Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 83

Episode 83

The Queen was intimidating, but my pressing curiosity took precedence. I awaited her to continue speaking with eyes filled with expectation.

“I am a person with many ambitions. Near the borders, there are frequent small and large battles. The royals from neighboring countries don’t hesitate to invade and attempt to reclaim territories if they feel provoked.”

Leonel tried to release my hand. I gripped it as firmly as he did, keeping my gaze on the Queen, just as he had.

The Queen cast a cold, piercing gaze at Leonel. 

“And Leonel is the sharpest and most easily wielded sword I possess. But at some point, it dulled, lost its edge, and seemed to refuse to cut anything.”

“….”

“I granted him a way out, an opportunity to escape. If he can develop the territory within seven years, I will spare him.”

“So that means there are five years left…”

“Yes. In just a few months, it will be down to four years. If he fails to achieve results that satisfy me, he will face execution for defying my orders.”

So, that’s how it was. I thought he worked so diligently that it seemed harsh.

His life was on the line.

The Queen’s expression made it clear. This was not a mere threat or jest. She stared at us alternately with cold, intense eyes, as if she could cut our throats at any moment.

It felt like cold sweat trickled down my forehead and back.

I trembled with fear, but Leonel appeared unperturbed. He even caressed the back of my hand and calmly spoke.

“Nelly manages most of the territory. Taking away capable and dedicated talent from me now is akin to sentencing me to death.”

The Queen silently took a sip of her tea.

I was thirsty too, but my hands were trembling too much to drink the tea.

“If I intend to kill you, are you saying you want me to kill you now, Duke Altwood?”

“Yes.”

What do you mean, “yes”? I’d rather work in any way possible under the Queen.

“Your Majesty, I…”

“I’ll do it.”

The Queen interrupted me and set her teacup down.

To do it meant she would bring me to the palace, right? It wasn’t a sign that she would have Leonel executed right here. 

Swallowing my dry mouth, I looked at the Queen. She met my gaze, then stood up.

“I’m not giving you five years because I want to kill him. I’ll make the same proposal again in five years. Nelly Pepper seems rather fragile, so build up your strength during that time.”

Her gaze lingered for a moment on our joined hands. I was startled and pulled my hand away, but Leonel held onto it.

The Queen glanced at Leonel, gave a wry smile, then turned her attention to me.

“You’ll probably be defiant then too. But I hope you won’t be as visibly terrified as you are now.”

With that, she left the room.

I stared blankly at the closed door.

“Is it okay now?”

Leonel nodded and chuckled silently.

It worked out well, though it went slightly awry in the middle. But it was a relief things were resolved. However, it felt a bit too easy, and I was starting to lose my edge.

I leaned back against the backrest and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was due to the tension, my eyes which had been focused so intently began to sting. I blinked repeatedly, and the back of my hand brushed against my eye.

It was cool and soft, in stark contrast to the warm and rough palm. My body shivered involuntarily. Having my vision obscured was a bit inconvenient.

I was about to remove Leonel’s hand, but he spoke.

“You look pale.”

“I thought Leonel was dying.”

“Hmm…”

Even though they’re the same vowels, the tone sounded slightly different than usual. Could it be that he’s sick? I need to see his face. I tried to move, but Leonel turned his hand as if he could read my thoughts.

His palm completely blocked my vision. I didn’t mind and placed my hand on his forearm, but I couldn’t move it because of the strength difference.

I blinked my eyes as if to tickle his palm, and I heard a heavy breath from in front of me.

“Don’t blink.”

“You want me to keep them open?”

“No, close them. Just for a moment.”

“Is it ticklish?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, why don’t you just move your hand then?”

“It’s an itch.”

Certainly, my stiff eye seemed to be improving a bit. I thought I could do it with my hand, but Leonel lowered his hand.

A moment of silence settled in. I was organizing the Queen’s words and made up my mind.

“I will help.”

“With what?”

“To ensure that Leonel can stay alive five years from now.”

Leonel gave a hesitant smile and reached out his hand. His careful touch landed on my cheek, and he gently brushed away the strands of hair that had clung to my skin due to sweat.

“She doesn’t intend to kill me.”

“But from the rumors, she seemed quite fearsome.”

Of course, rumors were often not to be believed. My rumors were spreading strangely, and I had also heard rumors that Leonel was a ruthless punisher before he died.

So maybe the rumors about the Queen weren’t entirely unfounded?

Given the atmosphere earlier, it seemed unlikely, but appearances could be deceiving!

I looked at Leonel with hopeful eyes, and he nodded.

“In the early days of my reign, she cut the throats of opposing factions and hung them in front of the palace.”

In history books, some rulers committed cruel acts during the early days of their reign to strengthen their power. Now that the monarchy had been established, it should be fine. But Leonel added more.

“It seems she still does that from time to time to those who can’t understand a word.”

“Even now?”

She’s scarier than the rumors!

“We’re fine. As long as people can communicate, she doesn’t act cruelly.”

Still, the thought of my neck being on the line if I made a mistake was chilling. My spine shivered with apprehension. As I shuddered, there was a knock at the door.

Turning my head toward the sound of the door opening, I saw Levance standing there.

He looked at us with his mouth wide open, then burst into a fit of coughing, his lips trembling as if trying to suppress laughter.

“Khhhhh. Khhhhhh!”

