Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 2

Episode 2

In my life, there were three turning points. First, when I was 10 years old, my father passed away. The inheritance was taken by my mother and she blew it all on a scam.

On the night we lost everything, my mother, heavily intoxicated, said to me:

“Nelly, I’m going to marry someone else. The new husband doesn’t know about the child. So, I can’t raise you anymore.”

“What am I supposed to do then, Mom?”

“It’s your choice. Do you want to be on your own, or do you want to go to your uncle’s?”

Telling a mere 10-year-old to live on her own. It’s amusing to think about it now. But back then, I was a clueless child and the idea of living alone was terrifying.

“I’ll go to my uncle’s.”

No matter how much I cried, fearing the sudden change, it wouldn’t alter the outcome.

I was left in the care of my uncle, and I ended up living in a tiny, rundown house. There was hardly a spare room in such a place. I spent my time shifting between the living room and the kitchen. On days when guests came, I was chased out to the stable.

Even while raising me on leftover food, my uncle demanded that I contribute to the cost of meals. So, I earned money through odd jobs and errands, and I supported the household.

I lived that way for 7 years.

Then, as I turned 17, I encountered the second turning point.

“This, insane human! What will you do if you squander it all!”

The cries of my step-aunt echoed loudly within the house. I sat in the living room, watching the two of them fight. It seemed that my uncle had squandered his wealth through gambling.

Could I stay here any longer? While worrying, I heard my uncle’s voice.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan! Do you know that wealthy old man in the neighboring town who’s on his deathbed? Just send Nelly there to get married. When that old man dies, his inheritance will be ours!”

I thought, what nonsense is this again? Why would I marry some old man I’ve never even met? Naturally, my answer was clear.

“I don’t want to.”

My uncle slammed the table forcefully and shouted.

“What?”

“You also have a daughter, Uncle. Tell her to marry.”

“This brat’s got a sharp tongue! Shouldn’t you repay the favor for all the care and support I’ve given you?”

“I think the money I’ve provided so far is more than enough to cover that. Besides, the money you squandered was mine.”

“What? You little…”

My uncle clenched his fist, but when I suddenly stood up and lifted a chair, he lowered his hand discreetly. Then, with a flushed face, he yelled,

“You think I wouldn’t know that you’ve been stealing money all this time?”

Saying that, he took the pouch of money I had saved and shook it.

“Either leave right now with nothing or choose between marrying obediently. Pick one!”

It’s my money, how could it be considered stealing?

Although it was ridiculous, I didn’t want to get entangled because of that money. I pushed the chair aside and raised my head.

“I haven’t been grateful all this time. I’ll consider that money a severance. Well then, goodbye.”

“Yeah, go! Go out and see for yourself! Do you think someone like you can survive? You’ll crawl back within a day, won’t you? Be prepared for that!”

I heard mocking words from behind, but I left my uncle’s place.

For several years, I went from place to place, barely scraping by and living hand to mouth.

But the opportunities for a young woman were limited. I lived like a wanderer for about 4 years. There wasn’t a stable place to stay or a steady source of food. It was during this realization of the possibility of starving to death that I came across a public notice.

[Recruitment for Estate Manager in Altwood Duchy. Age 17 and above. Gender and experience are not relevant. Looking for individuals capable of reading, writing, and basic arithmetic.]

Upon seeing the notice, I decided to visit out of curiosity.

Little did I know that it was notorious for being a difficult place to work. They had been struggling for months to find someone, and it turned out they were desperate when I arrived.

No wonder there was no one in the interview room! I should have run away then. I was so ignorant and naive.

After passing the simple interview and test, on my first day at work, I met Leonel.

“The new estate manager, huh?”

Yes, that question! That question marked the third turning point in my life.

It was also the first thing I heard when I came back to life, finding myself back in the past, and even on my first day of work.

‘I promised that if I could go back to before becoming the manager, I wouldn’t even pee toward the duchy!’

But faced with the question of whether I was the new estate manager, I couldn’t just shout, ‘No, I’m a devil!’

If I leave now, I probably won’t die from overexertion.

However, I already knew just how cold this year’s winter was from experiencing it. At the moment, there was no proper food, clothing, or shelter from the biting wind.

The choice was between dying from overexertion or the cold – that was the problem. There was no option to live. As I hesitated to answer, I heard Leonel’s voice.

“Just in case you didn’t know, let me tell you in advance. I don’t trust people. Don’t bother trying to win me over or gain my trust. Act like a dead mouse, do only what I tell you.”

