The Devilish Duke Can't Sleep

Proofreader: somnium

“What are you doing?”

He tried to hide his embarrassment and asked, but in the ‘what’ part, his voice was a little strange. But Lena replied vaguely, as if she had not noticed.

“You have to cover it with your hands like this so that the cream is absorbed well.”

“Is…… it.”

He understood the action, but the sensation that tickled his stomach was now running down his spine. Because, as far as he knows, it’s like kissing…….

“It’s done.”

Just as Kahel was about to think about something bizarre, Lena’s warm hand fell off his cheek without any regrets. He had just hoped that this awkward moment would be over quickly, but when her warmth disappeared, the nape of his neck suddenly felt different. He stood up, stroking the back of his neck with his hand.

Then, he looked at Lena’s hand as she rubbed the remaining cream on the back of her hand to absorb it.

“Uhhumm! Are you ready to go out too?”

“Yes. I’ll pack your coat first…….”

“I’m going to wear my coat on my own, so you should put on your clothes and come out. Don’t forget your hat and muffler, and bring your fur shoes.”

“However…… Oh no. I’ll get ready and go out soon.”

Lena, who was about to say, ‘But I have to pack your coat,’ closed her mouth and hurried to her room. She rarely disobeys Kahel’s orders. How long has it been since he last scolded her? She kept being bothered by her cheeky mouth, and she wondered if Kahel would be offended by it.

Lena, who went into her room and put on a soft sable coat and hat, a muffler, cowhide gloves, and sturdy fur shoes, suddenly felt full, so she giggled alone and hurried away, thinking of Kahel who was waiting for her.

As the two went down to the hall on the first floor, the eyes of some of the maids working in the hall were strange. But they didn’t stare at Kahel and Lena for long. This is because when Kahel appears, the knights have sent the surrounding ‘common people’ away. Ignoring the glances of those who retreated far away, they went outside and found two sleds ready.

“Jeter! Are you ready?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I will serve you, and Hayern will serve the maid.”

“No. I will drive the sled myself. I haven’t ridden a sled driven by anyone else since I was 15.”

“But as a knight, you cannot ride a sled driven by the person you serve.”

“I’m not telling you to ride my sleigh. Because Lena will ride on my sleigh.”

Lena’s face heated up as she thought the loyal-looking knight who spoke so would be very embarrassed. But as the knight looked at Lena’s blushing cheeks, he said, ‘Ah!’, and then made a small sound, ‘I see!’ and he backed away bravely.

The sled looked quite large and more sturdy than Lena had imagined. Not only the sleds, but also the white cloud-emitting reindeers were much bigger than she had imagined. Lena staggered behind Kahel unknowingly as she watched the four reindeer waving their heads with the big horns up and down, and she backed away. She has never seen an animal as big as that in Kerouac. She was delighted to see the strange animals of the bigger world, but she thought it would be terrifying if a reindeer pointed their horns at her.

But as Kahel knew Lena’s fear, he gently wrapped his arms around her back.

“Nothing to be afraid of. They’re trained, so they’re gentle. It is not an animal that attacks people.”

Then, the expressions of the two knights waiting for the departure order from the side became strange again. When they first went to the hall earlier, the facial expressions of the maids were similar to that. Lena’s eyes were getting more and more uncomfortable. They weren’t hostile or sarcastic to Lena, but there was an unknown wall between them and her. That much was known for sure.

Lena hesitated again and took Kahel’s hand, who was trying to escort her. There were people who saw it, and she wanted to say that the lower one shouldn’t be treated like this, but she was not in a position to do that. Lena went on a snow sled for the first time in her life, trying to ignore the knights’ grinning faces.

* * *

The process of getting on the sled was long, but as Kahel said, the sleigh running through the pure white snowy field was more exciting than anything Lena had ever experienced.

“Wow!”

She couldn’t say anything more than exclamation. White snowfields, dense coniferous forests in the distance, and the snowscapes of Kalahan Mountains behind them…… As if it had become a small dot in a huge blank space, she felt overwhelmed by the greatness of Mother Nature.

“I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Kahel got a little nervous, contrary to expecting Lena to like it. It was the only way out for him to enjoy freedom, so he liked Sharden. But as he ran the sled, the sense that a young woman would like seemed to be lacking. Moreover, he couldn’t appreciate the ‘wow’ while riding the sled.

But Lena nodded her head up and down vigorously before Kahel’s question could be finished.

“I have never seen such a wonderful sight! For some reason, I feel like crying.”

Lena, whose small rural village, Kerouac, was everything in her world, realized that a bigger world had opened to her only after visiting Shardden. It was very moving to see such a vast plain and spotless snow scene.

“Oh God…… I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Kahel looked into Lena’s purple eyes, which were already brimming with tears from the cold wind, and gave a smile of relief. Plus, he’s happy that Lena doesn’t hesitate anymore.

