Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 4

Episode 4

Levance looked at Leonel with eyes that seemed to say his words made no sense. Leonel continued forward without saying a word. Then, Levance shouted at the back of his head.

“Isn’t it because Your Grace keeps doubting and demanding that the estate managers can’t endure for more than two months and run away?”

Leonel’s steps came to a sudden halt.

“They run away when they feel like they’ve been taught enough, and they run away when they’re getting used to it! You let them take a break for a moment and they run away! They run away when they’re feeling unwell!”

Levance shouted out of frustration, his anger palpable. He pounded his chest until it turned red.

If things continued as they were, it seemed like his blood pressure would rise, and Arette, who noticed this, chimed in casually.

“That’s right. Please consider who would come at this hour to discuss estate matters.”

Leonel remained silent for a moment as if lost in thought. Finally, his expression brightened a little, as if understanding had dawned.

However, Leonel resumed walking again.

“With such passionate individuals around, there’s no shortage of wishes.”

Levance’s blood pressure soared once again, and he grabbed his throat. Arette looked at him and tilted his head, conveying with his gaze:

‘His Grace, there’s no answer. He’s just sitting there, following the Queen’s command to revitalize the estate instead of using his brain.’

Nevertheless, Levance, with a face that showed he would never give up, clung to the hem of Leonel’s coat as he opened the office door.

“I’ll bring her in early tomorrow! People need their sleep.”

“You and Arette can endure well even without sleep.”

“We were the ones rolling on the battlefield, weren’t we? If you treat her the same, she’ll run away again. Then it really will be over! We can’t recruit even if we want to!”

Levance yelled, dragging his feet.

Leonel stopped walking, seemingly conceding defeat.

“Fine, I understand, so stop blabbering.”

Levance nodded vigorously as he jumped to his feet. Leonel glanced at Levance with a displeased look, then headed into the room and said,

“Bring her before breakfast tomorrow.”

Levance’s face brightened for a moment—then turned grim.

* * *

At the sound of bells ringing in the hallway, I jolted awake. This was the bell signaling breakfast.

The reason I had eagerly awaited tomorrow despite the hard work? It was because the meals in the duke’s mansion were truly, really, incredibly delicious.

‘I should hurry.’

I changed my clothes, hummed a tune, and energetically opened the door. That’s when I faced an unwelcoming face.

“Good morning.”

Levance? Why would he come so early in the morning? Surely Leonel isn’t looking for me already?

With an anxious heart, I stared intently. Upon doing so, he belatedly let out a short exclamation and gave a kind smile.

“I am Levance Danio, an advisor.”

“I’m Nelly Pepper.”

Please don’t just say that the duke is looking for me. Please!

“The Duke is looking for you.”

I’m done for. He used to call me from dawn like this before.

‘There won’t be anything to eat when I get back.’

When the knights returned from their early morning training, there was no food left in the dining hall. Of course, it can be made again, but it takes a long time.

So if I were called by Leonel at dawn, I had to start the day on an empty stomach.

If I was unlucky, I would starve for the rest of the day.

… Come to think of it, it’s annoying! So, I died of overwork!

“Did you have breakfast?”

“What?”

Whether I didn’t even think of asking such a thing or not, Levance stupidly questioned me.

“If you haven’t eaten, let’s have breakfast together before we go.”

“The Duke asked to see you before breakfast.”

“The Duke hasn’t had breakfast yet, right?”

“… That’s right.”

“And he won’t have breakfast until I come?”

“… I said I would bring you right away, so he’ll probably wait.”

“Then whenever we go, it’ll be before breakfast. Let’s eat something before we go. I’m starving.”

I headed to the dining hall, leaving that guy Levance behind.

I couldn’t hear the sound of him following from behind, but it didn’t matter.

Whatever Levance might say, I had to eat! It’s a matter of eating to live, but I’ve been acting foolishly all this time. I should’ve taken care of myself and eaten earlier.

I shook my head alone. Levance quickly caught up to me on my side.

“Do you plan to have breakfast before you go?”

“Danio, you should take good care of yourself and eat. Even if you want to eat when you’re dead, you can’t.”

“You speak as if you’ve experienced being dead yourself.”

Yeah, I’ve been through it, you jerk!

After giving him a scornful look while smiling, I resumed walking.

I entered the dining hall, filled my plate with the dishes I wanted, and sat down. Levance, who had been acting as if he wouldn’t eat, started eating rice like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

‘…He might have gone hungry for a few days.’

He’s been with Leonel for 24 hours, and I don’t think he’s had enough time to eat, now that I think about it. Suddenly, Levance’s mixed expression seemed somewhat haggard.

