I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

The ducal estate had become lively again.

For a long time, it had been quiet—both the duke and duchess had gone south for recuperation, and their son, the young duke, had been living in the military. With no master present, the estate had remained eerily still.

But things had changed.

Now that Theo had returned with a guest, Gwen and the other servants were kept busy. Yet, despite the increase in workload, there was an unmistakable energy in the air.

"Did you see them earlier? The two of them having breakfast in the dining room?"

"I passed by and nearly fainted. How can two people look that good together?"

Two maids, pretending to work, had started gossiping.

The topic of discussion, of course, was none other than Theo and Luke.

Theo had always been highly respected among the staff—not just for his striking appearance but also for the way he took care of those beneath him. However, ever since he brought Luke home, the servants' attention had shifted entirely to the two of them.

"What do you think their relationship is?"

"Huh? Just colleagues, right? That’s what the butler said."

"You really don’t get it."

One of the maids playfully smacked her coworker’s shoulder.

"Think about it—do you really think our young lord, with his personality, would bring just any colleague into this estate? This isn’t just any house—it’s the Redrick Duchy."

"I-I guess you have a point…"

"And look at the orders he’s been giving through Gwen lately. He specifically told them to make sure Luke wakes up properly in the morning. And the meals? The young lord doesn’t even like sweet things, yet he changed the entire menu because Luke likes them."

At that, the other maid, who had been confused at first, clapped her hands together in realization.

"We’re talking about the young lord! The same person who never even blinked at all those noblewomen throwing themselves at him! And yet, now he’s going out of his way to take care of someone like this? That’s not something you do for just a colleague."

Theo, as the heir of House Redrick, had always been the center of noble society’s attention.

Even from a young age, countless noble families had tried to tie their daughters to him. They all wanted a connection to the famous ducal house.

After all, Theo wasn’t just from an influential lineage—he was a remarkable talent, both in leadership and combat, and his face was nothing short of stunning.

But he had rejected every single offer, always having his father turn them away on his behalf.

The duke and duchess themselves had never been particularly interested in securing a political marriage for their son. Power-hungry nobles usually sought advantageous unions to solidify their influence, but the House of Redrick had never needed such tactics. Their authority was already unshakable.

So when Theo had chosen to enroll in the military academy instead of entertaining noblewomen, there had been rumors that the social scene had been flooded with broken hearts.