The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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No one objected to my decision to send my father away.

There was a designated place for those who were ostracized from the Taylor family, likely somewhere in the East.

The decision was made quickly, and his office was soon emptied.

That was how I ended up sitting in the office that once belonged to my father.

I had always sat across from him, listening to his instructions, but now I was the Duke, occupying his seat.

It would be a lie to say I felt nothing.

Honestly, it still felt unreal.

This was the first time I had actually attempted to become the head of the family.

Was I happy?

I wasn’t sure.

It wasn’t so much happiness as a sense of responsibility, the weight of what was to come.

I was still busy, still had people to take care of.

And, fundamentally, there was still the matter of the Crown Prince.

I had become Duke for a reason.

It was a necessary step to get closer to Kaitel.

Now that I had achieved that, it was time to proceed cautiously.

I increased Arwen’s compensation and instructed her to closely monitor Kaitel’s movements.

While it was dangerous, our goals aligned in a strange way.

We both wanted to prevent Kaitel from utilizing the Four Dragons.

The worst-case scenario was their resurrection, something Arwen desperately wanted to prevent.

I was still unsure about the Four Dragons.

While I sensed there was something about the relics, I didn’t know if they posed a real threat.

Perhaps I was worrying about something too distant.

What concerned me more than Kaitel’s plan was the masked figures and their intentions.

They were clearly Kaitel’s direct subordinates, and he knew I was aware of them.

What did his silence mean?

I should have investigated them more thoroughly when I had the chance.

If Adele hadn’t died back then, I would have continued my investigation.

So I decided to focus on them now.

I was the Duke now, and I would utilize all the authority at my disposal.

“Busy again today?”

I would have been immersed in work, had Adriana not visited me.

Her presence played a significant role in stabilizing the Taylor House.

When the Saint frequented a previously unstable house, people naturally assumed it was now safe.

Moreover, the previous Duke hadn’t had a good relationship with the church, so this change in attitude was significant.

While it was beneficial, I wasn’t sure why Adriana was visiting me so often.

… Well, perhaps I did.

There were certain animals that marked their territory with their scent, claiming ownership.

It was a way of preventing others from encroaching.

Of course, Adriana wasn’t an animal.

“You’ve been visiting quite frequently lately.”

“I was worried. The succession of the House of Taylor is a significant event.”

She was being unusually attentive, and I couldn’t deny her ulterior motives.

I smiled along with her.

I didn’t mind.

While her increasingly bold actions were causing me some concern, she still maintained a clear boundary.

Our relationship wasn’t obvious to others.

Normally, I would be grateful for the Saint’s favor, but it wasn’t just Adriana.

Recently, I had come to realize that I was in a rather ridiculous situation.

To be troubled by the affections of three women…

It was a situation I had never experienced in my past lives, and I couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

It wasn’t intentional, but I couldn’t ignore the sense of responsibility.

I was pondering this at length.

Polygamy?

It wasn’t impossible.

It was even permissible, but would I ever consider marriage?

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m afraid I’m rather busy today.”

“Busy? I heard your schedule was clear.”

I would normally chat with her when she visited, but I had something else to do today.

Adriana tilted her head, confused.

While I had many duties as Duke, this was a rather sudden addition to my schedule.

It was understandable that she wouldn’t know.

“Miragen invited me a while back. I have to visit the Imperial Palace today, so I must be on my way.”

“…Ah.”

Her voice cooled slightly, and I chuckled.

I was meeting Miragen while leaving Adriana behind.

Even I had to admit it was a rather scummy move, but what could I do?

She had scolded me a few days ago for not visiting, so I had to go.

And then, after summer, I would head North again.

“I’ll take my leave then.”

I had so much to do, so many people to meet.

It was time to get to work.

While I had frequently visited the Imperial Palace as “Young Master” Robert Taylor, moving around as Duke was more complicated.

Even if I tried to be discreet, the news would eventually spread.

What would the nobles think when they heard the Duke accepted an invitation from the Princess?

Things were different now.

When I was just a Young Master, no one paid much attention to my visits to the Imperial Palace.

But now that I was Duke, every action was scrutinized.

Many nobles were easily alarmed.

It wasn’t just the nobles.

