FGFM 03

Chapter 3

While Fleur was reviewing some documents in her office, there was a knock at the door.

“Miss, I’ve brought Dylan Vaughn.”
“Let him in.”

The door opened and Dylan appeared. Unlike in the fields where he usually bared his upper body, he was now wearing a thin shirt.

Still, with such a fine physique, even plain clothes looked sensual on him.

He stopped about five steps away from her desk and greeted her.

“I was told you called for me.”

It was the first time Fleur had heard the voice of a capture target. In the game, budget had only gone into illustrations, so they didn’t have voices.

His voice was deeper and richer than expected, and Fleur’s heart jolted as she blankly looked up at Dylan.

The face she had avoided seeing until now—out of fear that simply meeting him might trigger the game—was dazzling enough to make her regret the lost time.

“Don’t you have something you wanted to say?”

When he pressed her in a calm tone, she quickly shook her head and pulled herself together.

“Ah, right. Dylan, it’s been about a year since you started working at the Valen estate, hasn’t it?”
“That’s correct.”
“Does the work suit you?”
“…Are you planning to dismiss me?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I still don’t get along with the others, isn’t that it?”

Though his tone was even, his round eyes had sharpened.

Fleur already knew he deliberately kept himself apart from the other servants, so she carried on smoothly.

“I didn’t call you here to dismiss you, but to give you a different position.”
“A different position… you mean solitary warehouse management?”
“No. How about becoming my aide?”

At the unexpected proposal, Dylan’s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed.

“An aide is a position granted only to the head of house or heir.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then wouldn’t it be unnecessary for you, miss?”

His gaze was slanted, as though she were a childish noble lady. But she wasn’t bothered—she’d expected this.

“Dylan, are my parents alive?”
“…No.”
“And who is the only surviving member of House Valen?”
“You, miss.”
“Then I think that answers everything.”
“Being the only blood relative and being the head are not the same.”
“What’s the difference?”

She met his eyes as if daring him to answer. Dylan opened his mouth, then closed it again. But Fleur knew exactly what he had meant to say.

“You were about to say that because I’m a woman, I can’t become the head, weren’t you?”
“…That’s right.”
“Isn’t that laughable? I may not have made it official, but I’m already fulfilling the duties of the head. I’ve even gathered enough funds to repay a fifth of the debts. Yet even you, a servant, don’t see me as the head? That’s rather sad.”
“…In this empire, no woman has ever officially been head of a noble house.”
“True. Even if a husband dies, his wife cannot inherit the dukedom.”

Fleur slowly rose from behind her desk.

“I won’t marry just to protect House Valen. I dislike keeping the name alive that way. And I thought you, more than anyone, would understand me.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Dylan Vaughn. Or rather—Dylan Barchel.”

When she called him by another surname, his expression froze.

“Three years ago, the Barchel family had their entire fortune confiscated, and their title stripped. Because your father, the former Count Barchel, pretended to be a contact of the imperial court and defrauded citizens.”

Fleur recited his past without faltering. Though Dylan was a servant capture target, he carried the secret of being a fallen noble.

But his greedy father’s crimes had ruined everything.

His father had died from the shock, and Dylan, determined to protect his younger sister, had sent her to a convent before laying down his title and working for wages.

His storyline was to repay the debt his father left behind and restore the family’s honor.

“Since when have you known?”
“From the very beginning.”
“Who told you? I’ve never spoken of my past to anyone.”
“Do I look like the sort of person who wouldn’t investigate the background of those I let into my household?”

At her words, Dylan bit down hard on his lower lip.

“Dylan, you had ways to carry on your family name too. You could have married a noble lady, or married off your sister.”
“…”
“But instead, you chose to live as a commoner and repay the debts. Because you knew such marriages would never lead to a proper life.”
“…”
“So, even though we’re in the same situation, you still can’t understand why I choose to live as head of house?”

The longer Fleur spoke, the more she could see his gaze changing.

“To become head, I need a strong aide to support me. And I believe you’re perfect for the role.”
“Because I was born a noble and know the duties of an aide?”
“Exactly.”

And also, to suppress his thirst for power.

Though Dylan lived as a commoner, he hadn’t fully shed his noble pride. In the game, he took advantage of Fleur’s strained engagement to seize House Valen, even going so far as to steal the family seal and force marriage upon her.

By giving him an official position now, she could sate part of that ambition. As an aide, he’d be tied closely to the family; any mistake would merit serious punishment. If he dared steal the seal, she could throw him into prison, cutting off his access to her entirely.

Fleur extended her fountain pen across the desk to him.

“Well? Will you take the position of my aide?”
“…If I refuse, will I be dismissed?”
“No. You’ll keep working in the fields, as before.”

She had said all she could. The choice was his.

In the original story, he remained a servant until the end. If he accepted the role of aide now, it could change the course of the game.

But Dylan gave no reaction, only watching her silently.

Just as she began to withdraw the pen, assuming rejection—

“Ah.”

His large hand closed over both the pen and Fleur’s hand. She looked up to see his blueberry-colored eyes curve faintly with a smile.

“I will serve as your aide.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I will serve you, Lady Fleur, as my first and last master.”

At his answer, Fleur’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“A wise choice. I look forward to working with you, Dylan.”

You have discovered a new capture target.

Dylan Vaughn.

A status window appeared above Dylan’s head.

When you raise a capture target’s affection, random rewards will appear. Increase their affection and make them your husband.

Current affection level of Dylan Vaughn: 10%

The next day.

“You appointed Dylan as your aide?”
“Yes. So, James, treat him accordingly, and tell the other servants to behave with respect.”

James, the long-time butler of House Valen, adjusted his glasses, trying to hide his bewilderment.

“And you, James, treat me as you once did my father. From now on, I’ll be head of House Valen.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course. Or do you also think a woman doesn’t suit the role of head?”

When Fleur stared at him, daring him to disagree, he smiled kindly and shook his head.

“No, I only find you admirable.”
“…What?”
“I feared you might collapse after losing both master and mistress at once. But to see you so determined to shoulder the family’s burdens… it moves me to tears.”

James, ever the emotional one, pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes.

She understood. To Fleur, it had been a year since she arrived here—but for everyone else, only a few days since her parents’ deaths.

“James, keep that handkerchief handy. You’ll need it, because I’ll only keep doing admirable things.”
“Understood. If there’s any way I can help, I will gladly do so.”

Knock, knock.

The door opened and Dylan entered.

He was no longer in the shabby, comfortable clothes he wore for farm work. Instead, he wore a crisp white shirt, trousers, and even a vest.

Though neat, his broad shoulders and near-bursting arms could not be hidden.

She had only ever seen his illustrations half-undressed, but even buttoned up to the top, he was striking.

“As your aide, I present my greetings. From today on, I will serve you with full responsibility, Lady Fleur.”
“Dylan, dressed like this, you really shine… you’d pass any formal introduction with ease.”

She knew she shouldn’t blurt such things, but it slipped out sincerely.

While Fleur stared dazedly, Dylan, uncomfortable in the formal outfit, fidgeted with his vest.

“Ahem. More importantly, I have something to relay.”
“What is it?”
“Your fiancé, Aidan Hauser, has arrived.”