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Her expression was desperate, as if she were searching for someone.

Clutching a credit note worth 500 gold in her hand, she was on the verge of tears, stomping her feet nervously.

Next to her stood Gordon and five mercenaries.

After exchanging a few words with Gordon, Anna grabbed his arm and sank to the ground.

She pleaded desperately, but Gordon simply shook his head.

In the end, she broke down in tears.

Watching the scene from his hiding spot, Claude let out a bitter smile.

Belinda furrowed her brow, clearly not understanding the situation, and asked,

“Why don’t you just go with her? She’s desperately searching for you.”

Claude remained silent for a moment before answering with a self-deprecating tone.

“Anna probably knows that this isn’t entirely my fault. After all, we’re all victims.”

“Then, why don’t you two just live happily together? Our estate has fresh air and good water.”

Claude slowly shook his head.

“I do love Anna, but whenever I see her, painful memories resurface. Anna probably feels the same.”

“She knows it wasn’t your fault. She’ll be fine.”

“Even if she says it’s okay… What right do I have to stay by her side after causing her master’s death?”

“You couldn’t help it, though. It was just… they were stupid… Oh, I’m sorry.”

Belinda, startled by her own bluntness, quickly covered her mouth.

Claude wasn’t angry; he just chuckled softly.

“You’re right. I was always foolish. My master wanted me to become a great scholar for the kingdom… but here I am, a wreck and a gambling addict.”

“But if you leave now, isn’t that just running away? Wouldn’t it be better to do things right from now on?”

Despite Belinda’s rebuke, Claude merely lowered his head and exhaled softly.

After a long silence, he whispered faintly.

“If we just bury the memories of each other… As time passes… Maybe one day we’ll both be at peace with the pain. That’s all I wish for Anna.”

Belinda turned away, displeased.

In the distance, Anna was still crying, covering her face.

Though she didn’t like it, she could understand what Claude was saying.

Could anyone truly live their entire life alongside the man responsible for their father’s death, no matter how much they loved him?

Even if they thought they were fine, there would surely be moments when resentment would unexpectedly surface.

Claude, too, would be haunted by guilt for the rest of his life.

It was a pain difficult to grasp for anyone who wasn’t directly involved.

Because of this, Belinda couldn’t bring herself to criticize him further.

Ghislaine, who had been quietly staring out the window, asked, “Do you regret it?”

“Of course. Every night, I regret living so foolishly. I’ll never fall for such a shallow scheme again.”

“That’s good enough. I felt the same.”

“Really? It sounds like you’ve made your share of mistakes, my lord. You have the face for it.”

“Well, I’m doing my best to make up for those regrets now.”

Claude shrugged, his face turning playful as if the bitterness had never been there.

“Well, the mood has become too somber. I’m not really one to kill the mood like this, you know.”

Ghislain chuckled softly and nodded.

“I know. You’re a guy who complains a lot, but you’re also good at your job. I’m expecting a lot from you.”

“I don’t know why you’re expecting so much. Just know that you can’t take it back later. I’m broke, you know.”

“Don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to squeeze you dry.”

“Scary, really scary.”

Claude chuckled as he watched Anna and the mercenaries leave.

Anna would dedicate her life to compiling the history of the Kingdom of Seiron.

It was also the final wish of her mentor, who had been like a father to her.

Claude had originally been part of that endeavor too, but…

He regretted not being able to continue it.

Still, he wasn’t too worried.

There were many professors at the academy who had respected her mentor. They would take good care of Anna.

“I feel lighter now. It finally feels like I can take a step forward.”

Claude glanced at Anna’s retreating figure before turning around.

He wished her happiness in the future, and hoped that she would eventually forget about him.

He let go of his memories and regrets, little by little.

* * *

As soon as Anna departed, Ghislain’s group also set out for the Fenris Estate.

It had been a long time since the estate had been left unattended, so they needed to return as quickly as possible to manage it.

Claude tried to shake off his gloomy mood by imagining the estate where he would be staying.

‘If he’s willing to casually throw around thousands of gold coins, he must come from a very wealthy family.’

