Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 88

Episode 88

“I knew your habits and tastes, but I didn’t know much else.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“That you weren’t close to me?”

“No. I didn’t want future me to be jealous.”

“What are you saying!”

Seriously, it’s cheeky in a weird way.

“By the way, I heard you used to be quite a troublemaker when you were young.”

“Well…”

“I heard that you used to run away to the palace when the governess came.”

“Did the butler tell you?”

“No. Hadiger said he heard it from someone who was around when Leonel was growing up…….”

As I talked, something felt off. 

The people who would be present to witness the childhood of nobility would typically be long-serving servants or tutors, perhaps governesses at most. They would have a strong sense of loyalty. 

But would they gossip so extensively about their young master like this? 

Even if such rumors did accidentally leak, they wouldn’t usually remember them in such detail. 

Unless, of course, they were genuinely interested in Leonel.

“Any other stories?”

“I also know that you were close to the royal family that took refuge from the Desatell Kingdom.”

“I was thinking of letting him go once the festivities were over, but I’ll have to meet him.”

“Hadiger?”

“Yeah.”

There was a slight shyness in his response.

“You don’t have to be so self-conscious.”

Leonel smiled softly and naturally lay down, his head resting on my thigh. Unconsciously, I tensed my leg, which caused Leonel’s laughter to grow louder.

He reached up and gently cupped my cheek. Not knowing how to react, I sat still for a moment and then lowered his hand, tracing his knuckles.

Leonel closed his eyes with a smile.

“Do you want to rest a bit? I’ll wake you up when it’s dinner time.”

“Yeah.”

I watched him fall asleep. I hadn’t done anything, yet time had passed quickly.

‘Is this what it’s like to find someone amusing just by looking at their face?’

As dinnertime approached, I didn’t want to wake him since he was sleeping so peacefully. 

Instead of shaking his shoulders to rouse him, I gently brushed his nose and eyebrows and pinched his cheek lightly. He was still sleeping like an angel, without a single stir.

Watching him made me feel drowsy as well. I was about to wake him up properly before the knock at the door interrupted.

“Miss Nelly, it’s dinnertime.”

At the same time, Leonel’s eyes flickered. He slowly woke up, his face showing signs of confusion.

“Miss Nelly, are you sleeping?”

“No, I’ll be out soon.”

Leonel shook his head as if to clear it, then rubbed his face. I got up from the sofa, tidied his hair, and together we left the room.

People had already gathered at the dining table. As Leonel and I sat down, the food started to arrive.

Throughout the meal, Levance kept alternating his gaze between Leonel and me, wearing a concerned expression. I swallowed a sigh and whispered to him.

“In truth, I decided to be in a relationship with Leonel yesterday.”

I quickly followed up with a brief explanation and apology for lying. 

Finally, Levance’s face relaxed.

With a lighter heart, I eagerly awaited dessert.

Soon, the strawberry compote milk pudding came out. Out of habit, I glanced at Leonel. As he was staring at me, our eyes met.

‘Have you noticed what His Grace seems to be particularly fond of these days?’

Leonel is looking at me. Am I that good to look at while eating the main course? His affection feels so vivid that it’s overwhelming. I chuckled and offered him the pudding.

“Do you want to switch?”

“Sure.”

He took the pudding from me, and I started eating the salad. As I dug into it, I could hear Leonel’s laughter.

“You look like a rabbit.”

“Could you use a cooler metaphor?”

“A cool rabbit, then.”

I wanted to make a pouty face, but I couldn’t stop laughing. In the end, I gave up on pretending to be sulky.

As I continued to eat the salad, memories of the day I died came to mind. I didn’t feel scared or anxious.

‘Is it because of Leonel? Or is it because the salad tastes different?’

The dressing back then seemed a bit sharper and tangier. I took another bite of the salad while looking at Leonel. His forehead was slightly furrowed.

Leonel sipped his wine and then gently scooped some strawberry compote with his fork. He furrowed his brow again.

“Why? Does it taste strange?”

“A little. It’s prickly.”

Suddenly, it felt like a cold wave had crashed over me. The peace I had just enjoyed felt like the calm before a storm.

“Leonel, don’t eat it.”

I took the milk pudding away from him and turned my head. Devondus Altwood had a smug expression on his face, unlike in the nightmare I had once dreamed, where he was displeased.

It was as if a trapper had caught a leopard in a snare set for a domestic cat.

Could Devondus have poisoned the pudding? 

If he had added poison to the pudding meant for me, it would have been an attempt to kill me. But why would Devondus want to kill me? He had no reason to. So poisoning me doesn’t make sense.

‘Is it just a delusion born from my vivid recollection of my death in that dream?’

That seems to be the most plausible explanation. But why is my heart racing like this? Cold sweat ran down my back.

I felt like I could know the truth by tasting it, but I couldn’t gather the courage to eat it.

“Nelly.”

Leonel quietly called my name. When I turned to him, I saw a slightly furrowed brow. I don’t know if he sensed my unease or if my expression didn’t look good, but something felt off.

Instinctively, I thought I shouldn’t let Devondus know about the unease I was feeling.

“Nelly, pass me the pudding.”

