Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 11

Before transmigrating, he hadn’t even had time to be sick.

“Lee Seonyu!! Is this really all the money you have?”

“They say you shouldn’t take in a creature with black hair! If you have a mouth, ask around! See if anyone else would raise the son of their dead sister like this! I’m just asking for the cost of raising you, so why are you glaring at me like that?”

“Ah, if it’s so unfair, then just deduct the time you spent in the orphanage from the calculations!”

“Ha! You want me to call you ‘hyung’? Dad! Mom!! Look at this! He’s demanding that I call him ‘hyung’!”

“Hey, are you sick? Don’t make me laugh. You’re obviously faking it.”

Before transmigrating, there were many people who hurt him too easily.

Even after leaving the house to live on his own, he had to endure sickness alone.

But now, lying here, he wasn’t alone in a cold, empty space.

Someone was by his side, and somehow, that made him feel comforted and warm inside.

He had expected the Grand Duke to leave the room after talking with the physician.

The Grand Duke was a busy man, and Ed was not important to him.

A little extra effort to leave a servant by his side and receive reports from the physician would have sufficed.

‘…That’s why I closed my eyes tightly.’

He thought the Grand Duke would just turn away without any concern.

But when he opened his eyes again, not only was he surprised to see the Grand Duke still there, but the fact that he was personally taking care of him felt strange.

As the warm hand that had been resting on his forehead moved away, Ed squeezed his eyes shut even tighter.

Now the Grand Duke was surely going to leave.

But when the Grand Duke dipped the lukewarm cloth into water, wrung it out, and placed it back on Ed’s forehead before resuming his place, Ed stopped trying to hide.

He slowly lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke, looking down at him, smiled gently.

“Did you sleep well? Ed.”

“Ah, good mor…”

He wanted to properly greet the Grand Duke, but his voice wouldn’t come out.

“It’s alright. You don’t need to speak. Your throat is too sore for that.”

He was right.

Breathing was painful, so speaking was even out of the question.

It was all because he had gripped that poisoned cookie too tightly.

There was no point in regretting it now, but because he had gripped it so hard that his hand bled, he was suffering from the poison’s effects.

But still, who would have thought his throat would hurt so much that he couldn’t even speak?

“How is your body? Do you feel heavy and tired?”

Ed gave a small nod.

“The physician said your throat is so swollen that you can’t swallow your medicine properly.”

The Grand Duke carefully examined Ed’s condition.

“So, shall we try sitting up? Even though it’s hard, you should take some medicine.”

With each breath, the hot air brushed against his nose. His whole body ached, and he just wanted to sleep, but Ed nodded.

Thirsty and needing to swallow some medicine to recover faster, Ed felt a strong hand on his back, gently lifting him into a sitting position.

Despite the effortlessness of the action, Ed couldn’t help but feel a little defeated.

He could barely move a finger, yet he was so easily propped up.

The Grand Duke brought a spoonful of bitter-smelling medicine to Ed’s lips. The pungent scent made Ed involuntarily wrinkle his brow.

The Grand Duke smiled faintly, lightly tapping Ed’s lips with the spoon, as if knocking gently.

Ed hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth like a bird receiving food.

But the medicine, despite Ed’s determination, didn’t go down easily. It trickled weakly out the side of his mouth.

The Grand Duke sighed softly and tried again, but Ed’s swollen throat made it difficult to swallow even a sip of water or medicine.

The Grand Duke put the spoon aside and tilted his head slightly.

“Ed.”

“…Yes.”

“You mentioned you’re twenty years old?”

Ed nodded, his throat hurting and his voice cracking even as he gave a short response.

The flames in the fireplace flickered, casting the Grand Duke’s face in a shifting light and shadow.

Ed watched the interplay of light and dark, his gaze unfocused.

“Ed, do you have a significant other, or someone you’ve promised your future to?”

Ed never expected such words to come from the Grand Duke.

Wait, what? Why is the Duke asking this?

Ed’s body, which had been leaning heavily against the headboard, twitched in surprise.

“Pardon?”

“I’m not trying to dig into your past in this situation.”

