Chapter 9

“His Highness has gone out with Sir Disson.”

Enoch announced the Duke’s absence. This marked the seventh consecutive day the Duke and Yuneria had left together. Ah, I have to clench my jaw…! Lino desperately fought to pull down his cheekbones and the corners of his mouth, which threatened to shoot up into a massive grin. Feigning a deeply troubled expression, he spoke.

“I see. If you would kindly provide their destination, I shall join them immediately.”

It was an absolute lie, of course. He would have to be certifiably insane to follow the Duke and Yuneria around all morning. If he actually showed up, Yuneria would undoubtedly subject him to a murderous glare.

“As with yesterday, there is no need for you to join them today.”

“Hmm…”

This answer, too, was a perfect repetition of the past seven days. Lino performed a masterful act of attempting to smooth his “troubled” expression back into neutrality.

From his very first day in Ebek up until this seventh day, the Duke had completely and cleanly ignored Lino’s existence. As a bonus, Yuneria treated Lino like a repulsive parasite.

The Duke seemed entirely captivated by Yuneria, who was far more petite and slender than Lino. Furthermore, Yuneria didn’t find the Duke’s attention burdensome in the slightest; rather, he welcomed it with intense eagerness.

Lino recalled how Yuneria had botched his introduction out of sheer nerves the first time they met the Duke in the parlor. He definitely… fell in love at first sight. The Duke likely found Yuneria’s infatuation endearing, leading him to ditch Lino entirely and drag Yuneria everywhere.

“Please do not worry too much. Sir Disson will escort His Highness flawlessly.”

“Yes…”

Lino dragged out the end of his reply ambiguously while nodding his head.

“In that case, I will utilize the training grounds until His Highness returns. Ah, may I use the study after my training?”

“Of course. Where would you like to have your lunch?”

“Hmm… If you could bring it to the study, I would be very grateful.”

He skipped breakfast because training on an empty stomach made his body feel lighter. Instead, he secured Enoch’s permission to use the training grounds and the study. After his workout, he showered, grabbed a quick bite from the kitchen, and retreated to the study for lunch.

Around 6:00 PM, when Enoch announced the return of the Duke and Yuneria, Lino would politely descend to the first floor to offer his greetings. Naturally, this was merely a mandatory face-stamp to maintain a moderate level of favor.

The Duke would cast a single, indifferent glance at the bowing Lino before sweeping up to the third floor with Yuneria in tow. Once the greetings concluded, Enoch would ask where Lino wished to have dinner. His answer never varied.

Please bring it to the study.

It was absolutely ridiculous that a knight drafted specifically for escort duty was barricaded inside the mansion instead of actually escorting, yet Lino confidently demanded room service simply because the Duke couldn’t care less about his existence.

The Duke and Yuneria, seemingly incredibly fond of each other’s company, even shared their dinners. Without fail, Enoch asked Lino every single day if he wished to join them, and not once had Lino offered a positive response.

If he delayed his refusal even a second too long, the venomous glare Yuneria shot down at him from the staircase felt as though it might physically bore a hole through his cheek. I have absolutely zero desire to eat with you two either. Lino found it somewhat hilarious that Yuneria treated him like an annoying fruit fly desperately trying to crash his dates with the Duke.

As for the Duke… Lino couldn’t begin to fathom what the man was thinking.

Regardless, this had been Lino’s established daily routine for an entire week.