Duke, Please Fail! - Side Story 2 (Part 6)

Side Story 2: Part 6

Leonel flicked the lighter and stood up from his seat.

“Roger.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“If Nelly comes out, make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Understood.”

Leonel went outside and summoned a knight, placing him in front of the door.

“Don’t let anyone in or out. Regardless of any sounds from inside, do not respond.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Relying on dim candlelight, he walked through the dark corridor and headed to the study.

As he inserted the key and turned it, the study door opened with an unpleasant creaking sound.

He entered slowly, scanning the room.

As Nelly had said, a thick book was precariously wedged at the top of the bookshelf, related to the family’s history.

He was right. Indeed, this was the Nelly Pepper he knew.

Excitement momentarily gave way to a swift stride as he pulled the book out.

He spread it on the desk and searched inside, but there was nothing written. He closed it, then tried to skim through again, and words appeared.

‘When you close this book and fall asleep, you can meet someone who longs for you beyond the stopped time so much that it defies death.’

Absurd. Meeting someone who longs just by closing a book and sleeping.

Normally, he would have scoffed and not paid any attention, but now Nelly was in his room.

Leonel suppressed his excited heart and tried to flip through the bookshelves to find a way to return.

However, before his hand could reach them, the letters beneath the surface moved like a submerged fish, rearranging themselves.

‘If you want to come back, close the book and fall asleep on the day of the full moon.’

This time, the bookshelf itself, not the letters, flipped.

‘If you don’t want to come back, keep closing this book until you can break free from the flow of time.’

The letters changed again.

‘What was once two will become one, and what disappeared will return.’

The book closed on its own. Although it wasn’t Leonel’s intention, he didn’t reopen the book. He had already obtained everything he desired. To go back, he had to close the book and sleep.

Instinct urged him to burn the book, to erase it without leaving a trace of anxiety. He walked slowly to the fireplace in the study, where a wall-mounted furnace was prepared. Sprinkling oil inside and tossing in a candlestick, flames quickly surged.

‘If only the book is gone…’

He couldn’t afford to lose her twice. So, she must stay by his side, whether she wants to or not.

Leonel, with his scarred hands, grabbed the massive book and dragged it towards the fireplace. He stood in front of the flames, holding the book as if pulling it reluctantly.

The flames, like a hungry serpent, flickered with a crimson tongue. 

That red glow was firmly reflected in Leonel’s pupils.

* * *

I followed Leonel for a few days as planned, observing him closely. 

I was prepared to comfort him if he had nightmares, expressed guilt, or showed signs of distress. However, Leonel seemed much more unaffected than I had anticipated.

The liquor cabinet, filled with untouched solo drinks, caught my attention, making me wonder if he used alcohol to drown his sorrows. However, he didn’t even touch the liquor; it seemed more like a decoration. When asked around, I was told he hadn’t touched alcohol in a while.

I considered the possibility that he might have opened his eyes wide and watched me while I slept, but that wasn’t the case either. His complexion had improved since the first time I saw him, and his beauty radiated effortlessly.

Perhaps the initial distress on his face was not due to my death but simply the result of working long hours.

‘Is he really okay?’

The book mentioned meeting someone who longs, but Leonel seemed too composed. Had he been pretending to be okay? It seemed unlikely; he appeared genuinely fine.

Despite being with him all day, neither Levance nor Arette reported any signs of him coming to check on me. There were occasional cautious touches or casual conversations, but that was it.

‘Should I just stay like this and return?’

I recalled the shape of the moon I saw yesterday; it seemed there was still about a week until it became a full moon.

Thinking I should talk to him about going back, I was about to speak when I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.” 

Leonel said, and the door opened immediately.

Levance entered. He greeted Leonel, and glanced at me, and something was off about his expression. It was as if he was looking at the most deceitful and contemptible person in the world. 

No, what did I do?

I had been in the study and the room while following Leonel. Why did Levance look at me like that? 

Puzzled, I was about to ask him the reason when Levance, with a seemingly kind tone, spoke up.

“It’s nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Levance Danio.”

“Oh, um.” 

I hesitated as our eyes met. 

Almost by reflex, I was about to say Nelly Pepper! But what else could I say? 

I kept my mouth shut, and Levance, sensing my hesitation, prompted me to respond.

“You are?”

“I am, um, Jelly.”

“…Your name is Jelly?”

“Yes, Jelly…”

Suddenly feeling embarrassed by the sticky name, I teared up. Leonel let out a small laugh. Simultaneously, Levance, as if witnessing lightning strike a clear sky, jumped and stared at Leonel. After a moment of stiffness, he turned to look at me with a complicated expression.