“Then, shall we speed up a bit now?”

Lena, who had become accustomed to the sledding, nodded her head again and grabbed the edge of the sled tightly. The cute shape of her small hand holding the sled was cute, and Kahel smiled once more, gently waving the reindeer’s rein and running quickly over the snow.

When the reindeer, who had been walking quietly, started running at their own speed, the texture of the wind that brushed their cheeks changed drastically.

“Kyaa! Ahahaha!”

Lena screamed and laughed unknowingly. Physically, it was difficult for her to breathe properly because of the cold air hitting her face, but sensory, it felt like her breathing was open. She had never ridden a horse before, so it was the first time she felt this sense of speed. She was amazed that she could feel this way just because she was running fast, and she seemed to understand Kahel why he said that he likes sledding in Sharden.

The knights following Lena’s sleigh were also excited, cheering and going wild amongst themselves. They felt somewhat closer to them, who were on the verge of being left out until now.

Kahel, who had been running for a while, glanced at Lena’s face, and gradually slowed the pace.

“Seeing your face red, you must warm up.”

Kahel blew the whistle, calling for the two knights to follow, and then he headed to the hut near Kalahan Mountain. The log cabin was built near a small coniferous forest near Kalahan Mountain. It even looked like a painting.

“Surprisingly, it is quite spacious inside.”

As the knights opened the door ahead of her, she cautiously stepped into the hut, and Lena couldn’t control her pounding heart as if she had been a girl following the adventures of the warriors. On one side of the hut, firewood was piled up, and small cast iron pots, kettles, and crude cups were provided for those who stayed here for a while to warm themselves up. It fits perfectly with the ‘hut in the woods’ described by a storyteller who had stopped by the village before.

When the two knights filled the fireplace with firewood and lit it, Lena took off her coat and hat and hung it on the hut’s hangers. She then picked up a kettle to make some hot tea, but it was soon taken away by a knight named Hayern.

“Hold on a minute. I’ll boil the water right away.”

He went out with the kettle and came in with it full of snow. Then he hung the kettle on a hook hanging over the flaming firewood.

“The tea you drink here tastes better even with the same tea leaf.”

“Potatoes are better roasted here than in a castle.”

Contrary to their first impression, the two knights acted friendly and started boiling water on Lena’s behalf, threading a potato on the skewer, and baking it. Lena couldn’t take her eyes off their actions because all of this was so strange and fun. But not long after Kahel sat in his seat, she got up.

“I’m going to Kalahan Mountain, so get some rest.”

“Yes! We will see you later!”

“Safe trip, Your Excellency!”

Kahel and the knights were too casual, but Lena didn’t quite understand the situation.

“Why…… Your Excellency, are you going alone?”

The reason he went to Kalahan Mountain alone was because if a monster came out and Kahel was to use his magical power to kill it, he had to have no people around him who would be possessed by his devilish powers. However, the two knights, who had been ordered in advance to ‘don’t open your mouth about the devilish curse,’ took a peek into Kahel’s eyes and explained in a friendly manner.

“The railings on Kalahan Mountain were not built with ordinary wood, but with magic. The only person who can recognize it is the Duke, and if we follow along, we become his burdens. There are poisonous weeds all over Kalahan Mountain, so even the slightest mistake can cause a lot of trouble.”

It wasn’t a lie. As he said, the barriers against monsters were not made of wood or anything like that. So strong is the power of a monster, but how can they protect the village with just a wooden fence?

The barriers surrounding Kalahan Mountain were all invisible barriers made with high-level magic. And the only people who could recognize it were the two Duchies who freely used their magical powers and some priests with holy powers. But even so, it was natural for the knights to escort Kahel to the vicinity. The knights and Kahel hoped that Lena would pass it on with such an excuse.

Fortunately, Lena didn’t seem to have any doubts.

“Ah…… I see. Everything here is really amazing. It’s a magic defensive measure…… I never imagined it.”

“I’ll be back soon, so warm up while eating the potatoes that Jeter and Hayern are roasting. If you don’t warm up enough, it will be very cold when you go back to the castle.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. Have a safe trip.”

Lena saw Kahel off with eyes full of concern, and the two knights couldn’t control their expressions at the sight of Kahel who was soft to Lena from the moment they left the castle.

And as Kahel walked away, the two exchanged glances and opened their mouths with difficulty.

“Excuse me…… I guess I didn’t greet you properly earlier. My name is Jeter Ernestra, Vice-Captain of the 2nd Knights Order in Sharden Castle.”

“I am Hayern Antes of the 2nd Knights Order. Nice to meet you, Lady.”

Lena was quite relieved by the polite greetings of the two. Of course, she had faith that Kahel would not have left her with untrustworthy people, but she still couldn’t forget the subtle expressions they showed before their departure.