Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 75

Episode 75

“Leonel?”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin while still seated. It signaled the end of the meal. He hadn’t even touched the appetizer!

“I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

“Do as you wish.”

Doing as one wishes without even listening? Does he not want to talk to me? Otherwise, it’s impossible to be this dismissive.

Until recently, trusting and leaving people captivated, thinking they wouldn’t be taken from.

I glanced at Leonel’s turned back in frustration.

“What if I expose the Duke’s assets?”

“That’s fine too.”

He didn’t bother to turn and headed towards the dining hall’s entrance, stopping just a few steps away.

“Don’t skip breakfast and go to work.”

He still turned his back on me. Then he just left.

I was suddenly upset and disappointed at the change in his attitude. He seems ready for a confrontation. I finished my breakfast resolutely and headed to the office.

“Good morning!”

As I greeted, some supervisors who were already at work greeted me back. Gerald happened to be there, so I approached him.

“Gerald. Have you heard of a wine called Raeblun?”

Gerald seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

“Yes. We haven’t dealt with them directly, but they are well-known.”

Of course. Seems like they have quite a reputation.

“I’d like to trade with them for the festival banquet. Can you find out if it’s possible to get in touch? I want to discuss quantities and prices.”

“I already have the address. However, coordinating the trade through letters with a foreign supplier might be time-sensitive.”

“Which country is it?”

“It’s the Castern Empire.”

“Neighboring country. Meeting them in person for discussions would probably be better. Could you also send an invitation?”

“Yes. I’ll write everything up and send it.”

“Thank you.”

Gerald immediately started drafting the documents and soon left to send the letter. I bid him farewell with a pleased expression.

The harvest season was approaching, and there was an overwhelming amount of work to be done. I busied myself checking the production quantity and quality, darting around the farmlands in a rush. Particularly large crops were set aside as premium products.

Among them was a cornstalk as tall as my forearm. Even the estate residents were astonished, saying they had never seen such a size.

“Isn’t there an unusually large number of large crops this year?”

“You’re right. It’s all thanks to the estate manager!”

…Thanks to my failed attempt at revenge. I forced a smile and inspected the kale and lettuce fields before returning.

As I checked the harvest compared to the previous year, I realized it was well past closing time. While tidying up, Sophie stood in front of my desk.

“Miss Nelly.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve worked hard today as well.”

“You too, Sophie.”

As I got up from my seat, Sophie cleared her throat.

“Would you like to have a drink after work? Lizzy will be joining us this time.”

Her face showed signs of nervousness.

Come to think of it, I had declined last time fearing I might feel awkward among the knightly background crowd.

This time, there was no such excuse, but a ready and enthusiastic response didn’t come easily.

While I hesitated, Sophie’s shoulders gradually slumped. The faint, bittersweet smile that appeared on her face weighed on my conscience.

“I’ll come.”

Sophie’s face immediately lit up. She pumped her fist and energetically opened the office door.

“Let’s go!”

Gerald and Tom, who were sitting, sprang up.

“Miss Nelly, you’re coming too?!”

“Thank you!”

No, thank you all…

Amidst the commotion, I arrived at the tavern with Gerald, Tom, and Sophie.

We took our seats, and not long after, Lizzy came in. Sophie shook her hand. When Lizzy spotted me, she froze like someone witnessing a unicorn, then rushed towards me and hugged me terrifyingly tight.

“Oof!”

Indeed, Lizzy was sturdy. Her ribcage felt electrifying against my impression, causing Sophie to pry her off. Then, she yelled to the staff.

“Six beers here!”

“No, seven!”

A deep voice interrupted. Faust was coming toward our table. He sat between Tom and Gerald, laughing heartily.

“Hahaha! See? I told you she’d come when I showed up!”

Sophie shook her head.

“Faust, they didn’t even mention you were coming.”

“What? But I said I was coming, didn’t I?”

Faust looked at me in apparent surprise. Sophie pointed at Lizzy, who was clinging tightly to me.

“Lizzy said she’d come too.”

“Miss Nelly…!”

Lizzy covered her mouth with both hands and looked at me, choking up. Gerald received the beers and distributed them, speaking cheerfully.

“Look at that. I said I’d bring Lizzy earlier.”

“But did you have a drink separately with Mr. Faust?”

Amidst the confusion, Tom’s question rang out.

“Yes. When Roman was the ranch keeper, in the cabin.”

“Isn’t that just a coincidence that you happened to meet while going to keep an eye on a suspicious guy, Miss Nelly?”

“Uuh, Mr. Faust, uuh.”

As Tom playfully teased, Sophie and Gerald joined in. Lizzy didn’t understand what was happening, but she laughed along anyway.

