Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 28

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“Aran, take it easy.”

The Grand Duke’s soft voice made the silver wolf, now on the ground, wag its tail and circle him.

The wolf rubbed its back against his leg, and with a hiss, fire burst from its mouth, igniting the chain held by the Grand Duke.

As the flames roared to life, the monster shuddered in fear.

To destroy the monster, they had to obliterate its core—its heart.

The monster, perhaps realizing that the fire in the chain could harm its core, began to resist even more fiercely.

At that moment, a black shadow rippled at the base of the statue, and cracks spread across its body.

From its feet, the solid stone crumbled into dust in an instant, turning into grains of sand.

The monster collapsed to the ground, slithering across it like a mass of mud, shifting its form.

Unable to break free from the chains that tightly bound it, the monster changed its shape.

As the grains of sand gathered and rose like a swarm of bees, a dull wind stirred, darkening the air with floating clouds of dust.

The Grand Duke raised his gaze, tracking the chaotic movements that blurred his vision.

The monster morphed into a bat-like shape, buzzing as it flew.

As the statue turned to sand, the Grand Duke spotted the core hidden in its left arm—a rusty, dark red core, leaking smoke as black as iron.

The monster puffed up and then curled in on itself, trying to protect its core.

The Grand Duke drew his sword, smoothing its blade with his palm and taking a stance.

Infusing his sword with power, he pointed it toward the sky, and flames burst from its tip.

Bang, bang, bang—smaller and larger fireballs shot from the tip of the sword, heading straight for the airborne monster.

The recoil from the force made the Grand Duke’s body slightly jolt.

As he watched the trajectory of the fireballs, the Grand Duke readied himself again.

When the fireballs collided with the bat-shaped monster, the black sand scattered, then quickly reformed.

The grinding sound of small stones clashing echoed as the sand shifted.

“Found it.”

This time, the Grand Duke spotted the core hidden under the monster’s right wing.

He aimed his sword again, generating another fireball at its tip.

Realizing its critical weakness had been exposed, the monster compressed its sand body into a long spear, aiming directly at the Grand Duke.

It pounded the ground with the spear and swung it wildly toward him.

The Grand Duke, rather than blocking the strikes with his sword, dodged them effortlessly with slight movements, while continuing to launch fireballs in rapid succession.

As the fireballs arced through the air, ready to crash down on the monster, the black sand gathered, forming layers of defense around the core like walls.

It seemed to be trying to protect the right wing.

At that moment, the silver wolf leapt into the air, disrupting the concentration of the black sand.

The fireballs followed, hitting the monster’s right wing squarely.

Boom!

The explosion was so powerful that the air seemed to compress and then release in a shockwave, spreading like a sandstorm that pressed down on the entire space.

Through the gaps in the disintegrating grains of sand, the Grand Duke spotted the core and flung the chain toward it.

The chain clenched tightly around the core.

As the Grand Duke prepared to crush it, the black sand surged toward the chain, wrapping around it like a snake.

The monster advanced, twisting and tightening around the chain, trying desperately to disrupt the Grand Duke’s grip.

But the Grand Duke remained unshaken. He placed his hand on the chain and ignited the flames once more.

In an instant, the fire climbed the chain, melting the black sand like thick tar.

The core shattered with a pop, falling lifelessly to the ground.

“Hah… it’s over.”

Ed, who had been watching through the barrier with his forehead pressed against it, let out a long breath.

His clenched fists trembled slightly.

The battle had been overwhelming, but there was still a part of him that had doubted the outcome.

The Grand Duke had completely dispelled that doubt.

“Aran, you did well.”

The Grand Duke, after confirming the monster’s defeat, patted the fur of the wolf beside him.

Then, he sent Aran back into the summoning circle.

Afterward, the Grand Duke walked toward the barrier and extended his hand to Ed.

But noticing the blackness spreading across his fingertips, the Grand Duke clenched his fist.

This was one of the side effects of overusing magic.

The side effects manifested in various ways—blackened, numb fingertips and toes were the mildest symptoms.

At times, the pain could be so severe it felt like his body was burning, or he’d experience the sensation of blood flowing backward.

If he couldn’t control the magic properly, it could lead to a violent outburst.

