Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 35

Episode 35

Roman entered the tavern. Despite it not being late, there were many people gathered. 

Roman glanced around at them. Firstly, to avoid Faust, who always stuck around and rambled on with pointless words. Secondly, he wondered if he might accidentally meet Nelly Pepper and get some information. However, Nelly was not there. Instead, people recognized Roman and gestured to him.

“Roman! Come over here. Let’s celebrate and have a drink together.”

At the mention of celebrating, Roman’s gaze naturally turned to a man. He was the lucky man, Carlson, who had been imprisoned for only two days, breaking the law but managing to get released. 

Roman, intrigued, took a seat. The conversation that had momentarily stopped resumed.

“You really should grovel before the estate manager.”

“Yeah, I thought about hosting a party or something.”

Roman asked while sipping his beer.

“What happened?”

“Ah, Roman, you don’t know, do you?”

The man next to Roman put his arm on Roman’s shoulder and briefly explained what had happened to Carlson. He had managed to bring down a wolf to the village, but it ended in imprisonment. Roman couldn’t understand Leonel’s punishment.

“Is your wrist okay?” 

“Yeah, it’s fine, thanks to Miss Nelly!” 

Carlson replied, turning his wrist in various directions.

Roman, who had been silently observing, stroked his chin. As far as he knew, Leonel had personally executed colleagues who had violated military law. So, someone who showed no mercy could follow the estate manager’s words?

“Please explain in more detail.”

Suddenly, a woman from behind chimed in.

“Well, originally, his wrist was almost cut off, but Miss Nelly logically argued and got him a commutation.”

“That’s right! She stood in front of me and said, ‘Cutting wrists is too cruel. Many people die from uncontrollable bleeding in such cases. In that case, what’s the difference between that and the death penalty?'”

“Ugh…”

Someone exclaimed in admiration and chugged down their beer.

“When you think about it, she’s truly remarkable. Still so young, and yet she’s turned around the whole estate, even for the landless.”

“That’s not all, she’s got a good eye for people. I thought Lizzy was a bit lacking, you know?”

“And on top of that, how caring she is for the residents…”

“Ah, whenever I think about the favors the estate manager has done for me, I still tear up.”

Even after that, they continued to praise Nelly without end.

Roman recalled the estate manager, Nelly Pepper. She didn’t seem impressive with her light brown hair, but she didn’t project a warm image. Her clear, large green eyes were always filled with suspicion and caution, like a vigilant cat. There was no sense of the relaxed atmosphere typical of capable and self-assured individuals.

‘I just thought she lucked into the estate manager position.’

Roman revised his impression of Nelly Pepper a bit. As he did so, the man who had been speaking suddenly lowered his voice.

“But Carlson, that didn’t get noticed, right?” 

Roman carefully set down his beer and listened intently to the hushed conversation among the people.

“No, it didn’t. Miss Nelly likes doing things secretly.”

“What kind of things does the estate manager do secretly?” 

Roman interjected suddenly.

Carlson puffed out his chest with an expression of great pride. 

“Good deeds.”

“Good deeds?”

“She enjoys doing kind deeds in secret.”

“What kind of deeds are you talking about?”

“Lately, she’s been bringing a donkey and quietly spraying some liquid in the fields every morning.”

“I’ve seen that too. It’s quite a hassle to wait secretly until she finishes.”

“You too? I also hide until she’s done before sneaking out.”

Everyone laughed and empathized with each other. Amidst the cheerful sounds, Roman remained silent.

‘So, she borrowed the donkey secretly. But how can we be sure it’s a good deed?’

As if to answer Roman’s thoughts, a voice came from the other direction.

“The crops in the field she visited are in better condition than the crops in the other field.”

“Maybe the fruits are even larger than last year.”

“And the quality of the soil has improved so much.”

“My field was so withered that I thought I’d have to pay taxes instead of crops, but it’s been thriving since Miss Nelly visited!”

Everyone chimed in with a word or two.

Liquid that makes the fields fertile. It’s like magic. If only he knew what it was, he could probably make a fortune.

“What is it?”

