Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 2

“Young Master.”

“Huh? Yes?”

As his name was called, Ronen, who had been nodding off, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

It was clear how tense he got whenever his name was mentioned.

Standing in front of him, Ed spoke.

“Why don’t you sleep in your bed?”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t sleeping.”

“There’s still time before dinner, so you can take a nap if you like.”

Ronen’s eyes rolled around. He seemed very tempted.

“Really?”

“Of course, I’ll wake you up.”

But he quickly shook his head.

“No, no. Ed, you worked so hard to change the sheets. I can’t dirty them.”

What is this? Why is he so sweet and considerate, even when he’s this pitiful?

Ed bent down slightly to meet Ronen’s gaze.

Since he planned to quit soon anyway, he wanted to leave a good impression on him.

“If you’re sleepy, please take a nap, Young Master. The sheets won’t get that dirty.”

“But…”

“And if they do, I’ll change them again, so don’t worry.”

“E-Ed.”

“Yes, Young Master?”

“Are you not busy today?”

Ronen’s violet eyes began to droop as he asked.

“Pardon?”

“You said you were too busy with work to have time to talk to me.”

“…….”

“You said the count’s mansion is big and there’s too much work, so you can’t listen to me complain… Ah, I’m not blaming you, Ed. I was just wondering if I can talk to you now.”

His voice grew smaller as he asked, “So I was wondering…”

Oh, Ronen, why do you seem so sad?

And Ed, you’re just about to get yourself killed, aren’t you?

‘…When I woke up as Ed, I thought I’d be fine since I’d only been at the count’s mansion for two weeks.’

I never thought I’d be digging my own grave this quickly.

Sweat began to form on Ed’s back.

It felt like running away now would be dangerous to his life.

Ronen’s grudges were long-lasting, and his obsession with revenge was nothing short of madness.

Moreover, when he took revenge, he didn’t just kill—he did so in a way that was brutal and utterly devastating.

So, he had no choice but to revise his plan.

Ed had to remove the death flag hanging over his head and leave the count’s mansion. He had to, no matter what.

‘…But how on earth can I do that?’

Ed’s gaze wavered as he lost direction.

However, he didn’t have much time to think.

‘How? There’s only one way.’

He had to beg. Plead with all his might.

In the novel, Ed was quick to pick up on things, but he’d made a poor investment in life and ended up failing miserably.

From the moment he joined the Count Herins’s mansion, there had been an atmosphere of looking down on Ronen.

They belittled him, calling him an orphan who got lucky and was adopted by the count.

Ed quickly picked up on this atmosphere and began moving tactically, collaborating with those who bullied Ronen and causing him trouble.

He would conspire with the butler or his swordsmanship teacher, Sener, to spread lies, or accuse Ronen of stealing bread from the kitchen.

And like today, he even humiliated Ronen by falsely claiming that he had wet the bed the previous night.

Naturally, Ed ended up on Ronen’s hit list.

He had committed so many wrongs that there was no escape.

In the end, he was brutally murdered by Ronen, who returned with a burning desire for revenge.

So, he needed to start with a sincere apology.

“I’m sorry, Young Master Ronen. I can’t believe I said such things… I must have been struggling to adapt to my first job as a servant. But even so, it was wrong of me to say those terrible things. I am truly sorry, Young Master.”

Ronen waved his hand.

“No, Ed. Why should you apologize? It was my fault for being a bother.”

Ed shook his head.

“No, Young Master. You treated me so well that I was able to adjust to life at the count’s mansion within just a week.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

At Ed’s words, Ronen’s cheeks turned slightly pink.

Since he wasn’t used to receiving compliments, he seemed both happy and embarrassed by the praise.

Ronen’s legs swung back and forth as he sat properly on the chair.

He was cute. And pitiful, too.

‘How much did they torment this adorable boy to turn him into such a tyrant… No, I shouldn’t think like that.’

Now, his primary goal was to remove the death flag looming over him and live a long, quiet life.

Ed met Ronen’s gaze.

“So, from now on, I’d like to become close friends with you, Young Master. How do you feel about that? Would you dislike it?”

At the suggestion of becoming friends, Ronen’s body jerked as if he’d leaped from the chair. He swallowed nervously.

“R-Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Do you really want to be friends with me?”

“Yes, I sincerely want to be friends.”

