Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 135

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“It seemed like it might be dull just staying in the room all day.”

Ordinarily, Ed would have leapt out of bed upon hearing these words.

Yet for some reason, today, he found himself unable to leave the bed.

‘If I leave the room, His Grace the Duke will hear and come to find me, won’t he?’

…And if he came, Ed was certain he wouldn’t be able to withstand the shame.

“Well… could you bring me a book to read from the library?”

“What kind?”

“Anything interesting will do.”

“Anything? In that case, how about I bring you some of my favorites? I’d highly recommend ‘The Truth About Taxes They’ll Never Teach You at the Imperial Tax Office’ or ‘Philosophical Dialogues and the Expansion of Works.'”

As Ed’s expression darkened at the very mention of these headache-inducing titles, Jaynon added hastily,

“Not your taste? Then how about ‘Even If My Nation Falls Tomorrow, I’ll Still Plant Carrots,’ written by a sage who escaped the Imperial Palace just before his death?”

“…”

“You know, just reading that could make a week fly by. Especially the part where he studies magic after work every day, thanks to his boss disappearing every time he tries to resign. Ah… just thinking about it is making me tear up again.”

Ed couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Jaynon dab his eyes with a handkerchief.

Taking a sip of the steaming soup in front of him, he replied,

“Sounds like an amazing book. Just hearing you talk about it makes me want to cry.”

Jaynon nodded earnestly, as if understanding Ed’s sentiment.

He sniffled and wiped his nose.

‘I don’t know exactly what happened to Ed—nobody will say—but I’m sure he got hurt saving His Grace. Ed, thank you so much for risking yourself to save him.’

With these silent words of gratitude, Jaynon shrugged his shoulders confidently.

“Leave it to me! I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t get bored even while staying in your room.”

As Jaynon left the room with a loud bang, Ed let out a sigh, staring at his soup.

‘Seeing him so enthusiastic with that friendly face of his… why does it make me uneasy?’

Not long after, the door burst open again.

Jaynon, who had left empty-handed, returned with an armful of books thick enough to double as weapons.

Following him was Ronen.

“Ed! You said you wanted to read, right?”

Ronen bounded past Jaynon, clambering onto the bed with enthusiasm.

“I want to read next to you, Ed!”

Jaynon plopped the stack of books onto the table with a thud.

He pulled out a thin volume and handed it to Ronen.

Ed scanned the titles of the books Jaynon had brought.

The longer he looked, the dizzier he felt.

Choosing the least intimidating one, he climbed onto the bed as well.

“Ed, let me see. What book did you pick?”

“What about you, Young Master?”

“I picked a storybook! Jaynon recommended it to me!”

“Well, enjoy your reading, then.”

“Thanks, Jaynon!”

Jaynon waved goodbye to Ronen, and after giving Ed a cheery farewell, left the room.

Leaning against the headboard, Ronen opened his book.

Ed settled beside him, thinking that spending time like this wasn’t so bad after all.

Slowly, he began turning the pages.

Though he initially wanted to skip over the densely packed text, the story eventually drew him in, and he became absorbed.

Then, suddenly, a weight pressed against his arm.

Looking up, Ed saw that Ronen, still holding his book, had nodded off and leaned against him.

With a faint smile, Ed carefully removed the book from Ronen’s lap and adjusted his position.

The boy’s face was serene, unburdened by the loneliness and sorrow that had been there when they first met.

‘When I first saw him, he was so small… and now he’s grown so much.’

Gently laying Ronen’s head on a pillow, Ed tiptoed out of bed.

‘It’s already night.’

He hadn’t noticed the time passing while he was reading.

Glancing out the window, Ed moved to the desk, thinking he could finish the last few pages before dinner.

But just as he was about to turn a page, a long shadow fell over his book.

‘What’s this?’

Startled, Ed turned around to see the Duke standing a short distance away, silently watching him.

“Y-Your Grace!”

Ed jumped, pushing his chair back to rise.

The Duke waved a hand, gesturing for him to stay seated.

