New Plans and the Brewing Darkness

Rhun Campbell.

The current head of the Campbell family, one of the four great ducal houses of the empire.

And a Crowned-rank powerhouse, who had earned the title of the “Lion King.”

Who could possibly be a better teacher than a man like that? A man who was right here, experienced, incredibly powerful, and who would selflessly impart all his knowledge without asking for anything in return? A man who was his own father?

Absolutely no one!

“Ewan Campbell, oh, Ewan Campbell, you truly deserved your miserable end,” Ewan chided his past self with a grin. “To be sitting on a literal mountain of treasure and not even know it.”

He gazed happily at the name on the paper, once again feeling that his future was a blindingly bright, shining beacon of hope. With his dear father, a top-tier powerhouse, as his personal instructor, and the black book for unlimited, consequence-free practice, wouldn’t his strength soar to the heavens?

“And now,” he said, picking up his quill again, “for the second, equally important point.”

Objective 2: Safety.

Compared to a good teacher, safety was actually the top priority, as it concerned his very life. The only reason he had placed it second was because he had just had a sudden, glorious epiphany: this problem wasn’t nearly as urgent as he had thought.

Why?

“Because of my dear father, of course!”

All this time, Ewan had been stuck in a mental blind spot, thinking that his safety depended entirely on his own strength. That’s why he had been so desperate to get stronger. But after remembering his father’s reassuringly overpowered title, he realized…

Why was he in such a hurry? His father was so ridiculously, absurdly strong! As long as he obediently hid behind that massive, lion-like shield, who in the world could possibly hurt him? The assassination attempt on Celicia had indeed almost cost him his life. But because of that very incident, the ducal estate was now so heavily guarded that not even a magically-enhanced mosquito could fly in!

Hmph, want to give me the death of a thousand cuts? My father will break all your knives before you even get close!

“I’ve decided!” he declared to the empty room. “From this day forward, I am officially a shut-in!”

The more Ewan thought about it, the more excited he became. He felt like a down-on-his-luck loser, cornered by crippling debt, who suddenly discovers that his long-dead father has secretly left him five luxury apartments in the heart of the imperial capital. Life, he mused with a giddy laugh, was full of wonderful surprises.

“Mm, with these two basic principles, this plan is absolutely foolproof.”

Ewan looked at the new master plan he had drafted and nodded in deep satisfaction.

→ Become a professional shut-in. (School? What school? Does school have an army of cute maids at my beck and call? I think not.)

→ Learn martial arts from Father.

→ Train, and then hone my skills to perfection with the black book.

→ Do not emerge from my cocoon until I have reached at least the fifth rank and can stun everyone with my sheer, unadulterated brilliance!

“With this plan, no matter how cruel and unpredictable fate may be, I will answer it with the single, sacred word: ‘hide’!”

“Hmph, hahaha! I can’t wait to see the look on the protagonist’s face in a few years when she finally tracks me down, only to discover that I am no longer the useless blond weakling she can push around!”

…

Just as Ewan was getting lost in his own perfect, foolproof plan, he heard Anne’s voice from outside the door.

“Young Master, are you awake?”

“Hm? Ah, yes, I’m awake. Is something the matter?”

“The Master is looking for you.”

“Hm? Father is looking for me at this hour?” Ewan glanced at the clock. It was just past dawn; he hadn’t even had breakfast yet. “Why would he want to see me so early? Is it something important?”

“Whatever. Even if it is, it’s probably not a big deal. It must still be about the assassination attempt on Celicia.”

Not thinking much of it, Ewan called out a response to Anne, then quickly washed up and left his room.

Anne was already waiting outside for him.

“Let’s go.”

“Mm.”

After greeting her, Ewan started walking toward the study from memory. His father usually spent his mornings there, reading the empire’s latest news.

But this time, Anne suddenly stopped him. “Young Master, the Master is not in the study.”

“Oh? Then where is he?”

“At the main gate of the estate.”

“The main gate? What’s he doing there this early in the morning?”

Ewan was baffled, but he followed Anne toward the main gate nonetheless.

“Good morning, Young Master. Good morning, Head Maid.”

Along the way, maids would respectfully bow to them. Ewan would nod in response, but he quickly sensed something was off.

“Head Maid?” He looked at Anne in surprise. “Are they talking to you?”

“Yes, Young Master.” Anne curtsied gracefully. “A short while ago, I was appointed by the Master to be the new Head Maid.”

“The new Head Maid… what happened to the old one?”

“She has resigned to take responsibility for the incident.”

“I see.”

Ewan understood immediately. The staffing for the banquet had been her responsibility. After what had happened, she naturally couldn’t escape accountability.

“I’m so sorry. It was because of my order.”

“You need not blame yourself, Young Master. It was not your fault,” Anne comforted him softly. “And even without this, the former Head Maid was getting on in years and had already planned to retire in two years. This merely allowed her to begin her rest a little earlier.”

“Father must be very sad.”

Ewan sighed. Just as Anne was his personal maid, the previous Head Maid had been his father’s. And unlike Anne, who was about his age, the former Head Maid was more than ten years older than his father. For a man who had lost his own parents at a young age, she had been like a mother to him. He must have been very reluctant to let her go.

“But still, congratulations on the promotion, Anne,” Ewan said with a genuine smile.

“There is nothing to congratulate.” Anne seemed remarkably modest, not nearly as happy as he would have imagined. “Being the Head Maid is far too busy. I have much less time to spend by your side, Young Master.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? We’re not children anymore. We all have to grow up and stand on our own two feet.”

“Grow up… on our own?”

Anne suddenly lowered her head, her expression hidden from his view. For some reason, Ewan thought her tone sounded a little… cold. But he quickly dismissed it.

“Does the Young Master mean to say that we will one day be separated?”

“Well, of course.” Ewan turned, clasping his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds outside the window. It was a beautiful day. “We all have to live our own lives. You shouldn’t be bound by your identity as a maid, Anne.”

As a good young man enlightened by the noble principles of socialism, Ewan believed that “maid” was just a job title. Anne shouldn’t have to call him “master,” nor should she tie her entire fate to a disposable blond villain like him, who could kick the bucket at any moment. He didn’t want her to end up like her counterpart in the novel, who was unceremoniously hanged.

“So, Anne,” Ewan turned back to her, his standard-issue charming smile, combined with the handsome features he had inherited from his mother, shining as brightly as the morning sun. “If you ever find someone you love, just tell me. I’ll let you go.”

“Go bravely and pursue your own happiness. That’s what I truly want for you, and it’s my way of thanking you for all your help.”

…

“Separated?”

Gazing at Ewan’s retreating back, a deep, chilling, and possessive darkness swirled in Anne’s eyes.

“How could you say such a thing, Young Master?”

“We can’t be separated.”

“We can’t, we can’t, we can’t…”

“Never.”

Anne bit her fingernails, a terrifying, predatory grin spreading slowly across her lips.

“We will be… together forever, won’t we, my dear Young Master?”