Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 77

Episode 77

The expression she had was truly fitting for someone who seemed confident and undaunted, truly befitting of the head of a prestigious house.

Other people might have been nervous due to gains and losses, but not me!

“Please come this way.”

I guided her into the annex. It was all furnished with the finest, yet it didn’t seem to impress her. However, she frowned as she observed the servants bustling about.

“Manager.”

“Yes! Lady Raeblun, feel free to call me Nelly.”

Her finger pointed towards the Duke’s servants.

“I want my people by my side. If possible, I’d like the Duke’s servants to be removed.”

Her disdain came across very naturally. There was an atmosphere that shouldn’t be messed with.

“I’ll inform the butler after the deal is done.”

I spoke and gestured to the servants. A sharp-witted maid bowed and greeted, then led the other servants out.

Soon, Lady Raeblun’s servants filled the annex. She gestured for one of the servants.

“Bring the carriage.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Although I felt like a guest at my own home, the taste of the tea was so excellent that I forgot about it. While I was still amazed, Lady Raeblun began to speak.

“Shall we get into the main discussion then?”

“Of course. I’ve reviewed the purchase list you sent.”

“Any products you particularly like?”

I pointed at the wine at the top of the list I had brought along.

“I’ll purchase 100 bottles of this one!”

“Are you sure about that? While all the wines we handle at Raeblun are top-notch, it might be better to choose based on the evening’s cuisine or the guests’ preferences.”

“No. Expensive is the best!”

“The most expensive, you say… Well, before making a decision, take a look at this too.”

As Lady Raeblun flicked her hand, a servant who had been waiting brought another list.

“We usually don’t bring this out casually, but we’re showing you this especially.”

Goodness. I almost let my tongue slip seeing the wicked prices of the wines on this list. With the price of just two bottles from this list, I could buy myself a cabin.

“It’s completely different from mass-produced wines. It’s excellent for gifting.”

Lady Raeblun’s voice broke through my dazed thoughts. When I looked at the prices again, I felt light-headed. It was a price I couldn’t afford in my right mind.

“For gifts, you should know their taste…”

“If it’s for the Queen of Attenu, I know her taste. She prefers Diwi or Crure.”

It seemed they had even researched the people coming to the dinner. This person is good at business. I nodded absentmindedly while thinking to myself.

“Alright. Then I’ll buy one bottle…this too.”

“I’ll send the wine on the day before the dinner so that the taste remains unchanged.”

As Lady Raeblun flicked her hand, a servant brought the contract. I wrote down the name, quantity, and price of the wine I selected.

“Payment?”

“We’ll handle it with a receipt.”

As we exchanged the contract and the receipt, I heard Lady Raeblun’s voice.

“We’re done, so you can leave.”

I thought she was talking to a servant, but she was looking at me. I blinked my eyes in surprise, and she pointed to the door with her finger.

I hastily went outside. After briefly checking near the entrance, I went inside the main building to meet the master.

“Butler! Lady Raeblun said she’s going to need a top servant.”

“Yes. I heard.”

Nodding his head, I reflexively glanced around.

“Are you looking for His Grace?”

“Ah, no?”

I straightened up. My mouth dropped open and I felt a rush of embarrassment at the sight of the butler.

“It’s been almost a week since I’ve seen His Grace properly. Why is he avoiding me so much?”

“You think the duke is avoiding you?”

The butler had a surprised expression.

“The Duke usually doesn’t come out of the room if he has something to think deeply about.”

“For 10 days straight?”

“He has work to do as well. These days, he’s been handling work from his room.”

“So, he’s been in his room all this time? He wouldn’t even open the door when I knocked…”

As I grumbled, the butler defended Leonel in a reassuring tone.

“When he’s in that state, he avoids meeting people. He’s not avoiding you, Miss Nelly.”

“But the morning before he locked himself in, during breakfast, he acted like he was avoiding me.”

“That…”

The butler hesitated for a moment and then smiled awkwardly as if trying to placate me.

“I can’t discuss the Duke’s issues, but, certainly, it’s not because he has negative feelings toward you. I’m sure.”

…This is a problem. I thought he was avoiding me, so I tried to use the money to make him notice, but he was just cooped up in his room!

Should I go to Lady Raeblun now and ask for a retreat? No, that’s unlikely. I should have asked the butler much earlier.

The butler smiled as if to reassure me about how I was reacting.

“Perhaps, around the time he finishes work, you might find him near the annex.”

“Is he done with his contemplation?”

“It’s not like that. However, as a noble from the Castern Empire has come as a guest, he should at least greet them.”

“…Who is it?”

