Duke, Please Fail! - Side Story 1 (Part 9)

Side Story 1: Part 9

Unlike the time when he let himself go, Leonel was living like a person, but he seemed empty. 

There was no clear indication of likes or dislikes, and not even a hint of a shallow smile. However, to be so lenient with a consistently mistake-prone manager was different from his previous behavior of ruthlessly dismissing previous managers. 

“What do you like about it? She’s not that competent, is it?” 

“Competent.” 

“Considering that, doesn’t she make too many mistakes?” 

“Mistakes don’t matter.” 

Nelly Pepper had been working behind the scenes since before Levance arrived, returning home when Leonel worked overtime. 

If he asked for ten things, she somehow managed to accomplish ten things. Since becoming the manager, she had never once been lazy. 

“Learning the job and becoming accustomed to it is one thing, but diligence and effort are hard to learn.” 

So, Leonel highly valued Nelly Pepper. As long as she didn’t become lazy or change her mind, he wanted to keep using her by his side. 

“But I still need to keep an eye on her.” 

Leonel kept trying to control his ever-wandering thoughts. 

As time passed, Nelly adapted to the job. Even after becoming familiar, she didn’t come late or forget her duties. 

Watching Nelly walk around in the morning to have her meals became part of Leonel’s daily routine. He often found himself staring blankly at Nelly, forgetting his nightmares. 

‘What makes her so happy, anyway?’

Suddenly, he felt curious. What thoughts were swirling around in that small head buried in the tangled, warm-colored hair? 

He would often get lost in such thoughts while sipping his tea, then startle himself, shaking off his reverie. 

Ironically, Nelly’s thoughts were solely focused on breakfast.

* * *

Nelly was gradually changing, but it wasn’t in a negative way. 

After realizing that Leonel didn’t get angry over trivial matters, she became less nervous even when making mistakes. She was grateful to Leonel for accepting her, a penniless person, and worked hard to repay him. 

Overflowing with enthusiasm, if asked for ten tasks, she would accomplish eleven. There were times when she asked about important information without being instructed.

“Oh, I went to the pasture, and it seems the calves were quite thin.”

“The cost of feed is similar.”

“Yes. When I went, there was a pile of hay. It seems like the ranch keeper isn’t managing it well.”

He had received a report that only the ranch keeper seemed to intentionally approach Faust.

“I should look into this.”

After finishing the report, Nelly seemed to hint that she wanted to leave. Her thoughts were written all over her face. Strangely, a mischievous feeling crept in. 

Leonel, without telling her to leave, kept his lips sealed. Then Nelly’s small lips pursed and suddenly popped forward.

At that moment, Leonel felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head.

‘Playing tricks, huh.’

He gestured for Nelly to leave, who was just looking at him, playing along.

“Get out.”

“Yes. Goodbye.”

As if waiting, Nelly bowed slightly in farewell and left the office.

Leonel buried his face in his hands and recalled the battlefield. Cheers and fluttering flags, the smell of burning flames, and heaps of decaying bodies. Strangely, all of it seemed blurry. 

‘Since when couldn’t he remember the nightmares?’

The manor had stabilized, and the bereaved were mingling with the residents and getting along well.

Sophie, Tom, and Gerald seemed to find the work burdensome but said it was better than being lethargic. For a year, there were no threats to their lives, and they didn’t have to kill anyone.

Faust still lived like a wanderer, constantly brought to trial, but excluding the problematic figure, everything was peaceful.

Still, he felt guilt when he thought of the dead comrades. If he had investigated properly after the first attack, so many subordinates wouldn’t have died. He regretted it over and over, but it didn’t torment him like poison.

‘To kill people and act shamelessly afterward…’

As he criticized himself out of habit, part of him wondered if it wouldn’t be okay to live a bit more like a human. While lost in thought, Levance cautiously spoke.

“Your Grace, there’s a lot of dissatisfaction about the lack of festivals for years. How about allowing the New Year’s festival?”

Leonel looked up at Levance. Then, he hastily added.

“If it’s still difficult, it’s okay.”

Levance’s expression showed uncertainty. He was examining Leonel, seemingly at a loss.

It finally dawned on Leonel. Immersed in sin, he hadn’t taken care of the people truly by his side. He had caused too much worry to those around him for far too long. It was time to alleviate some of that concern and anxiety.

Leonel nodded his head. 

“It would be nice to hoist the banners, even if it’s just during the harvest festival.”

“Do you permit it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

He couldn’t quite bring himself to say it was okay. He fell silent for a moment, then picked up the pen again.

“A festival, maybe.”

Years of worry on Levance’s face cleared like clouds. He answered with a broad smile.

“Then, I’ll start preparing.”

