Duke, Please Fail! - Side Story 2 (Part 8)

Side Story 2: Part 8

It wasn’t difficult to hear Faust’s intention to work on the farm. 

Even though he originally wanted to work, he had mentioned that there was no one to trust and assign him to work, so he ended up living like a vagabond, drinking away. Therefore, my proposal must have been secretly welcome. 

Moreover, with Jerome eagerly supporting the idea with sparkling eyes, it would have been impossible to resist!

‘Now, how should I handle Adelhardt?’

I didn’t know the current state between Leonel and Adelhardt. Besides, the prince is not someone I can meet just because I want to.

As my thoughts deepened, my steps gradually slowed. 

Unconsciously, I looked around, wondering if there was anyone I could turn to for help. Then, without a sound, I met eyes with Arette, who had been quietly following me. He stared at me with an inscrutable expression.

It was a different feeling from Levance, who openly sent hostile vibes.

‘Maybe I should ask Arette? He might know.’

Approaching him cautiously, I spoke.

“Excuse me, Arette.”

“Yes?”

“Did Leonel reconcile with the prince by any chance?”

Arette remained silent. Leonel’s expression could be read to some extent now, but it was impossible to figure out what Arette was thinking.

He won’t answer, will he? Well, I am a suspicious person now.

Arette, suddenly confronted by someone asking about Leonel, probably wouldn’t casually reveal information.

“Not yet.”

Alright! He’ll probably wonder why I’m curious and ask, right?

As I contemplated making up an excuse, Arette didn’t ask anything even after a long while. Walking toward the castle at a slow pace, he seemed indifferent.

Should I ask a bit more? With a bit of hesitation, I inquired.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding between them. Do you think Leonel is aware of it?”

“I don’t know.”

He said it with an air of knowing about the situation between the two.

“What did Arette know?”

“While investigating Devondus’ Mansion, I saw relevant evidence.”

Great. With evidence, we can redirect the conversation! If they discuss the issue, they might quickly reconcile.

However, I was a bit puzzled.

If there’s evidence, why hasn’t Leonel reconciled with Adelhardt yet?

Before I could verbalize my doubts, Arette spoke up.

“He told me to burn it all.”

“What? So there’s no evidence now?” 

Without realizing it, I leaned forward. Perhaps I was too assertive, as Arette stepped back, maintaining a distance.

“There is.”

“There is?”

I inquired eagerly.

“Yes. I kept it, thinking it might be needed.”

“Thank goodness! Can you send it to Adelhardt, by any chance?”

Arette turned his body instead of answering. The sound of hooves hitting the ground came from behind. When I turned, Leonel, with a carriage following him, appeared.

Approaching us, Leonel handed the reins to Arette and stood in front of me. 

“You took a long time.”

Seems he was worried and came to pick me up as soon as the work was done. So, there was a carriage.

Although I was happy, I still hadn’t heard the answer from Arette. I tried to nod or signal him, but Arette was already riding away, disappearing beyond my sight.

As I stared blankly at his retreating figure, Leonel took hold of my hand. 

“Jelly.”

“Don’t call me that.”

I absentmindedly patted Leonel’s bicep, and we climbed onto the carriage together.

I should ask him later if he delivered the evidence. He’s like a wandering ghost, so I don’t know when I’ll see him again.

Or should I make time to visit him?

Lost in thought, Leonel sat so close that his thigh touched mine. 

“Nelly.”

“Yes?”

“When did you become so close to Arette?”

“We’re not close.”

“For not being close, you seemed quite chummy, talking closely. It wasn’t this comfortable even when sitting together before, just focused on eating.”

True. I nodded, and Leonel’s forehead rested on my shoulder.

“We just got used to each other after spending a long time together; we’re not close.”

“I see.” 

After leaning on me for a while, Leonel lifted his head and asked.

“Did you enjoy the sightseeing?”

“Yes. It has changed a lot! The town is more organized, the square is wider, and there are more people.”

“Well, a lot of time has passed.”

“Really? By the way, I met Lizzy today. She agreed that I’ll teach her writing, so I might need to go out for a while starting tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“Lizzy?” 

He seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking. 

“The woman selling withered flowers in the square?”

“You knew about her?”

“I just noticed her while passing by.”

Even without my intervention, Leonel already knew Lizzy. 

Feeling a bit excited, I nodded and proceeded to explain everything about Lizzy—how she got the job as an administrative assistant, how smart and charming she was.

Leonel descended first and reached out his hand to help me down from the carriage. The conversation continued immediately.

“If that’s the case, you don’t need to go out. We can bring her to the castle and have her teach there. If you want, we can even hire her as a clerk.”

I shook my head resolutely. Even if Lizzy is known for being intelligent, the story of her being employed because of my recommendation might not be viewed favorably.

Whether it’s true or not, for now, I’m portraying myself as a suspicious person pretending to be the deceased estate manager!

“Later, if Lizzy takes an exam and passes, treat her well at that time, okay?”

Before I could finish speaking, Leonel’s steps abruptly halted. He looked down at me for a moment, then turned his head, avoiding eye contact.

He moved away as if he were someone leaving me behind. 

Simultaneously, he held onto me with a grip that suggested he didn’t want to let go.

* * *

I wanted to ask if he sent the evidence to the prince, but finding Arette proved to be challenging. 

Every time I tried, Leonel would light up and detain me, only letting me go if we happened to come across each other. I had planned to inquire when I met Lizzy while we were teaching, but those opportunities never arose.

While waiting with a hopeful attitude, the moon in the sky was gradually rising. 

‘I should start heading back now.’

