer.

At that expression, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Cardien gazed at me intently.

Soon, with a voice still tinged with laughter, I said.

“Of course you did. But, well, if before you seemed like a strict father, today you seemed like an affectionate one.”

“I don’t even know what a father is supposed to feel like in the first place. What’s a strict father and what’s an affectionate father?”

Cardien muttered with an expressionless face.

I looked at him with a peculiar gaze.

Not knowing what a father is, huh.

‘That makes sense.’

Cardien probably doesn’t understand the role of a ‘father.’

Understanding is in the realm of empathy.

Because there was no one in Cardien’s life who could be called a ‘father.’

His situation didn’t feel like someone else’s story to me.

‘If I didn’t have a father in this life, I probably wouldn’t be able to empathize either, just like Cardien.’

The smile gradually faded from my face.

A heaviness began to settle in a corner of my heart.

Cardien is lacking so many things.

Family, friends, lovers, affection encompassing everything.

Having never received the affection of family, friends, or lovers, he probably doesn’t even know how to give it.

‘The Cardien in the original story must have been the same.’

That’s why Cardien eventually meets a bitter death without receiving a shred of affection from anyone.

“….”

The more I got to know him—who was merely a villain, an insignificant supporting male character—the more cruel his assigned narrative seemed.

As if Cardien Mercedes was a person created by gathering all the despair in this world.

…If that’s the case.

“I may not have the right answer, but what I think a father’s role is…”

Cardien gazed at me quietly.

Looking directly into his purple eyes illuminated by sunlight, I said.

“It’s like being someone who protects you.”

“…Someone who protects, huh.”

“And at the same time, someone who watches over you.”

“Still difficult to understand. So.”

A subtle smile formed on Cardien’s lips as he gazed at me quietly.

“Keep teaching me from beside me. I’ll be a good student who listens well.”

Cardien looked at me with a slightly mischievous smile.

Sunlight shone on his face.

I stared blankly at the scene, which was like a painting—beyond beautiful, even sacred.

Knowing this was Cardien’s way of joking, just for a moment.

‘My heart skipped a beat.’

But it wasn’t a cold, startling skip.

Rather, it contained a strange excitement…

‘Aaaah!’

Get a grip, Livia Pellington.

Don’t think strange thoughts.

“Um…! Actually, I have something to tell you.”

While racking my brain to change the subject, I realized I had forgotten that I actually had important business with him.

Pretending not to notice his smile gradually dropping as if he already knew what I was about to say, I said.

“About Chelsea.”

Just as I got that far.

Boom-!

At the sudden explosion sound, Cardien and I turned our heads simultaneously.

Rumble.

Another thunderous noise was heard.

I immediately threw open the window.

The direction of the sound was where the northern annex was located.

Grayish smoke was rising from there.

Could there be a fire?

If so, what was this thunderous sound…

By now, Cardien had also come to my side and was looking at the rising smoke with a hardened expression.

It was then.

“-Master!!”

Winston came running from far down the corridor, his face pale.

For Winston, who valued neatness above all else, this was unthinkable.

It meant something serious had happened.

“Huff, huff…”

Winston, who had reached us in an instant, was breathing heavily.

“What happened?”

Cardien asked without even giving him time to catch his breath.

Winston was briefly conscious of my presence before reporting directly to Cardien.

“A fire broke out in the northern annex where the Elder of the Council was confined. We entered the annex with personnel to quickly extinguish the fire, but…”

Winston’s brown eyes wavered.

After taking a deep breath, he continued.

“The bodies of the knights assigned to guard the room where the Elder was confined were discovered. Also, the door was open, and the Elder has disappeared.”

Winston’s complexion turned pale.

He added with a trembling voice.

“…Should I call the knights?”

Knights.

Asking whether to call the Mercedes knights probably meant the matter was that serious.

Cardien was silent for a moment before saying.

“The First Knight Division will head to the northern annex with me, and the rest should stand by.”

“Yes.”

Winston bowed his head.

“And.”

Cardien turned to me.