-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Villains' Favorite
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“A guardian?”
Lucius reacted as if he were hearing the word for the first time.
“Yes. Please allow me to borrow the ducal family’s power, but only until I come of age.”
There were six years left until she became an adult.
She had firmly established that she was twelve just a moment ago, so the Duke would have naturally calculated the remaining time.
“The ducal family’s power, you say. Are you planning on racking up a large debt in the family's name?”
“No, it's not like that.”
Lumina quickly continued.
“My parents passed away recently. It was a carriage accident.”
One might have offered condolences for the deceased, but Lucius’s reaction was impassive, as if telling her to continue.
A heartless Legion, indeed.
“Because of that, my relatives have split into factions and are fighting amongst themselves. The only ones left in the direct bloodline are my younger brother and me. I want my brother to inherit the family name safely.”
“So that’s why you’ve set a time limit.”
“Yes. By the time I come of age, the hierarchy should be properly established.”
By then, Endymion would be old enough to handle the duties of the family head without much difficulty.
‘He’s still hesitant, probably because of me, but I doubt Endymion would be against it.’
If he truly hated the idea, there was nothing she could do.
For now, she decided to worry about that possibility if and when it arose.
“A commendable thought, but that’s a matter I don’t need to be the one to resolve.”
Lucius flatly refused.
“If you dislike battlefields or monsters, you just have to make your intentions clear. You have a unique ability, so they’ll be considerate enough.”
“…”
“Especially since you don’t seem to be a Legion capable of combat.”
“Is Your Grace not tempted by my ability?”
“It would be a lie to say I’m not, but it’s an ability that shines brighter on the battlefields you despise, rather than by my side.”
Lumina had come to Lucius, passing over all others, for various reasons.
One of them was that their interests aligned.
He wanted to save his son, and Lumina had the ability to do so.
Furthermore, he was a man with enough compassion to close the eyes of someone on the brink of death.
‘I can’t tell him that, not even if I die.’
From the looks of it, unlike her, he didn't seem to remember his past life.
“Your ability is unique, and I am tempted, but that’s as far as it goes.”
As if he had lost interest, Lucius rose from his seat.
“It's not a bad proposal, but there are many things to consider. For now, return home. I will give you my answer later.”
Lumina stared at him in disbelief.
Lucius had decided to thoroughly investigate this suspicious girl before deciding how wary he should be.
He had likely concluded that there was no need to take on an unnecessary risk.
‘No.’
If she backed down here, everything would come to nothing.
She had to throw out bait he could never refuse.
The one thing he could never deny—his greatest vulnerability.
“The stronger a Legion is, the more easily they are corroded by their power. If they're unlucky, it can even lead to death.”
“…”
“Is your son all right?”
Lumina’s healing ability was not limited to wounds.
The more a powerful Legion used their strength, the further they strayed from their own identity as a ‘human’.
This caused them to lose control.
But with Lumina’s ability, she could prevent that from happening.
“You know your own ability well. Have you met a Legion before?”
As of now, she had not.
But there was no way to explain her deep knowledge of the ability without having met one.
“Yes.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, Lucius studied Lumina intently, as if trying to discern the truth.
‘I can’t get intimidated here!’
She had to maintain her smile, no matter the situation. Without flinching, Lumina boldly met his gaze.
“I see.”
He bought it.
Just as she was about to let out a silent sigh of relief, he spoke.
“What if I simply take your ability and discard you?”
“…”
“You may be too young to understand, but there are more people who break their promises than keep them…”
“Because you love your son.”
He froze.
Lumina recalled the voice from her past life that had spoken of his dead son.
He wouldn’t have put on an act in front of a dying person, so his regret at losing the chance to save his son had to be genuine.
And…
She believed only a parent who truly loved their child could make such an expression.
It was an expression Lumina herself had never once seen from her own parents.
“I would be the one who saved your son’s life. Could you truly commit such a merciless act?”
“…”
“I don’t think so.”
She couldn’t see his eyes because of the sunglasses, but she could tell he was quite surprised.
“You know something that even the boy himself doesn't.”
“Well, you were so passionate when you spoke of your son earlier.”
It wasn’t just an excuse.
‘A father who didn’t care wouldn’t know his son’s clothing measurements so precisely.’
The Young Duke Heart is loved.
How I envy him.
With that fleeting thought, Lumina opened her mouth.
“I will heal your son, so will you become my guardian?”
“…”
“I promise you won’t regret it.”
With those words, Lumina gave him a smile filled with conviction.
***
Lumina returned safely to the mansion.
Joseph, who had been running himself ragged searching for her, threw a fit when he found her calmly resting at a dress shop.
“I… I was scared I’d get in trouble for breaking the vase… I’m sorry.”
But it was a plan she had executed with a perfectly prepared excuse.
Lumina mumbled pitifully, her eyes drooping. Joseph sighed as if he had no choice.
He nagged her endlessly after that, but it all went in one ear and out the other, so she couldn’t remember a word of it.
After the whole ordeal, Lumina returned home and waited for good news.
“No matter how I look at it, I just don’t like the landscaping.”
“You’re just being picky, Sister.”
Lumina muttered in Endymion’s room.
Whenever Lumina was present, none of their relatives came to see Endymion.
For that reason, Endymion seemed to welcome her visits, so she tried to spend a good deal of time with him.
Though they didn’t talk much.
