Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 50

Episode 50

I started with the appetizer. The tenderness of the sweetbreads and the perfect hint of lime zest invigorated my taste buds. I was already curious about the main course’s taste. As I eagerly awaited the sliced meat that was coming my way on the tray, Leonel spoke up.

“Change your room.”

“Suddenly? Where to?”

“Nature.”

Does he mean to live according to my true nature, as in human nature? Or does he mean another nature, a different one?

Were there two castles?

I was wracking my brain trying to figure it out when Leonel abruptly interrupted my thoughts.

“Don’t escape reality.”

So, he meant that nature. It was about his room in this castle.

“I like my room.”

“I’ll decorate it the same as your old room.”

“I prefer the West Tower.”

“We plan to close that off.”

“Why?”

Leonel fell silent.

I stared at him in silence as I continued to eat the appetizer. After I finished chewing and swallowing, Leonel responded.

“There are too many bugs.”

“That’s the case everywhere.”

“Even the mice are coming out.”

“Where is a place without mice?”

“…They say even ghosts come out.”

Oh, that’s a bit…

I don’t like ghosts. Without realizing it, I found myself frowning. Then, feeling strange, I spoke up.

“I haven’t heard a scream. Are there ghosts?”

“You haven’t heard a scream?”

Leonel smiled meaningfully.

Come to think of it, I think I heard a scream in my sleep a few days ago.

But, that was just a bug!

Did a bug and a ghost appear at the same time? Or did Mary tell a well-intentioned lie because she was afraid I’d be scared?

I stared in confusion, and a servant brought a roast pig that the chef had dismantled.

Leonel elegantly picked up a fork and knife.

“Anyway, the West Tower will be closed for a while. There are only a few maids and you there anyway.”

“When are we moving then?”

“Tomorrow.”

That’s sooner than I thought.

But is it true that ghosts come out?

I haven’t seen it myself, and it’s a hassle to move rooms. I feel like I could just stay in the West Tower.

Of course, it’s not a bad instinct. But the instinct is far from the dining hall.

There’s a way to have breakfast with Leonel, but I don’t know if he’ll allow it. Even if he did, I didn’t want to.

“You seem unwilling.”

“Yes, well…”

“Then, use the West Tower by yourself.”

“Can I do that?”

As I hesitated, Leonel flashed a wicked smile without my knowledge.

“If you like being alone with ghosts in a closed tower, who am I to stop you?”

“I’ll move.”

“Wise decision.”

Leonel left me with words that I couldn’t tell if he was complimenting or mocking me with his indifferent tone.

I picked up the fork and knife after playfully glancing at him and cutting into the meat. When I put it in my mouth, it melted as soon as it touched my tongue. I looked at the chef in surprise before focusing on the meat.

They said it was food that would replenish my energy, and it felt like I was getting stronger as I ate!

However, even after eating until I was about to burst, the food didn’t diminish.

“What should I do with the leftovers?”

“Give them to the knights and servants.”

After the servants cleared the food, dessert was served. It was a tart topped with seasonal fruits.

As I took a bite of the tart, the plate was pushed towards me.

Leonel had pushed his dessert plate toward me.

What’s this? Why is he doing this? Isn’t he particularly interested in strawberries?

No. I’ve always had a sweet tooth! I just happen to like strawberries.

“Your Grace, when people do things they don’t usually do, something must be bothering them.”

Leonel looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘What do you want me to do?’

I took a bite of the tart he’d generously offered me. and as I chewed, I made a small, appreciative sound as if I understood what he was doing that he didn’t usually do.

“They say that eating sweets gives you energy.”

This time, I looked at Leonel with a “what the hell” look on my face.

After exchanging friendly yet distant expressions a few times, silence fell between us. As we sipped our drinks, Leonel got up from his seat. I followed him and mentioned something that had crossed my mind on our way out.

“By the way, I wish you’d put a stable next to the management’s office. I noticed that Tom and Gerald were walking around all the time, and I think Sophie was too.”

“They’re tough, so it doesn’t matter.”

“But with the weather getting hotter…”

“Did they whine to you about how hard it was?”

“No! It’s just that it takes twice as long to walk. It’s not like they can’t ride, and it’s less efficient.”

“Hmm…”

“I think it would be much more convenient to ride Guadang than keeping a carriage waiting all the time.”

“I’ll tell Levance to arrange it.”

