The Male Lead’s Younger Sister is Still Sad Today

Episode 3

The meal was delicious, so I was relieved, but I couldn’t understand how so many people gave up this food and money to leave the duchy.

Perhaps because of that, I began to worry about how difficult the work might be.

In response to my words, Peter opened his mouth as if to reassure me.

“They are young lords who have never even gotten their hands wet.”

“Young lords?”

“Yeah, isn’t the Duchy of Akaruth one of the most prestigious families in the kingdom? So when the duke received his title this time, a lot of those young lords with hollow titles applied for positions as attendants. They must have wanted to establish a connection with the Duke somehow.”

“I see.”

“They might be intoxicated by the arrogance that comes with being nobles, but the Duke treats everyone equally without such distinctions. You experienced it on the first day, right? Everyone gets tired of the Duke’s personality and leaves.”

The Duke’s personality…

At Peter’s words, I unconsciously recalled the rumors about the Duke that were circulating within the kingdom.

Should I ask Peter about those rumors? After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to speak up.

“…But are those rumors true?”

In response to my question, Peter paused for a moment.

I hadn’t specifically mentioned the rumors about the Duke to him, yet he seemed to understand.

“Well… You’ll have to judge that for yourself from now on, right?”

Peter said with a small smile.

His smile was oddly enigmatic.

Caught off guard, I forced a smile in response and swallowed the fruit that had been in my mouth.

The Duchy of Akaruth was the sword that protected the kingdom. People had believed it from the past to the present, and they had no doubt it would continue to be so in the future.

And by the Duke’s side, the goddess of victory had always been present.

Even if it were just the Duke of Akaruth, they had boldly claimed victory in the most recent war.

However, the center of the rumors was Raiden Akaruth.

Unlike my heroic father, his barrels weren’t aimed only at enemies.

The Duke seemed to consider everyone except himself as enemies, or perhaps he pointed his barrels fairly at everyone, and the criteria for that were never clear.

One day, because he wasn’t feeling well, or another day because he didn’t like the meal, and yet another day because the weather was fine.

For various reasons, he shot his guns randomly.

I heard that many people had become sacrifices because of him.

Due to that, the people of the kingdom often said that he was crazy, walking a completely different path from the previous generations of Duchy of Akaruth.

Thinking of the sight of Raiden that I had seen yesterday, I wondered if perhaps all those rumors might be true.

Maybe that’s why Abel died. The thought that crossed my mind suddenly seemed quite reasonable.

* * *

“Chase, you’re going to be the Duke’s attendant. You’ll follow me for a month and learn the duties.”

Unexpectedly, luck was on my side. Instead of Abel, I was the one becoming the Duke’s attendant.

I felt relieved that Abel wouldn’t be the one hurt for no reason.

“Um, senior… Can I ask what kind of duties I’ll be responsible for?”

“Abel has a strong build, so he’ll be assisting Peter with physical tasks. Or he’ll greet the guests who come to visit the Duke.”

Roel added, as if to reassure me.

“With his handsome face, he’s perfect for attending to the guests.”

That was true; Abel was indeed handsome.

To summarize Roel’s words, I would learn how to serve the Duke by following him. During parties or important events, I would also have to help out.

“I heard from Henry that you’re good at reading and writing. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Then your work will be easier.”

Roel handed me a book.

Skimming through the table of contents, I saw that it contained basic etiquette, such as the order of serving dishes and how to greet the host.

“Personally, I will explain in detail the things you need to pay attention to while serving the Duke. For now, it’s best to memorize the etiquette in this book. The placements of the dishes during meals are also predetermined.”

I already had a rough idea of where the dishes should be placed. After all, when I received sponsorships from the Viscount, I was treated like a noble.

Well, because of that, some of the estate’s servants who viewed me and Abel, orphans being treated as nobles, with envy, had given us minor troubles.

“And you need to know the basics of musical instruments… Have you learned to play any instruments?”

In response to his question, I cautiously nodded. Roel added reassuringly to my response.

“Anyway, part of our job is to cater to the Duke’s mood. Of course, learning to handle musical instruments will come later. There’s a musician, so there’s no rush.”

“I understand!”

At my hearty response, Roel smiled faintly and nodded as if indicating for me to follow.

We arrived in front of the Duke’s room.

“Just watch what I do today.”

