Undercover Butler to the Grand Duke — Chapter 25

SO THAT'S HER.

THE BUTLER OUR GRAND DUKE BROUGHT ALONG.

I TRIED TO GET HER INSIDE QUICKLY, BUT IT HAD TO COME TO THIS.

ELLARIS, SHE ISN'T SOMEONE YOU NEED CONCERN YOURSELF WITH.

SHE IS MERELY THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSEHOLD'S BUTLER.

BROTHER, DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING?

AMONG ALL THE THINGS YOU BRUSHED OFF AS NOTHING,

NOT A SINGLE ONE EVER TRULY TURNED OUT TO BE NOTHING.

FINE.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACT LIKE THIS, I'LL JUST HANDLE THINGS MY OWN WAY.

ELLARIS!

ELLARIS!

...THIS IS WHY I TRIED TO STOP YOU.

YOU ALWAYS WERE THE KIND OF GIRL...

WHO ISN'T SATIS- FIED UNTIL YOU'VE RUINED WHATEVER DISPLEASES YOU.

GO REST NOW.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, YOUR GRACE.

HOWEVER... ISN'T THIS YOUR BEDCHAMBER, YOUR GRACE?

IS THERE A PROBLEM?

I BELIEVE MY BED WILL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE FOR RESTING.

THAT MAY BE SO, BUT...

AT THIS RATE, WON'T THIS JUST FUEL NEEDLESS RUMORS?

ON TOP OF THAT, COMPLETELY UNBECOMING OF A BUTLER, I EVEN HAD MY MASTER SUPPORT ME.

THANKS TO THE GRAND DUKE CATCHING ME, I WASN'T HURT,

BUT IT FEELS LIKE I'M CONSTANTLY SHOWING HIM SUCH A PATHETIC SIDE OF MYSELF.

HAVE YOU BEEN OVERWORKING YOURSELF LATELY?

IT'S JUST AN OLD, CHRONIC AILMENT OF MINE.

I GET THESE HEADACHES FROM TIME TO TIME.

HAS IT BEEN LIKE THIS EVERY TIME?

PLEASE DON'T WORRY. IT HAS NEVER BEEN AS SEVERE AS TODAY.

YOU KNOW FULL WELL...

...THAT MY PHYSICAL STAMINA IS FAR BETTER THAN MOST KNIGHTS'.

THEY DON'T STAGGER AND COLLAPSE FROM A MERE HEADACHE.

THERE MUST BE AN UNDERLYING REASON THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCOVERED YET.

...RIGHT. BUT NO MATTER HOW I LOOK AT IT,

THE REASON FOR THAT SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE YOU AFTER ALL, GRAND DUKE OF BALLOT.

BACK WHEN I WAS SIA,

A HEADACHE WOULD ALWAYS STRIKE WHENEVER MY EYES MET THE GRAND DUKE'S ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

EVEN WHEN I VISITED A PHYSICIAN FOR THE PERSISTENT PAIN,

THE DOCTOR ONLY EVER CLAIMED IT WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL.

EVEN AFTER ENTERING THIS BODY, I BRIEFLY EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS,

BUT I THOUGHT I HAD GROWN USED TO IT BY NOW...

WHY DID IT GET WORSE?

AND TO THE POINT...

WHERE I HEAR AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS AND SEE VISIONS?

I NEED TO STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT.

STAY AND REST HERE, BUTLER.

YOUR GRACE, PLEASE WAIT!

I WILL ACCOMPANY Y-

UGH...!

IN THAT STATE, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ACCOMPANYING ME?

I WILL RETURN SHORTLY, SO DO NOT MOVE AN INCH FROM HERE.

P-PLEASE WAIT! YOUR GRACE!

YOUR GRA-

SERIOUSLY, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS HE GOING?!

IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY THAT I CAME AS HIS ATTENDANT ONLY TO BE THE ONE RECEIVING HELP,

AND AT THIS RATE, WHATEVER TRUST WAS LEFT WILL HIT ROCK BOTTOM.

STILL,

PERHAPS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I COULD REST WITHOUT WORRY, IT DOES FEEL PEACEFUL.

IT BOTHERS ME A BIT THAT IT'S THE GRAND DUKE'S BED,

BUT SINCE HE TOLD ME TO STAY PUT AND REST UNTIL HE RETURNS,

IN THE MEANTIME...

MAYBE I'LL CLOSE MY EYES FOR A BIT...

...UGH, SERIOUSLY.

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING SOME RARE REST,

THIS DREAM AGAIN THE MOMENT I FALL ASLEEP?

ANYWAY, IS IT JUST MY IMAGINATION?

