Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 48

Episode 48

I finally turned my head and saw Mr. Knight properly.

“Oh? Mr. Joseph?”

“Haha, what a coincidence! Amazingly, you’re here.”

Joseph. His tone was strange. A six-year-old reading a fairy tale would sound more natural.

I stared at his chubby face, but Joseph avoided my gaze.

“What brings you here?”

“Just passing by, happened to be here.”

I was about to ask what happened, but I closed my mouth.

“I see. Well, come on in.”

“Oh, yes!”

Leaving Joseph behind, I entered the office.

As we went up to the second floor, everyone welcomed me with bright faces. However, Sophie, Tom, and Gerald’s expressions seemed oddly uncomfortable.

“What’s going on with you three?”

“No?!”

“What’s happening!”

“It’s nothing at all!”

Hm. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the three of them, then entered my room.

I opened the curtains slightly and looked down, only to find Joseph loitering below.

As I was about to close the curtains, I heard a timid knock.

“Come in.”

“Miss Nelly!”

“Yes, Sophie.”

“Can I work in your office starting today?”

Was she declaring war on the office manager’s position? That couldn’t be it. She must mean she wants to change offices, probably.

I tilted my head and started packing my things when Sophie hastily added.

“Together!”

“Oh. You mean share the office?”

“Yes!”

I see it now. The sudden change in monthly reports. The knights lurking around. And the former knights behaving suspiciously!

‘Yes. Trust doesn’t matter. Surveillance has become even stricter!’

I can’t hardly breathe, I really can’t!

Sophie pouted when I blew my nose. Then she slowly approached the door.

“How about removing the door for smoother communication?”

“Sophie.”

“Yes?”

“Do as you wish.”

In a resigned tone, Sophie hesitated, looking for my reaction before she continued.

“Miss Nelly, the thing is…”

“Sophie!”

Gerald shouted abruptly, cutting off Sophie’s words. But even Gerald didn’t seem at ease. Yeah, what could those people possibly be guilty of? It’s Leonel’s excessive suspicion.

“I’m really fine!”

Because I’m going to get revenge!

I’m a fool for misunderstanding even for a moment!

“I’ll go check the fields for a bit. You can bring the desk inside. You can even tear down the door.”

“Yes…”

Leaving Sophie behind, who responded weakly, I went outside. Then Joseph followed me a little distance away. However, he didn’t follow when I boarded the carriage. Are they just monitoring me near the office?

I wanted to ask more, but as I got off the carriage, I saw another knight.

‘It seems even worse than before.’

But they didn’t used to openly monitor like this before. What on earth… Ah, it’s because of Roman!

He was a spy. And it was even said that he brought wolves into the village and set fire to it. No one knew the real reason, but that person had been chasing me for a while. With Leonel’s personality, he has every reason to suspect me.

‘Let’s not worry about it. It’s not like we haven’t been monitored for a day or two!’

I walked boldly towards the fields.

The men who saw me asked if I was okay one by one. I nodded confidently, and they all seemed to be moving stones.

“Is the irrigation system damaged?”

“Not to that extent, just trying to make some improvements.”

“Well, it was rushed, so there’s a lot to fix, right? I’ll help too!”

As I raised my arm to pick up a stone, Mr. Carlson rushed over in contemplation.

“What are you talking about, for someone whose body is frail? It’s okay. We’ll take care of it. You just stay still, Manager.”

Frail? Even though this person endured three consecutive sleepless nights in hell before dying.

“It’s okay! It’s my fault.”

“Fault? Even if the field goes wrong, we know you worked hard to prevent any harm to us.”

“That’s right. Just rest, Manager.”

“Now, stop talking and go back to the building, quickly!”

Mr. Carlson pushed me into the carriage. When I tried to get off again, the carriage started moving.

‘…I’ve been driven away.’

As soon as I got out of the carriage, I saw Joseph. He was standing in the same spot where I had left. Our eyes met, and he smiled awkwardly.

But can they make surveillance so obvious?

Leaving Joseph, who was loitering around nervously, I went into the office.

I went upstairs and looked around. I couldn’t see Sophie’s desk move into my office, but the door seemed intact.

“Miss Nelly, have you returned?”

“Sophie is inside.”

I nodded to Tom and Gerald and opened the office door. Sophie stood up abruptly. She stood with a stiff posture, like a well-trained knight.