I pushed the piece of bread that I had kept separately out of pity towards Levance.

“Thank you.”

“…Please enjoy.”

As he looked at me with a pitiful expression, Levance awkwardly smiled. Then, with a suspicious speed of chewing and swallowing, he devoured the remaining food in the blink of an eye.

“I should go quickly.”

As soon as I finished my meal, Levance immediately stood up from his seat.

He hastened his busy steps as he cleared the dishes.

We left from the west tower where I stayed and headed into the heart of the mansion where the Duke lived.

It was a residence befitting a duke, but it was stark beyond belief. If not for the tapestries hung to ward off the cold seeping in from the stone walls, it could have been mistaken for a dungeon.

Walking with a sense of novelty, Levance stopped in his tracks.

“I’ve brought the estate manager, Your Grace…”

Before the words even finished, the door swung open.

“I told you to come before breakfast, didn’t I?”

Levance spoke confidently, but the Duke’s stern eyes left him speechless, and his face was as gorgeous as ever. It was the kind of beauty that could wipe away a thousand years of resentment.

‘…No, I can’t! I can’t forget my resentment just because of his face!’

I turned my head slightly to avoid his gaze. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Leonel swiftly entering the room.

I followed him inside like a criminal. And Levance… with an irritating smile, he closed the door from outside.

This, this traitor!

“Didn’t you hear me tell Levance to come before the meal?”

His voice was so low that it felt like it was brushing against the back of my neck. Even in such a moment, his rough and raspy voice had a slightly seductive quality. Gaining courage, I lifted my head and saw Leonel sitting cross-legged on a stone seat, leaning his long legs.

“No answer, I assume?”

“I heard.”

I reflexively replied in a voice as sharp as a sword.

Leonel placed his hands, calloused like hooves, on his knees and stared intently at me.

“However, I need to eat to survive, so you should let me have my meal!”

“Even if you see me, won’t there be enough time for a meal?”

“After the knights have eaten, there’s no food left. It can be remade, but it won’t be ready until after the work hours.”

Leonel laughed as if he found it amusing.

“Missing a meal once in a while won’t hurt.”

“No. If I don’t eat breakfast, I’ll collapse.”

I blatantly lied, and Leonel smirked lightly.

“If you’re going to lie, at least do it properly. Levance and Arette haven’t had a proper meal or sleep for six years. Yet, they’re still perfectly fine.”

What?! Six years? To proudly say something like that… I should’ve known he was a devil and turned back with my tail between my legs.

“Why the face?”

I tried to be quietly astonished, but it seemed my face was loud. I clamped my lips shut.

“My expression? Why?”

Leonel let out a heavy breath. Seeing his frustration brought me a bit of satisfaction. I was hiding a smile when he gestured to the chair in front of him with a nod.

“Sit.”

I sat down without a word of protest.

“You entrusted land to Faust, right?”

“Yes.”

“More than 5000 square acres of open field.”

“That’s correct.”

“What’s the reason?”

Naturally, I hoped Faust would fail at farming!

Regardless of my true feelings, I sealed my lips for the moment. Before, I had managed to save up some money before reaching a point of destitution, but now I was penniless. Moreover, I didn’t possess any remarkable skills. I lacked the connections to become a household tutor.

Come to think of it, considering I knew absolutely nothing about farming, being employed as an estate manager was beyond my abilities.

‘No! Snap out of it! Giving a job to someone inexperienced doesn’t mean you should let yourself be treated like this just because you’re desperate!’

Moreover, most of the duke’s people were former commoner knights. Having just recently learned reading and math under the duke’s tutelage, the presence of an estate manager was in great demand.

However, due to the extreme difficulty of the job, there was hardly anyone willing to take on the role.

If a frog that knew how to read and write and do calculations came by, they probably would have hired that frog.

I gathered my courage and tried to nonchalantly respond as best as I could.

“He’s healthy.”

The Duke raised his left eyebrow.

“He’s healthy, he’s sturdy, and he even has a son. You let a man like that waste away playing with alcohol and gambling. Such a waste of manpower.”

“…How did you know he has a son and indulges in alcohol and gambling?”

After working for three years, I forgot.

Yesterday was my first day at work, yet I somehow know about the estate worker’s family matters. It’s a bit odd. Still, I couldn’t have imagined he would pick up on even such trivial matters. Look at how sharp he is. He’ll slice through me, slice through me.

‘By the way, how can I explain it?’

The only person I had a conversation with yesterday was Leonel. If I lied and got caught, it would be even worse. 

“Does it usually take you this long to answer?” 

In the instant Leonel urged me, something flashed into my mind.