Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 67

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“Ed, you kept your promise and arrived before midnight, didn’t you?”

Hearing the Grand Duke’s voice so close, Ed let out a soft sigh.

The tension in his body, coiled tight by the large hand holding the back of his head, began to dissolve.

His shoulders relaxed as his racing heart slowly steadied.

Then, he tilted his head slightly.

“…But, is it really the Grand Duke?”

The cave was pitch dark, not even allowing him to see an inch ahead.

The voice was unmistakable, yet doubt crept into his mind.

“How did he even know to come here?”

Even Ed had been dragged here blindly, with no idea where he’d ended up.

As he chewed his dry lips, he squinted at the dim outline of the Grand Duke standing before him and hesitated before speaking.

“Your Grace, if I may… ask something?”

“Of course, Ed.”

“It may be a presumptuous question, but I’m curious… how did you know I was here?”

At his question, the Grand Duke let out a brief, soft chuckle.

“You still don’t seem entirely convinced, do you?”

With that reply, the Grand Duke’s hand shifted, his fingers gently running through Ed’s hair, as if tracing a path on his scalp.

Ed blinked at the sensation.

Then, the Grand Duke moved his hand forward, brushing Ed’s forehead with his fingers.

Dirt and sweat clung to Ed’s skin, so the Grand Duke gingerly wiped it away, his touch careful.

Ed couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“No matter how I look at it… that touch is unmistakably the Grand Duke’s.”

Noticing Ed’s soft smile, the Grand Duke understood that Ed had fully relaxed.

Feeling Ed’s complete trust, he gently swept Ed’s bangs aside.

“So you already figured it out? I was going to say something if you kept doubting.”

“What were you going to say, Your Grace?”

The Grand Duke lightly tapped Ed’s forehead with his finger.

“What do you think, Ed?”

“Ah…”

‘Surely… he wouldn’t say that again, would he?’

‘Shall I give you a kiss, Ed?’

The thought brought an unintentional reaction, and Ed quickly raised his hand to cover his forehead.

The Grand Duke chuckled softly, letting go of Ed’s hair.

As Ed felt the silk-like strands slip through his fingers, he couldn’t ignore the oddly ticklish feeling lingering on his scalp.

The Grand Duke then pointed at Ed’s chest.

“Actually, before you left, I enchanted the token I gave you. It was a special gift from the late emperor, imbued with top-tier magic.”

Ed reached into his coat at the Grand Duke’s gentle explanation.

The pair of tokens he grasped now felt far more reassuring than before.

“So, when I sensed that something had happened to you, I came here immediately.”

Ed held the tokens with a tender touch, then drew them out.

“I’m not sure I deserve to carry something so precious. Of course, thanks to them, I’m here with you now, Your Grace, but I think these should be returned. They’re far too valuable for me to hold onto.”

With a nervous heart, Ed wrapped the tokens carefully in a handkerchief, placing them in both hands and presenting them.

The Grand Duke looked silently at Ed’s extended hands, then cupped them gently around Ed’s.

Ed’s hands were small and warm.

Imagining the struggles Ed must have faced, protecting these tokens alone, the Grand Duke felt a pang in his chest.

‘If I hadn’t given these to Ed… could I have found him so quickly?’

Most likely not.

Had Ed been left on his own, he could have been captured by others.

The thought made the Grand Duke’s fingertips feel cold.

“You’ve taken good care of them so far, Ed, so please hold onto them a little longer. Let’s get out of here first.”

Ed’s fingers fidgeted under the warmth of the Grand Duke’s hand.

Seeing that the Grand Duke wasn’t releasing his hold on him, Ed took a step back.

‘Since it’s not urgent, I’ll return it once we’re out of here.’

After carefully tucking the tokens back into his coat, Ed tidied his cloak with a few light pats.

The Grand Duke extended his hand.

“Ed, I’ll lead the way.”

“Yes, I’ll follow closely.”

“Good, then.”

The Grand Duke held Ed’s wrist and moved forward.

Ed glanced down at the grip anchoring him, then followed the tug.

Although the tunnel was as dark and narrow as before, with the Grand Duke’s firm hold, the space no longer felt as foreboding.

As they progressed, another concern weighed on Ed’s mind.

Watching the Grand Duke’s back ahead of him, Ed finally spoke up.

“Um, Your Grace…”

“Yes, Ed?”

“Weren’t you on a nighttime expedition with His Majesty the Emperor? Is it alright for you to be moving about alone like this?”

“Oh, about that matter…”

The Grand Duke took a step to the right and glanced back, checking to see if Ed was following without trouble before he continued.

“They canceled the night hike because there were reports of the ground shaking at the hunting grounds.”

“The ground shaking? Are you saying it was an earthquake?”

Or perhaps…

Ed turned his head back, squinting to look down the darkened path they had come from, his eyes narrowing.

‘Could it be because of that eccentric old man and the ferocious vines?’

Digging a tunnel large enough to fit a laboratory in this area might indeed strain the land.

Just then, the Grand Duke lightly tapped Ed’s wrist, as if to reassure him. Ed turned his gaze forward again.

“It wasn’t an earthquake. But since the cause wasn’t clear, I went to get Ronen and noticed traces of something being dragged behind the tents. I followed the magical remnants left by that ornament I gave you.”

“Ah…”

“I’m truly glad I gave you that golden trinket; without it, I would’ve had a hard time tracking you down.”

At those words, Ed instinctively touched his chest, gently running his fingers over the small bulge of the ornament, then matched his steps with the Grand Duke.

“Oh, but Your Grace, you should be cautious. There’s a hidden lab beneath the tunnel, and one of the knights stationed there noticed me and ran outside. He might be waiting for me to come out, guessing my exit point.”

The Grand Duke suddenly stopped and turned, already aware of the trouble Ronen had encountered from what he had heard from Tens.

‘Since staying at the Count Herins, Ed has done nothing but help. And once again, he’s gotten into a mess while moving for Ronen…’

The Grand Duke reached out, lightly ruffling Ed’s hair.

‘I vowed to never let him face such dangers alone again.’

Turning back, he resumed walking ahead.

“Ah, so that was him. I saw someone fumbling around near the entrance, so I left him to Irutel and came inside.”

Though he said it lightly, his words held weight.

“So there’s nothing to worry about. When we get back, you must tell me everything that happened to you today.”

Ed nodded, replying, “Understood. I suspect they’re targeting you, Your Grace, so you should be on guard and prepared.”

“Targeting me?”

“Yes, they mentioned restraining you for some sort of… unusual experiment.”

At that moment, Ed frowned.

It felt as if the ground beneath him had trembled slightly…

Was he imagining it?

He tilted his head, uncertain.

Just then, the Grand Duke also stopped, surveying their surroundings.

Peering into the dark cave, he then turned to Ed, casting a spell.

Though the light risked revealing their position, the tremor he’d felt couldn’t be ignored.

His priority was to get Ed out safely.

Then—

A deep rumble resounded from beneath them, and suddenly, the ground began to splinter, as if solid earth beneath their feet had turned into fragile ice, crumbling underfoot.

Ed froze, looking up at the Grand Duke, who immediately wrapped his arms around Ed, pulling him close.

As he cradled Ed’s head with a large hand, he spoke.

“It’s alright, Ed. This time, I won’t let you face it alone.”

Wherever that might be.

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