Leonel nodded, pretending not to see the awkwardness in his smile.

* * *

Excited people, forgetting the cold, decorated their homes and streets and prepared food for the long-awaited festival. 

The communal ovens scattered throughout the territory were in high demand, with no room to spare. The situation was the same in the barns.

During the festival, Leonel allowed the uncommon use of personal ovens and reinforced precautions to prevent animals from attacking the households. Thanks to this, Nelly was busy going around to ensure there were no fires.

However, being the first festival, they didn’t know what to focus on, and as a result, there was a severe shortage of festival beer. When the beer ran out amid the festivities, complaints erupted from various places.

Sophie, with an exhausted face, informed everyone.

“I’ll go fetch some.”

Nelly, clutching the hem of Sophie’s shirt, asked with an uncertain voice.

“Should I come with you?”

“Are you just trying to scare me…?”

A smile, lacking enthusiasm and warmth, appeared on Sophie’s tired face. It was a detached expression. Suddenly, Nelly, overwhelmed by a sudden anxiety, shook Sophie’s shirt hem as if shaking her awake.

“Don’t laugh like that!”

Sophie wiped away the smile as if erasing a lie, patted Nelly’s hand, and left her standing there as she returned to her desk.

Soon, Gerald approached. 

“It’s better to leave work early today.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“It’s better to face the market early.”

Tom lifted his head, nodded vigorously, and then slammed it back onto his desk with energy. Encouraged by the cheers from the supervisors, Nelly left work early.

‘What should I do?’

She didn’t want to go to the square. It was in the midst of the festival, and the beer had run out. Going there might lead to hearing unpleasant things. Yet, going back to the castle was daunting, as Sophie told her that she might be summoned by the Duke.

Nelly deliberately descended from the outskirts of the square, avoiding the main road leading to the castle. 

‘It’s unusually cold today.’ 

She tied the strings of her ear-warmers and wrapped her coat tighter. The road connecting the castle and the square was crowded due to the back-display event.

Trying to stick to the alleys as much as possible, she had no choice but to go out eventually. That was when she saw a tall man leaning against the wall, his face covered.

‘Is he drunk?’

As she quietly moved to the opposite wall to avoid him, a misplaced lantern outside the alley caught her attention. At the same time, the man unveiled his face. The faint light flickered across his face and soared into the sky.

Nelly, who was on the opposite side, inadvertently saw his face. 

He seemed out of place in the alley.

“Duke?”

Nelly unconsciously called out, then startled and covered her mouth. 

However, Leonel had already heard her voice. When he looked up, their eyes met. He said nothing, just gazing at Nelly. 

She cautiously approached him, trying to escape, and asked.

“Why are you here like this?”

Leonel closed his mouth and reviewed how he ended up in the alley. Recognizing that Leonel’s condition had improved a bit, Levance suggested exploring the lives of the territory residents.

Leonel didn’t refuse. If he had truly escaped the ghosts of the past, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

He flipped his thick hood and went outside. Because he wasn’t dressed in extravagant clothes or riding a horse, the residents didn’t recognize him. They thought he was just an outsider or someone who lived on the outskirts.

Thanks to this, Leonel freely roamed around. The problem arose during the back-display event. People flocked to the square, marching along the main road. Seeing this, his heart suddenly surged with anxiety.

‘I should go back to the castle.’

Leonel turned his body toward the castle just as the crowd was moving towards the square.

“Oops!”

The man who accidentally tore the lantern let out a light scream, but to Leonel, it sounded like a death knell. Somewhere, the smell of burning fuel started to fill the air.

In a rush, Leonel covered his nose and mouth with his hand, entering the alley. It wasn’t the same overwhelming fear as before, but his chest felt tight, and he was dizzy. He leaned against the wall to calm down when Nelly Pepper spoke.

‘How do I explain this?’

It was a question he didn’t need to ponder. He couldn’t tell the estate manager what he hadn’t even told his most trusted confidants. 

Nelly Pepper was diligent, but whether she was trustworthy remained uncertain. Not knowing the purpose behind her diligence made it impossible to predict her actions. She hadn’t shown loyalty like Levance, Arette, or Roger.

If someone persuaded her, she might turn against him within a few hours. Leonel straightened up and looked down at the petite woman.

He could pretend to be okay. 

“You’re here early today.”

“Oh, I was just told to leave work early, so I thought…”

Nelly stopped talking, her eyes widening. 

“Did you know what time I leave work?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

Her tiny lips popped forward. Soon, a murmuring sound was heard.

“Why do you always…?”

If Leonel’s senses hadn’t become as sensitive as they were on the battlefield, he might not have heard it. 

‘She used to say such things every time she mumbled.’