Inside the quiet, serene office, there were four people.
Among them, the adults began arguing over me.
No—truthfully, the only ones who seemed agitated were the butler and the secretary.
The Duke himself wore an indifferent expression, like a lifeless doll with no will of his own.
Just like that.
He looked exactly the same as he did the last time I saw him.
* * *
Rumble!
Thunder and rain roared over the forest path.
Squish, squish. The sound of wet, heavy footsteps drew near, and I pressed my face desperately into the dirt.
“P-please! Spare me, Duke! I-I didn’t mean to impersonate the Lady on purpose! Please, at least… at least let me live…!”
Though I lay flat on the ground, begging for mercy, my body was still shamelessly adorned with the precious jewelry I had stolen.
Without a word, he helped me up.
“Slowly. There will be no soldiers chasing you down this path.”
“…?”
He held my shoe—I must’ve dropped it earlier.
He even knelt on one knee and gently wiped the mud from my foot before putting the shoe back on.
Why?
My so-called real family—who lived in luxury thanks to my fake identity—had already abandoned me and run, though…
Without knowing my place, I foolishly asked.
“…You know, don’t you? I deceived you, Duke. Why are you helping me?”
“Because you called me ‘Dad.’”
“…!”
The breath I couldn’t swallow caught painfully in my throat.
“This incident… Yeah. I suppose I can accept it as the act of a spoiled child—something I never got to experience.”
With an unreadable expression and words I couldn’t fully grasp, he even picked up the coins and jewelry I had dropped.
Even the head family ring.
I was terrified by his unreadable kindness.
People with true kindness just didn’t exist in this world.
After running for a long time, I finally stopped to catch my breath and glanced back.
When I finally stopped to catch my breath, I glanced back.
He looked so small from here, as if he might disappear entirely—but still, he stood there, gazing in my direction.
* * *
“That’s quite a sly smile for a child.”
Despite the bittersweet memory, the Duke’s first words as he looked down at me were cold.
‘Tsk.’
Standing beside him, the red-haired secretary spoke sharply to the butler.
“Butler, what evidence do you have this time? I hope you’re not about to bring up another child who doesn’t even know their own age like before.”
But before the butler could answer, his eyes met mine, and his jaw dropped.
“…G-Golden eyes?”
It was an overly dramatic reaction, especially given his usually cold demeanor.
That man was Logan Ludwig, the Duke’s secretary.
And the only younger brother of the missing Duchess.
He wore glasses like a military officer, but his tall, commanding presence couldn’t quite pass for that of an officer.
Unlike the Duke, whose beauty was almost otherworldly, Logan’s sharp features gave him a cold, intimidating look.
We’d never really crossed paths in the past, so I didn’t know much about him.
But there was one thing I had heard: he adored his sister beyond measure.
‘If I remember right, he supposedly owned over a hundred dolls that looked like his sister, despite that blunt face of his… But what? He was looking at me and said golden eyes? I’ve always had rare black eyes, though.’
I rolled my gaze toward the polished cherry-wood furniture and caught my reflection.
It wasn’t as clear as a mirror, but even so, my eyes didn’t seem as dark as they used to.
‘Seriously? What the? Is this some kind of side effect from traveling back in time…?’
Regardless, the butler looked extremely pleased with Logan’s reaction.
“Yes, Secretary Logan. Even by appearance alone, this child is a highly likely match. The Duchess also had golden eyes, didn’t she? The child says they were separated in an accident. But the most telling sign is that she knows her full, proper name. Come now, tell His Grace.”
He looked down at me and spoke gently, but my twenty-seven years of con artistry kicked in immediately, instinctively sizing up his experience level.
Rattle, rattle.
‘Let’s see… A well-practiced liar, thanks to his specific profession and years of experience: 100 points. But those impatient, darting eyes—clearly betraying his nerves—minus 35 points. Final score: 65.’
It was a pretty high score compared to most swindlers I’d met, but he was still no match for me.
Besides, I knew the future. I knew his rotten core better than anyone.
He secretly took charge of the heir’s education, as if he couldn’t wait for the Duke to die, and when the hidden ledger was discovered, he fled—and in the end, even set the mansion on fire, like the truly insane old man he was.
The butler slowly nodded at me, as if giving a signal.
‘What the—what’s he even looking at? Do you think I’m about to cling to a sinking ship again?’
I wanted to spit right in his smiling face, but I held back—for the sake of entertainment.
Feigning innocence, I shook my head dramatically.
“Uuuung~ Lying is baaad!”
The butler didn’t flinch.
His skill was impressive as ever, calmly replying with a benevolent smile.