At those words, Ronen blinked rapidly, as if trying to hold back tears. His eyes, which had begun to grow moist, were now dry.

If Ronen had been adopted three years ago, he would be about nine years old now.

But the fact that he was already struggling to hold back tears… It was heartbreaking.

He was probably worried that Ed would take back his words, so he quickly responded.

“Yes, yes. I want to be friends, too.”

Ed nodded.

“Yes, me too. So, why don’t you lie down on the bed, Young Master? I want to know if the sheets I changed feel comfortable for you.”

“Of course, they’re comfortable.”

Ronen replied flatly, as if the answer was obvious. It was clear he didn’t want to trouble Ed.

But his drowsy expression gave him away. Still, Ed pretended not to notice and patted the sheets.

“If they’re really comfortable, then try lying down. If you’re just saying that, I’ll be very sad. Friends shouldn’t keep secrets or tell lies…”

“N-No, I’m not lying.”

Ronen suddenly sprang up from his chair and buried himself under the sheets.

Ed smiled faintly and pulled a chair close to the bed.

“…….”

“…….”

Ronen’s gaze followed Ed as he sat down in the chair.

His eyelids, which had been drooping with sleepiness, suddenly lifted, and he looked at Ed with sleepy eyes.

“How do the sheets feel? Are they okay?”

“Mmm, they’re really warm and cozy.”

They’re really warm and nice.

His voice, laden with sleep, trailed off like a lazy afternoon in spring. He seemed very tired.

“Then, have a good nap and wake up feeling refreshed.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Even as he answered, Ronen kept struggling to lift his heavy eyelids.

“…….”

“…….”

He looked at Ed once, then again.

“Young Master Ronen.”

“…Huh?”

“Is there something you want to say?”

“N-No.”

“If you have something on your mind, please feel free to tell me, Young Master. That way, I can understand your feelings better, and we can become closer.”

Ronen, rolling his eyes, rubbed them and spoke.

“But… the teacher, the older brothers, and even the servants told me not to say anything and to just stay quiet…”

His voice was dejected.

“Did they say they wanted to be friends with you?”

Ronen thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“No.”

“That’s where they and I differ. I want to be friends with you, which is why I’m curious about what you’re thinking right now. I’d like to talk more with you.”

Ronen, who had been listening carefully to Ed, spoke.

“…Well, Ed.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Um… So, you’ll really stay here until I wake up, right?”

Ronen quickly added,

“Well, of course, if you’re busy, you can go do other things, but if you’re not busy, you’ll really stay here, right?”

Ed nodded, realizing what Ronen was hesitating to ask.

“Yes, I’ll stay right here without moving until you open your eyes.”

Only then did Ronen close his eyes, feeling reassured.

In the original novel, Ronen was adopted by the count and his wife when he was three years old, mainly as a display to others, after having grown up in an orphanage.

He spent a lot of time alone afterward. It’s impossible that he didn’t feel lonely.

Before he was reincarnated, Lee Seonyu also lost his mother, went from one relative’s house to another, and eventually ended up in an orphanage.

He understood those feelings well. So, even though he had other things to do, he kept his promise and stayed by Ronen’s side.

The sunlight streaming through the window was gentle, and the atmosphere in the room was warm.

And as Ed looked down at Ronen, he slowly began to doze off.

“Ed, it’s time to wake up.”

It was Ronen who ended up waking him, which was incredibly embarrassing for Ed.

As Ed scratched the corner of his eye, feeling extremely awkward, Ronen gave a faint smile.

It was the first time Ronen had smiled at Ed without any trace of worry.

From that day on, Ed treated our young master with great care and kindness, as if he were a precious treasure, boosting his self-esteem.

‘But who was it? Who hurt Ronen’s spirit while I was away on vacation?’

Ed quickly headed towards the annex.

“Ed! Go straight to the stables! No detours!!”

“Yes, Butler.”

Ed responded energetically, but then, pretending to head to the kitchen, he swiftly changed direction and ran towards the annex.

‘Yes, that was just a fake-out, Butler.’

Ed quickly ascended the annex stairs and used a key he had secretly copied on the day he went on vacation to unlock Ronen’s door.

He carefully opened the door and observed the room.

“……”

To rescue Ronen, who was likely wrongly accused of wetting the bed and feeling utterly dejected.