Butler Geraldine walked along the western corridor of the estate, his gaze focused straight ahead.
He had just finished inspecting the lower halls and had personally overseen the preparation of the Duke's apartments—tomorrow, the master of the house was returning from a business trip, and everything had to be impeccable.
The rooms were cleaned to the last speck of dust, and the menu for the welcoming dinner had already been finalized with the chef. Geraldine knew that the head of the Carter family especially valued order in his home, and for that reason, he couldn't allow the estate to be anything less than fully prepared for his arrival.
The butler walked slowly, hands clasped behind his back, visually checking whether other parts of the house required additional cleaning. Geraldine was one of those people who noticed every little detail, which made him a valuable employee the Duke had relied on for many years.
But as he turned another corner in the corridor, something made him stop. A strange atmosphere made the butler feel slightly uneasy. And, as expected, his long-honed instinct did not fail him.
"Geraldine," a voice suddenly called from behind.
The old man turned.
Two figures had appeared unexpectedly behind him. The butler squinted, surprised to see the Duke's younger son in this part of the estate—after all, only servants usually passed through the western wing.
So what was someone of his standing doing here? Still, without betraying his slight unease, the butler only nodded politely.
"My lord," Geraldine said with a respectful nod. "How may I assist you?"
"Geraldine, would you step aside with me for a moment?"
On Livius Carter's face—the Duke's younger son—was a tense smile that the old man found a bit strange. Still, as he had no right to refuse the young master, he said nothing.
Besides, Livius hadn't really asked. He had already turned and started walking, expecting the butler to follow. Geraldine gave a brief glance at Morris, the young master's servant, who had recently been following him everywhere. That servant was also acting a bit strange and didn't move, as if waiting for the butler to go first. In the end, the old man simply sighed and followed.
They turned into a side corridor and soon found themselves in a small room that hadn't been used in a long time. It had served as a sort of storage space, and Geraldine couldn't help but wonder why the young master had brought him here of all places.
Meanwhile, Morris closed the door behind them and turned the key. Geraldine's confusion only deepened.
The butler said nothing, but the alertness in his eyes made it clear that he was uneasy about the situation.
"My lord, what exactly did you want to speak to me about?" he asked quietly.
"I won't beat around the bush or sugarcoat it. Considering the nature of this conversation, that would be pointless."
"My lord, what are you talking about...?"
"I'll be direct: I need the code to my father's safe in his study."
The silence that followed was deafening. Livius patiently waited for the butler to process what he had just heard.
"Excuse me?" Geraldine's voice was calm—on the surface.
"Geraldine, there's no need to pretend with me. I know you're my father's most trusted man and have served him for many years. So I'm quite certain you know this information as well."
The old man's steely blue-gray eyes wavered slightly. Still, he tried to maintain composure and regain control of the situation.
Clearly, if the Duke's younger son knew about the existence of the hidden safe, there was no point in denying it. So the butler decided to take a different approach.
"My lord, forgive me, but I swore to His Grace that I would never betray his trust," the butler replied. "This is not information I have the right to share."
Livius sighed and looked at the old man carefully.
"I knew you'd say exactly that. That's why I came prepared before starting this conversation."
"......."
".....By the way, I heard your son recently had a second child. Congratulations on the news."
For the first time, Geraldine's expression truly faltered. And Livius noticed. Without hesitation, he continued:
"Your son's name is Aslan, isn't it? Not long ago, he and his family moved to Redhall. From what I've heard, it's a quiet place on the southern outskirts—perfect for peaceful family life. Seems like your only son is doing quite well."
The butler, who until now had seemed unshakable, could no longer hide his emotions when the young master brought that up. How did the Duke's younger son know this? He must have looked into his family on purpose.
"My lord... Is that a threat?" Geraldine asked quietly, his voice tight.
"No," Livius replied calmly. "It's a warning. I have no wish to harm your family. They've done nothing to deserve that. I only need the information I know you have. If you agree to cooperate willingly, nothing will happen to them."
At that moment, Geraldine looked away. He felt his heart clench. Of course, he didn't want to betray the Duke, the man he had served most of his life. And if he had any choice, he would have refused this offer without hesitation. But... when it came to his family, Geraldine could no longer remain impartial.
The old man loved his family deeply and didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Besides... If he were being honest, the Duke's younger son truly concerned him right now. The coldness of his blue eyes and his unshakable resolve were exactly like his father's. Because of that, the butler felt as though he were standing before the Duke Carter himself.
He had never felt this way looking at the Duke's heir, Michel. But this young man... genuinely frightened him. It was clear Livius Carter's threats were far from empty words.
With that, the butler took a deep breath before speaking:
"May I ask what you intend to do with this information?" he asked quietly.
"Don't worry. I certainly don't plan to use it to harm the Carter family. That's all you need to know."
At last, the butler gave in completely—it was written all over his face. Livius patiently waited for him to speak again.
"Twelve, thirty-four, eighteen, nine," he said, voice strained, as if each word hurt him.
Livius froze for a moment, then gave a short nod to Morris. The servant immediately left the room. Before leaving, Livius lingered in the doorway.
"You've made the right decision," he said. "But know this—if it turns out to be a lie, I'm sure you can imagine the consequences."
The young master disappeared through the doorway, and the lock clicked behind him. Butler Geraldine was left alone. The room seemed suffocatingly empty. He sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't shake the overwhelming guilt he felt toward his master.
A little later, in the Duke's study, Livius stood before the massive safe built into the wall behind the bookshelf. Morris waited outside, guarding the door.
Livius crouched down and reached for the circular lock. His fingers trembled slightly as they touched the cold metal. He took a breath.
"Twelve," he murmured, turning the dial counterclockwise.
"Thirty-four..." another turn, this time in the opposite direction.
"Eighteen..."
"And nine..."
To be honest, when the Duke's second son first heard the code from the butler, he had been a little puzzled. Why had his father chosen that particular sequence of numbers as the code? The young man couldn't recall any dates or meanings that matched. So Livius truly didn't know the reason. But... did it really matter now?
With the last number, the lock clicked. A dull, heavy sound.
Livius closed his eyes for a moment in relief. Then he slowly grabbed the large handle and pulled.
The safe opened.
"Looks like the butler wasn't lying," he thought with a smirk, gazing at the contents.
Inside were several neatly arranged boxes of documents. Livius resisted the impulse to dig through them chaotically, careful not to make a mess, and began going through the folders one by one.
He pulled one out and skimmed it—financial reports, diplomatic letters, a list of labor contracts. But none of it was what he was looking for.
Finally, something caught his attention, tucked discreetly at the back of the safe. It was a dark leather tube, like a case for old maps.
Livius undid the leather strap and carefully removed the rolled-up parchment. It felt like old paper—thick, with the faint texture of handmade parchment. He unrolled it on the Duke's desk, smoothing the edges with his hand.
At the center was a graceful circular drawing divided into twelve sections. Livius hadn't been mistaken. This was definitely an astrological natal chart.
Name: Michel Eben Carter
Date of Birth: November 14, 1789
Place of Birth: Carter Estate, Capital of the Nadal Empire
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Ascendant: Leo
Birth Star: Remesis