Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

"…Strange."

William tapped his fingers against his desk, deep in thought.

It had been a week since the incident at the training grounds.

And yet… nothing had happened.

Not a single retaliation.

William had even tested it—walking the same route at the same time every day, practically inviting his brother to act.

Still, Jordi remained silent.

"…He's not the type to let things go," William muttered to himself.

Jordi had been humiliated. Worse, by William, of all people—the one he and the rest of the family had dismissed as a useless half-wit.

The longer he waited to respond, the worse it made him look.

It made no sense.

"D-Do-Young Master! Are you finished?"

Hans peeked into the room hesitantly.

William nodded. "Nothing from my brother, I assume?"

"No, my lord. Not even a glimpse."

William's brows furrowed.

"…How uncharacteristically patient of him."

Hans, on the other hand, looked relieved.

"Maybe… Maybe he really did give up? The Grand Duke's presence must be making him hesitant."

William wasn't so sure.

Hans, however, had already moved on to a more exciting topic.

"You should stop worrying about that and think about how you'll spend your allowance instead! Today is the day, after all."

"Ah." William blinked. "Is it already time?"

It had been a month since his father resumed his financial support.

His previous allowance had already been spent, mostly on the Moonlight Herb and other necessary alchemical materials.

And just in time—he had run out of ingredients this very week.

Hans grinned. "Shall I go collect it now?"

William waved a hand. "Go ahead."

Hans dashed out of the room, clearly excited.

Today wasn't just William's allowance day—it was also Hans's payday.

Watching his servant's enthusiasm, William chuckled to himself and leaned back in his chair.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But Hans didn't return.

Frowning, William finally rose from his seat, intending to go check for himself—

BANG!

The door burst open.

Hans stumbled in, his face pale and his eyes brimming with tears.

William's frown deepened.

"…What happened?"

Hans swallowed thickly, his voice trembling.

"I-It's not that I was attacked, my lord, but… but look at this—"

Shaking hands held out a document.

William snatched it immediately, scanning the contents.

At first glance, it seemed identical to the previous month's report.

But when he reached the expense breakdown, his expression darkened.

"…That bastard."

His allowance had been cut.

By seventy-five percent.

Meanwhile, the wages of every other servant in his household—except Hans—had tripled.

William crumpled the paper in his hand.

"So this is what he's been doing," he muttered under his breath.

A slow, simmering anger coiled in his chest.

He had expected Jordi to retaliate.

But this?

This was pathetic.

William took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Who signed off on this?"

Hans hesitated, then pointed to the bottom of the page.

William's gaze dropped—

And his lips curled into a cold, dangerous smile.

"The Treasurer," he murmured.

His fingers flexed around the crumpled paper.

"Then I suppose it's time I paid him a visit."

William's allowance had been cut.

It might have seemed trivial to an outsider, but within the walls of House Hern, it was anything but.

His "allowance" wasn't just pocket money—it came directly from the family's budget.

Which meant that whoever had tampered with it had effectively committed embezzlement.

And in House Hern, embezzlement was punishable by death.

Not even nobles were exempt from that rule.

Anyone who dared to touch the Grand Duke's wealth without permission was no better than a traitor—thieves who gambled with the very lifeline of the house.

Even a Treasurer could find his head decorating the city walls for such a crime.

So whoever was responsible…

Today would be their last day breathing.

With that in mind, William had stormed into the Treasury.

Yet—

"This is a misunderstanding, Third Young Master! I swear to you, there was no embezzlement!"

The Treasurer, a middle-aged man with thinning hair, had fallen to his knees the moment William spoke the word "embezzlement."

Sweat poured down his face as he trembled violently, as if just hearing the accusation had shattered his soul.

William's sharp gaze bore into him.

The man was terrified—genuinely terrified.

Which meant one of two things.

Either he was an incredibly good actor…

Or he truly had no idea what was going on.

The Treasurer slammed his forehead against the floor, his voice rising in desperation.

"I—I only processed the request as it was presented! I swear it! I can prove it—just give me a moment! Please, Young Master, you must confirm the records before drawing conclusions!"

William's brows furrowed.

He was expecting a guilty man.

Instead, he had found a man who looked ready to wet himself in fear.

"…So you're telling me that you didn't alter my allowance yourself?"

"Never! Not even in my worst nightmares! I swear upon the Eight Warriors—if I lie, may they cast me into the abyss!"

William studied him carefully.

His terror wasn't the exaggerated kind one might put on to feign innocence.

It was the kind of raw fear that came from realizing that you might die for something you didn't even do.

"…Fine."

The Treasurer gasped in relief.

William's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me—who ordered the change?"

The man flinched, swallowing hard.

"…It was the Head Maid, my lord. She delivered the revised budget as she always does."

William's expression darkened.

"The Head Maid?"

The head servant responsible for overseeing all the personal staff assigned to him?

William's lips curled into something between amusement and disgust.

A mere servant had dared tamper with his budget?

William scoffed.

"Unbelievable."

A knight could lose his head for embezzlement, and yet a maid had the audacity to meddle in the family's finances?

The Treasurer rushed to explain further.

"Every month, she brings me the budget request, and I merely process it as written! She even had your personal authorization, Young Master!"

William's eyes flickered.

"My authorization?"

"Yes! A document, signed by you, granting her permission to oversee your expenses!"

William's fingers tapped against his arm.

That much was true.

He had given the former Head Maid that authority in the past.

But that wasn't what bothered him.