“Don’t you know? I thought you knew, considering the lavish renovations of the annex.”

I had no idea what they were talking about. I just kept blinking my eyes, and the butler added an explanation.

“The person who has arrived at the annex is the sister of the Duke of the Castern Empire.”

My mind went blank. A foreboding feeling swept over me.

This, this can’t be. It feels like when my revenge plan failed!

“Why is someone like that working for the upper estate?”

“It’s probably due to a cultural difference.”

Nobles from the Kingdom of Attenu don’t directly involve themselves in handling money. They might oversee agricultural matters on their estates, but they leave the selling of produce and generating profits to estate managers or stewards.

In particular, they tended to look down on dealing with what they considered base matters.

So, I never imagined a noble from another country would be the upper estate steward.

‘No wonder the disdain seemed so natural.’

“Could I have made a mistake?”

“Do not worry. If you had, you’d probably have turned into a ghost haunting the annex.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I instinctively checked if my neck was intact. The butler smiled at my reaction.

“I was just joking.”

“…Are you sure?”

The butler smiled without saying anything and then turned away.

“Well, I shall take my leave then.”

With that, the butler quickly left.

That’s why I felt like it was true! …I shouldn’t say a word near the annex. If I let my guard down and offend someone, it could get me into trouble.

Wait, what about the person who came with them? Since they mentioned family, could they be from the Duke’s family?

As I returned to the management office, I told the supervisors to be respectful if they happened to encounter them.

After finishing my work, I rushed to Hadiger’s cabin.

“Hadiger!”

He opened the door and stepped aside.

“Nelly? Long time no see.”

“Yeah. I have something to discuss.”

I quickly pushed aside the image of Leonel that came to mind.

“Is the name of the wine producer ‘Raeblun’?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Don’t trust me?”

“I do! Just… Ah! By any chance, is the producer a noble?”

“A noble? That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

He seemed clueless. But why do I feel so anxious? It feels just like when my revenge plan failed!

I kept blinking, and Hadiger invited me inside. He casually started preparing dinner and continued to speak.

“But maybe a noble is sponsoring it? Otherwise, how could they trade with the royal family using that awful wine?”

“The royal family? Didn’t you say you heard it from nobles last time?”

“…As if the Queen had tasted it and rinsed her mouth out. That’s what the noble said.”

The slow slicing momentarily stopped. It was brief, but it was clear.

There was a moment of silence. Unusual, tinged with discomfort, unlike the usual silences.

‘When a noble sticks out their tongue and says something, it must have been that. The noble said the Queen tasted it and rinsed her mouth out.’

I pushed away the discomfort and pretended to be nonchalant, carefully choosing my words.

“So, do you happen to know someone named Raeblun?”

“…No.”

“The current wine producer is called Raeblun, or that’s what the noble said. A noble from the Castern Empire.”

“Are you sure the top of the wine is named Raeblun?”

Hadiger paused in his slicing and turned around. Something was off in his tone.

Anxiety rushed in. Something was going wrong. What should I do? What if the wine I purchased tastes so good that it appeals to the Queen?

Come to think of it, Lady Raeblun knew even the Queen’s preferences! I thought he was just showing off… This is bad.

“Wasn’t the name of the producer mentioned in the letter?”

“The name was mentioned. But how would I know a noble from another country? We hardly know our nobles here!”

Surely Raeblun and the one I contracted with, which Hadiger told me about, wouldn’t be completely different places?

“Hadiger! Can you write down the name of the producer?”

“Why?”

His tone was tinged with an unusual sense of vigilance, unlike his usual self.

“…Just in case the names of two producers, with similar spellings, got mixed up.”

“Alright.”

It’s strange. I stared intently at Hadiger’s back.

It seemed the same as usual, yet oddly off. It was odd that the conversation didn’t flow smoothly, and there was a subtle sense of unease.

“Hadiger.”

“Yep?”

“We’re friends, right?”

“Out of the blue?”

He asked with a playful voice, reaching for the tray. I stood up and carried the potato salad and neatly sliced bread to the dining table.

“Just asking.”

Hadiger sat down at the table. Even though his face was directly in front of somewhere, I had the feeling he was looking at me.

I placed the food in front of him and took his hand, guiding him to where the food and utensils were. After getting my portion, I went back to my usual spot.

As we exchanged small talk and finished our meal, Hadiger brought out a pen and paper.

“Here. The name of the Raeblun producer.”

“Thanks!”

“If it turns out to be a different producer with a similar name, and the wine appeals to the Queen, what will you do?”

“I’ll figure that out when the time comes. Thanks for dinner today!”

“Take care.”