Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 7

The cold Grand Duke of the North did not make an ordinary entrance.

Upon arriving at the Count Herins Family, he did not wait for the butler, who had likely asked him to wait while he informed the Countess.

Snap, crack.

Instead, he broke the barely closed doorknob and entered the room.

His presence was overwhelming the moment he stepped inside.

Despite his breach of decorum, he did not seem barbaric or rude.

His face was pale, smooth, and spotless.

A sharp jawline.

Eyes wide and clear.

And within them, crimson irises.

His appearance was beautiful and elegant, yet his stern expression was so sharp that it seemed impossible to address him carelessly.

His broad shoulders, encased in a cloak adorned with elegant gold trim, could not conceal his solid build.

The Countess was struck speechless by the Grand Duke’s appearance, staring up at him.

Neisen, too, was momentarily stunned before he finally regained his composure and grabbed the Countess’s hand tightly.

“W-what brings you here, Your Grace, Grand Duke Asnel Linden?”

The Grand Duke’s gaze, which had been sweeping the room, settled on the Countess and Neisen.

Gulp.

Gulp.

And another gulp.

The Countess, Neisen, and even Ed swallowed nervously. Perhaps it was because Ed had long awaited the Grand Duke’s arrival, but it all felt strangely surreal.

‘What in the world… is that face?’

The Grand Duke’s appearance was more unreal than any description in a novel.

The master of the cold, barren Northern castle, the ruler of the snowfields, the Empire’s brilliant light.

This was the entrance of Grand Duke Asnel Linden.

The former Emperor of the Empire, Jeswin, had one younger sister.

Mela Naitron, a beautiful and capable princess.

The brothers were not on bad terms.

Upon ascending to the throne, the former Emperor devoted himself to expanding the Empire’s power.

Mela was an excellent advisor and aide to the Emperor.

They discussed matters of state together, and when the Empire faced difficulties, she would ride out without hesitation, rescuing the beleaguered Imperial forces and leading them to victory.

When the Empire finally achieved victory and peace returned, petitions poured in, urging the Emperor to take action.

“Your Majesty, you must eliminate Princess Mela Naitron. Only then will the Empire’s discipline be restored, and your majesty’s authority firmly established.”

The Emperor did not engage in conversation with them.

With a mere gesture, he dismissed them from his presence.

However, the Crown Prince thoughts was different.

Their words held some truth. His father was too soft, a mere aging lion.

As soon as the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he dealt with his aunt, Mela.

He believed that removing her would solidify his position.

After the war, Mela lived far from the capital, avoiding political strife.

She relocated to the North with her husband and children, cultivating that rugged yet vast land. Those were happy days.

But that happiness was short-lived. A tragedy began on a dark, cold winter night, shattering their lives.

When the Emperor attacked the Northern castle, Mela and her husband defended it.

The young Grand Duke, still a child, took his brother and retreated. They escaped through a secret passage, using the frigid Northern mountains as their refuge.

When the enemy closed in, he entrusted his brother to the nanny.

“We must part ways here.”

“But, young master…”

“Don’t cry, nanny. We’ll all survive and meet again.”

Having quickly assessed the terrain, the Grand Duke placed a necklace around Ronen’s neck. He kissed his forehead.

“Ronenkeaz, we will meet again.”

With that, the Grand Duke turned back, drawing the enemy’s attention toward himself.

As the dawn burned red over the mountain, the Grand Duke, who had survived, began his search for Ronen. But he could not find him.

The nanny’s tracks were swept away by the cold wind, and the faint traces of blood were covered by the frigid snow.

In that whirlwind of blood, the Grand Duke lost his parents and his brother.

He was 18 at the time, and Ronen was 3.

The Grand Duke thought:

‘I’ll find him soon.’

But as the years passed—one, two, three—his failure to find his brother took its toll on him.

Though he believed his brother hadn’t died, he could not be certain.

Perhaps the harsh winter winds had stolen his fragile brother’s breath. Perhaps the brutal boots of the Imperial soldiers had crushed his young life…

Each night, pale despair haunted him.

