Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 15

* * *

The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed as he immediately grasped the type of contract Ed was referring to—one meant to capture those who had tormented Ronen.

In the Count’s household, there were the Count and Countess, their child, and twelve servants.

The fact that at least twelve contracts were needed implied that all but a few of them had troubled Ronen.

The Grand Duke shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t grant that request.”

“I understand, Your Grace. I know how deeply troubled you must feel… but that’s precisely why you must restrain yourself.”

“…”

“Taking their lives in one stroke would be easy. Hurting them would give you temporary relief.”

“If you know that, shall we end this conversation here?”

“But, Your Grace, Ronen may feel differently.”

The Grand Duke’s fingers, which had been tapping the armrest of the sofa, came to a stop.

Ed organized his thoughts and continued.

“I’m not asking you to forgive them or let them off the hook. I’m suggesting that you wait until Young Master Ronen can make that decision for himself.”

“…”

“Only then can he truly seek revenge or offer forgiveness.”

In the original story, when Ronen reunited with his brother, he neither punished nor forgave the people of the Count’s household. He simply ignored them entirely.

Before his descent into darkness, when the Grand Duke was about to deal with them, Ronen had said indifferently:

“These people aren’t worth laying a hand on. Don’t waste your time on them.”

Although Ed personally wanted to support the Grand Duke’s opinion, this was something Ronen needed to resolve.

After a brief pause, the Grand Duke spoke.

“Then let’s do it this way.”

“…”

“I’d like to offer the Count’s household some support in return for taking good care of Ronen, but there are tax issues, so a contract will need to be drawn up.”

The fury in the Grand Duke’s eyes gradually subsided.

“And as for Baron Shelton…”

The Grand Duke’s voice lowered slightly, as if contemplating how to handle the matter.

“By the way, how are you feeling?”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

Ed responded energetically, but lowered his gaze when he met the Grand Duke’s eyes.

His hand, which had once held a poisoned cookie, had healed completely, and there was no lingering pain or discomfort, likely due to his healing abilities.

“Recently, I noticed that the interaction between the Herins Coun and Baron Shelton has deepened. Their relationship and financial exchanges have grown closer.”

Yet, Ed felt strangely foggy in the head whenever he met the Grand Duke’s gaze.

“But even considering the union of the Count and Baron’s households, the Baron’s recent actions have been peculiar. He seems oddly subservient to the Count’s household.”

“…”

“I wondered why, and then the answer became clear. At first, I thought it was because the Baron realized that Ronen, whom he had once underestimated, was now a member of my family. But it wasn’t that…”

“…”

“When I considered that the poison you were afflicted with was actually aimed at Ronen, everything fell into place.”

The Grand Duke’s conclusions were flawless. Now it was time to provide him with the weapon to strike at the Baron.

Instead of nodding, Ed offered the Grand Duke some enticing information.

“I hear that Baron Shelton has been increasing his wealth by smuggling and reducing the bronze content when minting coins.”

Such information was likely already in the Grand Duke’s possession, as it could easily be obtained with a single silver coin from any back-alley informant.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

To bring down both Baron Shelton and Count Herins simultaneously, more evidence was needed.

With the Grand Duke’s power, he could obliterate both families based on mere suspicion, but the Imperial family, always watching the Grand Duke’s lineage, would not sit idly by.

So Ed revealed the key he held.

“The secret ledger containing that information is hidden in the attic of the ‘Happy Bakery’ on 42nd Street in the Red District of the South.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed.

It was only natural that he hadn’t discovered this yet. The evidence was something that could only be uncovered after thoroughly stripping the Baron’s household.

“Thank you for this valuable information.”

Ed had learned of this in the original story, when Ronen, after his descent into darkness, had swept through the world.

The scene where Ronen found and burned the secret ledger at what was disguised as a bakery—a hideout for an information guild—had left an impression.

Ronen had been so powerful that he didn’t need such evidence; he could take care of things directly.