“You can remain seated. I knocked earlier, but there was no response. I was worried you’d collapsed again.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I was concerned you might be bored cooped up here, but it seems you’re managing just fine.”

The Duke smiled as he approached the bed.

Despite the conversation, Ronen remained fast asleep.

The Duke gently brushed aside the boy’s bangs.

“It seems Ronen was quite tense for a while. After everything that happened, it’s only natural.”

Scooping Ronen into his arms, the Duke lightly patted his back.

“Well, I’ll leave you to rest. Take care, Ed.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“And if you ever need anything, let me know.”

“I will.”

As the Duke turned to leave, Ed watched him in silence.

But then the Duke abruptly turned back, striding toward him. Ed froze, his eyes wide.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Have a good night, Ed.”

“Y-yes. You too, Your Grace.”

The Duke nodded slightly and left the room.

Ed followed him to the hallway, seeing him off before leaning his forehead against the door with a groan.

‘How am I supposed to face him when I can’t even look him in the eye?’

Ed buried himself in books whenever his thoughts grew too tangled.

Two days later, feeling fully recovered, he jumped out of bed.

“Alright, I think I’m better now.”

After testing his movements, Ed opened the door.

The cold winter had begun to give way to early spring.

Gathering some cleaning supplies, he decided to visit the long-neglected laboratory.

As he approached the outer bridge, he spotted the Duke and Irtel standing there, and hesitated.

The Duke noticed him, leaning casually against the railing.

Ed nervously adjusted his clothing before ascending the steps.

‘Why does my lower stomach feel oddly tense?’

He let out a faint groan, stepping into a shadowed corner just before the footbridge, and gently rubbed his stomach.

Each time his palm brushed against his coat, the soft rustle of fabric echoed.

“Is it because I’m nervous in front of His Highness?”

Ed let out a short laugh, then took a deep breath of the northern chill.

The sharp cold air eased the pain somewhat.

After rubbing his stomach one more time, Ed tidied up the cleaning tools as if nothing had happened and approached the Grand Duke.

“Are you heading to the lab?”

“Yes, I can’t start proper research yet, but I wanted to at least clean up the dust that’s been piling up.”

“The royal physician said you could start moving around a little, but you should still rest for a few more days. Didn’t the injured area hurt just now?”

Though Ed thought he had hidden it well, it seemed the Grand Duke had seen through him completely.

“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just… I’ve been eating only soup these past few days, and I get hungry so easily. I just ate, but my stomach’s already growling. Haha.”

As he laughed playfully, Ed averted his gaze when the Grand Duke continued to look at him with worry.

“Huh?”

While staring at the Grand Duke’s shadow on the ground, Ed let out a surprised sound.

A warm light seemed to radiate around him, and the previously chilly air had grown noticeably warmer.

The Grand Duke, noticing Ed glance up slightly, spoke.

“It’s still cold out, so don’t stay in the lab too long. Come to the dining hall in two hours. I’ll ask the chef to prepare some light snacks or something filling.”

As he spoke, the Grand Duke’s eyes crinkled into a half-moon smile, causing Ed’s cheeks to flush once again.

---

The moment Ed entered the lab, he threw open the windows and spent some time cleaning every corner before collapsing into a chair.

“Jaynon and Tens keep saying my food portions have doubled lately… I need to stay more active. If not, I might end up like Loa.”

Thinking of Roa rolling across the bed with a bloated stomach, Ed sighed softly.

Taking out the notebook he always carried, he reviewed his upcoming schedule.

Flipping through the pages, he alternated between his notebook and the calendar on the wall.

“Oh, wait a minute. Isn’t Young Master Ronen’s birthday next month?”

Ed tapped his pen against the desk, pondering how to prepare for it, then glanced at the clock and stood.

“…It hasn’t been two hours yet, so His Highness should still be in his office.”

But when Ed reached the main office, Jaynon was sitting there instead, blankly staring at documents.

“Jaynon, where’s His Highness?”

“I was wondering that myself. When I arrived, His Highness was already gone. He just left a note on the desk.”

“A note?”

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