MLHBMH 04

Chapter 4

Benjamin’s Viscounty. A name Harold had never heard before.

Though he hadn’t been active in society for quite some time, Harold was the second son of the illustrious Duke Maximilian—known as the Sword of the Empire. There wasn’t a noble family in the Empire who didn’t know of the Maximilians, so the fact that even he had never heard of the Benjamins could only mean one thing: they were an insignificant, low-ranking house.

And yet, Darius was investigating them. That alone was odd.

“Have you looked into the Benjamin family?”

“Of course I have.”

Austin lounged lazily on the sofa, one arm draped over the backrest and the other raised casually.

“I looked into the current viscount and even the late one, but there’s nothing. No matter how deep I dig, I can’t figure out why Darius is so interested in the Benjamin family.”

Harold sat across from him and asked, “You sure it’s not that you just couldn’t find anything?”

“Well, that’s possible. I’m not exactly a specialist in that area.”

Austin replied smoothly, then leaned forward toward Harold.

“So that’s why I’m asking you to look into it.”

“Why should I?”

“Because there’s no one better suited to the job than you.”

Instead of answering, Harold opened a cigar case and took one between his lips.

As he went to light it, Austin, now seated beside him, struck a match and offered the flame himself.

“If you can figure out what Darius is scheming,” Austin said lightly, “I’ll persuade Duke Maximilian to let you live freely—just like you do now.”

“……”

Harold didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes had changed. Austin could see the flicker of interest there and smiled in satisfaction.

“Four years ago, you were only able to go to Cardin because of me. I convinced His Grace to allow it. You went, earned your achievements, and came back a hero.”

Harold silently took a deep drag of his cigar.

“You might’ve gotten shackled by that very success…” Austin’s tone softened. “But I can help you again this time.”

He continued, “So help me. Use your skills to find out what Darius is up to. I’ll handle everything else.”

Harold exhaled a long stream of smoke into the air, then pressed the half-burned cigar into the ashtray.

“Fine,” he said at last. “Keep your promise.”

Lily had locked herself in her bedroom all morning, afraid of running into Brian again.

It wasn’t until the afternoon, when the sun was high, that she cautiously stepped out.

Thankfully, she managed to leave the mansion without seeing him. Her destination was a large bookstore in the town square.

Perhaps because her father had once worked as a royal scribe, Lily had always been fascinated by languages. From a young age, she studied not just the imperial tongue but several foreign ones as well.

Now, she put that talent to use translating original foreign works.

“Thank you for your hard work, madam,” the shopkeeper said politely.

Few people possessed the linguistic and comprehension skills necessary to translate original texts, so the pay was decent—but still nowhere near enough to cover her mother’s hospital bills.

Of course, Frederick had promised to handle those expenses in exchange for taking over the viscountcy, so she didn’t have to work.

But Lily couldn’t stand the thought of living entirely on his charity. What began as a way to ease her conscience only made her feel worse the longer she did it.

So this is how hard it is to earn money…

She sighed quietly and tucked her small purse into her inner pocket. It wasn’t enough for hospital bills, but it would buy her mother’s favorite fruit—and that thought gave her a little comfort.

“Do you have any more work for me to translate?”

“Not today.”

“Then I’ll come back tomorrow. If anything new comes in, please save it for me.”

After making her request, Lily turned—and her eyes fell on the stack of newspapers near the counter.

[Harold Maximilian, the Duke’s Second Son, Returns After Exterminating the Savage Salaman Tribe!]

[The Triumphant Return of Harold Maximilian—The Emperor Praises His Achievements!]

[Will Harold Maximilian Become His Father’s Successor, Overtaking His Older Brother Hamilton?]

[Harold Maximilian: The Empire’s Most Eligible Bachelor.]

Every paper was plastered with headlines about the Duke’s second son.

No wonder the streets had seemed livelier than usual.

It made sense—after all, the Salaman tribe were vicious barbarians who had terrorized border villages and plundered trade goods for years.

The Empire had never managed to eliminate them before—partly because they were swift as rats, and partly because their mountain strongholds were nearly impossible to breach.

