Phil is a man who was rumored to be a fox in the past. He was so quick-witted and clever that he received the full trust of the previous Duke Hastings.

For Jane, who had something to hide, he was an uncomfortable person to deal with.

“It’s been a long time, Phil.”

Jane greeted him cheerfully as she entered the reception room. She pulled up the corners of her mouth until it hurt, so Phil wouldn’t notice Hastings’ misfortune.

“Ah… Lady Jane… So the rumors were true. May the goddess’s blessings be with you.”

Phil approached.

“Rumors?”

“The news of Lady Jane and young master Cain’s marriage has reached even as far as where I am.”

“Well, Hastings is quite remarkable. More importantly, Phil, shouldn’t you correct your form of address?”

“I apologize, Duchess. I was so pleased to see you that I misspoke.”

“We’re not in a position to be pleased with each other. Still, it’s good you came.”

Jane threw out a pointed remark as she offered Phil a seat. Phil sat down opposite Jane.

Unlike the uncomfortable Jane, he looked consistently at ease.

Tea was served, and for a while, only the clinking of teacups could be heard.

During this time, Jane scrutinized Phil thoroughly. She looked him up and down, from his clothes, nails, hairstyle, to his socks.

A subtle poverty seeped through the well-dressed Phil.

His checkered suit was out of fashion, the pocket watch he ostentatiously displayed was worn, and although closely trimmed, his fingernails were black underneath.

A strong oily smell came from the cheap pomade, and his socks were pilling.

It was an unimaginable appearance compared to Phil during his time as an aide to the Hastings family.

‘I heard he received a large sum when he left the Hastings household, what happened to that money for him to appear looking like a beggar?’

It would be infuriating to hear for a real beggar, but considering Phil’s perspective of having lived only in luxury, his current state was indeed quite miserable.

“Phil, you said you came to see the Duke.”

“Yes, the Duke summoned me.”

“I see. But what should we do? The Duke is busy. He’s planning to be away from Somnium House for an extended period starting tomorrow.”

“Is that so? How strange. After sending such a letter…”

The latter part was almost a murmur as Phil muttered to himself. But Jane, who was focused on him, didn’t miss it.

“Such a letter?”

Phil made a troubled expression. Jane realized it was a fabricated expression.

‘He has something he wants to say.’

Jane leisurely put down her teacup. If the other party wanted something, it was better to take a step back rather than being hasty.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been to the capital, right, Phil?”

“Ah, yes.”

Phil was taken aback, having expected Jane to ask about the contents of the letter.

“That’s good. If you don’t have any urgent business, why don’t you stay in the city until the Duke returns from his work? I’ll arrange a nice hotel for you.”

“When will he return?”

Phil looked disgruntled.

“Well, it’s his first trip abroad in a long time, so it might take a while, or if something very urgent comes up, he might return quickly.”

It was difficult to give a definite answer about the timing since she didn’t know when Cain would wake up.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been too indifferent. You said you live abroad, right? Is it a good place to live? Tell me about it, Phil.”

The corner of Phil’s mouth trembled slightly.

“Life abroad is pretty much the same as here.”

After saying that, Phil spent quite a while praising life abroad. Most of it was self-praise.

He claimed that the cost of living was cheap, so he lived more luxuriously than here, that he helped people out of goodwill and they treated him like a benefactor, and that his information reached the ears of important people, so he was invited daily to the homes of high nobles and administrators of that country.

‘He has a tendency to exaggerate.’

No matter how hard she tried to feign interest, Jane grew tired of Phil’s endless boasting.

“It must have been enjoyable. To the point where it’s a shame to spend time visiting the kingdom briefly.”

“Not at all. It’s an honor that the Duke has summoned me. Coming to the place where I worked also brings back memories of the past. Back then…”

“Did you enjoy it?”

As Hastings’ aide, Phil enjoyed power no less than Duke Hastings himself.

Since people could only meet Duke Hastings through him, those who wanted to establish connections with the Duke’s family flattered Phil and sent him all sorts of gifts.

“I did.”

“Then why did you leave?”

The wistful air that had gathered in Phil’s eyes disappeared in an instant.

“That, well, I was also shocked at the time. I never imagined that the previous Duke and Duchess Hastings would pass away so unexpectedly.”

Although she knew that her family had fallen due to the previous Duke and Duchess Hastings, Jane’s heart still ached at their untimely deaths.

“I see.”

It seemed best to wrap up the conversation at this point.

She would eventually find out why Cain had called him and what his intentions were for coming here.

“I’ve kept a tired person for too long, haven’t I? Norbert will inform you of your lodgings. I’ll let him know. If you need anything, contact me. I have a schedule to keep, so I’ll be going now.”

