Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 76

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Ed chose to hold his tongue as Ronen murmured absentmindedly.

Like Ronen, Ed too felt as though the events at the grand banquet had been a dream.

“Isn’t that right, Ed?”

Lost in thought, Ed could only respond in one way.

“Yes, Young Master Ronen.”

“It was truly amazing. When light radiated from Brother Asnel’s hands, it was like a giant sun, so awe-inspiring. And then, to think that a dragon emerged from that light—a golden dragon, no less, one I’ve only ever read about in books….”

Ed listened to Ronen’s voice as he recalled the events that had just unfolded.

After proving Ronen was indeed his younger brother, the Grand Duke returned to the separate residence and gently stroked Ronen’s hair, speaking kindly.

“Let’s go to bed early tonight.”

“Yes, Brother!”

The Grand Duke smiled faintly at Ronen’s lively response, then moved on, while Ed accompanied Ronen to his room.

Before lying down, Ronen looked at himself several times in the mirror, marveling at how his hair and eyes had changed to match the Grand Duke’s.

“Ed! Look! It’s exactly the same color as Brother Asnel’s!”

Looking so much like the Grand Duke had erased all of Ronen’s worries and concerns, and he lay down on the bed with a smile.

Finishing his thoughts, Ed directed his gaze to Ronen’s dark, lustrous hair that shone even in the dim night.

“Ed.”

“Yes, Young Master Ronen.”

“I’m so happy that Brother Asnel is my real brother.”

And I’m really glad that Ed is by my side, too.

With that, Ronen closed his eyes, smiling.

Though he insisted he could sleep alone and told Ed to leave, Ed knew he wouldn’t depart until Ronen had fallen asleep, as staying was the best way to help him.

With quiet determination, Ronen made a vow to himself.

“I’m going to become a great adult like Brother Asnel.”

Ed watched him for a while, then slipped out once Ronen was sound asleep.

Walking quietly down the hallway to his own room, Ed suddenly stopped and turned around.

He stared at the darkened corridor for a moment before heading toward the Grand Duke’s room.

He leaned in, listening carefully for any sounds within, and licked his dry lips.

Then, hesitating, he slowly opened the door.

“Even if it wasn’t the actual creature, summoning a dragon must have left some serious aftereffects.”

He only wanted to check if the Grand Duke was okay—that was all. It was impulsive.

“…Oh?”

At that moment, a hand grabbed the back of Ed’s neck.

Startled, he turned his head, only to hear a low voice by his ear.

“Shh, Ed.”

It was the Grand Duke.

“Shh, Ed.”

The Grand Duke’s voice sent a shiver through Ed.

It sounded much like it usually did, but there was something different, an unfamiliar tone.

His breathing seemed slightly rough, and his hand, resting on the back of Ed’s neck, felt cool and coarse.

“What are you doing here instead of sleeping?”

At the Grand Duke’s question, Ed looked up.

A sliver of light was spilling through the gap in the open door.

“You’re still awake?”

It was already late into the night.

Ed blinked, then replied.

“Oh, I was just returning from seeing to Young Master Ronen’s sleep. I thought I’d check on Your Grace’s rest, but I ended up disturbing you instead. I apologize.”

Amused by Ed’s slow reaction, the Grand Duke chuckled softly.

“No need to apologize. I was feeling a bit bored on my own, so you came at just the right time. So, Ed, would you join me for a drink?”

Ed looked up at him.

“Had he been drinking alone?”

The Grand Duke answered the unspoken question in Ed’s gaze.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I was having a beer.”

“You can’t sleep, Your Grace?”

“Well, given all that happened today….”

The Grand Duke said it lightly, but summoning the dragon hadn’t been a minor feat.

Ed gazed up at him in silence before speaking.

“If it’s all right, I’ll join you.”

“Ed, you’re always welcome. Then, come this way.”

Following the Grand Duke’s lead, Ed entered the dimly lit room.

On a small table lay a bottle and some fruit the Grand Duke had been enjoying.

In the original story, Ed knew the Grand Duke often chose solitude after pushing his powers too far, dismissing everyone to be alone.

