Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 37

* * *

The Grand Duke looked down at Sener and extended his right hand.

A silver wave rippled across the back of his hand, and a sharp beam of light shot into the air before slamming into the ground, revealing a summoning circle.

A silver wolf appeared above the circle and gazed at the Grand Duke.

Though it behaved calmly, black flames flickered at the tip of its wagging tail, and a red flame surged inside its wide, yawning mouth.

“Aran.”

When the Grand Duke stroked the wolf’s head, the flames seemed to briefly subside, but as soon as he withdrew his hand, they flared back up.

“Eat him.”

With those words, the silver wolf leaped out of the summoning circle.

The powerful wolf’s paws thudded against the smooth floor as it charged toward the fallen Sener, its heavy footsteps echoing throughout the training ground.

‘What…what’s happening?’

Pretending to be unconscious, Sener suddenly snapped his head up, startled by the approaching darkness.

His eyes widened in terror as the silver wolf’s gaping maw loomed before him.

“Aaah!”

Fear instantly gripped Sener’s wide eyes, and his whole body trembled.

As the thought of dying crossed his mind, Sener hastily scrambled up, trembling uncontrollably as he crawled backward, frantically pushing himself away using his hands and feet.

His hands shook so violently that they buckled, and his eyes, staring up at the silver wolf, were filled with despair.

The Grand Duke, watching this, spoke indifferently.

“You should start by eating his feet.”

The wolf growled.

“That way, you can savor him for a long time.”

Understanding the Grand Duke’s command, the silver wolf bit down on Sener’s legs as he frantically flailed backward.

Sener shook his head and kicked desperately at the air.

Aaaah!

The searing heat and freezing cold radiating from the wolf’s mouth as it touched his legs sent a wave of dread through his mind.

His body hadn’t even been bitten yet, but it already felt excruciatingly painful.

“No, no! Get away from me!”

Sener tried to kick the silver wolf’s face, but the ferocity of the massive creature, roaring with its mouth wide open, caused his vision to darken.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably before he collapsed backward.

The Grand Duke watched him intently and then stroked the silver wolf’s fur.

Sener had lost focus in his eyes, and the space between his legs was soaked.

The Grand Duke stabbed his sword into the ground between Sener’s powerless legs and said,

“You’ve wet yourself, Sir Sener.”

---

Naisen bit down on the cigarette in his mouth.

‘Ugh, it’s noisy.’

In a space where some lost money and others earned it, the lively applause and groans of frustration mingled in the air.

“The House of Fortune Blossoms with Happiness”—a game house proudly claiming to be filled with dreams and hopes—stood out with its bright colors in a corner of the bustling district, attracting crowds of people.

From elderly couples buying a lottery ticket or two to young heirs of noble families, people of all ages and statuses came and went.

On the first floor of the four-story building known as “The House of Fortune Blossoms with Happiness,” lottery tickets and games like claw machines were available to grant small fortunes.

But from the second floor up, the atmosphere changed.

Despite the high cost of land in the southern district, the second floor remained vacant, leaving only stairs leading up to the third floor.

The soft curves of the oval staircase leading to the third floor might have seemed warm and welcoming, but the cold metal it was made of revealed a different truth.

Climbing the stairs to the third floor, there were no signs, just walls alternating between black and silver. It was a quiet place.

At the end of a hallway lined with a black carpet, staff stood in front of a black door. Only those who proved their membership could pass through the door.

This was the VIP room of the casino, the biggest money-maker in “The House of Fortune Blossoms with Happiness.”

It was like a maze, with a deliberate reluctance to reveal itself to newcomers.

The casino’s strict membership policy lent it an air of caution and unfriendliness.

Beyond the wide-open black door, a thick, dark red carpet muffled all sound, even footsteps. Scattered across the room were solid, black rosewood tables.

At one of these tables, Zen, an employee shuffling cards, looked at Naisen, who was seated across from him.

“Mr. Naisen, would you like a glass of wine to quench your thirst?”

Naisen, leaning lazily on his elbow and tossing a chip in his hand, flicked it across the table.

“Stop talking and deal the cards.”

