The moment Lucian finished speaking, Hugo froze solid.Is this what it would feel like to have an icicle driven into your spine?His whole body stiffened, and even taking a single breath refused to obey him.
Lucian looked at the halted Hugo and gave him a cold smile.
"Why so quiet? Smile. You were laughing just fine a moment ago, weren't you?"
"On such a joyful day, acting like that feels terribly awkward. You saddled the Grand Duke's son with gambling debt—shouldn't you be thinking about how to make use of it? If it were you, I'm sure you'd already picked the perfect timing to blackmail me."
"Huff—"
He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but even that wouldn't come out.The breath he tried to exhale clogged in his throat as though something had jammed it shut.His reason screamed at him to make up an excuse, but his instincts sent the exact opposite warning.That if he misspoke—even once—he would be dragged straight to the execution grounds.
Forcing himself to ignore his instincts, Hugo barely managed to squeeze out a single word.
"Young master."
"Why?"
"I… I believe there has been a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding, you say."
Lucian let out a small snort of laughter and reclined in his chair.After pondering something for a brief moment, a cold voice flowed from his lips.
"Do you think you'll be fine once you get past this moment? Well, I suppose you would think you can escape—after all, you even prepared a secret passage."
"Honestly, I was surprised you installed a mechanical device in the armrest of the chair. It was crafted quite cleverly. Where did you even find the technician for that?"
"H–How did you know about that!"
Hugo was so shocked he thought his heart might drop out of his chest.The mechanism that opened the passage when the armrest was twisted in a specific direction—that was a secret only he knew.Not only the men in this room, but even his closest aides had never been told.So how in the world had Lucian found out?
Lucian suppressed a laugh as he watched Hugo's ghost-stricken expression.
How did I know? Because when I came to arrest you, I was the one who found it.
Two years from now, Hugo would get caught distributing narcotics.The Grand Duke flew into a rage and ordered his arrest, and Lucian stormed in with the other guards.By then, Hugo had already sensed the pursuit and slipped away through the secret route, so they gained nothing from the raid.Not knowing how he escaped, they tore this gambling den apart, searching it from top to bottom.
For three days they combed through the place, but nothing came out of it.Annoyed beyond measure, Lucian kicked the chair—and by sheer chance, the mechanism activated.
I still remember how shocked I was when the wall suddenly slid open to the sides.
After that, Lucian had been pushed around by the captain of the guard, forced to search the secret passage to the very end.Naturally, he knew exactly where it led and what was inside.
"Near the north gate wall, huh. You chose the location well. Plenty of horses being traded nearby, and lots of branching paths—lose even a day or two looking for a hidden passage and the fugitive would be long gone. Your thoroughness is admirable."
With every word Lucian spoke, Hugo felt his mind growing faint.Just how much did this young master know?
If he let Lucian keep talking, Hugo felt the man might as well start guessing what he'd eaten for lunch today—and even the color of his underwear.
It's over.
For a lord governing a region, narcotics were something that made one grit their teeth in fury.Not because they cared for the common folk, but because the losses were catastrophic.If someone became addicted, it meant a perfectly capable human turning into a useless ruin.Labor output and tax revenue plummeted, and on top of that, they stopped obeying orders properly.Driven mad by the drug, they ended up more swayed by the supplier than by the lord's commands.
Because of this, whenever a lord discovered a narcotics supplier, they executed them with every cruel method imaginable.There was even a saying that even a penniless rural lord would borrow money if necessary just to hire a torture specialist.In other words, once caught, a drug dealer didn't worry about living or dying—they prayed to be killed as quickly as possible.
And Hugo had been caught by none other than the young master standing before him.
Should I kill him?
If he killed the young master here and buried the body, maybe he could buy himself some time.A murderous glint flashed in Hugo's eyes for a moment—but within seconds, it melted into a hollow laugh.
You idiot. What the hell are you thinking?
The crime of killing the Grand Duke's child was far worse than selling narcotics.For the latter, after fleeing for ten years or so, the pursuit would eventually be abandoned.But for the former, they would chase him to the very ends of hell.
"Haaah…"
Knowing there was no escape strangely brought him peace of mind.People only agonize when they don't know which direction to run to avoid getting caught.But once you've already been caught—your guts practically skewered—what's the point in worrying anymore?
In the end, there was only one thing he could do.
Thud.
"Please spare me."
Hugo fell to his knees.When that enormous body dropped, the entire room thumped and trembled.While everyone stared in shock, Hugo lowered himself even further and slammed his head to the floor.
"If you want me to be a dog, I'll be a dog. If you order me to bark, I'll bark. If you order me to crawl, I'll crawl. So please, spare me.""P-Please spare me!""Spare us, young master!"
Perhaps realizing what was happening, the rest of his subordinates quickly followed suit, all of them dropping and slamming their heads onto the floor.
Watching the four men repeatedly pound their foreheads into the ground, Lucian snorted.
"Well, having a dog or two isn't so bad. I was short on hands to use, after all."
At those words, Hugo let out a breath of relief.Yes—so long as he lived, anything was possible.He didn't know how long he would be kept on a leash because of this incident.Would it end in a few years, or would he be crawling for more than a decade?
But as long as he stayed alive, an opportunity would come eventually.For now, even just not dying was something to be grateful for.
"Thank you, young master. I will devote my life—"
"But you know… a dog is a bit underwhelming, isn't it? You're not the type to be satisfied with just being a dog."
"…Pardon?"
"Hey, Hugo."
Lucian crouched down and whispered into Hugo's ear.
"Don't you want to try becoming a knight?"
Hugo's eyes flew wide open.Is this what it feels like when a demon whispers to you?His heart pounded like mad.Become a knight?
If I could… I'd sell even my soul.