But to have annihilated them completely… Lily didn’t know who this Harold Maximilian was, but she thought he must be an extraordinary man.

Still, that was the end of her interest.

She had neither the time nor the luxury to care about a man she’d likely never meet in her lifetime. Her thoughts were filled only with one thing—her ailing mother.

Please, let her get better soon. Let her recognize me today.

Clutching that desperate hope, Lily left the bookstore—

—and frowned.

The carriage that was supposed to be waiting outside was nowhere to be seen.

She looked around. Maybe it had been moved to avoid blocking the street? But no matter where she searched, it was gone.

Don’t tell me… they left me here?

“Excuse me,” she asked a nearby street vendor, “do you know where the navy-blue carriage that was parked here went?”

The man nodded. “Ah, that one? It left a little while ago.”

“Left?”

“Yes, in quite a hurry.”

Before stepping out of the carriage earlier, Lily had told the coachman to wait for her.

And yet he’d driven off without a word.

A bitter laugh escaped her. There was no way the coachman had done it on his own. This had Brian written all over it.

Samantha might insult her to her face, but she wasn’t the type to play petty tricks. No, this was definitely Brian’s doing.

“So childish,” Lily muttered under her breath.

He wasn’t just immature in mind—he acted like a spoiled boy, too.

Unsure what else to do, she let out a long sigh and started walking toward the far end of the square.

As soon as Austin left, Harold sent an order to the Information Guild to investigate the Benjamin family.

He already had Austin’s report, but he wanted to make sure nothing had been overlooked.

Difficult commissions usually cost a fortune and took weeks to complete. But this one—information on the Benjamins—cost only one gold coin and was ready in two hours.

That alone showed how insignificant they were. So why was Darius so interested in them?

Growing more curious, Harold settled into a café near the guild and spread out the documents he’d received.

His adjutant, Dillon, who had insisted on accompanying him, looked uneasy.

“Sir, won’t the Second Prince’s faction notice that you’re using the Information Guild?”

Harold chuckled. “If they do, that’s even better.”

“Better? How so?”

“If the Second Prince finds out I’m snooping around, he’ll panic and move faster. And when people rush… they make mistakes. Mistakes I can use.”

“Ah, I see.” Dillon nodded, understanding dawning on his face.

Harold returned to reading. But no matter how closely he examined the files, they contained nothing unusual—except for a fire that had occurred two years ago.

Two years ago, a massive blaze consumed the Benjamin estate. The viscount and most of the household perished. The only survivor, Lady Benjamin, suffered severe burns and mental trauma, and was still undergoing treatment.

Did the Second Prince cause that fire?

Impossible. He had no reason to kill Viscount Benjamin—and if he had wanted him dead, he would’ve used an assassin, not fire. Arson drew too much attention.

Besides, the case had been ruled an accident. There was no reason to dig it up again.

Unless… he suddenly remembered something that could serve as a clue?

Even if so, any evidence would’ve long since burned away. The only witness, Lady Benjamin, had lost her mind and couldn’t testify coherently.

When the investigator had asked if she’d seen anything, all she’d done was ramble nonsense.

So the fire isn’t connected, Harold thought. Then what is? Why would Darius bother with a family like this?

As he flipped through the pages again, his eyes landed on a portrait—of the late viscount’s daughter and current Lady Benjamin, Liliana Benjamin.

“This is the current viscountess, right? She’s beautiful,” Dillon said.

“Is she?” Harold’s tone was indifferent. Objectively, she was pretty—but he’d met plenty of women far more striking.

What caught his attention instead were the cruel nicknames the socialites had given her:

Leech clinging to a gigolo.
A wife worse than a mistress.
The lady of a kept man.

Because her husband, Viscount Benjamin, was infamous for using women to advance his status, those slurs had attached themselves to her as well.

Well, they weren’t entirely wrong. She had married Frederick Benjamin for money.

Her mother’s medical bills were a tragic reason, yes—but Harold felt no sympathy. Nor did he condemn her.

He simply didn’t care.

If Austin hadn’t brought her up, he wouldn’t even have known such a family existed—and whether they thrived or perished had nothing to do with him.