Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 45

Episode 45

“I want to rest.”

“Yes. That’s good. It’s a desirable attitude.”

I can’t believe this. I want to rest, and it would be great if everyone just left me alone.

Fortunately, Levance only took the papers and left the room again. But Leonel was still sitting by the bed.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“If I tell you the reason, you might run away.”

Silence fell again.

I racked my brain alone, but all I could think of was the plant poison I sporadically sprinkled.

I hope they didn’t find out about that too.

“But what did you spray on the field before you built the canal?”

I’ve been caught!

“How did you… how did you…”

“You were making so much noise, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”

“I used the secret passage quietly, though.”

“Who do you think opened that passage for you?”

What was the name of the knight who opened the door back then?

“Mr. Joseph… something?”

“Whose person do you think he is?”

Joseph deceived me.

I told him it had to be kept a secret!

No wonder he willingly told me about the secret passage when we met next.

So, does Leonel know everything and just leave me alone like this? Is it okay for me to lie here like this?

Leonel, lost in thought, turned his body to face me.

“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Try to get more rest.”

“Um… Are you not going to scold me?”

Leonel tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand. After a moment, he nodded as if he understood.

“You thought I would scold you for fertilizing without permission?”

Fertilizer? But I used poison, not fertilizer.

Leonel spoke while I blinked in confusion.

“Definitely. Not reporting it is a scoldable offense. But since you produced liquid fertilizer, let’s forget about it.”

I can’t keep up with this conversation!

We’re in the same place, using the same language from the same country, so why can’t I understand anything?

Could they be talking about someone else? Is there a third person here that I can’t see?

…That’s unlikely. Since I don’t know what’s going on, I should just stay quiet for now.

“It’s interesting. How did you come up with that idea?”

“What?”

“While tea leaves are used as fertilizer, I never thought that the infused water would have an effect.”

I didn’t even know they used tea leaves as fertilizer.

Isn’t fertilizer just a decomposed waste? And when Lizzy sprinkled it on the plant, it died.

“Eggshells too. It took a long time to crush them into powder, but thanks to you, it became much easier.”

Even when Lizzy threw eggshells in the pot, it killed the plant!

So, those were all good things for plants? Then why did the potted plant die? Is it because Lizzy has a destructive touch? Is that it?

If Lizzy were here, I would have asked what on earth she did, shaken her, and demanded to be taught the secret.

No, I can’t do that because of the muscle pain.

Then, let’s imagine it at least.

In my imagination, I’m grabbing Lizzy’s shoulders and shaking her when someone knocks on the door.

“Come in.”

Leonel, who was looking at documents, allowed entry as if it were his room.

The door opened, and Frer walked in carrying a bag.

“Frer!”

I greeted him warmly, and Frer approached with a blank expression.

“Oh? You’re awake.”

Then, he nodded to Leonel.

Approaching, Frer handed me some ointment and a potion-like substance.

“Apply this to your severe muscle pain. And have this.”

I nodded and began to sit up, fearing that a scream might escape my lips, but Leonel’s large hand firmly supported my back, helping me up.

It’s awkward. So awkward!

‘Why did he suddenly become so kind?’

Was he like this even before I died? …It was somewhat similar. But it feels like it took about two and a half years for him to become this kind.

I tried not to give Leonel any attention as I opened the medicine bottle. As I was about to take a sip, Leonel’s hand, which had been watching me closely, intervened.

“What is this medicine made of?”

“I made it with lacaralis.”

“Isn’t that a paralyzing poison?”

“Yes, it is, but…”

What? Poison?

I closed the bottle cap slightly and squinted at Frer, who was sitting across from me.

“It’s highly diluted, it’s safe. It’s used as a painkiller at this concentration.”

“Do I have to drink all of it?”

“No, you can drink it in halves.”

Frer replied, scratching his head.

Leonel took the medicine bottle from my hand and handed it to Frer.

“Try drinking it.”

“Okay.”

Frer took the bottle.