‘If only I hadn’t let go of Ronen’s hand, if only we had stayed together, even in death.’

With such thoughts, he endured countless sleepless nights.

In the original story, he eventually found Ronen after 15 years, but there was no need for such a long and pointless wait now.

Ed had devised a plan to reduce that time by half, ensuring that the Grand Duke learned of Ronen’s existence.

The Grand Duke’s gaze moved slowly as he entered the room.

“W-what brings you here, Your Grace, Grand Duke Asnel Linden?”

As the Grand Duke’s gaze settled on the Countess and Neisen, the air in the room grew tense.

“Please forgive my intrusion, Countess Herins.”

“N-no, not at all, Your Grace. But what brings you here?”

The Grand Duke averted his gaze.

His eyes fell on Ed, lying on the bed, and then stopped at Ronen standing beside him.

“I received information that a member of the Imperial family was hidden within the Herins household, so I took the liberty of visiting. I will compensate for the damaged door.”

“A-a member of the Imperial family?!”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Th-that can’t be true! Our household would never engage in such a thing!”

The Countess’s voice grew louder.

It was only natural—such an accusation could lead to the destruction of their family for harboring a royal fugitive.

The Grand Duke nodded.

“Yes, I believe so too. I am well aware that the honorable Herins household would never engage in such actions. I am certain someone spread this information to sow discord between us.”

“Of course!”

The Countess eagerly agreed with the Grand Duke.

“However, given the information I’ve received, there are certain matters that must be verified, and I hope you understand, Countess.”

At a nod from the Grand Duke, the man standing behind him handed over an envelope.

The Countess sighed softly as she accepted it.

Ed held his breath, watching the situation unfold.

In his quest to find his lost brother, the Grand Duke had ventured into battlefields where the Imperial family sent him to die, and he had even scoured the trash-strewn alleys.

Wherever he could gather information, he left his footprints.

‘So that document must contain a method to capture the Herins household.’

The Herins household would likely defend themselves by claiming they had legally adopted Ronen.

Eventually, there would be a dramatic gesture of reconciliation, but it would take some time to reach that point.

During that time, the Grand Duke would have the opportunity to spend time alone with Ronen.

“I-I need some time to review these documents. Perhaps I could guide you to the reception room for some tea while you wait, Your Grace.”

Neisen spoke on behalf of the Countess, who was busy examining the documents.

It may have seemed like a polite request, but in truth, the Grand Duke was subtly asking to be left alone.

‘…In that case, perhaps it’s time for me to start moving?’

“Ugh.”

Ed let out a groan, making his presence known.

He had been awake for a while, but his presence was so faint that he had to do this just to remind everyone he was still there.

“E-Ed! Are you okay?”

But wait, what was this?

Naisen, who always looked down on him, rushed over. He spread his arms wide as if to embrace Ed, who was lying down.

Ed twisted his body as best as he could to avoid Naisen’s overly enthusiastic hug.

Even that small movement made his entire body feel like it was being twisted and torn apart, as if he might die from the pain.

It was a shallow trick. The Herins Coun was trying to deceive others into believing that even the servants were treated like family.

By showing such behavior, they wanted to convince everyone that Ronen, who was adopted, was also treated like family.

Ronen, who was standing beside Ed, suffered from Naisen’s exaggerated movements.

As Naisen flailed about, Ronen was jostled and pushed back.

At that moment, the Grand Duke swiftly grabbed the back of Naisen’s neck… The speed was almost unbelievable.

When Ed dodged Naisen, who was flailing his arms in an attempt to regain balance, the Grand Duke didn’t miss the moment when Naisen was awkwardly standing.

“Aaah!”

Naisen’s feet got tangled, and he ended up smashing his nose against the wooden edge of the bed.

Thud.

The sound was so loud that even those watching winced.

“Tsk.”

The Grand Duke feigned sympathy. But Ed saw it. He clearly saw it.

The Grand Duke, who pretended to lift Naisen by the scruff of his neck, had, in fact, subtly pressed Naisen’s face into the bed.

He did it without any visible effort, with a calm expression on his face.