DPAA 04

chapter 04

“Your Grace, it’s terrible news!”

“…What is it?”

The duke frowned at having his pleasant time interrupted.

His face was already stern by nature, which only made the servant turn pale.

“Um, it’s just that…”

“If this isn’t important, you’ll pay dearly.”

The young servant hiccupped in fright. After fumbling for words, he screwed his eyes shut and shouted:

“M-Master Claude hasn’t returned!”

“What?!”

The first to react was Helena.

“What do you mean Claude hasn’t returned? Did the carriage we sent not come back?”

“N-no, the carriage did return.”

“Wait, Helena. Calm yourself.”

The duke restrained her outpouring of worry. With his touch, Helena seemed to settle slightly.

Then he asked again.

“The carriage came back but Claude isn’t in it—what do you mean by that?”

“Well…”

The servant swallowed hard and finally answered.

“Only Lady Kanis… returned in the carriage.”

The duke’s forehead twisted violently at the news.

“We’ve arrived, my lady.”

“Good work.”

I gave the coachman a brief thanks and opened the door.

The moment I stepped down, rows of household staff were lined up on either side.

From among them, a middle-aged man approached.

Amusingly, he looked completely uninterested in me.

“My lady, pardon me, but could you step aside so the young master may alight?”

‘Well, isn’t that something.’

I had a clear picture of how Kanis was treated in this house.

Smirking, I replied:

“Claude didn’t come with me.”

“…Pardon? What do you mean?”

“He said he was celebrating the end of term with his friends—having a wild drink or two.”

At my nonchalant words, the man’s face flushed red and pale by turns.

“The young master is no frivolous lady! He would never do such a thing! Besides, he hasn’t even had his coming-of-age yet!”

“Guess the model student wanted a taste of rebellion.”

It wasn’t even a complete lie.

In the original story, Claude always acted like the perfect son before the duke, yet behind the scenes he did all sorts of things.

There was even an episode where he picked fights with the male lead after running into him at taverns.

‘Believe it or not.’

It wasn’t anything important to me anyway.

“My lady!”

“Are you going to step aside now?”

[Intimidation (A)]

When my cold gaze swept over him, the man flinched and hurriedly moved out of the way.

‘So this was something only S-rank Hunters ever got to use.’

For daily life, nothing was more convenient than this passive ability.

Especially in enemy territory—like the duke’s household.

“Now then…”

Click, click. My heels echoed as I walked forward, eyes brushing over the hesitant staff.

As expected, they looked completely lost. They had clearly come to welcome Claude, only to find me alone instead.

“Weren’t you all here to greet someone?”

“W-we greet you, my lady!”

“We greet you, my lady!”

After one quick-witted maid spoke, a chorus of greetings followed like an echo.

The discipline that should’ve been ingrained was utterly lacking.

I chuckled at the pitiful sight.

‘No wonder they don’t understand what’s happening.’

They had ignored me for so long, and now they were shrinking before me.

They couldn’t possibly imagine that what they felt was instinctive fear—an aura that naturally leaked from a high-rank mage.

Following the path they opened, I stopped before the mansion doors and commanded:

“That’s enough. Go back to your duties.”

“Yes, my lady.”

No need to line them up outside like animals just to tame them.

‘Besides, not every servant here is my enemy.’

In the original story, there were indeed a few who were favorable to Kanis.

I couldn’t remember all their names—common ones like “Mary” or “Sarah”—but still.

‘So I’ll judge them myself.’

Pausing at the staircase, I said:

“Take my luggage to my room.”

I had no idea where Kanis’s room was. This way, I’d learn naturally.

I trailed slowly after the servants moving quickly with my things.

But before I could even step into the room, a breathless young servant rushed up.

“What is it?”

“M-my lady, His Grace the Duke commands you to come to his study at once.”

I frowned slightly.

“Father?”

“Yes. He seems… very angry.”

‘So he’s heard I returned alone.’

He’d sent a fine carriage for his son, yet only I—his eyesore daughter—rode it back. No wonder he was furious.

‘Hm.’

I turned and opened the door.

“Tell him I’ll come after changing.”

“B-but he ordered you to come immediately.”

I twisted my body, dodging the boy’s hand as he tried to grab my wrist.

‘Well, well.’

Even if it was the duke’s command, a servant laying hands on a noble lady was unthinkable.

I asked calmly:

“What’s your name?”

“M-my name, my lady?”

“Yes.”

He stammered before replying:

“Thomas, my lady.”

‘I’ll remember you—and cut you loose later.’

I probably didn’t have hiring and firing authority yet. But that was only for now.

I recalled the thoughts I hadn’t finished in the carriage.

I had three options for surviving in this world:

First, earn the duke’s favor.
Second, give up my title and leave this house.
Third, swallow this family whole.

But after some consideration, I rejected the second.

‘I can’t abandon nobility in this world.’

Here, power alone wasn’t enough—status mattered.

Back in Korea, you could win the lottery, have degrees, or climb the Hunter ranks to escape poverty. Even without those, at least you could live as a human being.

No matter how rich, murder was still punished.

But in this fantasy world?

‘A noble can kill a commoner without consequence.’

People could rant about modern society being an implicit class system all they wanted, but under the law, all humans were equal. Not here, where the law itself was hierarchical.

If I fell to commoner status and dared to harm a noble, I’d be declared a criminal nationwide.

So running away was out of the question.

“Fine, I’ll go see Father first.”

“I’ll show you the way, my lady.”

Afraid I might bolt, the servant hurried ahead, glancing nervously back at me as we walked.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

If I could win the duke to my side, I wouldn’t need to escape.

I could easily seize power within this household.

But if not—then option three was all that remained.

‘First, I’ll meet him. Then decide.’

After that, I’d lay out my future plans.

The duke, unable to contain his irritation, tapped his pen against the desk.

Beneath it were his two children’s report cards.

He set aside Claude’s paper, which showed him ranking second in his year. Though he hadn’t taken first in the magic department as usual, the current top student was the crown prince. That wasn’t a shameful loss.

At least he hadn’t been beaten by some nobody.

But Kanis’s report card?

“Ha. She’s my daughter, yet she has not one redeeming quality.”

She had barely scraped by above failing.

And therein lay the real problem.

The magic department was designed to train mages.

So for Kanis, who had no mana, no matter how hard she studied the written exams, good grades were impossible.

Besides, theory and practice were closely tied. Magical diagrams and incantations were so vague that without direct casting, they were nearly impossible to grasp.

In other words, the duke himself had caused this by forcing mana-less Kanis into the magic department.

Had she entered political studies, where non-mages usually went, at least she could have studied diligently.

But the duke had no awareness of this.

Knock, knock.

A steady knock sounded at the door.

Guessing who it was, the duke said sternly:

“Enter.”

Creak—the door opened, a glimpse of watery-colored hair showing.

Predatory golden eyes met cool blue ones. Their gazes clashed, neither kind.

‘What’s this?’

The duke frowned. Kanis didn’t bow her head the instant she saw him.

She had always been terrified to face him. Few children could stand tall before a father who hurled insults at them every time they met—especially one who held tremendous power as a duke.

So he was immediately irritated.

“How long since I called for you, and you make me wait this much? Truly, you’re nothing like your brother, slow and useless.”

As always, he began by belittling his daughter. Seeing Kanis flinch, he clicked his tongue.

“If you lack brains, at least follow orders properly. Tsk.”