Before knocking on the Duke’s door, Roel whispered softly. Fortunately, it seemed that it wasn’t time for practical training yet.

His warm words seemed to loosen my tense, rigid body a bit. As I nodded to show my understanding, Roel finally seemed reassured and knocked on the door.

From inside the room, permission to enter was given.

I stood up straight as I had learned from Roel. Afterwards, I watched Roel’s actions out of the corner of my eye and bent my waist just right.

The Duke was seated on the sofa with his feet up on the table, reading a newspaper.

Seeing the Duke, who was sitting in such an improper posture in a well-dressed outfit and black boots, was quite strange and foreign.

“Are you tired? Should I prepare a bath for you?”

I hesitated for a moment at Roel’s words.

Could it be that he’s already up in the morning?

Unintentionally, I glanced out the window where the morning sun was shining brightly.

“Never mind, get ready since morning.”

Come to think of it, his face looked much more tired than yesterday.

Unlike yesterday when he spoke harshly but had a teasing smile, today he had a completely expressionless face.

In other words, today seemed more dangerous than yesterday.

A red light went off in my head.

I adjusted my posture again, trying not to upset the Duke’s mood. However, the Duke’s gaze immediately turned toward me.

Curious if he had something to say, I glanced at the Duke’s expression, and he nodded his head toward his feet.

…What on earth is that signal?

Roel hadn’t informed me about this.

Fortunately, before I could make a mistake, Roel intervened first.

“Chase is still an apprentice, so I’ll do it instead—”

“Are you a fool that you can’t even take off one boot?”

At the Duke’s harsh words, Roel’s mouth quickly shut.

The Duke’s eyebrows were as dark as my hair color, showing just how tired he was. It might have been better if he were laughing like he was yesterday.

As if there was nothing more to say, the Duke spoke.

“Go and fetch breakfast.”

If all the sharpness in the world were to gather to form an eyeball, it would be exactly that eye.

“…I understand.”

Tremors started to ripple in Roel’s pupils.

With a heavy heart, I cautiously approached the Duke. Doing something as simple as taking off a boot, I could manage that much without formal training.

Roel looked at me with an anxious expression, then reluctantly left the room.

Taking a deep breath internally, I approached the table where his feet were raised and sat down beside it.

Fortunately, since the Duke was reading a newspaper, my presence by his feet was hidden from his view.

The boots he was wearing weren’t ones with zippers or laces; they were the type that you forcibly insert your feet into, a straight-edged style.

‘Surely they won’t smell bad, right?? What if I can’t stand the smell and vomit?’ What would I do then?’

With apprehension in my heart, I touched the Duke’s boots. Bracing myself against the possibility of a smell, I held onto the ends of the boots and pulled forward with force.

However, the smell wasn’t the issue.

No matter how much force I exerted, the boots, snugly fitted to the Duke’s feet, didn’t budge an inch.

Feeling sweat on my palms, I hurriedly wiped them on my pants and put effort into taking off the boots again.

After much struggle, I managed to remove one of the Duke’s boots from his right foot.

Fortunately, there was no smell.

No matter how much I sniffed, there was no unpleasant foot odor. Only the thick scent of fresh air lingered.

I felt a sense of wonder for a moment before I shifted positions to remove the other boot.

Just like before, I gripped the boot with force, and once again, I trembled.

However, the damn boots seemed to have stuck even more firmly to the Duke’s feet than before. No matter how much force I exerted, there was hardly any difference.

Then, the newspaper that had been in the Duke’s hand fluttered and fell to the ground with a rustling sound. Unknowingly, I turned my head in surprise, only to find the Duke’s dark eyes closed.

‘Surely he should’ve scolded me for doing something like this. He could’ve said something.’

I resolved to finish everything before he woke up. It was much easier to proceed with the thought that the Duke wasn’t watching.

Holding onto the Duke’s boots with a firm grip, I pulled with all my might. Strangely, not just the boots, but the entire Duke seemed to follow along.

With a thud, I collided on the ground with my buttocks, still gripping onto his boots. The Duke ended up tumbling off the sofa with a loud noise.

The sequence of events had occurred so rapidly that I blinked with a dumbfounded expression.

‘…What on earth have I done just now?’

But as soon as I realized the situation, a shiver ran down my entire body.

Rolling my eyes and turning my gaze towards the fallen Duke on the sofa, I saw his infinitely sensitive gray eyes fixed on me.