Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 22

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“Yes, a servant’s duty is to assist their master, attend to their needs, and follow their orders.”

Ronen spoke gloomily.

“Ed, you’re my friend.”

“I’m truly grateful that you see me that way, but young master…”

“…”

“It’s more fitting for you to command me to place cake on your plate than for you to serve it to me.”

“…”

“Ed, placing the cake on my plate and ordering me to do so, that’s my role.”

“A servant’s role is to assist their master and obey their orders, huh?”

He was as sharp as ever.

Ronen hadn’t missed a single word of what he’d said.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ed lowered his gaze.

The sunlight streaming through the window stretched across the table, casting Ronen’s flickering shadow in its path.

He couldn’t easily picture what kind of expression Ronen was wearing right now, but this was the right thing to do.

Keeping a proper distance in their respective roles was the best choice.

“Ed.”

After a brief silence, Ronen spoke again.

“Yes, young master?”

“Lift your head.”

“…”

“Go on, that’s my first command.”

Slowly, Ed raised his head.

Ronen met his eyes with a clear and earnest gaze.

“And from now on, no matter what happens, never step back behind me.”

“…”

“That’s my second command.”

There was such force in his words that Ed’s lips involuntarily twitched with pride at Ronen’s growth.

‘Ah… Ronen’s already becoming a young master who can give commands like this.’

However, unlike Ed, Ronen—who had just given the order—seemed to wilt like a flower with a broken stem.

Ed glanced at him from the side, seeing Ronen sulking after giving his orders.

‘It’s probably because the relationship he imagined with me is different from this.’

But Ed didn’t comment further.

This was the right path.

“Understood, young master.”

He answered as he placed the cake on Ronen’s plate.

---

After finishing the cake, they stepped outside.

The afternoon sun beat down on their heads, while a cool breeze brushed their cheeks.

It was a peaceful, sunny afternoon in southern Zestia, full of the warmth of spring.

“Hey, isn’t that Ronen? It’s Ronen, right?”

But the pleasant atmosphere didn’t last long.

A stocky man, on his way into the cake shop, recognized Ronen.

Ronen, who was about to leave the shop, stopped in his tracks.

He looked up at the man and greeted him.

“Ah, hello. Director.”

The director?

Was this the director of “Kaibel Orphanage”, where Ronen had lived from ages three to six?

“Hahaha! It’s been so long, Ronen! I heard the news. You met a wonderful brother from a good family? And the Grand Duke has even sponsored you as a token of thanks! Hahaha! Isn’t that right? You were able to meet your brother and stay healthy because of me, huh?!”

His loud laughter hurt their ears.

Ed stepped forward, subtly blocking the director’s view of Ronen.

It was only natural for Ronen to feel small in front of the director who had made his childhood so difficult.

The director of Kaibel Orphanage hadn’t opened the orphanage out of love for children.

He had done it to line his pockets with imperial subsidies and noble donations.

He raised children, separating those who would be adopted by noble families and those he could sell on the black market.

When children grew older and weren’t adopted, they were forced into the black market.

He never worried about discrepancies between the number of children receiving subsidies and the actual number of orphans.

He just scribbled ‘runaway’ on the paperwork to cover it up.

Of course, the director had no interest in properly running the orphanage.

The food was terrible, and he often gathered the children to berate them.

Ed glanced back. Jaynon caught his eye and gave him a slight nod before stepping forward.

The Grand Duke of Asnel knew that Kaibel Orphanage was selling children.

He had donated large sums of money to the orphanage and used the flow of funds to track down the director’s long and tangled network of illegal trade.

That’s how the Grand Duke was able to recover the children sold to the black market.

The director was still unaware that he had handed over the contracts for the black market deals directly to the Grand Duke’s hands, completely unaware of his own downfall.

‘No matter where you go, there are always beasts disguised as humans, crazed by greed.’

Ed stepped back slightly, and Jaynon bowed his head as he greeted the director.

“Good day, sir.”

“And who are you?”

“I am the servant who attends to young master Ronen. Are you indeed the director of Kaibel Orphanage, sir?”

“Ahem, that’s correct.”

“Is that so?”

Jaynon smiled warmly.