Jane merely nodded and left the reception room.

What on earth was his purpose for coming here?

She was curious but waited, and as always, her patience bore fruit.

The next evening, as Jane was coming out of Cain’s room, Norbert approached her.

“Phil says he has an urgent matter to discuss.”

* * *

Phil Obang, he is an oddball from a commoner background who graduated from the academy.

Even now, with the commoner scholarship system in place, the graduation rate for commoners at the academy is less than 1 percent.

The reason he was able to graduate from the academy in the past, when even that didn’t exist, was thanks to the previous Duke Hastings.

Phil, a genius who caught the eye of the previous Duke Hastings during a chance visit to the academy. The Duke sponsored Phil.

Naturally, as soon as he graduated, he became the aide to the previous Duke Hastings.

Phil would do anything for the Hastings family. Thanks to his initiative in finding work to do even without being told, the Hastings Duke’s family prospered day by day.

He also gained the trust and wealth of the previous Duke.

But the inferiority complex in his heart did not disappear.

Even though nobles flattered him and brought him all sorts of gifts, in the end, it was he who had to bow his head.

Phil couldn’t stand it. Then he learned about the Rose Faction.

At first, he criticized the Rose Faction. He said they were trying to freeload off the good system and wealth that the nobles had created without making any effort themselves.

But his thoughts changed. If the problem was stupidity, couldn’t he, being smart, stand above them?

But Phil had no intention of taking risks.

So he naturally leaked information about the Rose Faction to the previous Duke Hastings.

Having grown up sheltered and only righteous, they were captivated by the ideology of the Rose Faction, and even went so far as to sponsor them.

The previous Duke and Duchess Hastings were quite infatuated with the Rose Faction and even drew in the Whitneys, which wasn’t part of his plan.

And seven years ago, a decisive event occurred.

The incident of providing massive war funds to the Rose Faction.

It was Phil’s unilateral decision. Of course, the money came from the Hastings family’s pockets.

“You, didn’t I tell you to stay out of the Rose Faction business!”

The previous Duke Hastings was furiously angry.

“It has already been delivered in your name, Your Grace. We can’t take it back now. Given how things have turned out, all we can do is hope for success.”

“I didn’t know you were this reckless. You’re fired.”

“You’re going to fire me? Then it’s over for you too, Your Grace.”

The countless things Phil had done in the name of Duke Hastings were by no means clean.

When he presented those records, the faces of the Duke and Duchess Hastings turned pale.

“You, what have you been doing?”

“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had just stayed quiet with your innocent face? My lord, haven’t you been living in luxury thanks to me all this time? So from now on, just pretend you don’t know anything and stay quiet. Then this incident will also pass quietly.”

But unfortunately, the Rose Faction was defeated and defeated again by the Queen’s army.

“What are you going to do now! Her Majesty is searching frantically for those who aided the Rose Faction.”

At the time, Phil was very flustered. But as always, he quickly found an answer and presented it.

“I have a way. But if I resolve this issue for you, from then on, you must follow my words, my lord.”

In a situation where the Hastings family could potentially fall, the previous Duke Hastings joined hands with Phil, and the person who provided war funds to the Rose Faction became Count Whitney.

“This is not what I wanted. We should correct this even now!”

The previous Duke Hastings pretended to be righteous until the end, but that was all. He was troubled but did not reveal the truth.

The reason the previous Duke Hastings could be a righteous person was because he was a powerful and rich man, and he had only experienced situations where he wouldn’t get hurt.

In a situation where he clearly recognized the harm that would come to him, he was more cowardly than anyone else.

Thus, the Whitney family fell, and on Phil’s advice, the previous Duke and Duchess Hastings cast out Jane.

As a result, Cain became a dog beating down the Rose Faction, and Phil completely seized power in the Hastings family.

Phil was continuing to live a satisfying life like that.

“I can’t live like this anymore. I will reveal the truth even now.”

The Duke, who had been gradually building up dissatisfaction with Phil, started spouting nonsense as if it was time for him to die.

“My lord, you will lose everything.”

“The sins I have committed against Her Majesty have all been atoned for by my son. If it comes to this, Her Majesty might question my crimes, but she won’t go so far as to kill my son.”

What the previous Duke Hastings wanted to protect until the end was the young duke, Cain.

He had endured Phil’s atrocities only waiting for Cain to gain Helena’s full trust.

What would happen if everything was revealed?

Phil looked down at his hands.

‘I would be left empty-handed.’

He didn’t want to go back to the past. He couldn’t let his efforts go to waste.

That’s why.

Phil instigated the deaths of the previous Duke and Duchess Hastings.