༺ Duty ༻
《Through whatever means, become a live-in son-in-law of the Grand Duchy and prove the worth of your pathetic existence.》
《Become engaged, whatever it takes. Everything will naturally be resolved afterwards. You are our hope.》
《If you cannot become the son-in-law of the Grand Duke of the North, then at least become the hands and feet of the chosen betrothed and be useful to the household in some capacity.》
*
A hundred nobles, all given a special assignment along those lines, participated in the Grand Ducal Betrothal Competition.
Since the contest did not reflect social status or class, but only required noble blood, nearly a thousand applications were received. And among them, a hundred were selected through a screening process, thus competing in preliminaries and the main selection over a fortnight.
Now, only the final step remained. When tomorrow came, the final evaluation would begin, and after fifteen days of cohabitation, the final winner would be determined…
With a rather high probability of 25%.
Someone would prove their worth, someone would become hope, and someone would be of help.
It was fifteen days.
They just needed to endure fifteen more days to write history.
A brilliantly shining, new history.
Therefore, the idea of withdrawing from the final evaluation was something that couldn’t be considered, even in imagination. An unthinkable decision that would not be taken unless one was mad.
And so, considering Elden Raphelion, who made that very insane decision, as a madman was only natural.
A moment of silence rippled like a small wave.
The first to break it was Kyle, the eldest son of a County.
“…….Withdrawal? Have you perhaps been day drinking? Such jests are far too excessive to make in front of such esteemed people.”
“Haha. Isn’t that right? Then, was the food you were so busily gobbling down meant to be your last supper?”
Blund regarded the declaration of withdrawal as a joke, continuing Kyle’s mockery.
Elden Raphelion was not considered a competitor by them anyway.
He was merely a tool that could be used for a better evaluation.
Just like he had always been in the academy.
As such, Elden’s declaration of withdrawal was actually bad news for them.
After all, it meant a public good to be exploited would be gone. Since he was never considered a contender in the first place, his withdrawal didn’t even affect their chances of winning.
Deron, who had been silent until now, asked Elden with eyes of interest.
“…The reason?”
“How could someone as wicked as me possibly become a candidate for the Duchess’ husband? It is just that I realized my place far too late.”
Clank.
Deron placed his spoon on the plate and wiped his mouth.
“Realizing your place, you say… That I understand, but I did not know you were so weak. To think that you would give up on the race just when the finish line is in sight.”
“I have lived a life trampling on others. Too unclean of a life to become a part of the noble Northern Grand Duke’s family.”
Elden said this while looking at each and every one present.
It was sort of a hint in its own way, but for those who did not know the true identity of the Duchess, it was nothing more than the self-deprecating reflection of a villain.
Of course, there were those who felt rather stung by that sharp reflection.
Blund finished his meal and twirled the wine glass in his hands.
The wine, with a red akin to blood, sloshed heavily.
“…Everyone gets hurt and hurts others in life. The world admires those who trample on others and stand on top of them, not those who get stamped on. Is that not something you are aware of as well by now?”
Elden smiled.
A serene smile that only someone who had renounced their worldly desires could make.
And it was also a bitter smile sent to a nobleman who admired evil deeds.
“I am aware. It is just that the thought of daring to pretend to be noble while evaluated, after causing others to shed tears of blood, made me uncomfortable enough to withdraw.”
A slightly edged voice echoed again amidst the beautiful melody of the orchestra.
“After all, there is no such thing as an eternal secret in the world. Isn’t that so?”
A harsh critique of evil deeds, as well as a chilling warning to those in the know.
It was a rather severe statement, but Elden felt it was akin to the maxim of his ancestors that said the one who farted complained of the smell first.
Deron’s turquoise eyes began to show signs of anger.
“…It almost seems as if your words are aimed at someone. Are you perhaps seeking atonement now, after all this time? But you see, that does not mean the tears of blood that have already been shed can clear.”
And then, as Deron, the leader of the group, expressed his displeasure, Blund and Kyle also crossed their arms or furrowed their brows in agreement.
“Lord Elden, you have become quite a hazard since I have last seen you. No. Perhaps weak… would be more accurate.”
“The blood that one is born with is a matter of providence. To go against it, one must be prepared to bleed. And I wonder if you are truly ready for that.”
Elden sighed softly.
It was the expected flow of events.
They had chosen deception over reflection in the latter half of the free chapters.
And it was the same now.
The trio was trying to lecture him in response to the criticism.
They treated someone who reflected on themselves as a fool while packaging their own beliefs and sophistries in eloquent words.
In essence, they were using his self-reflection as a tool for their own gain.
Even so, Elden still understood them.
In the first place, they were characters created from the outset to be marked as targets for tragedy.
It was absurd to expect a superficial warning to lead to reflection and reform.
And frankly, he did not care that they were using and insulting his reflection in such a manner.
According to Blund and Deron, showing weakness or vulnerability was a detriment in the aristocratic world.
Basically, they were saying his qualifications were too substandard to be a person of the Land of Bitter Cold.
But for Elden, who had declared his withdrawal, he couldn’t be more thankful if they actually delved deeper into that aspect.
