Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 49

Episode 49

Why are they acting so awkward?

Tom and Gerald took a step back when they noticed I was watching them discreetly.

“Well, go on in.”

We exchanged greetings and fumbled around to find the carriage. By the time I got into the carriage, Joseph was nowhere to be seen.

He must have gone home. As I leaned back in my seat, Tom and Gerald approached the carriage.

I wondered if they had something to say, so I opened the window. Tom glanced at Gerald briefly and cleared his throat.

“Well, Miss Nelly.”

“Yes?”

“Can we ride on your carriage?”

“Of course!”

I opened the door, and Gerald and Tom entered.

“We usually walk, but today, my leg is hurting.”

“You walk around?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to ask but decided not to.

Well, now that they’re no longer knights, they must have sold their horses. It’s expensive and costs a lot to maintain.

“So, do you walk when you go to check the district as well?”

Tom and Gerald nodded.

No wonder it takes so long.

I should suggest building a stable next to the administration building so they can ride when they go out for work.

As I was lost in thought, the view outside the window had changed.

I looked at the scenery and Tom and Gerald, and suddenly, it occurred to me.

“Oh, wait! Gerald, I think we passed your house. Shouldn’t Tom’s house be to the left from here?”

“You even remembered where we live!”

“Hah!”

“Well, it’s not the time to be touched… We drove past your house?”

It would be another long walk back to his house. I opened the window to stop the carriage immediately. 

But then Gerald closed the window.

“It’s fine. Since it’s turned out this way, it’s been a while since we’ve had a drink with the knights. Hahaha.”

As I nodded, the carriage came to a stop. After exchanging greetings with Tom and Gerald, I entered the castle.

As I headed upstairs to the office, I ran into Sophie on her way down.

“Oh? Sophie?”

“Miss Nelly.”

She said she was leaving work, so why was she in the castle? I tilted my head and looked at her, and she gave me an awkward and ambiguous smile.

“I… I…”

I glanced at where she came from, which was in the direction of Leonel’s office.

Ah, she must be here to report on what she observed to Leonel.

Before Sophie could feel any more uncomfortable, I smiled broadly at her.

“Tom and Gerald mentioned they were going to have a drink with the other knights. Did Sophie come here for that too?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right.”

“Just don’t drink too much and be late!”

Leaving Sophie behind, looking apologetic, I continued up the stairs.

When I knocked on the office door, I heard an invitation to enter.

I opened the door.

The mastermind behind all of this, Leonel, was looking at some documents. When I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, he set down his pen and tilted his head.

“Your glare has become impolite again. What happened?”

“Nothing.”

I dragged a chair haphazardly and walked in, sitting down face-to-face with Leonel. We exchanged a firm handshake. I could feel his gaze, but I didn’t return it. Instead, I brought out a blank piece of paper and a pen.

‘To make them spy on me, even though we trust and help each other!’

I didn’t like it. I just wanted to quickly write down the formula for liquid fertilizer and go have dinner. I started by writing down the cleanest eggshells at the top. Suddenly, a good idea crossed my mind.

‘What if I just write anything randomly?’

If the plants die, it’s fine. Even if they don’t, that’s okay too! Revenge may have failed, but I still want to disrupt Leonel’s plans. Since I already know all the ingredients going in, if I just write down different quantities…

“The Queen showed a lot of interest.”

“What?”

I was surprised, my head snapping up from my thoughts. Leonel, still holding his chin, raised his gaze from the paper he was examining.

“Her Majesty is quite interested in your liquid fertilizer. When I reported it, she expressed a desire to see its effects in the garden herself.”

No, why did you have to tell her that? Now I can’t just write anything randomly. I can’t afford to make any mistakes. I felt like my neck was getting cold, and I swallowed hard to clear my dry throat.

“Haha, indeed.”

My palm was sweating. I wiped it once against my skirt to make it dry and gripped the pen again.

I can’t write casually anymore. Not a single mistake is allowed. I must be precise down to every detail, even the order.

As I took a deep breath, Leonel spoke again.

“Have you had dinner?”

“You mean supper?”

“Yes.”

“I plan to finish writing this down and then have dinner.”

“Hmm…”

I took another deep breath and continued to recall the instructions for making the liquid fertilizer.

Leonel got up from his seat, whether in agreement or not, and I continued to write down the meticulous details of the process, such as how long to brew the tea and how many milliliters of vinegar to soak the eggshells in for how many days.