“I apologize for not greeting you sooner. The Grand Duke has spoken of you often.”

“Of course, he has! Without me, how would Ronen have grown up so healthy and whole? Hahaha!”

‘Ugh, that laugh. Can he not stop? It’s noise pollution at this point.’

Just as Ed thought that, the director let out another boisterous laugh, and Ed despaired.

“Hahaha! That day in the cold winter, I took in this helpless child, and I just knew! I knew he would turn out great! Hahahaha!”

It wasn’t out of concern for Ronen, who had been abandoned in the mountains, that the director took him in. He had seen a profitable opportunity and scooped him up, leaving the nurse who was barely clinging to life behind.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. In fact, I was planning to visit you today, bearing gifts.”

“G-gifts?!”

“Yes, sir.”

At Jaynon’s response, Irtel opened the carriage door, revealing it was packed with cakes and macarons—gifts that Ronen had extravagantly bought, saying they’d take them back to the count’s residence.

Perhaps mistaking it for gold and jewels, the director’s eyes bulged at the sight of the stacked boxes.

When Irtel slowly closed the door again, the director’s gaze darted nervously as his throat bobbed up and down.

“By the way, it seems you were on your way somewhere.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, I was.”

The director, still unable to tear his eyes from the carriage, gave a vague answer.

“That’s unfortunate. Since you have errands to attend to, we’ll visit you another time.”

“No, no! It’s just something for the children. It can wait until tomorrow! Hahaha!”

Jaynon smiled brightly.

“Is that so? Then, do we have your permission to visit the orphanage?”

“Of course!”

“Thank you, sir. Please, allow us to escort you by carriage. This way.”

At Jaynon’s words, Irtel opened the carriage door again.

The two of them had been working together for so long that their timing was perfect.

“What a fine carriage,” the director muttered to himself with a smirk.

Jaynon, holding the door open, bowed politely as the director puffed up his chest and climbed aboard with a self-important air.

During that moment, Ed bent down slightly to meet Ronen’s gaze.

“Young Master Ronen, if you don’t want to go to the orphanage, you can return to the estate first. I’ll come right after finishing my work.”

The Kaibel Orphanage did not hold good memories for Ronen.

The headmaster was a scoundrel, and the deputy headmaster was his lackey.

As a result, the rooms were shabby, and the dining conditions were poor.

Ronen shook his head.

“No, I want to go too.”

Ed nodded silently. He straightened his back, which had been bent, and stood tall.

“Understood, Young Master. Let’s go together.”

Ed glanced down at Ronen’s hand, which had reached out to hold his.

Though still small and delicate, the warmth of that hand was something Ed grasped firmly.

---

When Ronen arrived at the orphanage and got out of the carriage, the children playing in the yard gathered around.

“It smells so good!”

“He’s shining!”

“He’s so pretty!”

“Wow, look! He got out of a carriage! He must be a prince! There are knights on horseback too!”

The children clustered together, wide-eyed, showing interest in Ronen and tilting their heads in curiosity.

But the lively, chirping voices quickly fell silent when the headmaster opened his mouth.

“What are you all doing without greeting our guest? I don’t recall teaching you to be this rude.”

As the headmaster stepped out of another carriage, the children, who had been rolling their eyes, quickly tried to gauge the situation.

The headmaster’s disheveled hair and rough voice suggested he’d just woken up, and though he tried to feign kindness, the children retreated and clammed up.

Despite his efforts to show the children off to the nobles, the orphanage kids still looked thin and malnourished.

Ed carried down several cake boxes from the carriage.

Glancing around, he saw Jaynon, who had followed them on horseback, nod.

‘Good, the plan’s been approved.’

Ed met the children’s eyes.

“Where is Ei?”

“…….”

“Ei should be at the top of the orphanage’s registry. I need to follow the list when giving out presents to make sure no one is left out.”

When Ed searched for Ei among the children, the headmaster quickly stepped in front of him, trying to block Ed’s line of sight with his short, bulky frame.

“Hahaha! What’s the point of following the registry order? Just give presents to the kids here. Ahem.”

And Ed saw it—the cold sweat trickling down the headmaster’s forehead.

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