IT FEELS AS THOUGH IT WANTS ME TO LISTEN TO ITS STORY A BIT MORE THAN BEFORE.

FINE. EITHER WAY, I'LL HEAR YOU OUT THIS TIME TOO.

...AN, WHAT'S WRONG?

WHAT ARE YOU SO ANGRY ABOUT?!

WHAT'S IT ABOUT THIS TIME?

WHY DOES HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE KNOW YOUR NICKNAME?

ISN'T THAT THE NICKNAME I GAVE YOU?

NO, I DIDN'T TELL HIM-

WHAT, A LOVERS' QUARREL THIS TIME?

THAT LOOKS LIKE A TIME CAPSULE BOX, DOESN'T IT?

WAS IT ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO? CHILDREN USED TO PLACE VARIOUS ITEMS IN A BOX AND BURY IT,

HOPING SOMEONE WOULD DISCOVER IT IN THE FUTURE.

LOOKS LIKE THAT TREND WAS POPULAR IN KADEA TOO.

JUST WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO CLOSE WITH HIS HIGHNESS?

WAS IT WHILE I WENT DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN TERRITORY?

WAIT, CALM DOWN FOR A SECOND!

WHO ELSE DID YOU TELL?

ABOUT THAT NICKNAME I GAVE YOU.

I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE!

CADRIAN, YOU IDIOT!!!

WAIT, WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?

CADRIAN?!

YOU'RE AWAKE.

...YOUR GRACE.

WHAT KIND OF DREAM WERE YOU HAVING TO TOSS AND TURN SO WILDLY?

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

I FEEL BETTER AFTER SLEEPING FOR A BIT. THANK YOU, YOUR GRACE.

THAT STARTLED ME. I DIDN'T EXPECT THE GRAND DUKE TO BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

Well, It Is His Room, So Of Course He Is.

BY THE WAY, IT FEELS LIKE I ONLY BLINKED, BUT QUITE A BIT OF TIME HAS PASSED.

DID YOUR ERRAND GO WELL, YOUR GRACE?

YES. I HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE YOU.

HERE, TAKE IT.

THESE ARE PILLS?

THIS MEDICINE...

LOOKING CLOSELY, IT HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY GOLDEN RADIANCE...

AH...!

GRAND DUKE.

DID YOU BY CHANCE GO TO THE GRAND TEMPLE?

SHARP AS EVER.

THIS IS MEDICINE I HAD MADE BY PERSON- ALLY ASKING THE HIGH PRIEST.

HE SAID IT WON'T MAKE YOUR HEADACHE VANISH ENTIRELY,

BUT IT SHOULD ALLEVIATE THE PAIN.

STARTING TODAY, TAKE THIS MEDICINE IN FRONT OF ME EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.

...PARDON?

YOU ARE SUCH A BUSY BUTLER,

SO IT WOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE IF YOU FORGET TO TAKE YOUR MEDICINE.

WE CANNOT HAVE YOU COLLAPSING LIKE THIS AGAIN.

WHY?

WHY WOULD THE GRAND DUKE GO TO SUCH LENGTHS JUST FOR ME?

AS SOON AS MEETINGS THAT DRAGGED ON DAY AND NIGHT ENDED,

HE RUSHED OFF TO THE GRAND TEMPLE WITHOUT EVEN RESTING

TO ASK THE HIGH PRIEST, SOMEONE NOT JUST ANYONE CAN MEET, TO PREPARE MEDICINE...

THAT ISN'T SOMETHING ANYONE DOES FOR A MERE SERVANT-

I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE-

CADRIAN, YOU IDIOT!!!

AH, RIGHT.

THE PERSON THE GRAND DUKE CARES ABOUT...

STRICTLY SPEAKING, ISN'T ME, BUT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS BODY.

AND IF THE BOY IN THE DREAM I WAS JUST HAVING REALLY IS THE GRAND DUKE,

THEN OF COURSE HE TREASURED THIS BODY'S OWNER EVEN MORE DEEPLY THAN I IMAGINED.

NOW, SWALLOW IT BEFORE MY EYES.

THANK YOU, YOUR GRACE.

HONESTLY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

I ALMOST LET MYSELF GET TOUCHED OVER A TOTAL MISUNDERSTANDING.

Will This Suffice?

Continue Doing So From Now On.

STILL...

WHY DOES MY HEART FEEL SO UNEASY OVER SOMETHING SO OBVIOUS?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FREYA?

DID YOUR LOYALTY TO THE GRAND DUKE GROW THAT MUCH IN THE MEANTIME?

EARLIER, CADRIAN WATCHING OVER THE SLEEPING FREYA

WAS SHE ALWAYS SUCH A RESTLESS SLEEPER...?