‘He must be bewildered…’

Ed wasn’t accustomed to seeing monsters, the cracks of the rift, or the power of magic.

Seeing this blackened hand would probably only fill him with fear.

With that thought, the Grand Duke tightly clenched his fist.

However, Ed thought differently.

In the original story, the Grand Duke’s fingertips only turned black when he used his power to protect someone from a monster.

And now, even in this moment, the Grand Duke was likely enduring the pain of the side effects but hiding it, so Ed wouldn’t worry.

That’s why Ed wasn’t afraid of the Grand Duke’s blackened hand.

Ed extended his hand and gently clasped the Grand Duke’s tightly clenched fist.

It looked odd—like his hand was wrapped in a bundle—but neither Ed nor the Grand Duke said a word.

The Grand Duke, who had been staring down at their clasped hands, looked up with a faint smile.

“If you’re anxious, should I kiss you again, Ed?”

Ed jumped in surprise.

“I—I maintained the barrier perfectly, didn’t I?”

The Grand Duke’s laughter rang clear and pure.

The Grand Duke had entered the rift countless times, fought monsters, and saved people, but this was the first time he had laughed joyfully after a battle.

The Grand Duke opened his hand.

The black marks still tainted his skin, but they hadn’t consumed him.

He grasped Ed’s small, pale hand, which fit perfectly in his palm.

Together, they walked toward the glowing exit.

---

Hours past midnight, Ed lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

He was in a room on the third floor of the main mansion of the Count’s estate.

After Naisen’s improper visit the previous day, the Grand Duke had moved Ed’s room to the third floor of the main mansion, not far from the Grand Duke’s study.

‘…And.’

Ed pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart thump steadily.

The warmth that had started in his heart spread through his body, coursing like a quiet tremor.

“…”

Yesterday had been overwhelming—Naisen’s trap, the Mountains Cake Shop, the orphanage visit, the shoe fitting, Lake Bay—but none of it compared to what had happened in the rift with the Grand Duke.

At first, Ed was afraid, but by the time the battle—so surreal it felt like a dream—was over, he found himself wondering if he was still dreaming, even as he stepped outside with the Grand Duke.

But the reality of it all hit him when Ronen ran up to him, and Irthel and Jaynon gave him reassuring pats on the shoulder.

Ed finally felt grounded in reality.

Upon returning to the Count’s residence, he ate a warm bowl of soup and immediately collapsed into bed.

“……”

Even with the blackout curtains drawn tightly, Ed’s mind was still filled with flashes of light from the rift and the image of the Grand Duke fighting off the monsters.

He tossed and turned, pulling the blankets over himself, kicking them off, and pulling them back again, unable to settle.

“Knock, knock.”

A soft knock echoed from the door.

Ed squeezed his eyes shut, curling into the blankets, trying to ignore the thoughts swirling in his head. But when the knock came again, he reluctantly got up.

“Yes.”

“Ed.”

The person who stepped into the room was Jaynon, holding a tray of fruit in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

“Oh, yes.”

Ed looked up at Jaynon, wondering why he was here.

“Having trouble sleeping?”

“…Yes, well.”

“How about we have a drink then?”

Jaynon said, moving the table closer to the fireplace.

After hesitating for a moment, Ed realized he wasn’t going to fall asleep anytime soon, so he got up from bed.

As he sat down near the fireplace, Jaynon handed him a steaming cup of tea, which Ed gratefully drank.

Meanwhile, Jaynon poured wine into his own glass.

“When I first came back from the rift, I couldn’t sleep either.”

Ed nodded slightly.

“The monsters are terrifying, the rift is dark and cold, and I had no idea what I should do.”

Ed couldn’t help but smile faintly at the familiar sentiment.

‘Even someone as experienced as Jaynon, who seems to have been through it all, is saying this. Maybe I didn’t do as poorly today as I thought.’

Ed gulped down the wine.

The sweet alcohol glided smoothly down his throat, lifting his mood.

Jaynon refilled Ed’s glass with careful precision, as if he understood exactly how Ed was feeling.

“Ed.”

“Yes.”

“I’m really sorry.”

Jaynon set the wine bottle down and spoke.

“The truth is… I didn’t believe that letter.”

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