Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 131

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Tears stung Ed’s eyes as his chest tightened with anguish and heartache.

Unable to hold back, he moved closer to the Grand Duke.

He perched himself lightly on the man’s thigh and pressed their bodies together tightly.

And then, he embraced him.

Wrapping his arms around the Grand Duke’s neck, Ed pulled him close, chest to chest.

His warm body pressed firmly against the Grand Duke’s cold skin, leaving no gap between them.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Ed felt the reverberation of the Grand Duke’s heartbeat echo through his own body.

A deep tremor traveled up his spine, leaving him breathless.

Leaning in close to the Grand Duke’s ear, Ed whispered.

“Your Grace.”

His voice carried a wish, a hope that his words might awaken the Grand Duke, as if this were a scene from a novel.

The low murmur of Ed’s voice resonated softly in the cavern.

But there was no response.

The Grand Duke remained motionless.

Ed’s heart twisted in agony.

He longed to see them—those brilliant crimson eyes set within the crescent curve of the Grand Duke’s long lashes.

He longed to hear it—that gentle voice that always carried a hint of mischief, stretching out the end of Ed’s name as he called to him.

And more than anything, he longed to say the words he had never spoken aloud:
That he deeply respected the Grand Duke, who had single-handedly shouldered the burdens of the Northern lands from a young age.

When Ed first heard of the Grand Duke’s disappearance, it had felt as if the ground beneath his feet had crumbled away.

The very roots of his world had been torn out.

“…Just like the first day I found myself in this body.”

The memory of that day came rushing back—a feeling of being cast adrift in a raging storm, with no anchor to hold onto.

The emptiness left behind by the Grand Duke’s absence made Ed realize just how much space Asnel occupied in his heart.

Without even realizing it, his lips moved.

“I love you, Your Grace.”

So please, return to your place—where not just I, but everyone, is waiting for you.

Looking down at the Grand Duke’s still-unresponsive face, Ed’s heart swirled with tenderness and longing.

‘I have to transfer as much of my warmth and strength to him as possible, no matter what.’

Determined, he pulled the Grand Duke’s cold, stone-like body into a deeper embrace.

And then, it happened.

Huh?

Ed felt a faint movement where his cheek touched the Grand Duke’s.

‘Could it be…?’

Hope bloomed in Ed’s chest as he quickly looked up at the Grand Duke’s face.

To his amazement, the Grand Duke seemed to resist even the briefest separation, leaning into Ed’s neck as if trying to feel him more fully.

Encouraged, Ed gently cupped the Grand Duke’s face with his hands.

Slowly, the Grand Duke’s tightly closed eyelids began to lift.

‘He’s regaining consciousness!’

Ed’s heart surged with joy as he gazed at the Grand Duke’s gradually emerging eyes.

But then, he froze.

“Your Grace?”

He couldn’t help but notice that the Grand Duke’s eyes, reflected in the light of his magic, were no longer their usual vivid crimson.

Instead, they glowed a deep, dark violet.

“This isn’t enough.”

The voice that emerged was not the Grand Duke’s usual warm, teasing tone.

It was icy, chilling the very air of the cavern.

Ed stared at the unfamiliar expression on the Grand Duke’s face, an inexplicable sense of déjà vu washing over him.

Fragments of the original novel flickered in his mind, and then it hit him.

‘In the original, there was barely any description of the Grand Duke. I didn’t realize it, but he was said to have the purest dragon blood in the Empire. And in the library, I read once about feral dragons—creatures driven to madness when grievously injured, regardless of species. If that’s the case…’

Just then, a large hand wrapped around the back of Ed’s head.

Before he could fully process his thoughts, the Grand Duke’s low voice rumbled.

“I need more strength.”

The grip on the back of Ed’s head tightened, and their lips met.

This wasn’t the tender kiss Ed had offered earlier.

It was raw, primal—an act driven by instinct.

The sound of skin brushing against skin echoed in the cavern as the Grand Duke’s overwhelming power surged.

Only after a long, breathless moment did the Grand Duke pull back.

He looked at Ed with narrowed eyes, a predatory glint in his gaze.