“Oh dear, you must be nervous in front of such high-ranking people. But I’m not asking you to lie, child. You said your mother’s name was Cecilia, didn’t you?”
His tone was soft, but I saw it—the cold gleam in his eyes, promising he’d snap my neck like a twig if I disobeyed.
‘Yikes. Scary.’
But I already sensed my victory.
The fact that he was pushing me this hard meant he was desperately anxious inside.
Good.
Let’s not waste time.
“Oh! I remember now! Cecilia Yorife Ludwig!”
At last, a satisfied smile spread across the butler’s face, a flicker of surprise flashed in the Duke’s cold eyes, and the secretary let out a small gasp.
“See? How about that! The child even knew the hidden middle name…”
“It was cowwect, wasn’t it?”
“?”
“You told me to say it, didn’t you, Mishter Butwer? Pwease pwaise me! Yes?”
“……!”
Thud.
It felt like the gravity beneath my feet had suddenly shifted.
The butler’s face turned ashen, and the Duke’s chilling gaze sharpened, tightening on me like a blade.
“…Butler Bernard. Care to explain what’s going on here?”
“M-My lord, it’s a misunderstanding. Duke Everhart, the child must be confused—surely there’s some mistake—”
His excuse was flimsy and desperate.
At that moment, Logan—the secretary who had been silently observing—drew his sword like a crimson beast, pointing it straight at the butler’s neck.
“How dare you! What exactly have you been plotting, using my niece as a pawn?”
“N-No, it’s not like that! I can explain, please just put the sword away! It’s truly a misunderstanding—”
“Silence! I’ll escort you straight to the interrogation chamber for immediate questioning! Please permit me, Your Grace!”
As the hot-tempered secretary cornered him, the butler’s face shifted through several shades, as if he truly sensed danger.
But then, as if he had suddenly made up his mind, he shamelessly changed tactics—now acting like he was the victim.
“Unhand me, Secretary Logan! I am a loyal servant who carries the will of the late Duke!”
The secretary’s body froze for a moment.
Bringing up the former Duke—the one person he could never ignore—left him no choice but to hesitate.
Sensing the power shift in the room, the butler straightened his posture and spoke with growing arrogance.
“Do not doubt my loyalty. I am merely searching for the Duke’s family. Besides, this child is here on the recommendation of Baron Balken, who has nothing to do with me.”
“……”
He wasn’t wrong.
As the secretary reluctantly lowered his sword, the butler calmly smoothed out his disheveled clothes and continued.
“Your Grace, it seems confidential information has been leaked. I doubt we will be able to find your daughter anytime soon. I must go now to handle the remaining candidates waiting in the drawing room.”
“……”
It was obvious he was trying to escape the situation as quickly as possible, but no one could stop him.
Ridiculously enough, it felt like the true master of this mansion wasn’t the Duke, but the butler.
I slowly shifted my gaze toward the Duke, quietly observing his expression.
There had been a faint flicker in his eyes when he heard the Duchess’s name, but his face soon returned to its usual blankness.
It was strange.
‘…Huh? What’s this? Why does he seem completely unfazed? Is he… really okay with not finding his daughter? Don’t tell me…’
His face was so empty of expectation that anyone with the slightest sense would have noticed.
It was as if he had known from the very beginning that I was a fake.
And that left me with one thought.
‘Even so…’
Even so, he forgave me.
Rather than punishing me, he chose to see me as a pitiful child caught up in the butler’s scheme for twelve long years.
Realizing the quiet grace he’d shown me only made my chest heavier.
Because what’s coming next is far from over.
‘On the day that old man set the fire… I’m sure that was the day the Duke died.’
Coincidentally, that day there had been a banquet attended only by family members.
His cause of death was suspected to be poison, with blame falling on a distant relative, but after the fire broke out, no evidence or body was left to investigate.
It was such an obvious cover-up, but the imperial family and nobles were too busy scrambling to snatch up the remaining wealth of the prestigious Duke’s household to care enough to look deeper.
So just stepping away from the role of the fake daughter isn’t nearly enough to repay the grace he’s shown me.
I clenched my small fist tightly.
‘Get a grip. Come on—it’s me. I was a prodigy swindler, trained from the tender age of five.
Sure, I may be younger now, but I should be able to come up with at least one reason to detain that old man.’
How? With what I’m best at.
There’s only one key to the truth—but I was born with the tenacity to open the door with a thousand lies if I have to.
And from all those tempting keys, I chose my very first move. None other than…
‘Fake injury scam!’
Bending my short little legs, I launched myself as hard as I could—straight into the butler’s path before anyone could stop me!
