Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 12

The faintly glowing embers in the fireplace weren’t meant to heat the room.

They were just there to show the Grand Duke that the Count was always thinking of Ronen.

‘…So, if I had been lying in that blazing room with the Grand Duke like that…’

I would’ve burned to death from the heat before the poison could kill me.

Ed blinked as he surveyed the quiet morning room, then buried his face in his palms.

There was no doubt—it was a completely absurd dream.

‘Did the poison I ingested have such bizarre side effects?’

What a ridiculous dream.

The memory of the dream faded as soon as Ed opened his eyes, but the voice that had echoed in his ears still lingered, making him silently roll over.

He rolled to the edge of the bed and pressed his hot forehead and lower body against the cool wall to cool down.

It was a room bathed in the light of early dawn, and Ronen was sleeping beside him in the spacious bed.

Ed was now experiencing a strange sensation, with heat pooling in his lower body and a cold shiver running up his neck.

‘…Have I been too focused on taking care of Ronen?’

Could it be that this unfortunate incident happened because I neglected my junior?

But still, why on earth did the Grand Duke appear in such a ridiculous dream?

And why was my lower half so powerfully asserting its presence?

Ed felt like laughing at the absurdity of how tense his lower body was, but he was too deep in a daze to do so.

And then, thud—Ronen’s kick hit him again, making Ed’s vision blur.

“Ugh.”

Ronen, who seemed to be in the middle of a growth spurt, was tossing and turning all over the bed… No, wait. Why am I even sleeping in the same bed as Ronen?

Earlier, Ronen had woken Ed up by ramming his head into his side, and now he was delivering a high kick to his back.

It added a fresh wave of shock and discomfort to Ed’s already sensitive and overheated body.

Even though Ed already felt like he was dying from the blood rushing downward, Ronen’s relentless kicks had driven his lower body hard against the wall, leaving Ed with a blank mind and tears welling up in his eyes.

But as if that wasn’t enough, Ronen kept shoving his back with his feet, making Ed wonder if Ronen was really doing this in his sleep.

As Ed pondered whether he had done something wrong, Ronen, who had been sprawling under the blankets and snoring, suddenly started flailing his arms and legs.

After fumbling around and grabbing the edge of the bed, Ronen’s eyes snapped open.

Still half-asleep, Ronen rubbed his head against the pillow a few times before quickly turning his head.

Then, spotting Ed crumpled in the corner of the bed, Ronen rolled over to him.

“Ugh.”

Ed let out a groan as Ronen’s body hit his back again.

“Oh? Ed! Are you hurt?”

Ronen was startled.

“…No, I’m fine.”

“I don’t think so. It looks like there are tears in your eyes.”

“…That’s not it. I just woke up so well that I yawned, and that’s why.”

“Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

When Ed responded firmly, Ronen wrinkled his nose slightly.

“Talk while breathing. Try moving your fingers and toes.”

Even without that, I’m feeling a lot of strength coming from below.

“You’ve been out of it for a few days.”

The small, precious power of healing…

It felt like I had only just fallen asleep, but so much time had already passed.

“That long?”

“Yeah, I was really worried, but my brother… Ah, I mean, His Grace the Grand Duke, told me not to worry too much since you were recovering. Thankfully, the bandages on your hands are off too.”

Though Ronen said that, his face was still full of worry and anxiety, as if he had been fretting over whether Ed might never wake up.

Hearing about the bandages being off, Ed lightly moved his hand and asked,

“Ronen, have you… stayed by my side this whole time?”

“Oh! I stayed so I could be there when you woke up.”

“Day and night?”

Ronen rolled his eyes slightly before nodding, “Uh-huh.”

In fact, Ronen had fallen asleep next to Ed two nights ago, but when he woke up, he was in his own bed.

Wondering, “What the heck?” Ronen had jumped out of bed in his pajamas and rushed back to the room where Ed was lying. But that was a secret he’d never reveal.