“Your Grace…”

Ed managed to whisper, his breathing ragged.

But before he could say more, the Grand Duke’s hand tugged him forward again, their lips colliding once more.

This time, heat surged between them as the Grand Duke’s tongue invaded his mouth.

Ed’s eyes widened in shock, his body instinctively pulling back.

Displeased, the Grand Duke bit down on Ed’s lips, eliciting a muffled gasp.

‘Ah…’

Seeing Ed’s trembling eyes, the Grand Duke’s gaze softened slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile.

But his movements grew more intense, his tongue exploring every corner of Ed’s mouth, as if he intended to devour him whole.

The sounds of their shared breath and the slick, wet noises of their kiss filled the space once again.

Ed, dizzy and overwhelmed, mustered all his strength to push the Grand Duke away.

Fortunately, the Grand Duke, still unstable, retreated more easily than expected.

“Your Grace.”

Ed called to him once more, but the Grand Duke’s violet eyes remained unnervingly cold.

Still, Ed noticed a slight change in the Grand Duke’s demeanor, a faint shift in his presence.

‘I could try to run now. But if I leave, his slowly returning warmth might disappear again.’

More than anything, Ed couldn’t bear to leave the Grand Duke alone in this cold, desolate place.

Even in his current state, the Grand Duke didn’t frighten Ed.

All he wanted was for the Grand Duke to return to him—whole and safe.

So, as the Grand Duke approached once more, his movements threatening yet filled with longing, Ed wrapped his arms around him again, pulling him close.

With all the tenderness in his heart, Ed whispered the words once more.

“I love you, Your Grace.”

Even as the taste of blood lingered on his lips, even as he felt the Grand Duke’s desperation for more than just his healing power, Ed stayed.

He held on tightly and repeated his confession, hoping it would reach the Grand Duke’s heart.

---

Asnel sat in a space shrouded in darkness.

“Where is this place?”

After pondering deeply for a while, Asnel finally remembered—he had been caught in an avalanche while saving everyone.

Determined to escape, he attempted to leave immediately, but for some reason, neither magic nor swordsmanship worked here.

As time passed, Asnel began to grow accustomed to the darkness and suddenly thought:

“Is it alright to rest for a little while now?”

He had saved everyone from the avalanche, dealt with the dangerous monster, and trained the knights well enough that the people would be protected from external threats, even without him.

Sure, the Emperor might try to target the North again if he were absent, but with Ronen at the fortress, perhaps he could take a brief rest—or maybe even a slightly longer one.

Leaning against the cold wall, Asnel closed his weary eyes.

But then,

—Your Grace.

The soft voice calling his name started to dissolve his desire to linger in the darkness, replacing it with something else.

“If I stay here, I won’t be able to see them, will I? They’ll surely be sad. But… who are they?”

Asnel felt as if his head was ablaze, desperate to run to the owner of that voice.

—Asnel, I love you.

And as the voice echoed again, fading into silence, Asnel finally broke through the long darkness and spoke their name.

“Ed.”

Yet when he opened his eyes, it wasn’t the Ed who had greeted him with a sunshine-like smile.

What he saw instead was Ed, cold and covered in blood, lying motionless in his arms.

Asnel looked down at Ed, cradled against his chest.

Ed’s eyes were closed, as though he were simply lost in a deep sleep.

But to Asnel, this felt like a nightmare.

“Ed, please, open your eyes.”

If Ed were to stir, mumbling a small “Hmm?” like usual as he woke, Asnel would wish for nothing more.

“Your Grace, why do you look like that?”

“I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried. Now, let’s hurry back to the northern fortress. Young Master Ronen must be waiting for you.”

And as always, he hoped Ed would smile at him, just as brightly as before.

“Hmm? Ed.”

But contrary to Asnel’s desperate hopes, Ed’s skin only grew colder.

Though his face was as composed as ever, his body was marred with countless wounds beneath his neck.

As Asnel’s trembling hand brushed over Ed’s injuries, he couldn’t stop shaking.

“It must have hurt… You didn’t run away, just to save a single life like mine.”

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