Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 4

* * *

Ronen’s eyes wavered slightly.

“Really?”

“Yes, even if you don’t believe me, you can trust the results of the blue mallow tea. The petals never lie.”

“No, that’s not it!”

Ronen shook his head and shouted.

“I’ve never doubted you, Ed!”

Hmm, Ed tilted his head.

“Didn’t I mention before that for us to be close, there should be no lies or secrets between us?”

“…Yes.”

“But when I asked you earlier why you were upset, you said it was nothing.”

“…That’s because…”

“But I don’t think it was nothing, young master. It seemed to trouble you a lot.”

“……”

“So I thought maybe you didn’t tell me because you don’t trust me.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Ronen cut Ed off, listening intently.

“It’s just… I was embarrassed and sad at the thought that you might call me a bedwetter, Ed… That’s why…”

The trailing end of his words showed just how much Ronen had struggled with this.

‘I’d better always keep some blue mallow petals ready.’

For those times when cowards try to frame Ronen as a bedwetter, to lift his spirits.

Ed bent down, meeting Ronen at eye level.

“Why would you think I’d say something like that, young master? I would never say something so mean to you. I’ve told you before, I want to be close to you and earn your trust.”

“……”

“I know that saying mean things wouldn’t help us get closer, or earn your trust. Even though I can’t read or write well.”

“No, that’s not true. How could you not be smart, Ed? You know way more than I do, like how blue mallow is a magical flower.”

“But you’re the one teaching me how to read and write, young master.”

Wondering how to get closer to Ronen, Ed spent his free time learning from him.

Although Ed picked up reading and writing naturally, there was no better way to bridge the gap between them.

The young master is the teacher.

I’m the student.

Ronen, this is too difficult… he’d say, feigning sadness, only for Ronen’s self-esteem to soar as he confidently replied, “Oh, Ed, you can do it!”

Ronen’s cheeks turned bright red.

Not yet used to praise, even a little bit of encouragement made him blush with embarrassment.

It was hard to understand why anyone would want to harm someone as adorable as Ronen.

“And today, we’ve learned something new, young master. That when we put our heads together, we can clear up misunderstandings that might otherwise linger.”

Ronen nodded.

“Yes.”

“So please promise me. If anything ever happens, you’ll come to me right away.”

Even the smallest things.

Ed added, and Ronen responded cheerfully, clearly relieved to be free from the shame of being called a bedwetter.

“Yes! I promise, Ed.”

“Good, then it’s a promise.”

“Yes, a promise.”

When Ed extended his pinky finger, Ronen linked his with it.

The first time they made a promise, they hooked pinkies like this, and Ronen found it so fun and delightful that it became their special bond.

Having lifted Ronen’s spirits, Ed rolled up the blanket. It was so soaked with tea that it felt incredibly heavy.

‘It’s going to be a lot of work to wash this.’

But with Ronen’s confidence restored and his chances of survival improved, it wasn’t much of a hardship.

After tidying up the room, Ed and Ronen enjoyed some blue mallow tea. They drank it brewed in warm water, and also mixed with lemon juice.

It was a sweet and cozy tea time.

Although it was a tough time dealing with the housekeeper later and washing the blankets, it was a valuable moment for Ronen to build trust.

Surely, even if they had shared tea amidst the ruins, it would have been a time filled with laughter.

---

But the peaceful days were short-lived.

“Ronen! Ronen! Where are you?!”

The Countess began searching for Ronen early the next morning.

“What’s the matter, madam?”

The Countess burst into the room, him expression a mix of excitement and irritation.

“Lady Elisa has announced that he will visit the Count’s residence for lunch today! You must prepare quickly!”

Today was one week before Ronen’s engagement ceremony with Lady Elisa.

Ed sighed softly.

‘…So it’s finally happening.’

The event where Ronen’s fiancée, Elisa, poisons him.

Just when one crisis passed, another one arrived.

