When the Mid-Boss Villainous Noble Recalls Memories of a Past Life and Gains Game Knowledge. I Will Never Accept a Future Where I'm Called the Jealous Earl - Chapter 7

I looked out of the small window of the carriage, taking in the sights of the duchy’s town.

“It’s lifeless.”

The town seemed drained of vitality. While people were present, there was no laughter, no warmth. Each passerby wore hand-made masks, keeping their distance from one another, moving like ghosts through the streets.

“It’s frightening…” Mina murmured beside me. “The market stalls are open, but there are so few people. It feels eerie.”

“It’s the duke’s policy,” I said.

“Policy?”

“Yes. When the Red Stone Disease first broke out, people believed it spread from person to person. Merchants were preparing to abandon the duchy, which would have weakened the economy. To prevent that, the duke implemented a merchant protection policy.”

This was something I’d read in the Seven Sins Series companion book, knowledge that had been discussed and dissected in fan circles and explanatory videos that had gone viral.

“What kind of policy was that?” Mina asked, eyes wide with interest.

“Merchants operating in the duchy were granted subsidies based on the scale of their business. The condition to receive those funds was that they couldn’t close their shops for long periods. That’s why the stalls remain open.”

“I see… I understand the money part at least,” she said with a small, sheepish smile.

“That’s enough of an understanding,” I said, unable to help a small grin.

Was my explanation that complicated?

“You’re… really kind, Count Karyl,” she added, almost too softly for me to hear.

“Hmm?” I turned to her, puzzled by her sudden statement.
Mina blushed, realizing she’d spoken aloud. She hesitated before speaking again, eyes cast down.

“Most noblemen would never let a maid ride in the same carriage, much less sit facing them,” she explained.

I blinked. What I had thought of as normal behavior had surprised her.

I’d spent most of my life consumed with researching a cure for the Red Stone Disease, barely engaging in noble society. Unlike other heirs, I’d never accompanied my father to parties or social gatherings, making me an oddity in this kingdom—lacking the usual noble pretensions and norms.

“Compared to other nobles, you’re very kind, my lord,” Mina said again, more confidently.

“Is that so,” I replied, more to myself.

The truth was that I hadn’t thought much about it. Having her in the carriage was simply convenient, and it seemed foolish for her to sit on the floor when a seat was available. Perhaps that difference in attitude was why a hero’s descendant had sparked a revolution against the entrenched nobility.

“Should I become more like them?” I joked.

“No!” Mina’s eyes widened, and she blurted the word before catching herself. “I mean… no. I like you as you are, my lord.”
I had meant it as a lighthearted jest, but her earnest reaction filled me with guilt. I sighed. “I’m sorry, Mina. It was just a joke.”

“No, Count Karyl, there’s no need to apologize!” she said, flustered.

“It might sound strange for me to say, but I have changed. I may change more in the future, but I swear that my treatment of those who serve me will not change.”

Mina’s eyes shone with surprise as I offered a small, formal bow—an acknowledgment befitting a noble addressing an equal. She turned red, unsure how to react.

“Ah… uh… thank you…?”

Knock, knock

“Who is it?” I called.

“We’ve arrived at the infirmary, my lord,” came Lio’s voice.

“Understood.”

I slipped on a pair of black gloves to hide the mark of Jealousy on my right hand and stepped out, leaving a still-dazed Mina behind. Lio stood nearby, looking like he wanted to ask something but held his tongue.

I approached the guards who held backpacks containing the magic-sealing stones.

“Where are the stones? I’ll take them myself.”

“We’ll carry them, my lord.”

“The building ahead is filled with patients. Do you still want to go in?”

“Of course,” one of them said. “We are your guards. If we are with you, we’ll be safe from the disease.”

Their loyalty, even after all my reclusive behavior as head of the house, left me puzzled but oddly content.

“You have the stones, then?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Let’s go.”

I pushed open the heavy doors of the infirmary and stepped inside.

“Pardon, but what is your business here?” asked a tired voice. A healer in a once-white robe that had been stained and frayed stepped forward. Her face bore the marks of sleepless nights and an overburdened spirit.

“I am Count Karyl Dicaman, here to treat the Red Stone Disease.”
Murmurs swept through the room, eyes widening and whispers igniting. The most common sentiment was clear: Why now? Their stares brimmed with anger, distrust, and, in some cases, outright hostility.

I felt the guards behind me tense, hands hovering near their swords. I raised a hand to stop them.

They didn’t understand. The name Dicaman had come to carry a bitter weight, despite my house’s efforts—despite my father’s sacrifices. The funds, the alchemists, the magical healers my father and I had dispatched were forgotten in the face of grief and suffering.

Since my father’s death, public sentiment had soured further. That people who once knew of our contributions now spat venom at the mention of Dicaman meant only one thing: manipulation. A larger force had turned the tide against us.

“Let’s find a patient,” I said, stepping further into the hall.
“Yes, my lord!” my guards responded in unison.

There was only one power here capable of such influence: the Duke himself.