Verod had even sent me a letter, written in his neat handwriting, after noticing my frequent meetings with Adriana.

It was a polite warning.

He congratulated me on becoming Duke, but I could easily decipher his true intentions.

He wanted me to limit my interactions with Adriana.

But it wasn’t my fault she kept visiting.

Why should I stop her?

“You’ve arrived.”

I had arrived at the palace discreetly, so Miragen wasn’t aware of my presence yet.

While everyone would eventually know, maintaining this gap was important.

How could I move freely if every action was monitored?

Once the Taylor House was stabilized, I would need to be more active, so I decided to be mindful of my movements from now on.

As I followed the soldiers through the palace, I chuckled softly, noticing how little had changed.

I was curious about Miragen’s reaction.

She was always the one waiting for me, so I thought it would be nice to switch roles today.

“Would it be alright to inform Her Highness?”

“Just relaying the message is enough. Please tell her that I’ve arrived. I’ll wait in the garden.”

The maid attending Miragen nodded hesitantly.

She seemed to be on edge, likely due to my status as the Duke of Taylor.

The heads of the Taylor House had always been notorious for their volatile tempers, so I understood her reaction.

Walking towards the garden felt awkward.

I knew the layout of the palace better than the people who worked here.

I had been here countless times.

A strange sense of nostalgia washed over me as I looked at the familiar garden.

“I’ll wait here then. Please relay Her Highness’s response.”

“Alright.”

Knowing Miragen, she would come herself.

I took a sip of the tea the maid brought me and looked out at the quiet garden.

The winter chill had vanished, and the garden was filled with the scent of spring.

New blooms were slowly unfurling, a splash of color returning to the once barren landscape.

A butterfly landed on a flower, carried by the warm breeze.

This garden held a special meaning for me.

It was the place where I confessed my feelings to Miragen for the first time.

I started to develop feelings for her after realizing that Theresa’s heart wasn’t genuine.

Wanting to escape my home, I had intentionally lived a debauched life, seducing Miragen when I first met her at the palace.

I had chosen her as a way to avoid my own death, but what started as a simple seduction had blossomed into genuine affection.

This was the place where I apologized for my past actions and confessed my true feelings.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I had visited this garden in this life.

I had always met Miragen briefly on my way back from seeing Kaitel.

We had never had a proper conversation here.

I felt a pang of guilt.

She knew I had been in the North and South, but she never complained.

-When are you coming? I know you’re the Duke now, but surely you can visit the palace, right?

When I received that message, I had told her it would be difficult for me to visit for a while.

I wanted to surprise her, to make our reunion a little more dramatic.

Whether it would go as planned, I didn’t know.

My feelings for Miragen were different from those I held for Adriana and Adele.

Perhaps it was because we had been lovers multiple times, but our memories held a special significance.

The wind reminded me of the moments we shared, and this garden brought back countless memories.

“I wonder if she’s coming now.”

Our relationship was different now, something entirely new.

But Miragen, the woman herself, hadn’t changed.

She was still foolish at times, and at other times, the most trustworthy person I knew.

My feelings for her remained unchanged, but they were a bit too much for me to handle, so I kept them hidden.

I sat and waited, and after a while, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

I watched the familiar figure rushing towards me, her unkempt hair and the precariously dangling ornament on her chest making me chuckle.

I stood up as she approached.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Um… you said it would be difficult for you to come… you’re here on palace business and decided to visit me briefly, right?”

“No.”

“Did Kaitel summon you? Is that why you have free time?”

“No.”

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“Then why…?”

Miragen stammered, her eyes wide with confusion.

I gently brushed her hair aside.

I straightened out her tangled hair and reattached the ornament on her chest, then spoke.

“I came to see you, Miragen.”

Perhaps it was time I called her by her name.

It was a rather sudden decision, but I couldn’t help but smile at her flushed cheeks.

Becoming Duke had changed my mindset.

Just as I did with Adriana and Adele, I no longer wanted to be so formal with her.

“Do you mind?”

I asked, a gentle smile playing on my lips.

Miragen shook her head slowly.

Teasing her like this occasionally wasn’t so bad.

Today… I would allow myself to relax.

It was a day to spend with Miragen.

Just the two of us, like old times.

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[Translator Notes]

[bros going for all of them goddamn]

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