Not that there’s anything to dig into, even if it wasn’t this situation.

“But I may need to explore your inner body.”

Wha-what did he mean?

“Since it’s difficult for you to swallow the medicine, I’d like to infuse your body with magical energy to boost your natural recovery. However, the way people receive energy varies.”

“…”

“So I need to make contact with your skin, but since your body is weakened, it won’t be easy to move. The contact will inevitably deepen, so I ask for your understanding in advance.”

The Grand Duke spoke as he lightly stretched his fingers.

“Then, are you ready, Ed?”

His words were playful yet commanding, like a rallying cry on the battlefield.

Ed tried to shake his head in protest, but the Grand Duke was quicker, gently grabbing his unbandaged left hand.

As the Grand Duke softly massaged his hand, warmth spread from his cold fingertips, and Ed felt his tense body gradually relax.

“…Ah.”

When the Grand Duke’s hand slid up to touch the inside of Ed’s elbow, Ed’s shoulder twitched in response.

The Grand Duke carefully observed Ed’s reactions.

“Then, Ed.”

As the Grand Duke’s hand softly trailed up to his shoulder and withdrew, his red eyes locked onto Ed’s.

“Just a little more.”

The Grand Duke’s hand slipped inside Ed’s shirt, and Ed’s mind became a whirl of confusion.

It was uncomfortable, yet oddly soothing; awkward, yet the warmth spreading through his body made him crave more of the Grand Duke’s energy.

As the Grand Duke’s palm gently massaged his lower abdomen, Ed’s body relaxed while also tensing up with small jolts.

The Grand Duke chuckled softly.

“Try not to tense up.”

How could he not be tense in this situation?

Someone else’s hand, and not just anyone’s, but the Grand Duke’s, was gently rubbing his stomach.

At that moment, a sharp pain shot through his lower abdomen, and Ed furrowed his brow.

As the pain intensified, Ed gritted his teeth.

“Ah.”

He tried to endure it, but the Grand Duke pressed his thumb lightly against Ed’s chin.

The slight pressure caused Ed’s lips to part, and a small whimper escaped.

“Don’t keep trying to hold it in.”

“…Ugh.”

“The poison in your body is gathering, so don’t be afraid.”

Whether it was the Grand Duke’s power reacting within him or just his body’s response, Ed found himself instinctively clutching the Grand Duke’s arm, hanging on.

‘Huh?’

In that moment, something touched his forehead.

Ed’s eyes shot open. His gaze met the Grand Duke’s up close, and his pupils trembled.

The warm and soft contact… it was a kiss.

The uncomfortable pain in his stomach began to fade, thanks to the power the Grand Duke had infused through his lips.

Among the magical methods of transferring power, it was known that the forehead was a sacred and effective point of contact.

For an even faster and deeper effect, using the mucous membranes was another option…

The Grand Duke lightly rubbed Ed’s forehead and smiled. Ed couldn’t tear his eyes away from those red lips, as if they were imprinted on his vision.

“The reaction doesn’t seem to be bad.”

“…”

“Then, once more.”

Another warm touch on his forehead, and Ed’s flushed cheeks glowed in the light of the fireplace before darkening in the shadows.

This time, the kiss lasted a little longer.

“Then, one more time.”

Ed’s body shivered at the memory.

The Grand Duke’s voice lingered in his ears, resonating in his chest and sending a tingle down to his lower abdomen.

And then, as soon as he felt the blood rushing to that area, a cold shiver ran through his entire body as if doused in icy water.

Simultaneously, a powerful force struck his side, causing his eyes to snap open.

“…”

Haa, haa, haa.

Ed exhaled quietly, looking up at the ceiling. Beneath the tall, sturdy bedposts was a thin blue canopy.

The fireplace was lit, but it had been a while since the logs were added, leaving only a few glowing embers.

It wasn’t as if the room was blazing with fire, as Ed had felt before he opened his eyes.

…So, it was spring, after all.

The Herins Count’s estate in the southern part of the empire had been warm enough for a couple of weeks that they didn’t need to light the fireplace to get through the long nights.