‘Ed has always been there to protect me no matter where or when… But I let him down by not being there for him when he was sick. If Ed found out, he’d be so disappointed, wouldn’t he?’

So, just this once, Ronen decided to tell a lie.

Lying was bad, but he really didn’t want to see Ed disappointed.

However, Ed, who had no idea about Ronen’s dilemma, completely dismissed the lingering doubts he had as soon as Ronen nodded his head.

And then he changed the subject.

“But… you called him brother?”

“…Huh?”

“It sounded like you referred to His Grace as your brother.”

Even though Ed wanted to be alone for a while, he realized it would be difficult, so he decided to distract Ronen’s attention.

“Ah.”

Ronen looked a bit embarrassed.

It seemed he was still bothered by the fact that he was the only one who had found his family.

Though he really didn’t need to be.

“You know how we practiced a lot together? How to act when we find lost family members.”

When Ed spent time with Ronen, they would often pretend they had found lost family members and play make-believe.

Especially, they spent a lot of time practicing how to address family members they had reunited with.

The change in how someone is addressed can often signify a rapid shift in the relationship between two people.

There was a vast difference between calling someone His Grace the Grand Duke Asnel and calling thim Brother Asnel.

So, Ed worked hard to make it easier for Ronen to use the term “brother.”

Even though it was just pretend, with misty eyes, Ed would play the part of Ronen’s older brother.

‘Ronen, now that we’ve discovered we’re family, you should start calling me brother.’

In the original story, Ronen was afraid of adults who were bigger and older than him.

This was because he had been scolded by many adults, including the Count and Countess, during his childhood at the Herins estate.

So, even when he met his real brother, he couldn’t open up easily.

Despite feeling a bit embarrassed about his own poor acting, Ed put in the effort for this reason. After the Grand Duke’s death, Ronen would deeply regret not opening up to him sooner. That was why.

“Even though it was hard to call him brother, thinking about how I practiced with you made it easier. My heart was pounding before I said it, but once I did, it felt kind of refreshing.”

Ronen beamed, as if seeking praise.

Ed felt a swell of emotion.

He had helped reunite brothers who had been separated by tragedy, and now, he could make Ronen smile again.

Although there were still wounds in Ronen’s body and mind, they would heal slowly as he lived with the thoughtful Grand Duke.

“Yes, Ronen. You did very well.”

Ed could already imagine how happy the Grand Duke must have been.

In the original story, when Ronen called him “Brother Asnel,” he had bought him an entire island.

Such a doting brother was something Ed fully approved of.

“Mm-hmm.”

Ronen blushed.

Then suddenly, as if remembering something, he clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Oh, Ed!”

“Yes, Ronen.”

“Brother Asnel wants us to go to the North. What do you think?”

Of course, we should go as soon as possible.

But Ronen just blinked and looked at Ed.

“What about you, Ronen? What do you want to do?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

When Ed nodded, Ronen thought for a moment.

“Hmm, I’ll do whatever you do. If you go to the North, I’ll go too. If you don’t, then I won’t either.”

While Ed appreciated Ronen considering his opinion, it wasn’t good for Ronen to depend entirely on him.

The situation had changed now.

Before going to the North, Ed realized he needed to start putting some distance between himself and Ronen.

The relationship between a servant and a member of the Grand Duke’s bloodline had to be properly maintained.

Ed made up his mind quickly.

“You should go, Ronen. You’ve found your family, so it’s only right.”

“Really? Then when do you think we should go?”

Ed scratched his forehead.

‘Could it be that my words will determine when the Grand Duke and Ronen head North?’

If so, that was way too much responsibility.

Ed, who had planned to just go along with whatever the Grand Duke decided, scratched his forehead again.

The thought that his words might decide something made his head spin.

Right now, he just wanted to be left alone.

He didn’t want to think about anything.

‘Before I was reincarnated, I always wanted to clean my room during exam periods. ‘

The art of avoidance knows no bounds, no matter the time or place.

‘I just want to be a passing side character in the lives of the Grand Duke and Ronen.’