What’s going on? Why is he acting like this? Maybe he has something to say to Leonel separately? I was about to get up to make room for them, but…

“Oh my!”

Leonel’s hand was still holding mine.

I completely forgot I was holding his hand! How could I let that happen?

In shock, I quickly pulled my hand away, and Leonel raised his left eyebrow.

Levance, despite the stern looks he received, seemed amused.

“Seems like I’ve interrupted a good moment. Sorry about that.”

“Get out.”

“Yes!”

“Not you, Nelly… Levance…”

Leonel seemed to be saying something, but I was eager to escape the embarrassing situation, so I rushed out of the room.

My face was burning. I went to the garden to cool off. The fairly chilly breeze brushing against my face as I walked through the garden seemed to clear my head a bit.

As I strolled along, I remembered the hand that had brushed my cheek, and I felt a little dizzy again.

‘Snap out of it! Think about something else!’

I slapped my cheeks twice, trying to refocus my thoughts.

‘So, he said there are five years left, right?’

Does that mean I had two years left before my time was up? I remembered that I had received immigrants and was expanding the territory around that time, so it felt like I was running late.

‘What will happen to Leonel after I’m gone?’

He was working tirelessly, so the territory must have expanded as much as he wanted. Whatever happened, I hoped he wouldn’t die.

Carrying a heavy heart, I wandered, lost in thought, and was about to turn back when I saw someone emerging from the castle.

Judging by the extravagant attire, they seemed to be one of the guests. I accidentally made eye contact and lowered my head slightly.

The man walked towards me without offering a greeting, not bothering to bow or acknowledge me.

“So, you must be the estate manager of the rumors?”

I was tired of being called the estate manager of the rumors. Suppressing a sigh, I faced the man.

“Yes, I’m Manager Nelly Pepper.”

I had seen this person a few times before my impending death. He was the man that Leonel had warned me about yesterday, Devondus Altwood.

He was Leonel’s uncle, the closest relative to Leonel. Consequently, he was invited every year to the anniversary dinner. 

‘It’s rare for him to come in person this year. He was quite reserved at the dinner table as well.’

He didn’t seem to have a good relationship with Leonel. Usually, he would send a representative, and his coming in person was a rare occurrence.

However, when he did come, he always picked fights with someone. He didn’t treat the staff or servants well, often ignoring their greetings. Yet, if someone didn’t greet him, he would bear a grudge.

Seeing him approach me, I could already guess the reason he came this year.

‘He’s here to see me.’

I didn’t want to see him at all. It reminded me of an unsettling dream I had a while ago. Just looking at his face made me uncomfortable. Dreams were just dreams, but since Leonel had warned me, I decided to retreat to my room.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll go inside first.”

“You’re quite bold.”

Devondus blocked my way as I tried to step aside. It was clear that he was looking for a confrontation. His personality was so dreadful that avoiding him was not out of fear but disgust.

“Try to provoke Leonel, but not me.”

It was obvious that whatever he was about to say would be nonsense. I chose to ignore him and quickly walked toward the entrance. However, Devondus grabbed my wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I only feel threatened by people who can harm me!

I pulled my hand away and glared at him, but Devondus lecherously leered at me from head to toe. Then, with a distasteful chuckle, he entered the house.

My heart raced, and my breathing grew heavy. I stood there, seething, but the door opened, and Leonel came outside.

He looked at me and smiled warmly.

“Why are you fuming like an angry hedgehog all by yourself?”

Should I tell him about Devondus? No, it wasn’t like he did anything to me. My gaze may have been disdainful, but that’s it.

“It’s nothing.”

“Hmm…”

Leonel leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, and it seemed like he wasn’t going to move until I said more.

“I just ran into someone unpleasant, that’s all.”

“Uncle?”

Reluctantly, I nodded my head. Leonel’s expression soured. I turned him around and pushed him inside.

“However, nothing serious happened.”

“Tell me. I’ll be the judge.”

“I just found his staring annoying.”

Leonel stopped walking, and although we were just steps away from the room, he didn’t push forward. He lowered his head and grumbled for a moment, then raised his head to look at me.

“Is that all you found annoying?”

“Yes.”

He looked skeptical. His lips involuntarily curled in a sardonic smile. Stepping back, he clenched his fists just like before.

“I told you it was nothing.”

I tried to speak with confidence and firmness, but the words that came out of my mouth sounded hesitant and faltering.

Leonel burst into laughter. He draped his arm around my shoulder, and as we climbed the stairs, his movements were as fluid as water, leaving me no room to evade.

“You’ll probably be in a bad mood until he returns. Try not to let it bother you.”

“Okay.”

I had thought about apologizing when I next met Devondus, but I needed to hold back. I sighed internally and arrived at the front of the room.

Leonel was still by my side. Since he wasn’t the type to offer a good night wish, I waited, thinking he had something to say.

After a moment of silence, he looked down at me and finally spoke.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Uh, yes.”

“Have pleasant dreams.”

Could there be a more awkward farewell? Even to my surprise, I felt like I was about to burst into laughter. As I bit my cheek to control my smile, the awkwardness seemed to linger.

“Good night, Leonel.”

He lightly caressed my head and turned away. I stood, halfway out of my senses, watching Leonel disappear down the corridor.

Later, I entered my room and leaned against the door. Covering my face with both hands, the warmth of my palms clung to my skin.

Even after I cooled my palms, my ears and the back of my neck were still burning hot. I sat there like that for a while.