Thinking of this, Ed hesitated before asking, just in case.

“Should I call Sir Tens or Sir Irtel, Your Grace?”

He thought perhaps the Grand Duke’s longtime retainers could better look after him.

The Grand Duke shook his head lightly at Ed’s concerned suggestion.

“No, I don’t want to be scolded at this hour.”

Ed chuckled at his playful response, and the Grand Duke led him to the table.

“Do you like beer, Ed?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

The Grand Duke poured beer into a glass for Ed, who watched as the amber liquid shimmered in the lamp’s light.

When the Grand Duke lifted his glass to Ed, he raised his own with both hands, clinking it against the Grand Duke’s.

With a gentle smile, the Grand Duke took a long drink, and Ed, whose glass was only half-empty, watched as the Grand Duke poured himself another.

Ed, concerned that he was drinking on an empty stomach, pushed a glass of water closer as he spoke.

“Should I go down to the kitchen and bring up some soup? Or perhaps there’s something else you’d like, Your Grace?”

Knowing the Grand Duke had come to his room without dinner, Ed grew worried, his gaze turning somber.

“Now that the Emperor’s plan has failed, he’ll likely search for another way to strike. Each time, the Grand Duke will push himself even harder….”

The Grand Duke must have been grappling with his own complex emotions, aware of this too.

Ed thought back to how the Emperor’s lips had trembled with anger as he watched the Grand Duke take his leave at the banquet, and he let out a quiet sigh.

The Grand Duke, noticing the concern on Ed’s face, replied.

“Don’t worry, Ed. A little drink like this is fine.”

As Ed looked up, he saw the Grand Duke’s eyes gleam red under the lamplight and spoke.

“Still, wouldn’t you feel better eating something, even just a little? I’ll go fetch it quickly.”

The Grand Duke shook his head with a soft smile.

Once, at a small tavern in Illa, Ed had explained why he drank.

“It’s just the sharp, tingling sensation as the cold drink scratches its way down my throat that I like.”

He had said it made him feel alive.

Now the Grand Duke was beginning to understand what Ed had meant.

Oddly enough, the pain that had been pulsing through his body since earlier was starting to ebb away.

“Being with Ed makes me feel much better, almost as if my body’s healing.”

He even felt a strange urge not to let Ed out of his sight.

So, stopping Ed just as he was about to go to the kitchen, the Grand Duke spoke.

“No need; I had some tea and snacks earlier, Ed. You don’t need to worry.”

Then, looking at Ed, who seemed unusually thin, the Grand Duke asked him in return.

“Ed, you worked hard today, too. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I had dinner with Young Master Ronen.”

“Good. Then, shall we have just a bit more to drink?”

“Ah, yes.”

As Ed took the glass the Grand Duke offered, his gaze lingered on the Grand Duke’s darkened fingertips.

After a moment of quiet, exchanging drinks, Ed spoke.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes, Ed.”

“Is the state of your hand due to the side effects of the magic you used today?”

The Grand Duke, who had been pouring wine into his glass, set down the bottle and looked down at his own hand.

“Yes, when I overuse my magic, it always turns dark, almost like a demon’s hand.”

The Grand Duke’s hand, illuminated by the lamp, cast a large, dark shadow on the wall.

Each time his hand moved, the shadow shifted with the play of light and darkness.

“And you, Ed? Does this arm frighten you?”

The Grand Duke lowered his arm, trying to move it out of Ed’s sight.

Ed looked at it and then replied.

“No, it doesn’t frighten me at all. So… may I touch it for a moment, Your Grace?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not a demon’s hand. It’s a noble and remarkable hand that protects people from monsters and safeguards your family.”

At Ed’s words, the Grand Duke let out a soft chuckle, clearing his throat lightly.

The Grand Duke, after glancing down at his fingertips for a moment, extended his right hand toward Ed.

Ed looked at the hand for a moment, then held it gently—supporting the back of the Grand Duke’s hand with his left hand, and softly massaging his fingertips with his right.

He meant nothing by it.

He simply wanted, somehow, to offer a bit of comfort to the tired and weary Grand Duke.

“……”

“……”

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