Duke, Please Fail! Chapter 1

Episode 1

'I think I'm going to die.'

I've been up for two nights already. Still, the papers piled up like a mountain.

‘I have to go to the harvest feast.’

As soon as I could finish my thought, Mary, the maid, entered my room. As I nodded, she was dragging me around while I was sleeping, and I've found myself wore a dress before I knew it.

Then, I came out of the room as if I was being pushed.

I don't want to go I just want to sleep.

As I walked with my tears, I saw Duke Lionel Alterwood in the distance.

I came to my sense for a moment.

“Duke!”

He stopped walking and looked back. I could see the towering nose and red eyes beneath his neatly tucked back black hair.

“You are the Head of the Estate.”

Yes, you're the Head of the Estate! I grabbed him by the hem of his clothes out of nowhere. I was so desperate that I hung on without formality.

“Duke. Please give me a vacation. I really worked day and night. This is going to kill me.”

“Don't die.”

Ugh. I can't hit him because he's a real Duke!

As I was pounding my chest and gasping, I heard laughter in front of me.

“You look like an angry hedgehog.”

"Are you picking a fight?"

I asked him politely but I was ignored. I turned around and waved my fist against on Lionel's back as he was walking.

The quick-witted Lionel looked back. I pretended to be innocent and stuck right behind him.

“Just one month. I'll take a break for just one month and come back!"

"One month?"

“Then three weeks! No no, 2 weeks! Two weeks. I'm really dying. Look at the shade under my eyes. I have a sore throat, and I can't sleep well. And here! I also have mouth sores!”

Lionel stopped walking.

I wanted to do this right now, so I pulled my lip and showed it. He took a step closer to my lips.

My vision was completely obscured by the body of the inverted triangle. As he swallowed dry saliva in a strange sense of pressure, Lionel bowed his back.

“I don’t know.”

Suddenly, his handsome face came close enough to me so will be able to take my soul away. His breath was barely touching my lips.

As I took a step back in embarrassment, Lionel took another step closer.

Then he reached out a large, rough hand and carefully pressed my lower lip. The inside of my lips was exposed by the gentle pressure.

“I am not lying.”

All the nerves were concerated on my lips. My heart was pounding hard and my face became red. I retreated and tried to speak casually.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Lionel stared at me and opened his mouth.

“A month is too long.”

Does that mean they allow vacations? Seeing Lionel with his face wide open, I frowned.

“Give me three days.”

“You can’t go anywhere in three days.”

“Where do I have to go? I can rest in the castle.”

It should make sense!

There is not a single person working in vain in the Duke's Castle. Everyone is busy, how can I just have fun?

Meet a colleague who goes out to get some air and wanders around in a hideous place where he's about to die. I'm not even sure I'll be working!

…… Are you aiming for that?

If it was Lionel, it was still there. I stared at him with a ferocious heart and smiled hard.

“Please, give me a little more time. I’ll rest somewhere nearby!”

“If you go out, can you guarantee that you will come back?”

I heard that some of the estate janitors who had previously worked had left on vacation and never returned.

Of course, I didn't even think of that. But they're the ones who ran away in less than a month. No manor has lasted as long as me.

I was proud of that fact, and I'm not irresponsible enough to run away. There's nowhere to go back.

Besides, I was also grateful for accepting me without any work experience. It's so hard now that it's almost gone!

And I've heard all the bad feelings I have with Lionel and the people of Youngji, where are you going?

"Of course!"

“How do I believe that?”

…… Did I hear you right?

His flushed face turned cold. But soon, for other reasons, his face heated up.

“How did you say you trust me now?”

Lionel gave a rare bewildered expression.

"I……”

“I worked at my best in the Duchy of Alterwood for three years. Have you ever let the Duke down? Or were you kidding me?”

“Nelly Pepper.”

“How could you say that?”

The Duke stood still, as if speechless.

He looked as if he had an excuse, but his lips did not open.

I strode past him. Then he went into the banquet hall and sat down at my seat.

Come to think of it, right to my right was the peacock seat. He just had a fight and he has to stick with it!

I couldn't get rid of my anger, and I was excited, but Levins, who was sitting on the left, leaned towards me.

“You look uncomfortable to plant the Duke, what happened?”

Because my heart is more uncomfortable! I stared at Lionel as he sat down.

In my heart, I wanted to curse out loud. But it was full of guests, so I couldn't insult my boss, so I endured it.

‘Let’s calm down. Calm down.'

As I took a deep breath, the anger that had risen to the top of my head subsided a bit. Still, it seemed that I had to swear to get rid of my intuition.