“We don’t know either.”

“That’s right. She’d be embarrassed if she was found out.”

“And then she’d stop.”

“So all we can do is pretend not to know.”

They all nodded as they drank their beer.

Meanwhile, someone suddenly expressed their curiosity.

“Does the Duke know about it?”

“He couldn’t possibly know.”

“It’s fascinating when you think about it. I don’t think the Duke is turning a blind eye when we’re spraying mysterious liquids.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Plus, hasn’t the Duke changed a lot since the estate manager arrived?”

“That’s true. And there are no longer soldiers patrolling the village over fifty times a day.”

“Most importantly, this guy’s arms are still attached!”

A man grabbed Carlson’s wrist, shaking it weakly like a tree branch. Everyone burst into laughter as they looked at Carlson’s limp hand.

But Roman didn’t laugh.

Roasting someone as icy as Leonel with mere words!

‘How skilled is this art of persuasion?’

When he thought about it, Nelly Pepper had been suspicious of him from the beginning. She had even tried to stop Faust’s idle chatter.

Whenever he tried to get closer to Leonel to extract information, she would discreetly run away.

‘Maybe she knew about my true identity from the very beginning.’

If that’s the case, Leonel probably knows his true identity as well. But why did he just let it be? Roman didn’t even sense anyone monitoring him. 

Roman quickly spun his thoughts. There was only one reason why they would leave a spy like him alone. 

‘Are they planning to feed me false information to capture my employer as well?’

In such cases, once your usefulness diminishes, you meet a gruesome end. He needed to inform his employer of this immediately and request assistance. Otherwise, he would face a horrific death within a few days. 

Roman’s face turned contemplative, and the people around him, worried, asked.

“Hey, Roman. Are you okay?” 

Roman hid his trembling hands under the table. 

“I suddenly don’t feel well. I need to go.” 

Roman got up abruptly and hastily left the tavern, running towards the meadow with all his might. 

The alarm continued to ring in his head. He burst into the cabin, flung open the door, and took out paper and a pen.

[We are currently in a trap. Duke Altwood knew from the beginning that I was a spy. All the information I have sent so far is likely false information leaked by Duke Altwood. Using that information, you could be in danger.]

Roman paused for a moment. In this situation, he had done nothing useful. Instead, he had almost put his employer in jeopardy. There was no reason to save an expendable like him. There was even a possibility that his employer might try to kill him before his true identity leaked from their side.

‘I need some useful information.’

Who had planned this? Amidst the jumble of thoughts, one name emerged: Nelly Pepper. She was the first one to uncover Roman’s true identity, and she would likely have been involved in this scheme as well. Such a cute face with such cunning stratagems!

Roman continued writing with determination.

[Behind everything, there is Nelly Pepper, the manager of the estate. She may look cute, barely in her twenties, but don’t be fooled. She possesses extraordinary persuasion skills that can reform a rogue and control Duke Altwood. Furthermore, her knowledge is extensive enough to revive dead plants. If needed, I can gather more information about Nelly Pepper.]

He folded the letter he had just written and placed it in his pocket. He quickly went out the back door, scanned his surroundings, and entered the warehouse. Then, he opened the door to the cellar.

The startled pigeons flapped their wings and cooed in unison at the sound.

Roman hastily closed the door and descended the stairs. After lighting a lamp and waiting for a while, the pigeons’ sounds gradually quieted down. He took out the letter and placed it in a small, flat pouch designed for pigeons.

He slung the bag over the pigeon’s back, hiding it under his shirt, and then ventured outside.

‘There shouldn’t be anyone around.’

Roman scrutinized his surroundings for a while and then released the pigeon. In a little while, the coded message would arrive. All he had to do was stay alive until then.

During the time waiting for a response, he did his best to avoid Nelly Pepper. After enduring for a few days, he finally received a letter. He tore it open immediately.

Inside was a very short message in code.

[Infiltrate. If you fail, withdraw or face elimination.]

Roman read the few words several times and then threw the paper into the fireplace. He watched as the paper turned into ashes. Then he left the cabin.