Trying to subtly join in with the teasing, I laughed as well. Faust shot me a betrayed look and got upset.

“I didn’t even know if he was that kind of guy at that time?! And even if we met coincidentally, we just had a drink together!”

Tom grabbed the suddenly standing Faust but ended up being dragged along instead.

Amid the surprise, my gaze turned to Tom. Embarrassed, he sat back down with a reddened face. Laughter erupted from all around.

To divert their attention from me, Tom handed a drink to Faust.

“Since you’re up, let’s toast!”

“Alright. A toast to being up!”

“To being up!”

We all echoed, clinking our glasses.

The gathering turned out to be less awkward than I anticipated. Uncomfortable topics didn’t come up. Maybe it was because people in the tavern were used to this kind of banter, but even when we teased each other, folks from nearby tables chimed in.

I initially planned to have just a casual drink and leave…

But as we laughed and chatted, one glass turned into two, and two turned into three.

Tom was the first to succumb at the table. Lizzy was still going strong. Perhaps she seemed sober because more was spilled than consumed.

I still felt sober, or at least I thought so. Laughter came naturally, and my body felt relaxed!

As I rested my chin on the table, Faust’s face suddenly took on a sinister expression.

“Miss Nelly.”

“Yeah?”

“You were walking around with the Duke the other day.”

“Huh? When? Oh. When we were strolling around the village?”

I could feel Sophie, Gerald, and Lizzy’s gaze. Why is everyone giving me sly looks? Did Lizzy spill beer on herself?

“Yeah. It seemed like a nice atmosphere. Huh?”

“Faust, you sound like a rascal…”

“Hahaha! A rascal, they say!”

Tom, who I thought was asleep, jerked awake, slammed the table, laughed, and fell back down.

Gerald let out a sigh, shaking his head in amusement. Sophie used a napkin to cover Tom’s ears.

‘That’s the napkin Lizzy used to wipe the beer she spilled earlier.’

As I absentmindedly looked on, Faust refilled my glass and clinked glasses. At the clear, tingling sound, I turned my head and still saw that sinister smile.

“So, what’s the relationship?”

Relationship? Between Leonel and me? I blinked slowly. Then Leonel’s words came to mind.

“Um… roommates?”

Was I drunk? Suddenly, it seemed like the surroundings grew quiet…

With the noise gone, drowsiness swept over me. I let out a long yawn and slumped onto the table.

‘Who knew I’d collapse faster than Lizzy…’

I dozed off briefly and woke up to loud noises. I felt more clear-headed than before as if the nap had helped sober me up a bit. When I sat up, I saw a disoriented Lizzy.

Sophie and Faust seemed a bit tipsy, their faces flushed. Gerald was the only one seemingly unaffected.

“Miss Nelly, are you awake?”

“Yes. Gerald must have a high alcohol tolerance.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Sophie burst into laughter.

“Look at that, Mr. Faust! Now that she’s sober, she’s using respect again. Saying you’re used to informal speech because of Miss Nelly’s drinking habits?”

“Maybe it’s because we’re close?”

I was startled by their words.

“Informal speech?”

Before I could finish my question, Lizzy, who was beside me, grabbed my sleeve and pulled me firmly.

“Miss Nelly!”

Then, with a stern face, she shouted.

“Please use informal speech with me too!”

How did she manage to make such a firm request?

Accompanied by Faust’s hearty laughter as the background music, I blinked rapidly. With no response, Lizzy shook me back and forth.

“You’re going to do it, right? Informal speech!”

“Uh, yes!”

“Informal speech!”

“Yes! No, yeah!”

Only then did Lizzy release her grip on my sleeve. I shook my dizzy head and took a breath, feeling my arm grow heavy.

When I turned my head, Lizzy, who had been choking up, was hanging onto my arm.

“This is too much. You’re always close with people who are about to leave.”

I was more flustered than when she grabbed me by the collar.

“Me?”

“You even went with drinks to the previous ranch keeper! And with Mr. Frer… and the new visiting poet, you had dinner together. You were so, so relaxed! Joking around!”

Lizzy poured out her words, almost accusingly, her nose sniffling. Then, not long after, she burst into tears.

“You’re not that close with the villagers! Huhu.”

Almost reflexively, I turned to comfort Lizzy. Faust and Sophie used gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements to silently pass Lizzy to each other.

Gerald, who was caught in between, couldn’t bear it anymore and stood up.

“I’ll take her home.”

“Please.”

Gerald nodded and helped Lizzy up. She was taken away weakly, shouting.

“I want you to treat me like that too!”