He cast a sidelong glance at the back of Ghislain’s head.

‘And to become the lord of an estate at such a young age… They must’ve given him part of his family’s land. In that case, his father must be at least a count. Maybe even a duke?’

Even if he wasn’t a duke, it was certain that his father was at least a high-ranking lord.

Claude tried to recall the names of the high-ranking nobles in Ritania he was familiar with but shook his head.

‘It’s a bit overwhelming. If his family is that prestigious, they probably have many talented people.’

It worried him a little, but Claude wasn’t afraid.

Although he had wasted some of his life in the gambling halls, living like a wreck, he was now free from all those chains.

Now, he only had to focus on his work.

There was no need to lose confidence so early on.

Claude tried asking Ghislain various things about the estate in an attempt to gather some information beforehand, but Ghislain dodged the questions, saying he’d understand once they got there.

He even tried asking Belinda, but she responded the same way.

“Oh, it’s just a nice place with good water and air.”

“Please, tell me a bit more. I’m looking forward to seeing how impressive it is.”

“Hmm, just wait until you see it for yourself. I don’t know much about it either.”

Belinda quickly excused herself, as if feeling uncomfortable with the persistent questions.

Claude let out a hollow laugh.

‘What do you mean you don’t know? Looks like they’re just hoping I’ll be stunned when I see how wealthy the estate is… Do they think I’m some country bumpkin?’

It was obvious. They were probably setting him up, hoping to see him gape in awe at the sight of a large, prosperous estate.

‘They sure are confident. Alright, let’s see just how impressive it really is.’

Claude clenched his fists, determined to hold his ground.

Belinda, who had been quietly watching, leaned over and asked Ghislain.

“That guy doesn’t look like he’s in good shape.”

“Leave him be. He’s got a bit of a temper, so don’t provoke him.”

“A guy who’s reckless enough to stand up to a noble and challenge them to a fight? No wonder.”

Belinda shook her head with a sigh.

“But seriously, is he going to be okay? What if he runs away after seeing the state of the estate?”

“I told you, he’s got a temper. Just scratch his pride a little, and he’ll get all fired up. Don’t worry.”

Ghislain chuckled quietly.

Belinda, noticing the amusement in his eyes, clicked her tongue inwardly.

She felt a bit sorry for Claude, who was still fired up with enthusiasm, unaware of what awaited him.

* * *

After several days of riding, they finally crossed the border into Ritania.

Up until that point, Claude hadn’t thought much of it.

‘Even for a powerful kingdom, the borderlands are nothing special.’

It didn’t seem any different from the outskirts of the Kingdom of Seiron.

Border regions were typically underdeveloped, so Claude accepted it as normal.

However, the farther they traveled from the border, the more his curiosity grew.

‘Something feels off. Why do I feel like we’re heading north? And why does everything seem to get more desolate the deeper we go?’

Claude didn’t know exactly where the Fenris Estate was. In fact, they were already within Ghislain’s domain, but he simply assumed it was a territory they were passing through.

The small villages they passed along the way looked poorer than the slums of Austern.

Claude furrowed his brow unconsciously.

‘Wow, I can’t believe an estate could be this poor. How is the lord managing this place? Actually, managing might not be the right word—looks like he’s been bleeding it dry.’

Feeling sympathy for the local villages, Claude glanced around and spoke to Ghislain.

“When the opportunity arises, it might be worth occupying this place.”

“What?”

In his past life, Claude had been known for his blunt remarks.

Ghislain appreciated that Claude always spoke his mind without hesitation, but…

“The lord of this place is trash. If I could meet him, I’d spit in his face.”

“…”

“For the residents to be this impoverished, it’s proof that the lord is incompetent. Their military must be weak, too… There’s no real infrastructure here, and what little they have is outdated. There wouldn’t be much profit in conquering it, but with so much empty land, it could serve as a rear supply base.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Of course, we’d need to gradually raise the standard of living here. It’ll be tough and expensive at first, but in the long run, it’ll be worth it.”

“R-right. You’re thinking along the same lines as me.”