Hearing those words, the fire within me flared up again. Damn, this mistrust!

If only they had believed that I would come back and granted me the vacation. Then, I wouldn’t have died from overexertion, right?!

I squinted my eyes and glared at Leonel before I realized.

‘Everything happens for a reason! There must be a reason why I’ve returned to the third turning point instead of the first or second.’

Then I recalled the promise I made before dying – the promise to get revenge on Leonel once I came back to life. God had sent me back to fulfill that promise!

‘If he won’t trust me without reason, then I’ll give him a reason!’

I would make him well aware of the agony of overexertion. And I would utterly ruin Leonel Altwood, the Duke, and his wretched estate!

Of course, I needed to live too, so I would make sure I could easily find another job after this. Leonel was known for his generous salary, so after saving for three years, I’d have enough to buy a small house in the countryside.

In three years, I would have successfully taken my revenge and then I could settle down in a cozy house with a garden. It would have a terrace with a rocking chair, and I’d wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread each morning.

After that, I’d work as an estate manager in a different region.

‘Hehehe.’

I let out an ominous smile internally while responding politely on the outside.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

From above, I felt Leonel’s gaze on my forehead. When I glanced at him, he spoke.

“Your tasks are simple. You’ll be in charge of managing the forest, orchards, pastures, farmlands, warehouses, brewery, barns, fences, textiles, and public facilities.”

Was ‘simple’ perhaps an abbreviation for ‘simply overwhelming’?

Even hearing the tasks again was shocking. But Leonel’s words didn’t end there.

“You’ll directly manage the farmlands and the farmers, while the supervisors will prepare reports based on tax collection records for the rest. Report to me every three days.”

It seemed ‘simple’ really was an abbreviation for ‘simply overwhelming.’ How could it be simple when he listed them all like that?

“Oh, there’s one more thing you need to do. Gather information about what’s being said in places where people gather, like taverns or squares, and report it to me.”

No wonder I died from overexertion!

I glared at him with resentment, and his eyes narrowed.

“Your gaze is impolite.”

“Me? My gaze?”

Since I couldn’t afford to be kicked out as a penniless person before getting my revenge, I blinked with an expression that seemed to say I didn’t understand.

In response, Leonel handed me a metal badge and pointed to the door with a chin gesture.

“Learn from the people in the management office.”

I accepted the badge that proved my status as an estate manager and stepped outside.

As I exited the front door, a carriage was ready. I got on without being told where to go, and the carriage started moving immediately.

The Altwood Duchy had its village centered around the castle.

Crossing a stone bridge over a moat, you would pass beyond the castle walls to find a square, a tavern, and a courthouse. Near the square were public facilities and convenience services, and further ahead were the residential houses. Small plots of fields dotted the surroundings, cultivated by the residents for their personal use.

Continuing down the main road, you would eventually reach the extensive farmland owned by the Altwood family. In the midst of that lay the estate management office.

“We have arrived.”

At the carriage driver’s words, I opened the curtains and looked outside. The residents were diligently working in the fields. Turning my head to the side, I spotted the building that resembled a small castle – the estate management office.

Once I got off the carriage, the workers who had been bent over straightened up. The looks they gave me weren’t particularly welcoming.

‘Reminds me of the first day.’

Back then, too, many people regarded the young estate manager with suspicion. Among the previous managers, some had taken their frustrations out on the residents, leading to a generally unfavorable perception of estate managers.

Of course, I was able to gain some recognition by working tirelessly until the very end.

‘And then I died!’

Fueling my desire for revenge once more, I entered the management office.

As I went up to the second floor, I saw Sophie, Tom, and Gerald. They were all struggling, half-opening their eyes with weary expressions. Their necks and arms seemed slack, lacking any strength. Yet, their fingers moved ceaselessly, writing ledger entries and reports.

Like corpses controlled by a necromancer!

I was the same way before I died. If a stranger had seen this, they might have thought it was a graveyard or a haunted house.

In truth, neither assumption was entirely wrong.

‘What will happen to those three if they die like me? Then this place will truly become a graveyard.’

As I stared with concern, Gerald raised his head. Our eyes met, but it took him a while to make a surprised sound.

“Uhh?”

He looks like a zombie!

I felt like tears were welling up, so I clenched my teeth shut. And I watched the three zombies walk towards me.

Before long, the three zombies stood side by side in front of me.

“You’re the new estate manager, right? I’m Sophie, this is Tom, and that’s Gerald.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“We’re supervisors, and we’ll be working under you as the estate manager, so please feel free to tell us anything.”