“Sister.”
“Hm?”
“Do you have any intention of moving rooms?”
A fair amount of time had passed since the funeral, yet Lumina was still living in the attic.
Lumina was a little surprised, as she hadn’t expected Endymion to bring up the sensitive topic first.
Until now, Endymion had never voiced a strong opinion on Lumina’s affairs.
When their parents were alive, their stepmother had been so strict and the siblings’ relationship so awkward that he likely couldn’t bring himself to step in.
But now their parents were gone, and the fact that Lumina, whom he had longed to connect with, considered him family must have weighed on his mind.
Endymion continued in a flat, unreadable voice.
“You are the legitimate daughter of the Lanshuss family. It is procedurally correct for you to reside in a better room than your current one.”
“Endymion.”
Even the content of his speech was stiff.
For a moment, she wondered if a dictionary had learned to speak.
Lumina, who had been listening quietly, called his name.
Perhaps his conscience was pricked for having been silent all this time. For a split second, Endymion looked startled.
“Are you doing this because the relatives who visit every day are annoying? Since no one comes when I’m in your room, are you trying to get me to live nearby?”
“…That is not it.”
Endymion’s expression turned serious.
As if to prove he had no such ulterior motives, what little emotion he had on his face vanished completely.
Lumina, readily believing his sincerity, replied.
“It’s not particularly inconvenient. Besides…”
*Knock, knock—*
A knock interrupted them.
Lumina, unable to finish her sentence, turned her head. A maid entered the room.
“My lady, a guest has arrived. I will help you change, so please hurry.”
“Who in the world is it?”
The maid was being overly dramatic.
Normally, Lumina had no visitors, and even if someone came, they wouldn’t have been allowed to see her.
That had been her stepmother’s policy.
‘Stepmother is dead, but not much has changed. Everyone here was her person.’
They were the sort who saw her visits to Endymion as an annoyance, describing it as “leeching off him.”
People will talk behind anyone's back, but she felt they were going too far.
“Duke Heart is waiting below and has asked to see you, my lady. So please, hurry and prepare…”
“Duke Heart?”
The question came not from Lumina, but from Endymion.
“Why would he visit here to see my sister?”
“I suppose he’ll tell me when I see him. Endymion, you’re a patient, so stay in bed. I’ll be right back.”
“But…”
Endymion grabbed Lumina’s arm.
“It could be dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“Before being a duke, he is a Legion, is he not?”
He was reminding her that for such a being, taking a life if things went sour was a trivial matter.
Lumina shrugged as if to ask what the big deal was.
“You’re not wrong. But he came to see me. Wouldn’t he be more angered if I tried to avoid him?”
“…”
“I’ll handle myself just fine.”
“…Very well. It seems my worries were unnecessary.”
Recalling Lucius’s terrifying aura, his worries were not entirely unnecessary.
After reassuring Endymion, Lumina paused as she left the room.
‘Have Endymion and I gotten a little closer?’
He even knew how to worry about her.
Somehow, she felt she was getting closer to the ideal family she had only ever imagined.
Unable to control the corners of her mouth from twitching, Lumina beamed.
After changing her clothes with the maid’s help, she went outside the mansion to find a commotion.
‘So this is where everyone was.’
Hearing that a VIP had arrived, the relatives had gathered in droves.
They overcame their fear and fawned over Lucius in every way possible, trying to catch his eye.
“Your Grace, are your legs not tired? Shall I guide you to the drawing room?”
“I had not heard that the late Lord and Lady Lanshuss had a connection to Your Grace. Might we hear the details?”
Everyone was in a frenzy just to exchange a single word with him.
Lucius ignored them completely.
Watching them try so hard to win his favor, Lumina realized just how formidable a person she had asked to be her guardian.
‘The problem is that he looks like a debt collector demanding payment, even when he’s just standing still.’
The sight of her relatives wringing their hands was rather amusing. Lumina stood at a distance, watching the scene unfold.
Just then, Lucius turned his head.
His gaze landed precisely where Lumina stood.
‘Oops.’
Snapping out of it, Lumina quickly trotted over to him.
“Hello, Your Grace! I am Lumina Lanshuss, the eldest daughter of the Lanshuss family. I heard you were looking for me.”
“I was.”
Undeterred by Lucius’s short reply, Lumina looked around and asked in an innocent tone.
“My, the carriage you came in is so large. Is it natural to ride in a carriage like that once you become a duke?”
As much as the debt-collector-like Lucius, another object was drawing attention.
It was the carriage waiting behind him.
The long line of carriages were clearly for cargo.
“Those are a gift.”
“A gift?”
Lumina blinked her wide eyes.
Surely not everything in there?
Outwardly, she pretended to know nothing, but inwardly, she knew.
She knew that everything inside the carriages was a gift for her.
The materialistic heart of Lumina, who knew nothing of integrity or moderation, began to thump uncontrollably.
“It seemed too late for memorial flowers, so I intended to pick out flowers you might like. But it turns out you don’t have a particular favorite.”
He even considered her preferences.
As expected of Lucius, who had likely investigated not only Lumina but also her paternal aunt’s in-law’s eighth cousin’s grandfather.
“So I bought them all.”
Hearing his words, Lumina, feigning an expression of being at a loss, thought to herself.
‘Ah, right. I forgot to tell Endymion.’
That her time in the attic was about to end.
