Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 28

Episode 28

Roman nodded.

He was about to speak when Levance’s words suddenly came to mind.

‘He said it’s easier to poison someone if you know their food preferences.’

He had vaguely brushed off the question about such an attempt, but it left me feeling uneasy.

I was already under suspicion… Leonel wouldn’t just sit idly by.

Imagining being interrogated made my stomach churn. Trembling, I nodded, took a sip of beer, and shook my head.

“No. I don’t want to hear another word from the Duke. Just the thought of him following me around like a ghost is enough to make me cringe…ugh………”

“Well, that’s true.”

Faust agreed, nodding sympathetically.

I expected Roman to ask what that meant, but he was surprisingly quiet. He silently drank his beer, then looked at me. His eyes were unusually deep, and his face was shrouded in shadows.

“Are you close to the Duke, Manager?”

“Come to think of it, how did you become friends so quickly? Our boss is so reserved, he’s incredibly aloof.”

“Aloof? What nonsense!”

I burst out laughing. It’s just a case of extreme suspicion!

Memories of past humiliation resurfaced, and I drank my beer more vigorously. Faust laughed like an old man while pouring me another drink. Well, he does look more like an old man when he laughs like that.

“Do you and the boss have anything going on?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“What?! Really?”

“Really.”

“What’s going on?”

“Distrust.”

I said, slamming my glass down, and Faust’s excitement subsided. He awkwardly laughed and scratched his head. Then, as if about to say something, he looked at Roman and fell silent.

I turned my head away, looking at him with blurred eyes from the alcohol.

“So, Roman! Roman, don’t you dare take an interest in the Duke. I’m sick of him, you know!”

“… “

He, too, appeared to be intoxicated, nodding his head like a rooster with a flushed face. Faust, the most composed of us all, tore at the meat and placed it in front of me before letting out a deep sigh.

“But still, give him a break. Our Duke has many scars, you know. He’s not a bad person.”

Yeah, he probably has many scars. What was it again, during the war, his fiancée ran away with his cousin?

“I know about that too.”

“You heard about that?”

“Yes.”

“Betrayal on the battlefield?”

Betrayal? Well, cheating is a form of betrayal.

I tried to vigorously nod my head, but my vision suddenly spun. No, I can’t. I need to lie down. I leaned my head against the table and shouted energetically instead.

“Yeah!”

Faust’s mouth fell open in surprise. It seemed like he was the only one who didn’t know the rumor that was circulating all over the neighborhood.

Isn’t it a bad idea to ask him if he heard the rumors while I’m out tomorrow?

But before I could say it, my tongue froze, and I blurted out whatever came to mind.

“But don’t just go around talking about it! Even if you know everything. Leonel has his pride.”

“Well, how am I supposed to say that?”

Faust answered weakly and ruffled his hair as if in a dilemma. Then he drank the entire beer in one go.

He lowered his head as if reminiscing and said, 

“At first, I had some negative feelings, but seeing how much pain he was in…”

Faust let out a deep sigh. He took another sip of his beer and continued. 

“I couldn’t resent him.”

“He was in pain? Leonel?”

“Yeah. He couldn’t sleep.”

“He still can’t.”

It wasn’t a funny remark, but perhaps because of the alcohol, laughter burst out. And when I laughed, Faust laughed along.

But his laughter was as flat as poorly stored beer.

“He’s probably still suffering.”

I heard his voice faintly, and my mind began to feel foggy.

Leonel is more sentimental than I thought.

Strangely, my chest felt tight. I slapped my chest, and suddenly, Roman stood up beside me.

Faust looked at Roman with a surprised expression and then chuckled awkwardly, as if embarrassed.

“Haha, did we talk about nothing but boring stuff?”

“No, I need to use the bathroom.”

Roman staggered and moved toward the window. Huh? He said he was going to the bathroom. Is he drunk? As he swayed and tried to get up, he suddenly opened the window and howled loudly outside.

“Ah-woo!”

“Ah! You scared me!”

I jumped involuntarily.

Faust sat there silently for a moment, then burst into laughter. Roman’s howl and Faust’s laughter seemed to have awakened the animals, as there was chaos all around.

Wait, is it okay to make that kind of noise when people are sleeping?

The noise seemed to come from the area where the chickens and ducks were kept, as there was a cacophony of flapping wings and quacking from various birds.

“Just now, why, what was that?”

I asked Roman, still bewildered by his sudden action. He walked decisively to the back door and disappeared.

