I Became the Master of the Villain

“I swear on my life that nothing happened.”
Kian’s eyes and voice were more serious than ever.

The Duke of Ashford quietly observed him.
He was a man who had risen to head of his household at a young age and experienced every trial life could throw at him. Because of that, he was an expert at reading people—knowing whether they were telling the truth or hiding something.
People concealing something always had trembling eyes. But Kian looked straight at him with unwavering sincerity.

‘…Doesn’t seem like he’s lying.’
Faced with Kian’s unclouded gaze, the Duke let go of his suspicion.
“Thank you for telling me nothing happened. I may have spoken out of fatherly concern, but if it came across as offensive, I apologize.”

“Not at all. Your concerns were entirely understandable, and I take no offense.”
The Duke let out a hearty laugh.
Seeing the tension in the air ease, Kian felt a bit relieved.

‘I’m glad he believed me.’
However, there was one thing Kian didn’t know—
The Duke of Ashford’s Prospective Son-in-Law Test had just begun.

Contrary to Kian’s concerns, the atmosphere over lunch wasn’t bad. However, since they hadn’t had much prior interaction, they didn’t have many shared topics. Naturally, the conversation turned to Olivia.
“I respect Lady Olivia greatly. From acquiring the orphanage to everything else—she never turns a blind eye to the struggles of the weak.”
“She’s merely done what any noble enjoying privilege ought to do.”

Though the Duke replied gruffly, his lips twitched upward.
Trying to suppress how pleased he was at his daughter’s praise, the Duke returned to his usual calm demeanor and said,
“But that’s not all, is it?”

“Pardon?”
“I meant, keep going.”
A faint trace of expectation glimmered in the Duke’s gray-blue eyes.
‘Was he always like this?’

The Duke was not especially close with Olivia. So seeing him so visibly pleased by compliments about her was unexpected.
In any case, there was no need to overthink. This was a golden opportunity—a chance to grow closer to Olivia’s father.
Kian spoke candidly about what he truly thought of Olivia.

“She’s someone who never hesitates once she’s made up her mind. That kind of decisiveness is very attractive.”
“You do have an eye for things. That child is remarkably resolute. She’s more than qualified to succeed me as Duke.”
“And she’s beautiful too. A face one never grows tired of, no matter how often you see it.”

“Ahem. My daughter is quite the beauty, I admit.”
The Duke nodded in satisfaction.
As the two continued their pleasant chat about the one person not present—Olivia—a soft knock came at the door.

“Pardon the intrusion.”
Soon, waiters entered with a serving cart.
They cleared away the empty plates and placed the main courses on the table. Elegant dishes of steak—one made with salmon, the other with veal tenderloin—were set down.

The Duke asked,
“Do you know what kind of food my daughter prefers?”
For Kian, that was an easy question.

“She enjoys seafood, but she prefers meat.”
“And conversely—what food does she dislike?”
“She doesn’t care for cooked carrots. She finds the mushy texture unpleasant.”

Kian answered correctly, one after another. The Duke was quietly impressed.
‘Better than he looks.’
As someone who had never remarried after losing his wife, the Duke knew full well: 

Loving someone means knowing their tastes.
But surprisingly, none of the men he’d tested before had ever gotten this question right.
‘I suppose he meets the bare minimum. Still, I’m not ready to pass him yet.’

Kian’s devastatingly handsome face.
With looks like that, women would inevitably flock to him. That in itself wasn’t a problem—unless he lacked the self-restraint to turn them away. In that case, Olivia would undoubtedly suffer.
After the meal, the two men exited the restaurant.

The warm afternoon sun shimmered above them.
“It’s a lovely day. Shall we take a walk?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”

At the Duke’s suggestion, they strolled through a park in the city.
The park was bustling with people enjoying a leisurely midday break.
As they walked, the Duke casually scanned his surroundings. He soon spotted a group of young noblewomen having a picnic.

He pointed to a nearby bench.
“Would you mind if we rest there a moment? My legs are getting tired.”
But the real reason he chose that bench was a particular woman—

Lady Charlotte.
Famous throughout the Empire for her stunning looks.
She had no shortage of admirers, regardless of their social standing. Her nickname? “The Goddess of Beauty.”

That bench offered the perfect view of Lady Charlotte.
As the two men sat down, the voices of nearby young men could be heard.
“Lady Charlotte just keeps getting more and more radiant.”