Surprisingly, permission was granted easily this time. It seemed that Leonel valued efficiency above all else. As I pondered this, I spotted the staircase.

“Well then, Your Grace, please go ahead. Thank you for the meal today.”

Leonel nodded lightly and ascended the stairs. I also headed towards the entrance.

Since it wasn’t too late yet, should I go see Guadang?

As I hummed to myself, Leonel called out to me.

“Nelly Pepper.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t think about going to see the donkey. Go back to your room.”

“…Can you hear my thoughts by any chance?” 

Leonel sighed as if he had a headache, shaking his head as he ascended the stairs. I stood there until he had completely reached the upper floor, then turned around.

I should go see Guadang!

* * *

Leonel stood by the window. Along the path in the garden, faint lamp lights were moving. Judging by the way the light swayed up and down, it seemed like someone was walking with small, hopping steps. The pace was very slow compared to that.

Leonel immediately recognized who the owner of the light was.

“I told you to go back to your room.”

Leonel sighed, and the butler offered him a warm cup of tea, touching his forehead.

“It’s evening tea, Your Grace. Shall I assign an escort to Miss Nelly?”

Leonel was about to say yes, but then he closed his mouth.

“I’ll go myself.”

He followed Nelly, recalling what Sophie had reported a few hours ago. He had been right. He expected Nelly to leave the estate if she felt a threat to her life. However, he didn’t want to lose Nelly Pepper.

‘All because of those useless spies. She’s too talented to lose.’

Guarding wasn’t difficult. After all, the estate didn’t accept refugees, and security was strict, so strangers would quickly draw attention. However, with a sense of unease, Leonel gathered a few knights and former knights who could be of use.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not discreet surveillance. Just don’t explain why. If she realizes her life is in danger, she’ll leave.”

Nelly might leave the estate! The knights and former knights pledged never to say a word.

‘I never knew they’d keep so quiet.’

He thought that Sophie, Tom, and Gerald, in particular, might blurt it out if Nelly Pepper pressed them.

‘Or is she pretending not to know?’

She was quite perceptive, so it was possible.

Even if she didn’t know the exact reason, she would have noticed people circling her.

Leonel walked alongside Nelly, keeping a considerable distance from her.

“Guadang, hm hm! Adorable Guadang.”

Nelly’s footsteps were cheerful, and she continued to hum the strange song she had been singing while leaving the castle. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that someone might be targeting her life. Unconsciously, Leonel let out a small laugh.

‘By the way, how long is she going to sing this strange song?’

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Nelly suddenly stopped singing and sharply turned her head. Leonel instinctively concealed himself.

Nelly briefly looked around and then entered the clearing.

“Guadang!”

Hearing Nelly’s voice, Frer, yawning, came out of the cabin.

“Did you come?”

“Yes. Please bring Guadang out for me.”

Frer replied briefly and turned around.

In an instant, Frer’s gaze grazed the spot where Leonel was hiding. Did their eyes meet? Before Leonel could confirm, Frer’s gaze remained fixed on Nelly.

There was no particular effort to conceal himself, but it was a sufficient distance. An ordinary person would not easily notice him, just like Nelly Pepper.

‘Is it because of her mood?’

Leonel stared intensely at Frer. However, Frer entered the stable without giving Leonel’s hiding place a second glance. He then brought out a black donkey and tethered it to a long hitching post. Nelly caressed the donkey’s neck and offered it an apple.

“I’m going to take Guadang with me when I leave.”

Afterward, their conversation continued, but the exact content was hard to hear. Leonel moved a bit closer, sensing the opportunity. The donkey, feeling the movement, turned its head. Leonel was on the side where he was hiding.

He concealed himself and held his breath, expecting Frer to notice where he was hiding since the donkey had moved. However, Frer’s gaze shifted in the opposite direction.

Frer, who had been staring intently into the darkness, spoke to Nelly.

“By the way, Miss Nelly, did I mention that I extended the contract?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“How long did you extend it for? 10 years? 100 years? How did you extend it?”

“Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain.”

Frer and Nelly went inside the cabin. Watching their actions, Leonel involuntarily furrowed his brow.

Even though he knew them well, the clearing was quite distant from the village. Moreover, it was teeming with wildlife, so even if there were screams, there was a high chance they would go unnoticed.

‘But to enter without any suspicion…’

There was a notable lack of tension.

With an uneasy expression, Leonel slowly approached the cabin.