“He’s been doing that every time he goes to the bathroom. He says it’s embarrassing when it makes noise.”

“But, there’s no way it could be heard all the way here… What, does he raise pigeons in his rectum?”

“Puh-huh, puhaha!”

Faust burst into uncontrollable laughter, slamming the table in the process. I sighed and brushed off my startled chest.

“Ugh, he scared me. I’m completely sober now.”

“Hahaha! You can’t sober up! Come on, drink more!”

I obediently nodded and raised my glass. The atmosphere, which had settled down during the story about Leonel, became lively again. Faust began embarrassingly praising me, blushing occasionally.

But maybe due to the effects of alcohol, it didn’t feel that bad. Of course, it was still embarrassing!

As I was about to playfully punch his arm and tell him to stop, Roman returned.

Sitting down, Roman emptied his glass.

“I need to rest now.”

“Sure, take a break. We’ll keep drinking.”

“I mean, I need to go out.”

“Alright, then go out, and we’ll have another drink together!”

Roman stood up and said something to Faust. Faust burst into laughter in response.

My head was spinning, and I couldn’t quite make out what the two of them were saying.

“What’s going on? Why are both of you laughing except for me? Tell me too!”

As I shouted, the table lunged forward and crashed to me with a thud. That audacious table. I’ll get back at it. Just as I was about to hit the table with my forehead, someone grabbed my shoulder.

“Manager, what are you doing?”

“Just one hit! Just one hit on this table with my forehead!”

“Who are you trying to hit?”

“The table! Right here on my forehead, I’ll make it pay!”

“Manager, are you drunk? Is this an injection?”

“Yeah!”

Faust kept trying to restrain me. I had no strength to resist, so I just shook my body, but then Roman opened the door for me.

When I regained my senses, I found myself piggybacked on Faust’s back.

Faust kept saying something, but I couldn’t tell if I was responding or not.

I turned my head and saw something dark next to me. It even seemed to talk to me.

“Is it normal for you to keep drinking until you can’t greet properly anymore?”

I can hear someone saying something, but I don’t understand it because I’m too drunk.

I kept drifting in and out of sleep, staring at the red eyes in front of me. Somehow, I found myself in my room.

There seemed to be something floating in front of my eyes…

When I reached out my hand, the red glow disappeared. Then, my consciousness faded away.

* * *

Lying on the bed, Nelly blinked her blurred eyes and reached out her hand toward Leonel. He reflexively pulled his hand away and furrowed his brow, then turned his body towards Faust.

“Why did you go to the rancher’s house?”

Faust looked at Leonel with a surprised expression. 

“How did you know, no, don’t ask me.”

Upon hearing Faust’s voice, Nelly tossed and turned in her sleep.

Leonel looked at the sleeping Nelly, then gestured to Faust to follow him. He went outside and gave orders to a maid.

“Look after her.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As soon as Faust came out, the maid went in.

Faust looked at Leonel with a puzzled expression. 

‘You don’t look like the kind of man who would ask to watch someone’s bed.’

Nelly said there was nothing but distrust between them, but Faust didn’t see it.

At least, not from what Nelly had told him. Maybe, thanks to Nelly, Leonel might be able to overcome the wounds of betrayal, and Faust hoped for that.

Leonel walked into an empty room and sat down. It was only then that he felt Faust’s intense gaze.

As Leonel furrowed his brow, Faust lit a lamp and placed it on the table. When he pulled the curtains shut, the moonlight disappeared. 

In the dimly lit room, Leonel looked at Faust with an inquisitive gaze. It was a look that demanded an explanation for why he had gone to the rancher’s house.

“Just to have a drink.”

“With the manager?”

“While we were drinking, the estate manager came with food and beer.”

Leonel let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

She told him Roman was suspicious, and then she shows up with alcohol…

‘I have no idea what she’s thinking.’

Leonel, was pressing his temples as if he had a headache.

“Regarding the rancher.”

“Title.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“Never mind. Go on.”

“It’s a bit suspicious.”

Faust scratched his back and then explained further.

“He was subtly asking about the Duke while we were drinking.”

“Hmm…”

Leonel made his unique sound and crossed his legs. It seemed like this conversation was going to be a long one. He gestured for Faust to sit across from him.

Faust took a seat obediently and continued.

“If I had still been as drunk as I used to be, I might not have noticed.”

“Did he seem like a trained person?”