As my impatience grew, I inadvertently sighed, catching Leonel’s attention.

“Do you have something to say?” 

Leonel spoke when he put down his pen.

Before I could respond, a knocking sound echoed. Soon, the butler entered, bowed slightly, and informed Leonel of a visitor.

“Your Grace, Prince Adelhardt is here.”

Seems like Arette managed to communicate without my notice! 

As everything seemed to be resolving well, a smile involuntarily crept onto my face. I stood up, grabbed Leonel’s arm, who wore an uncomfortable expression, and urged him.

“Go quickly! Hurry!”

Unable to resist my urgency, Leonel took a step forward. We left together, pushing Leonel’s back.

“I’ll be waiting in the room, so take your time.”

Despite Leonel’s reluctant expression, he turned away. 

It was understandable since he couldn’t avoid meeting the prince who came personally. Adelhardt must have received the evidence and would clear up the misunderstanding, so there was no need to worry about their conversation going awry.

If I stayed quiet in the room, they would likely reconcile and come back soon!

With that in mind, I prepared to greet them and spent my time humming a tune in the room.

As they didn’t return until late, perhaps they were busy unraveling misunderstandings and sharing a drink or two. When someone knocked on the door around dawn, I hastily opened it, expecting Leonel. However, what met my eyes was a splendid, golden-haired figure.

“Hello?”

Standing at the door was Adelhardt, carrying Leonel. I greeted him with a nod and a warm smile.

“Hello, Prince.”

“I’ve wanted to meet you at least once, and here we are.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

Adelhardt entered, laid Leonel on the bed, stretched his muscles with a smile, and looked at me.

“I was curious about the spy I sent.”

There was an unmistakable hostility in his smile. 

Wondering what he meant, I recalled the rumors the servants were whispering about. In the meantime, Adelhardt approached me, leaning in.

“If you’re impersonating a dead person, you must be quite wicked.”

“It’s not impersonation; it’s me!” 

I felt unjust, wanting to pound my chest, but Adelhardt was too close. 

Afraid of ruining the carefully mended relationship with Leonel, I pushed him away. Adelhardt stepped back willingly and scrutinized my face.

“You don’t look like much. How extraordinary must you desire to deceive a duke? Shall we find out?”

“What do I want?”

I glanced at the sleeping Leonel.

“You did reconcile, right?”

Adelhardt held a sly smile without giving a direct answer. It seemed he deliberately wore an inscrutable expression to avoid providing information. But he couldn’t deceive me!

Bringing the intoxicated Leonel here was evidence of their reconciliation.

“If I tell you what I want, will you listen?”

“Does it have to be something I can fulfill?”

Adelhardt asked with a laughter-tinged voice. I nodded decisively, and he observed me from different angles.

Though I didn’t like being scrutinized, I looked straight at him with unwavering eyes. Suppressing a smile, he nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Alright, tell me.”

“If I suddenly disappear, please take good care of Leonel. Scold him a bit, give him a reality check, you know, be a friend.”

“What?”

“Give him a hard time! He’s your friend.”

Adelhardt, taken aback by the unexpected request, tilted his head with a mixed expression of amusement and confusion. Then, he leaned in, as if trying to gauge whether my words were genuine or not.

But whether he believed it or not didn’t matter. After all, I would return when the full moon appeared, and by then, Adelhardt would understand the meaning behind my words.

“I’m going to say goodbye, but I think he’ll be struggling for a while, so do me a favor.”

Adelhardt, still silent, gazed at me as if trying to decipher whether my request was sincere. Suddenly, he burst into laughter.

“Is that all you want?”

I nodded, briefly but vigorously.

Adelhardt didn’t seem to believe my sincerity, but he pushed himself up to his feet.

“If that’s really what you want, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Adelhardt warned me with a firm pat on my shoulder as he passed by. Soon, the sound of the door closing filled the room with silence.

I lay next to Leonel, propping my chin and gazing at him. His sleeping figure looked uncomfortable. To help him sleep more comfortably, I removed his shoes and tucked them under the bed. He didn’t stir.

‘Now everything is back in place.’

Even without me, Leonel would manage to live, relying on those around him, and eventually, things would get better.

My task was completed.

Now all that remained was to return, but why did I feel so uneasy?

Touching Leonel’s fingertips, I sat on the bed, contemplating.

‘No, I can’t leave it like this. I need to check if the book is in its place before returning. Just to be sure.’

Carefully, I stepped out of the room.

Whether it was because of the late hour or not, the corridor was deserted. Still, to be cautious, I walked silently towards the library.

Opening the door with the key around my neck, I entered. Closing the door behind me, I lit the candle on the candlestick with a flint from the fireplace.

Expecting the book to be easily found due to its prominent size, I searched the familiar arrangement of other books.

‘Why isn’t it here?’

Strange. Every other book was neatly in place, but the spot where that particular book should be was empty as if deliberately left out.

An ominous thought crossed my mind, but I shook it off.

I couldn’t secretly take such a large book with me, and no one else had access to this place except for Leonel and the butler.

Someone probably took it out to check what I said and placed it somewhere else. It was a massive book, perhaps too cumbersome to keep in its usual spot.

Relying on the faint light, I continued searching for the book.

Despite wandering for a while, the book remained elusive.

Finally, I returned to the original section where the book was supposed to be.

The shelf was still conspicuously empty, like a missing tooth.

Although I reassured myself that it was likely moved by either Leonel or the butler, the book still refused to reveal itself.

In the dim light, guided by hope, I continued the search.

After some time, I found myself staring at the dark gap between the books. It was then that a creaking sound accompanied the opening of the door.