I finished writing down the instructions, including mixing the concentrate into the oak barrel filled with spring water, and Leonel spoke up.

“Is it all done?”

“Yes! I’m done now.”

“Let’s go have dinner.”

Leonel cut me off before I could finish speaking. There was something peculiar in his tone.

“I did plan to have dinner, but…”

Surely he doesn’t mean we should eat together?

“I asked for dinner to be prepared. Eat before you go.”

Is that right?

“Just the two of us?”

“Is there anyone else here?”

What could his intention be? He was considerate in the morning, watched me when he wasn’t around, and now he wanted to treat me to a delicious meal in the evening.

What is he up to?

It’s more than just a simple favor. He assigned Sophie to monitor me and asked for a separate report.

Could it be that he sprinkled poison instead of sauce? Is he trying to serve me a confession drug instead of a beverage?

I narrowed my eyes, full of suspicion, and glared at him.

When our eyes met, Leonel made an expression that seemed displeased, then let out a faint sigh.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I was thinking of preparing roast pork with horned chicken inside…”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to!”

As I got up from my seat, Leonel chuckled softly and turned away. Roast pork with horned chicken inside? I had never seen or heard of such a dish in my entire life. Moreover, horned chicken was a rare and expensive ingredient, even for nobility. I thought only royalty ate that kind of food, but then again, Leonel was part of the royal family.

‘Still, I’ve never indulged in extravagant meals like this.’

They might use a lot of spices, but that was common among nobles. As I thought about the kind of food Leonel usually ate, it became increasingly suspicious.

‘Did I agree to this for no reason?’

Just as I was considering whether to leave, a servant entered carrying a large tray. Three maids rushed in and placed silver plates on the banquet table.

When I lifted the lid, a remarkable piece of roast pork appeared before me.

“Goodness.”

I was so surprised that my mouth hung open, but suddenly, a servant approached and took my plate away. What’s going on? Give it back.

I reached out my hand, but the servant politely spoke.

“His Grace has requested that you change seats.”

I looked at Leonel, who was sitting opposite me, or at least I tried to. However, between us was an extremely long dining table and a massive roast pork. In reality, I could only see the top of Leonel’s head.

‘Well, not seeing his face while eating might be better for my mental health.’

Even so, I had no choice but to get up since I was asked to move.

The servant placed a plate to Leonel’s left. I was now sitting on Leonel’s right, an arrangement that brought back unpleasant memories.

I stood still because I didn’t want to sit, and then I heard Leonel’s voice.

“Did the plate do something wrong?”

“What?”

“You were giving it a funny look.”

When I glared at him with a chubby face, Leonel turned his head and took a sip of water.

Embarrassed? Well, I had no intention of joking and making him feel embarrassed!

“I’ll sit on the opposite side.”

“Whatever is comfortable for you.”

As Leonel gestured with his eyes, the servant began to move the plates around the long dining table.

I was about to follow the servant, but Leonel stopped me.

“Go around.”

He didn’t like someone passing behind him. What could be the matter?

As if sensing my suspicion, he flicked his left eyebrow meaningfully.

“Be careful not to faint on your way back; it would ruin the meal.”

“I won’t faint from just that.”

I grumbled timidly but followed Leonel’s instructions because I didn’t want to go too far away. I sat down and waited for a moment until a servant placed a plate in front of me.

“But isn’t the roast too far away?”

“The chef will handle the carving. You can enjoy some appetizers while you wait.”

Carving? I was gazing absentmindedly at the beautifully roasted pig, and then a servant brought me an appetizer.

Soon after, the chef came out and made a graceful bow.

“Your Grace, as you requested, we have prepared the finest dish for replenishing your energy. This dish took a total of 32 hours to prepare…”

How long did it take? With astonishment in my eyes, I looked at the roasted pig. The chef puffed his chest up with a satisfied smile after finishing his explanation. Then, he lifted a large kitchen knife.

I was mesmerized by watching the meat being expertly sliced, and I tilted my head.

“Your Grace?”

Leonel, who was eating the appetizer, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“32 hours would be around the time I just woke up…”

“That’s right.”

“Did you regain a lot of energy? Or were you worried that I might collapse like I did before?”

He put down his utensils and touched his forehead.

He stroked his temples with his finger, looking at me with his bright red eyes as if trying to gauge if I was in my right mind.

“The ranch keeper…”

Frer? Why is Frer’s name coming up here?

I tilted my head and stared at him quietly, and he sighed.

“It’s funny that I’m even saying this. Alright, let’s eat.”