“It was originally mine, so I’ll eat it! I don’t like it with the salad.”

Devondus, who was nearby, suddenly burst into laughter. Even people who didn’t pay any attention to our conversation turned to look at him, and when he laughed, their attention shifted to me.

As all eyes were on me, Devondus shot me a sly grin. 

“Miss Pepper. You’ve got quite the appetite, but you shouldn’t take what belongs to others.”

He gestured behind me, and Mary bowed her head and disappeared into the kitchen through a passage.

He returned with a new strawberry compote pudding in front of me.

The phrase “pudding for the manager” kept swirling in my head. It could be just my guess, but it felt like he was determined to feed Leonel and me the pudding. It felt like I was caught in a trap.

Should I tell Leonel? Should I warn him not to eat it because it tasted the same as the salad I had before I died? 

“Nelly, you don’t look well.”

“Suddenly, I’m feeling a bit tired. Leonel, would you mind taking me to my room?”

I deliberately whispered the request, but Devondus’ voice interjected once again.

“After dinner, the guests will be leaving. Do you need assistance from Leonel, the Duke, to get out? We also have servants.”

Devondus was right. To get Leonel away from the dining room, I needed another excuse.

“Uncle is right.”

Leonel gestured for Mary to come over.

“Take Nelly to her room.”

“Yes.”

Mary came up behind me. Although I had risen, I hadn’t taken a step.

If I couldn’t take Leonel away, it was better to keep him from eating next to me. Just as I was about to tell Mary that it was all right, Leonel stood up from his seat.

“I was planning on leaving first since I’m not feeling well. Roger, please call me when you’re escorting the guests.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Leonel led the way, and I followed behind Mary.

As we moved away from the dining room, Leonel stopped walking.

“Go to the room first.”

“What about you, Leonel?”

“I have some work to do. I’ll be in the room shortly.”

After some hesitation, I nodded. I told Mary it was okay and walked away.

When I entered the room, I couldn’t sit comfortably due to uneasiness.

It was then, as I decided to go back to Leonel, that the door opened. Leonel entered with a healthy complexion and said to Mary.

“Now, you can go.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Mary stepped back. She looked at me with a mix of concern and relief in her eyes and then left the room.

Leonel sat down beside me. He put his arm around my shoulder and carefully looked at my face while running his fingers through my hair.

“Well… I’m not ill.”

“I know. Still, I was hoping.”

I leaned against him without saying a word, lost in thought. 

A salad with tropical fruit dressing can have a tangy taste, right? But strawberry compote is just strawberries cooked in sugar. Can it have a tangy taste? Besides, I’ve died from it before. Leonel seems fine though…

“Leonel, is there something wrong with you?”

He laughed, as if suddenly realizing what I meant.

“Were you worried there might be something wrong with the strawberry compote?”

“You said it tasted strange.”

“That’s right. I have a resistance to most toxins, so it’s okay. I only tasted the compote.”

Leonel brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen over my face.

“You look pale. You should rest a bit.”

I nodded, and he let me go and moved to the side. This time, he patted his thigh as if to say he would be the pillow. I lay down and gingerly rested my head on him, and he smiled.

Then, he rang the bell to summon a servant to bring documents from the study.

“Are you going to work?”

“Since the festival is over, I should.”

…He’s truly remarkable. Just listening to the sound of pages turning made me feel like I should be working too. I tried to get up, but Leonel covered my eyes with his hand.

“You’re still pale.”

‘But I’m fine.”

If there had been poison in the strawberry compote, the symptoms would have appeared by now. However, Leonel appeared calm.

‘Thank goodness.’

I let out a sigh of relief and relaxed my body.

He briefly removed his hand and, with a mischievous look on his face, shook his head, covering my eyes again. His fingertips gently traced the boundary between my forehead and hair. It tickled a little, so I playfully grabbed his hand and lowered it.

As he obediently let me hold his hand, he attempted to raise it again to cover my face, but I held it in place, keeping my thumb on my forehead.

When I turned to lie on my back, Leonel’s face was right in front of me.

‘Was it just my imagination?’

Shortly after, there was a knocking sound at the door.

“Your Grace, the guests are leaving.”

Leonel got up with the documents in his hand. He asked me if I wanted to accompany him to bid the guests farewell, but I shook my head. I didn’t want to see Devondus’ menacing face.

As he left the room, I waved to him. I stood there for a moment, then went downstairs upon hearing the sound of hoofbeats outside the window. I stood by the window, watching the carriages departing.

It seemed that Leonel was coming from seeing off the guests. He looked slightly tired now, unlike when he left the room.

“What did Devondus Altwood say?” 

Leonel shook his head. 

“Just a bit tired. I have a headache.”

“Is it severe?”

“Just a bit bothersome.”

As we started to ascend the stairs, I saw Levance entering from the front door.

“Levance? What’s going on?”

“The festival is over, but there’s still work to catch up on, isn’t there? Haha.”

Normally, work would be left for the next day, but both Leonel and Levance were quite extraordinary.

Leonel seemed to be planning to work on his study. I wanted to stay with him, but interfering with his work would be impolite, so I restrained myself.

While climbing the stairs, I observed him closely and noticed him furrowing his brow several times.