“Your Grace, I have something to discuss.”

“Do it here.”

“It’s something that needs to be discussed privately.”

Glancing back and forth between the two, Leonel and Levance locked eyes. Leonel looked at me intently without avoiding his gaze. Even when he tilted his head, asking why, I had no words.

Why was he doing this? Oh! Right, this is his study. If they want to talk, I should leave!

As I stood up, so did Leonel. He quickly approached, grabbing my arm.

“Where are you going?”

“Didn’t you see that I wanted to leave the seat?”

“Stay here.”

After Leonel made me sit again, Levance called him with an irritated voice.

“Your Grace!”

It seemed that they had something to discuss privately, and having a stranger present was bothering them. If I stayed longer, Levance seemed like he would pierce me with his gaze.

“Please continue your conversation. I’ll take a stroll around the castle and come back.”

“Stay with us.”

“Mr. Levance has something to say.”

I nodded in greeting to Levance, who looked at me strangely after Leonel released my hand. He didn’t acknowledge it, of course!

Subtly glaring at Levance, I exited. I briefly worried that Leonel might follow, but there was no sound of footsteps behind me.

It seems he’s fine after all. If he was uneasy, he would have dismissed Levance and come out already.

Feeling a bit lighter, I hummed a tune as I walked down the stairs. Just as I was about to pass by, I heard a muffled conversation nearby.

“Prince Adelhardt found someone who resembles the deceased estate manager and forced her into the Duke’s room?”

“Why did the prince do that?”

“They have a feud. Rumor has it the fake Nelly Pepper is going to assassinate the Duke soon.”

“I heard the fake one is stealing property to offer it to the prince.”

“Really? I heard the imposter came to steal important Duke’s secrets.”

Servants and maids gathered, whispering about me. That’s probably why Levance eyed me as if I were prey. 

Rumors like these might have circulated because I suddenly appeared. I thought about going to explain that it wasn’t like that, but I gave up.

‘I’ll be going back soon anyway. The rumors will disappear then.’

Quietly passing by them, I entered a room. Sitting on the bed, I swung my feet absentmindedly and, feeling bored, started to explore the room.

Unlike the room I was familiar with, Leonel’s room was stark. There were only legal texts on the bookshelf, relating to governance and military matters.

‘If there were flowers, the atmosphere would be much better.’

Contemplating where to place them, I wandered around and eventually sat at the desk. I carefully checked any paper, hoping to find some important document. It turned out to be blank. Feeling like I could doodle, I opened the ink bottle and dipped the pen.

Drawing several round flowers, I decided it was enough and put the pen down. Maybe placing them here would liven up the room a bit?

‘He told me not to go anywhere, so I should be satisfied with this for now.’

Thinking of something else, I tried to close the ink bottle. The cap, however, got stuck or misplaced, making a clattering noise as it rolled away.

I tried to catch it, but the cap was faster. It slid neatly under the bed, and I, lying flat on the floor, reached under the bed to find it.

Turning my head in different directions, something sparkling caught my eye. Since the ink bottle cap was metallic, I assumed it had rolled there. I reached out as soon as I spotted it.

But as soon as I grabbed it, a sharp edge pierced my palm.

“Ouch!”

I immediately let go of what I held, but blood was already flowing quite profusely. I went to the bathroom to wash the wound with clean water and returned outside. Wrapping the wound tightly with a towel, I went toward the bed.

Leonel had various medicines gathered by the bedside, so there should be ointment or something there. However, when I opened the drawer, it wasn’t bandages or ointment that caught my eye.

‘What is this?’

A bottle, only the size of my palm, contained an unknown liquid, shimmering gently. Intrigued, I opened the lid and sniffed.

It was a familiar smell, somewhere I had encountered before. Unable to resist my curiosity, I dipped my uninjured hand into the liquid and touched it to my tongue.

As soon as the taste registered, I rushed to the bathroom to rinse my mouth.

The scent and taste of the medicine lingered in my mouth. It was tangy, sharp, and had a unique fragrance.

‘This is Agathium Van.’

Why would this be in Leonel’s room? As I lifted my head, I saw a shelf full of solo drinks.

A dreadful and ominous premonition swept over me.

“No way. It can’t be.”

I mumbled, but I felt like I already knew why Agathium Van was in his drawer. Now I understood his attitude.

He didn’t recover; he gave up. Longing for death to the point of defying it meant this.