I leaned towards Levans. He put his ear to my lips.

Levans's smile hardened as he poured out Lionel swear words in a whisper.

On the other hand, my anger subsided a little. And I had a brilliant idea.

“Don’t do that, Levins-sama, please stamp the approval stamp on the vacation approval documents without the Duke’s knowledge.”

“Then I will die.”

“You refused last time. Just this one time, huh? Just once. If I don’t go on vacation, I die.”

"It's not possible."

It was a knife-like rejection. With resentment, he stabbed him in the side. It was the time when Levans avoided himself and smiled skillfully.

Lionel's voice was heard.

“Levans.”

Revans captured his expression and twisted his body.

“Yes, sir.”

“I have something to tell you, so change seats with Aret.”

They told me to change seats right before the start of the dinner. Levans was also sitting idly. Then, as Lionel warned, he called out Levins' name once more.

“Levans.”

At that moment, Revans rose from his seat. And in his place came Arette Dexter, who was sitting to the right of the Duke.

In an instant, the surroundings became quiet.

The Knights Commander Arette Dexter was too reticent. He had only talked to me for three years.

Still, he chatted with everyone, and it was funny that only us were quiet. While I was slicing meat, I couldn't overcome the awkwardness and started talking.

“Is the weather really nice?”

Before he could finish speaking, lightning flashed outside the window. But Arett nodded his head.

"Haha. You seem to like rainy days.”

“I hate it.”

"Ah. That's right. Haha."

Silence came again.

That's great. Let's give up the conversation. I just want to eat rice.

I shut my mouth and moved my fork and knife. After a while, the meal was over. Unlike other people's plates, only me and Arette's plates were empty.

As he sat still, listening to the noise, his sleepiness came over. As I was nodding, the maid put the dessert in front of me.

“Ah, thank you.”

She answered vaguely and looked at the dessert. On top of the milk pudding was a strawberry compote that Lionel couldn't buy.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel was staring at me for dessert. I can't wait for my dessert to come out.

To be honest, it looked cute.

‘Anyway. I can't even get angry just looking at that face.'

As he sighed, a faint smile appeared on his face. Lionel was sending a signal to reconcile in his own way.

Great. What am I not fond of?

I pointed to the salad that Lionel had not touched.

“Would you like to exchange it for salad?”

“…… Do it.”

I gave him pudding and brought a salad from Lionel.

I wasn't hungry, but my mouth was bored. He raised his fork and scooped out the salad. When I put it in my mouth and chewed it, I could feel the sour, bitter, and tangy taste.

Did it taste like this?

Although it was a bit unique, it wasn't a bad taste. Moreover, it was strangely suited to my taste. Once again, I scooped it out and put it in my mouth, and Lionel smiled a little next to him.

“You eat well.”

Then she handed me back the salad the maid had brought me.

"Thank you."

He murmured in reply and ate the salad again. also. unique The dinner was over while we ate in admiration.

Some left and some stayed and talked. I drank wine while watching people. Gradually, my body became heavy.

‘Is it because I’m tired and I’ve been drinking?’

My head hurt like it was going to break. It was a headache that came as usual after staying up for a few nights. All of a sudden there was a rush of exhaustion.

I've been up all night for work, but I've never been this tired before.

Okay. Yesterday I worked a little harder than usual.

‘I need to hurry up and get some medicine.’

I was about to get up, but my eyes were spinning.

"Huh?"

For a moment, I felt like I was going backwards. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't listen. It was as if stones were hung from their limbs.

It was when I closed my eyes tightly with a foreboding that I was about to fall. A strong arm wrapped around his waist.

“Nelly!”

I woke up to Lionel's voice. It was hard for my to breathe. It was as if someone was clutching my lungs.

It felt similar to when I worked for three days without eating or sleeping properly.

Am I dying? At such a young age? Is that also overworked?

The days that I couldn't rest for a moment flashed past like a lantern, and my anger surged.

I grabbed Lionel's collar with all my might.

“Duke, you are alive…… , plural…… .”

I want to say that I will definitely take revenge if I survive, but my voice is cut off.

In an instant, my heart tightened.

Look at this You said I was really going to die!

Tears flowed from the sadness and fear. Beyond the blurred vision, Lionel's eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn it!"

Lionel gave me a flashy hug.

My breathing becomes pale, and my body loses strength.

'No. I don't want to die. Please save me.’

I prayed earnestly, but my eyes gradually closed. Lionel's voice, who was urgently looking for a doctor, gradually faded away.