‘What should I do this time?’

Elisa Shelton, the eldest daughter of Baron Shelton, was Ronen’s fiancée. She was only twelve years old, but even at that age, she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

In the novel, she poisoned Ronen. It happened one afternoon, a week before the engagement ceremony.

She had feelings for another man, didn’t want to displease her parents, and lacked the power to break off the engagement, so she targeted Ronen. She put poison in the cookies she was giving him.

The poison Elisa used was colorless, odorless, and tasteless. he dropped the poison onto the finished cookies, and when they came into contact with warm water, the poison became active.

She used this method knowing that Ronen had a habit of dipping his cookies in warm tea before eating them.

This habit was taught to Ronen by the Count and Countess.

They even interfered with the way Ronen ate a single cookie.

‘Since your origins are humble, we have no choice but to teach you everything, step by step. It’s the only way for you to appear even slightly noble. Imagine how vulgar you’d look if you choked on a cookie. Tsk, tsk.’

Recalling the novel’s contents up to that point, Ed paced by the window.

Before the Countess entered Ronen’s room, Ed and Ronen were lying on the carpet, spending a leisurely time together.

Ronen was slowly reading a magazine to Ed, while Ed brought bread and fruit to Ronen’s lips.

“Ed.”

“Yes, Young Master Ronen?”

“You like the Grand Duke of Asnel Linden in the North, don’t you?”

Ronen asked, wiggling his feet.

“Pardon?”

“It seems like your eyes light up every time the Grand Duke’s name comes up… Ah, someone’s coming. Let’s get up, Ed.”

Even before he became the dark knight who would conquer the world with his sword, Ronen was different from the start.

Before the Countess even reached the annex entrance, he stopped wiggling his feet and got up.

Ed, who felt nothing, quickly followed suit, picking up a feather duster. Ronen pretended to read a book at his desk.

“Lady Elisa is visiting the Count’s residence for lunch today! You must prepare quickly!”

And so, today’s healing time ended.

When Elisa visited, it was difficult for Ed to stay by Ronen’s side. Well-dressed servants, Bens, and Anna attended to Ronen, ensuring they didn’t seem lacking in the eyes of others.

The financial state of Count Herins’ household was poor, barely enough to cover the living expenses of the Count, Countess, and the young Count.

The once-honorable title of the Count had long since become a mere decoration, fallen into ruin due to gambling debts from previous generations.

The mismanagement of the estate was disastrous.

Despite this, the vanity of the Count and Countess knew no bounds. They only cared about maintaining their noble image.

Count Herins adopted Ronen for this reason.

Among the nobility, it had become fashionable to adopt orphans, raise them well, and keep them close. It was seen as a way to display noble dignity.

Count Herins adopted Ronen to keep up with this trend.

They would go to great lengths to polish Ronen’s appearance when there was a need to show him off, but otherwise, they neglected him.

If Ronen did something well, the most he would hear was, ‘Well, I suppose it’s passable.’

But if he made a mistake, he would face harsh scolding and even confinement as a matter of course.

And two months ago, Baron Shelton proposed a marriage between Ronen and his daughter.

The Count, though he scoffed, ‘How dare a mere baron,’ did not refuse.

Baron Shelton had amassed great wealth through smuggling tea, wine, and herbs. He then invested in mines and minerals, even securing a coin minting right in the South.

For the constantly cash-strapped Count Herins, having a wealthy in-law was not a bad prospect, even if they were of lower rank.

For Baron Shelton, too, a marriage alliance with a Count’s family was not undesirable.

Even though the Count Herins family had little left but their title, it was useful for showing off and for business purposes.

But these were the concerns of the adults. Ronen was simply bewildered by the rapid turn of events in just a few days.

In the meantime, Elisa devised a scheme to break off the engagement. him plan was to poison Ronen, the easiest target.

‘…By the way, is there still no word today?’

* * *

*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*