“Understood, I’ll deal three cards for each player then, Mr. Naisen.”

The way Naisen casually tossed the chips, bought with exchanged gold coins, showed a certain carelessness.

Yet, despite losing multiple rounds, he hadn’t given up, a sign of someone who was no stranger to big losses.

Zen nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Waving his hands in front of Naisen, Zen showed there were no tricks involved, then smoothly shuffled the cards.

After laying three cards on the table, Naisen checked them carefully and bet more chips.

“Alright, I’ll deal two more cards each. Mr. Naisen.”

It was a game where the outcome was determined by various rules based on the cards’ suits and numbers.

Having left the Count Herins’ residence after breakfast, Naisen had skipped lunch and dinner, completely absorbed in the game.

‘♥2, ♣2, ♣8.’

The additional cards were ‘◆K, ◆6.’

‘Damn it, I only got two of the same number.’

Naisen glanced up before tossing a few more chips onto the table.

“One more round.”

“I’ll go in for one more as well, Mr. Naisen.”

The initial cards were decent enough that Naisen had hoped the game would go more smoothly, but the follow-up cards left him less than satisfied.

‘It’s all about the odds.’

If his hand wasn’t great, his opponent’s could be just as bad. If he lost this round, he could always win the next.

Shrugging his shoulders, Naisen tossed more chips and said,

“One more.”

“Understood, Mr. Naisen. I’ll go in for one more as well.”

After a few more rounds of strategically betting against Zen, Naisen eventually lost. As he sipped wine and furrowed his brow, he muttered,

‘Today’s really not going well.’

Just then, the chair next to Naisen was pulled back, and a man slumped down into it.

“Naisen, did you hear? There was a fire at Izar Tailor Shop last weekend.”

It was Erald, the second son of the Count of Gane, someone Naisen was familiar with.

‘Ugh, not this story again.’

All anyone could talk about was that tailor shop that had burned down.

Last weekend, a fire broke out at Izar Tailor Shop, one of the most famous shops in the southern region, and now it was the topic of conversation everywhere.

“I’m busy. Let’s talk later.”

“Busy? After losing back-to-back games?”

Naisen’s eyes flicked toward him silently, causing Erald to grin.

“Haha, no need to glare. I heard the head of the Southern Central Security Force found a secret ledger while investigating the fire at Izar’s.”

Naisen had already heard that too.

It was quite the fuss, with the Southern daily making such a big deal out of it.

Because of that, the collusion between Izar’s dress shop and the Herins Count’s butler was now surfacing, circulating everywhere.

Apparently, a song was spreading in the marketplace, and the first person to tell him about it?

It was Erald, that guy.

Unlike how a nobleman should behave, he was way too interested in commoners, poking around everywhere from the marketplace to the slums.

And his mouth? So loose, he bet it would float if he fell into the water. He was downright annoying, never helpful in any way.

“This all started because a burnt piece of armor seemed suspicious, but now it’s unraveling like a tangled potato root, with doubt springing from every corner. Is there anyone left to trust?”

Naisen didn’t respond, but Erald didn’t care. He kept running his mouth.

“The dress shop couple, who always acted so kind and professional, turns out they were skimming off the top this whole time? It wasn’t just a little money either, from what I heard.”

“And so?”

“My parents were absolutely shocked when they heard. Who would’ve thought the couple at the dress shop would do such a thing? And the butler of the Gane Count’s family—could he also be involved with Izar’s dress shop? It’s one worry after another, really.”

Naisen could read Erald’s real thoughts as clear as day, even through his dramatic sighs.

‘So, what happened to Herins Count’s butler, Kerrill?’

‘Did he really embezzle, or is it just a rumor?’

‘And if it’s true, what punishment will the Herins Count decide for him?’

His lips were practically itching to ask all of that.

But Naisen had no intention of satisfying Erald’s curiosity. Instead, he just sipped his wine and replied indifferently.

“If you’re that curious whether the Herins Count’s butler did something wrong…”

“If I’m curious?”

“The fastest and surest way is to go ask Kerrill yourself, Erald.”

* * *