“Glad to hear it. Let’s seize the chance and cut off this lord’s head.”

“Ah, maybe not that.”

Claude’s eyes gleamed as he passionately argued his point.

Ghislain made an awkward expression.

The lord’s head you want to cut off is mine, though…

“You must come from a rich estate, so I guess a poor one like this doesn’t catch your eye. But a high lord should pay attention to even a single grain of rice on his land.”

“I didn’t exactly grow up in wealth…”

Ghislain tried to object, but Claude was too focused on saying what he wanted, completely ignoring Ghislain’s words.

“If you just give me permission, I can come up with a pretext for war.”

Claude pressed his opinion strongly, but Ghislain didn’t seem to have much to say.

“Uh, sure… I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Ghislain’s lukewarm attitude made Claude grow more anxious. He kept insulting the lord of the estate, trying to sway Ghislain.

At that moment, Belinda stretched with a satisfied sigh and exclaimed.

“Wow, we’re almost there!”

Claude, who had been ranting, whipped his head around so fast it looked like it might snap.

“Almost where?”

Belinda responded, looking puzzled.

“I mean, we’re about to reach the lord’s castle. We’ve been in our territory since crossing the border. Didn’t you know? Well, it is pretty big, since it’s made up of three baronies.”

“Here? Not somewhere else?”

Belinda silently nodded.

Claude looked utterly bewildered and asked again.

“Why?”

“Well, because this is our land, of course. Why ask why?”

Claude turned to Ghislain with a distraught expression.

“You’re… kidding, right?”

“Nope. This is my land,” Ghislain replied with a smirk.

That infuriating grin made Claude explode.

“That makes no sense!”

“What doesn’t?”

“How can the estate be so poor, yet you’re so wealthy? Don’t tell me you’ve been squeezing the residents dry!”

“No, that’s not it.”

Claude frantically looked around at the others.

Belinda, Gillian, and the mercenaries were all standing in place, staring blankly at him.

It didn’t seem like anyone was joking.

Though he tried to hide it, his voice trembled.

“So… what does your father do, my lord?”

“My father? He’s the Margrave of Ferdium, further north.”

Claude felt a bit relieved.

A margrave was a high-ranking noble, treated like a marquis. Margraves often had more military power and autonomy than other lords.

“A margrave… So Ferdium is more developed than this estate, right?”

Ghislain stroked his chin in thought before flashing a bright smile.

“It’s better than here, but it’s also famous for being poor. With the Forest of Beasts and the barbarians, it’s tough to develop the land.”

It was only then that Claude understood what Belinda had meant earlier.

‘— Oh, it’s just a place with good water and air.’

‘Of course the water and air are good—there’s nothing else here!’

Cold sweat poured down Claude’s back like a waterfall.

It wasn’t a problem that he had mistaken the estate for being wealthy.

It was a bit embarrassing, but understandable.

The real issue was that, due to his misunderstanding, he had spouted nonsense about how the lord was corrupt and should be beheaded, all in front of Ghislain himself.

‘I still have a long way to go.’

Claude had thought he understood how dangerous the world could be, but it seemed he still had a lot to learn.

He awkwardly smiled and began to slowly back away.

‘At times like this, running away is the best option. The gambling hall is better than here. Anna, wait for me! I’ll be back soon!’

Ghislain, seeing through his intentions, grinned slyly.

Although he had just heard Claude’s brazen remarks about how the estate was ruined and the lord should be killed, he wasn’t angry.

He agreed that the estate was pretty miserable, after all.

‘But I won’t let him run away.’

Upon Ghislain’s signal, the mercenaries began to quietly move, surrounding Claude.

When he tried to slip left, Gillian blocked him. When he shifted right, Belinda stepped in his way.

Claude broke out into a cold sweat. There wasn’t a single escape route in sight.

Ghislain strolled over and slung his arm around Claude’s shoulders.

“I’ve heard your thoughts. I like your enthusiasm. Let’s do great things together from now on.”

Claude lowered his head, hearing the voice of the devil whisper in his ear.

‘I should have left when I had the chance. I miss you, Anna.’