“Hey, does your wife know? That you come here every day just to gawk at Lady Charlotte?”
“Ahem, please don’t tell her. I can’t help it—it’s a man’s instinct to be drawn to beautiful women.”
The Duke clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

‘A womanizer is one of the most troublesome kinds of men.’
If Kian were to lose his mind over Charlotte’s beauty, he’d be no better than those worthless men.
Resolving this silently, the Duke glanced sideways to track Kian’s line of sight.

‘No way…’
What he saw made him sigh in amazement.
Kian’s eyes were fixed on a flock of ducks drifting lazily across the pond. He hadn’t even glanced at Lady Charlotte.

‘He’s treating a great beauty like a roadside pebble…’
The Duke was secretly impressed.
Being attracted to beauty is human nature. But how many people use that as an excuse to cheat or upset their partners?

‘He passed the second stage too… Not bad.’
But it wasn’t over yet. There was still one final test.
Could he pass that as well?

The Duke stood up, as if the walk had refreshed him enough.
“Sir Kian. If you’re not busy, there’s somewhere I’d like to go together.”
Kian smiled brightly and replied,

“My entire day is set aside for Your Grace. Please lead the way.”
His words were as pleasant as his disarming smile.
“Ahem…”

The Duke barely managed to reset his feelings to neutral.
Where he led Kian next was a men’s tailor shop. That was where he planned to conduct the final test.
“I felt like doing some shopping today. Would you accompany me?”

“Of course, Your Grace.”
The two of them began to browse the displays filled with fine garments.
As the Duke examined clothes, he casually extended the offer to Kian as well.

“Sir Kian, if you see anything you like, feel free to choose something.”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
“Don’t be shy—choose what you like. Don’t worry about the cost.”

As the heir to the richest noble house in the Empire, Olivia had attracted more than her fair share of greedy men.
Men who claimed to love her… only to reveal they were after the Ashford fortune.
— “Olivia. If we get married, does that mean I get half your assets?”

— “I need some business capital. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
Even when he wasn’t close with his daughter, the Duke used his butler to investigate every man she dated.
He couldn’t forgive men who saw his daughter as a walking wallet.

If Kian turned out to be one of those gold-digging scoundrels—he’d immediately strike him from the candidate list.
‘Sir Kian. Please don’t disappoint me.’
While hiding his thoughts, the Duke waited for Kian’s response.

After a moment’s consideration, Kian finally spoke.
“Then… would it be alright if I bought something elsewhere instead?”
The Duke frowned inwardly.

So he had caved to money in the end, unable to resist temptation…
Suppressing his disappointment, he followed Kian out of the men’s shop.
They headed next door.

“Isn’t this a women’s boutique?”
“Yes. I’d like to buy Lady Olivia a gift.”
“…If that’s your intention, I’ll respect it.”

“Then, please allow me to pay for everything myself.”
At that, the Duke blinked in surprise.
Kian smiled gently and called over a shop assistant.

Then he gestured from one end of the display to the other.
“From here… to there. Please ring it all up.”
More shocked than the staff themselves was the Duke of Ashford.

He couldn’t help but ask,
“You’re buying all this?”
“I was taught by your daughter that this is how gifts are done… was she wrong?”

“What…?”
What exactly had Olivia taught him to make him spend like this?!
While the Duke was still at a loss, Kian smiled softly and said,

“It feels like I haven’t spent enough. Perhaps I should just buy the entire boutique for her. What do you think, Your Grace?”
“…Hah.”
The Duke could only sigh in disbelief.

‘I was worried for nothing.’
He had feared Kian might covet Olivia’s wealth. But now he realized the opposite was true.
Kian was—

‘—desperate to spend money on my daughter!’
The Duke was thoroughly satisfied with Kian’s generous spending.
This was a first. With Olivia’s immense fortune, few ever felt the need to give her anything. Most expected to receive.

So the Duke came to a clear conclusion.
‘He’s passed stage three as well.’
The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in golden hues. The Duke’s carriage arrived in front of them.

“I had a pleasant time today.”
“I’m honored to have spent the day with you, Your Grace.”
With that warm exchange, the Duke boarded the carriage.

As it rolled away, he leaned back against the plush seat.
‘If it’s Sir Kian, I think I can entrust my daughter to him.’
Of course, if he didn’t win Olivia’s heart, he would remain just a candidate.

The Duke acknowledged Kian as a good man.
But he didn’t hope for a confession just yet.
If Olivia ever came to him and said she and Kian were in love, and asked for permission to marry…

‘Absolutely not. She can get married later!’
The Duke of Ashford wasn’t quite ready to give up his precious daughter just yet.