Wait, why is he going to such lengths? I reached out in astonishment.

“It’s okay. Frer has no reason to poison me.”

As I tried to get the bottle back, Frer drank about half of it without putting it to his lips and then contorted his face.

Leonel scrutinized Frer with sharp eyes.

The atmosphere was strange, and I thought it might be poison, but Frer handed me the medicine bottle with a completely normal expression on his face.

“It tastes bad that you’ll almost feel like dying, but it won’t kill you.”

Tastes bad to the point that I’ll almost feel like dying. I don’t want to drink something like that.

Without accepting it, I remained silent, but Frer pushed the medicine bottle towards me.

“If it tastes bad for a moment, you won’t feel pain for a few hours.”

I hesitated, but Leonel got up from his seat, went outside for a moment, and quickly returned with a glass candy box in his hand.

“I’ll give it to you if you drink.”

I guess I should take it. Besides, I don’t mind candy, so I accepted the medicine bottle from Frer.

“You didn’t have to do all this.”

I might have hesitated for a bit, but I didn’t want to be in pain.

I closed my eyes tightly and took a sip, and a terrible smell wafted up.

“Ugh!”

It’s not just disgusting; I almost vomited for real.

It smelled strongly of earth, like mixing dirt with grass, and it tasted like fish soaked for a long time, on top of that.

I wanted to frown and say something, but the candy entered my mouth.

“The candy tastes awful now.”

The taste of the medicine didn’t neutralize at all!

It mixed with the sweetness and made it even more disgusting. I almost cried as I put the expensive candy into my mouth recklessly.

My mouth was full, and after swallowing, the disgusting smell and taste gradually faded.

“Ugh.”

How can I be perfectly fine after eating this? With astonishment and admiration in my eyes, I looked at Frer, and he reached out to the candy box.

I considered smacking his hand away, but I felt sorry for him, so I let it be. He took a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth.

Leonel, who had seen us, also reached out and took a red candy.

Darak, darak.

For a while, the room was filled with the sound of candies rolling around.

While I was absentmindedly listening to the sound, I noticed the empty medicine bottle.

“H-how m-mm…”

“What?”

I couldn’t pronounce it properly because of the candy.

I pushed the candy with my tongue to the sides of my cheeks and tried to speak again, but I heard a snicker from beside me.

“You look like a chipmunk.”

Feeling the fullness in my cheeks, I couldn’t say anything in response to that.

I just glared with my chubby face for a moment, then turned back to Frer.

“How much more of this medicine do I need to take?”

“You should sleep and see if you can bear the pain after you wake up. If it still hurts, you should take it again. Oh, you might feel a bit drowsy because of the medicine.”

“…I’ll try not to get sick.”.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Frer said something that could be interpreted as either encouragement or teasing, then turned and nodded to Leonel.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Leonel nodded when Frer left, and silence returned.

As I tried to lie down, a large hand touched my back. Startled, I turned my head and locked eyes with Leonel.

“I’ll help.”

“I’m okay.”

“It’ll take some time for the medicine to take effect.”

This is strange. It’s strange and embarrassing!

Thanks to Leonel, I managed to lie down comfortably, but those red eyes were still nearby.

I felt so embarrassed that my heart raced, and my cheeks flushed. I gently pushed him away and settled into a more comfortable position.

“I’d like to rest a bit.”

“Sure.”

“…You’re not leaving?”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Why?”

There was no response.

As I moved my body, my muscles screamed in pain. Nevertheless, I clenched my teeth and lay back down.

Leonel was in the middle of reviewing some documents. He must have sensed my gaze, as he opened his mouth.

“Think of it as caregiving.”

It’s not caregiving.

I have no idea why he’s even staying here.

I squinted at him, and Leonel furrowed his brow slightly. Then, without even looking, he reached out and grabbed the blanket, pulling it up to cover my forehead. It was as if he were covering a corpse.

Is this some unspoken agreement to be quiet before they kill me?

Of course, that’s unlikely. Still, just in case, I should stay quiet.