It must be inconvenient for her every time I come and go like this.

“Sophie, you don’t have to be so tense.”

Sophie nodded and sat down. As I closed the door, I observed Sophie. She seemed fidgety as if she had done something wrong.

“The door hasn’t been removed.”

“Oh, yes. I left it because you might need to have private conversations with guests.”

“The Duke ordered it?”

“Yes, no! I mean, no one ordered it.”

She didn’t even ask what I meant. It was Leonel who ordered the surveillance.

Seeing Sophie looking apologetic, I couldn’t bring myself to interrogate her further.

‘Well, what can I do? If it’s Leonel’s orders.’

If you’re going to criticize, criticize from the top down. And perhaps Sophie is also being monitored by someone.

It’s not certain, but it seems that when Leonel’s paranoia reached its peak, he had everyone monitor each other.

I let out a small sigh and returned to my seat. Sophie cautiously opened her mouth as she watched my reaction.

“Ahm, Miss Nelly.”

“Yes?”

“If, just hypothetically, someone were to threaten your own life…”

“T-the Duke want yous to kill me?”

“No! Why would you say something so frightening?”

Right. It’s late-stage paranoia, but Leonel wouldn’t order the death of an innocent person!

As I dismissed these unnecessary thoughts, I faintly heard Sophie muttering.

“It’s the opposite…”

“Yes?”

When I asked again because I couldn’t hear well, she lowered her head.

“Anyway, if someone were to threaten your own life, what would you do?”

“You should probably run away, right?”

“Exactly…”

Sophie muttered seriously and nodded reluctantly.

Is this about me, or is Sophie talking about herself? Who could be threatening someone’s life?

With a worried heart, I pulled a chair closer and held Sophie’s hand.

“Sophie, if someone ever threatens you, be sure to let someone around you know, okay?”

Sophie forced a somewhat unnatural smile and nodded. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she asked another question.

“If leaving Altwood Duchy makes you safer, you’d leave and not come back, right?”

She seemed very anxious.

I firmly held her hand and gave a resolute answer.

“Of course! There are other places to work, and safety comes first!”

“Even if the people around you are looking out for you, you will?”

When I heard those words, it felt like someone else’s story.

I tilted my head and answered.

“Of course. They can’t be with us 24/7.”

“If they could, though?!”

Sophie grabbed my hand tightly and leaned towards me. Instinctively, I moved back.

“Well, wouldn’t that be, I don’t know, a bit uncomfortable?”

“You don’t want to, then…”

“But what’s important is not me, it’s Sophie!”

Sophie tilted her head.

“Me?”

“You said someone threatened your life.”

“Oh! That. That, that’s about someone I know! Not even someone who lives here…….”

She waved her hand dismissively. I tilted my head as I went over the conversation.

“Didn’t you mention the Altwood estate earlier?”

“That was just an example!”

She nodded, then suddenly became focused on her work.

I left her, seemingly lost in thought, and returned to my seat. It was almost time to leave work.

‘It’s the first time leaving work doesn’t feel sweet.’

Normally, I get excited 30 minutes before.

But since I’m going to meet Leonel, I want to sit for another 30 minutes.

I’m just looking through the documents I’ve already organized, and Sophie is tidying up her desk and getting up from her seat.

“Miss Nelly, are you not leaving work?”

“No, you go ahead. I still have some work to finish.”

Sophie glanced outside for a moment and nodded.

“Alright, then I’ll go first. Don’t stay too late; it’s dangerous.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow!”

I waved to Sophie and sat back down. Through the brightly opened door, I could see Tom and Gerald.

Why had she left the door open?

I got up from my seat, intending to close the door quietly so I could lie down and relax a bit.

But suddenly, Gerald raised his head sharply.

“Are you leaving work?”

“I should, I’m off…….”

But I don’t want to. I don’t!

As I hesitated, I could feel Tom and Gerald’s gaze on me. I cleared my throat and organized my desk.

Right. It’s better to face it head-on. What’s the point of postponing it? I have to see Leonel anyway.

I nodded and got up from my seat.

“You two should leave work too.”

“We just finished our work too. Right, Tom?”

“Yes!”

Tom quickly stuffed documents into a drawer and stood up. They followed closely behind me as I left.