Retrieving the ledger would be an easy task for the Grand Duke’s subordinates.

‘I feel like I’ve revealed too much, but the Grand Duke must have already looked into my background… So it should be fine to leak this much information.’

In the original story, Ed had worked as a low-ranking informant before joining the Herins household.

Given this background, it was unlikely that the Grand Duke would doubt the truth of the information Ed provided.

Fortunately, the Grand Duke did not ask how Ed had obtained this information. His unspoken intention was to verify the truth of the matter after retrieving the ledger.

Sensing the Grand Duke’s reaction, Ed sighed inwardly and moved on to his main request.

“Uh… Your Grace, I’m sorry, but I have another favor to ask.”

The Grand Duke’s calm voice asked,

“No need to apologize. What is it?”

“Well… I’d like to establish an herbal association. The person in charge would have no connection to you, Your Grace, but they would be trustworthy.”

The Grand Duke tilted his head.

“Tell me more.”

“I haven’t learned much, but I know that it wouldn’t be beneficial if it were revealed that the Northern forces were involved in the downfall of the Count Herins or the Baron Shelton.”

Ed’s eyes, which had been slightly lowered, sparkled with resolve.

“So I was thinking, what if the herbal association reported Baron Shelton’s tax evasion to Duke Jade of the South? And what if the association received a suitable reward in the form of a donation?”

Duke Jade was a powerful figure in the South and was friendly with the Grand Duke.

Those who reported tax evasion to the authorities could receive a reward.

Sometimes, the Imperial family would even bestow a bounty.

‘…The reward is tempting, but it’s a necessary move.’

It wouldn’t be wise for Grand Duke Asnel, the ruler of the North, to be seen meddling with southern nobility, nor would it look good if a mere servant was the one to report a noble.

Obtaining the secret ledger alone would be enough to bankrupt Baron Shelton through the fines he would have to pay.

This, in turn, would shake the Count’s household, which relied on the Baron’s financial support.

However, the establishment of the herbal association wasn’t just about bankrupting Count Herins and Baron Shelton.

‘The reason Grand Duke Asnel was falsely accused was due to an outbreak of disease following his battle against monsters in the North.’

Ed planned to use the herbal association to save the Grand Duke.

For the first time, Ed felt that the future was becoming clear.

What had once felt like walking on shifting sands, where each step sank and wavered, now seemed like solid ground.

The Grand Duke looked at Ed. His gaze was calm yet inquisitive.

“But Ed, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Do my lips look that enticing to you?”

Ed, who had been smiling as he finally saw a clear outline of the future, froze.

“…What?”

“You kept staring at them as if you were dying to take a bite. It was hard not to notice.”

As the Grand Duke’s words caused his lips, already slightly red, to seem even more vibrant, Ed jumped up from his seat.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to… I-I’ll just, uh, step outside for a moment.”

Just a moment.

With a silent scream, Ed opened the door and hurried out.

Asnel’s eyes narrowed.

“…Seeing him like that, he still seemed like a young and inexperienced servant.”

However, when it came to handling tasks, he was so mature and skillful that he even appeared cunning.

Ed had shown that when he stopped him from immediately dealing with those who tormented Ronen, and again when he advised how best to use Baron Shelton’s incriminating ledgers.

When Ed came to him, apologizing and saying he had a request, Asnel thought he would ask for something different.

‘I expected him to ask me to take down the Shelton family with my power.’

He had the power, and since Ed had helped him greatly in finding Ronen, he was ready to accept such a request, thinking it would be a fair exchange.

But instead, he only wanted to establish an herb association…

That alone was surprising, but then he said he would seek revenge indirectly, not with his own power, but by borrowing the strength of the Southern Duke.

He couldn’t understand what kind of plan he was drawing, but seeing him choose a different path instead of the simple and straightforward conclusion he had in mind piqued his curiosity.

‘What could be filling that small head of his?’

* * *