With talent, it took just a few months of sword training to rise.But this damned bloodline of his dragged him down at every turn. Nothing ever worked out.He'd climbed high enough in the underworld to be called a boss, sure—but that was it.And Hugo knew better than anyone that the very career that made ordinary people tremble in fear earned nothing but contempt and ridicule in the light of day.
Once, he had yearned for knighthood with a desperation bordering on madness.But long ago, he buried that dream and turned his back on it.
Yet now, the young master before him dug up that buried dream and held it out to him.
"Is… is that really possible?"
Hugo asked, his voice trembling.He feared that after raising his hopes, Lucian would laugh and say, Of course not.
But instead, Lucian nodded and answered with certainty.
"It'll be difficult at first… but depending on your effort, it's possible. Though you'll have to follow two conditions."
"Please tell me the conditions."
"First—absolute loyalty to me."
Fwoom.
***
Hugo slammed his head down harder than ever before.Warm blood trickled down his forehead, but he felt no pain at all.
"If you only promise me… I will obey anything short of an order to die."
"And second—this one is the most important."
Lucian didn't so much as blink at Hugo's oath of loyalty.After all, if Hugo couldn't meet the second condition, there was no way Lucian would make him a knight—or anything else.
"Drugs. Have you ever sold them to anyone? Not now—I mean ever."
Despite the voice cold as ice, Hugo's lips curled upward.If the gods hadn't abandoned him, it was because he had already satisfied this second condition.
"This is my first time. The workshop was only just completed—I haven't even ordered the ingredients yet."
Only then did Lucian smile.Good. Hugo was still at a stage where he could be salvaged.
"From today on, I'll be serving the young master. My name is Hugo. Please take good care of me, senior."
Hans gave a stiff nod as he looked at Hugo's smiling face.He found it impossible to get used to the sight—a man with a build that looked like he could kill two or three people with ease bowing so politely.
"Young master… what happened up there?"
"I convinced them they were useful enough to work under me."
"So you're saying… you're going to use these people as servants?"
"Why not? Nothing wrong with it."
Hans's gaze shifted to Hugo and the men behind him.Five men just as intimidating as Hugo were following Lucian.Each of them had two or three scars across their faces or forearms, and even a faint murderous aura leaked from them.No matter how you looked at them, they weren't servants—they were men who had lived and bled in the underworld.
And Lucian wanted to use them as household staff?
"Um… young master. Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but men from the back alleys aren't to be trusted."
"Why not?"
"They do the math. If they think the profit doesn't add up, they flip their hand in an instant. When they're desperate, they bow to the ground—but once they get everything they want, their eyes change."
"That's true. But those guys won't ever betray me."
"Surely… you don't mean you've grabbed some kind of leverage on them?"
"That too, but more importantly—they can only keep what they want if I exist."
Why do knights devote loyalty so strong they'd give up their lives for their lord?Because the fastest way to rise in status is to serve someone above you.Power and rank must be granted by a legitimate authority for others to acknowledge it.Even if someone wields great strength, if their claim to power has weak legitimacy, they will constantly be challenged.If even nobles suffer that fate, then for a commoner—no, a back-alley gutter rat—there was no need to even say it.
Without a lord who guarantees legitimacy, no one acknowledges your position.
That's why, after Hugo falsely claimed the title of baron, he was endlessly attacked.
Though his abilities allowed him to fend off every challenger and maintain the baron title, that wasn't acceptance.It only meant others lacked the strength to topple him—no one actually recognized him as a true baron.Even after forming a faction of his own, with no knight willing to serve under him, his downfall was inevitable.
In his past life or this one, Hugo surely understood that truth well.That was why he wouldn't let go of the chance to receive a title and become a true knight.
Even if he becomes a knight, betrayal is impossible. Without me, no one will acknowledge his status.
Without Lucian's backing, it would take Hugo four generations—his son, grandson, and great-grandson—before anyone would dare call the family noble.Realistically, unless Hugo abandoned his dream entirely, he would never betray Lucian in his lifetime.As Lucian dragged Hugo and his crew along, the guards flinched.
"Young master… the men behind you are…?"
"My newly hired servants."
"Servants? With those faces?"
"What about their faces? They look fine to me."
The guards looked uncomfortable but soon stepped aside.These men didn't look like they'd ever served as household help, but since their superior personally hired them, there was nothing to be done.
Lucian passed through the open gate and entered the inner castle.The servants, startled by Lucian's return and the intimidating group following him, recoiled.
"Y-Young master… who are those people?"
"Servants."
"…Pardon?"
"I said they're the servants I just hired. Go on—introduce yourselves."
Servants? With those faces?While the other servants remained too shocked to process anything, Lucian let out a small snort and added:
"You're done introducing yourselves, right? Good. Now go fetch the head maid."
"The head maid? Why are you calling her?"
"Why do you think? The head maid needs to meet them too. Go on—bring her, quickly."
Once again, the servants only exchanged uneasy glances.Their faces clearly said they didn't want to get dragged into whatever this was.Seeing them hesitate, Lucian's smile deepened.
"This is exactly why I hired new servants. None of you ever listen to me."
"Young master, please consider our position. We don't have the strength to—"
"Hugo."
"Yes, young master."
Lucian cut the servant off mid-sentence and turned toward Hugo.
"Remember the ones who aren't obeying me right now. They're the ones you'll need to train."
"I suppose I'll be busy for a while. Even beating them without killing them takes technique—and teaching each one of them will take quite some time."
"I'll give you as much time as you need. Take it slow."
"Thank you. I'll engrave the word 'loyalty' into these wretches' skulls so deeply they won't forget it even in their dreams."
At their exchange, every servant froze in place.A chilling sense of dread crawled up their backs.