It was a mutually beneficial situation. A pleasant flow of events.
And so, Elden laughed.
“Haha, there wasn’t any particular meaning behind it. Do not worry. I only shared my personal feelings because you asked for a reason.”
He showed the minimum responsibility and duty expected of the sole person attempting to escape.
He wasn’t sure if it was noticeable, but he didn’t see any reason to care further.
After all, they were targets that more than deserved the swings of the Third Northern Duchess’ sword.
For the sake of the heroine, interfering any further was something to avoid.
Elden set down his empty glass.
From now on, he would leave things to fate and just observe the flow.
Of course, after thoroughly shedding the sense of responsibility that came with being a transmigrator.
“And I have only conveyed my intention to withdraw. I have not heard any specific response yet. I merely informed you all in advance, thinking of you more as ‘colleagues’ than competitors.”
There was no reason to ostracize them unless they directly harmed him, the transmigrator.
But if they did cause any damage, that would be an entirely different story.
Following Elden’s words, Deron glanced at the evaluator before speaking.
“Well, do not fret. If that is your opinion, so be it. Let us finish our meal here.”
Blund and Kyle nodded and the busy scribbling of the judge’s pens ceased.
With that, the first gathering of the final candidates concluded.
**
Step, step.
I was walking down the hallway with Rendler.
The first gathering had ended.
In a more monotonous and uncomfortable manner than expected.
I had no intention of becoming enemies with the male leads of the novel.
Nothing could be more foolish than that.
I didn’t possess some saintly nature at the levels of Mother Teresa, nor was it certain that one of those three would be the final winner.
So, there was no need to cross the line.
What remained was waiting for the Grand Duke to approve my withdrawal. And since I had fulfilled my duty as a transmigrator, all I needed to do now was observe the flow.
It didn’t matter whether they noticed the hint and reflected, ignored it and made decisions full of regret, or survived this stage of revenge to become engaged to the Duchess.
I was going to leave it all to fate and just draw my own future.
The problem was…
‘What do I start off with?’
What should a modern person, suddenly dragged into the medieval era, do first?
Moreover, one who had become a noble of a declining County?
Thanks to the knowledge and memories of the body I was possessing, I didn’t need to start with learning to read, but finding a way to revive the fallen household was beyond my capabilities.
Although the original Elden Raphelion intended to uplift his household’s fortunes through a marriage with the Duchess, sadly, I had no such plans.
Even if the family’s fortunes had declined, it was still a County.
A wealthy person remained wealthy for up to three generations, or so they say. So, there was no need to cling to this betrothal war or worry about reviving the household’s fortunes.
‘First, escaping safely from this place destined for tragedy is key.’
Now, the priority was to overcome the immediate crisis.
Even if my withdrawal was rejected, it wouldn’t mean I was in danger.
After all, there was more than one way to avoid this abyss of regret, exhaustion, and obsession.
Withdrawing was simply the cleanest, surest, and fastest method.
‘I want to hurry up and rest.’
As I hurried to my room, suddenly, the sound of sobbing reached my ears.
It was from behind.
Curious about the noise, I stopped and turned around, only to see the old butler hastily turn away.
……….
After turning back, I took a few steps forward. Then, when I whipped my body back around, the butler once again turned his back towards me.
……….
Slight trembling shoulders, hands rubbing the eyes, and the sounds of sniffles.
“Could it be… that you are crying?”
Rendler shook his head.
“H-Hoho. O-Of course t-that isn’t the case. I just got dust in my, Sniffle, eye. That is all.”
“Dust in your nose too, it seems.”
“Hohooho. T-The d-dust is quite fierce.”
…Sniffle.
It was too clear a sign to dismiss with a flimsy excuse. As such, when I waited a moment, Rendler hesitantly turned around.
His eyes were moist.
He then smiled awkwardly and bowed his head.
“I apologize, My Lord. It seems my sentiments have gotten the better of me with age.”
“…Well, it’s not something you need to apologize for.”
“I was simply too moved by the words you spoke at the gathering. I have shown such an unsightly side of me.”
…Ah.
Was that the reason for the sudden tears that came out of the blue?
All I did was issue a warning to my fellow tragedy-destined characters, yet unwittingly, I seemed to have deeply moved the old butler.
Sniffle.
With watery eyes, Rendler beamed a bright smile.
Then, his face flushed, seemingly embarrassed.
“Please do not stare so blatantly at my disgraceful display of emotions. It is quite embarrassing. I was just so overjoyed. That’s all.”
“…….”
I held myself back from saying, ‘Even if you didn’t tell me that, the sight of an old butler blushing like a young girl is way too uncomfortable for me to continue watching’, and just turned around.
It seemed he was a character that was more prone to tears than what was suggested at first glance.
To think that he would show tears from just one moment of reflection. It felt like any act of kindness might actually lead to an outright wail.
‘Ugh. I should be careful around him.’
Right as I stepped forward to turn the corner with such thoughts…
“KYAH!”
Crash!
I ended up colliding with a woman who had been briskly walking towards me.
She was a maid in her mid-teens, wearing a maid uniform adorned with the crest of the Northern Grand Duchy.
