I Was the Unrequited Love of the Male Lead - Chapter 21

He’s really a sharp man. Of course, I did not know anything about hunting.

“Ah… Uhm… The Duke’s hunting clothes, simple refreshments and water, and…”

“Hmm.”

When Duke Kyron sighed at me, I almost couldn’t resist the impulse. I really wanted to tear my hair out.

The Duke is not going to an elementary school picnic right now!

Then, as if he had given up on me, he spoke step by step.

“We’re going to cook and eat the game that we caught straight away. So the servants…”

When I listened to Duke Kyron, I learned that I almost ruined Harpel Castle’s spring hunt when all the vassals gathered together. The kitchen tools that Duke Kyron told me about were things that I would not have thought of if I just figured it out alone.

“Did you remember them all?”

“Yes. Most of them…”

I silently glanced up to look at Duke Kyron. I appreciate what he did for me but at the same time, I felt discouraged as a maid since the Duke was taking care of me.

“Why are you helping me?”

He frowned when he saw me sulking as I asked him the question.

“Why? Did I interfere too much and hurt your pride?”

I shook my head quickly and unknowingly raised my voice.

“No, Duke! In fact, I’m very thank… ful.”

“If he knows that you can’t handle this much, then Chaers will ask me to get a new maid. I also don’t know why I’m doing this. After all, I have no reason to deny my bookkeeper if my maid can’t do this much.”

“Uhm…”

The Duke knew how to crush someone’s self esteem with dignity and grace. I realized that his delicate and careful ‘interference’ had nothing to do with me. He did not care for me at all. I just stared at him. I felt fed up with everything.

“And if I said that I kicked you out of your position as my personal maid because of an illness that can’t be cured… then George… will probably get agitated. Or maybe fall into despair…”

It was a very ominous sign when I saw Duke Kyron frowning.

“It’s quite unacceptable that ‘Harpel’s Shield’ will be destroyed by just a single maid.”

Heok, is that what you have to say to me?

I complained to myself but there was something that I confirmed. Duke Kyron was someone who did not want to make a fuss. He couldn’t help but support his forehead. It seemed like the image was quite shocking to him. It seemed like Sir George Lockman’s image was the epitome of seriousness.

Anyway, his expression quickly cleared out as he spoke coldly to me again.

“It’s fortunate that you can do what you learned easily. So I decided to just teach you first. It’s also convenient to find you since you’re on vacation.”

“Hahaha…”

I laughed derisively. So the Duke has only been soft and lenient on me not because I saved him nor because  he considered me as his childhood friend and was treating me specially but because he believed that George would fall into trouble if he treated me harshly.

So you only did it to set the mind of your estate’s vassal, an important power in your territory, at ease… what is this? Family welfare?

I couldn’t believe that I was just a person who got a parachute job thanks to my father’s halo… I smiled as tears began to fall down my cheeks.

“Th, thank you. Duke.”

As I stammered my greeting out, Duke Kyron turned away. After all, his business with me has finally ended. Then, he turned back to me as if he forgot something.

“Arielsa?”

Ahyuuu. That surprised me.

“Yes, Duke.”

“I have no intention of bringing in another personal maid other than you.”

“…Yes, Duke.”

I came back to my room and laid down on my bed. I felt both despondent and pleased at the same time.

“I have no intention of bringing in another personal maid other than you.”

He might have only said that so he would not embarrass me and George but it sounded different to me. It sounded like he was happy and attached to me.

Perhaps it’s only because it was something that I wanted to hear so badly…

I stared at my ceiling as I mumbled to myself.

“He can easily lift and drop anyone…”

If the Northerners had some modern technology, perhaps they would be the first ones to create a rollercoaster.

Lift and drop. Lift and drop…

I informed the kitchen and prepared the things that Duke Kyron had told me about. I also found a hunting attire that looked almost brand-new in his closet. When I realized that I had to help Duke Kyron wear his hunting suit… I couldn’t stop myself from blushing after I recalled the perfect body that I saw in the bath last time.

“My goodness…”

I finally realized an important issue. It was stated in the original that he had a big scar on his side when he fell down from hunting. The fact that his body was perfectly, no fiercely, sexy without any scratch or scar meant that the accident would probably be due tomorrow when the spring hunt would take place.

No matter what he thought about me, I still had to stop it. After all, I still cared very much about our male lead. Besides, I wasn’t that strong enough to pretend that it was not my business when I already knew that people would get hurt.

I went to sleep after setting the determination in my heart as I murmured to myself.

“Will Chaers still think that I’m a petty and insignificant maid?”

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I went to Duke Kyron’s room early in the morning to help him prepare.

Most of Harpel’s vassals and retainers were gathered in the inner courtyard. The outside was even buzzing with people. I couldn’t stop myself from being on edge.

“Why are you nervous?”

“No. Duke, please be careful today. Hunting is quite a dangerous sport, right?”

I was unaware of the exact timing or situation when the accident happened since Duke Kyron’s fall was something that was only mentioned in passing. So an accident could happen at any moment. But I could predict that something unexpected would definitely happen since it was unusual for the Duke’s well-trained war horse to drop him just like that.

I watched as the stableman brought the horse to Duke Kyron. I felt my breath hitch as I watched Duke Kyron climb up on his horse. I was filled with endless anxiety. But Duke Kyron was just calmly patting his horse as he talked to his vassals.

“…Phew.”

I felt like I was on pins and needles. I really wanted to be by his side but a personal maid couldn’t just approach the Duke for no particular reason especially if he was surrounded by his retainers and vassals.

Not long after, Duke Kyron set out for the hunting grounds with his men. Everybody else was filled with excitement with this long-awaited pleasant spring hunting. I was the only one sweating in nervousness.

Once we arrived on the hunting grounds, the vassals that arrived earlier greeted us. The number of the people gathered in the hunting grounds was quite large since they were the strength of the Harpel Family.

The servants were having a hard time calming down the dozens of hounds that we brought with us. It seemed like the hounds were excited since the people on horseback were all laughing and talking happily. The atmosphere on the hunting grounds was quite boisterous. I felt that it was a bit risky for me to watch the hounds barking loudly as they tugged on their tight leash.

I just watched as the servants set up tents and some makeshift stoves where they could cook the game before climbing up a low hill and sitting down. This was a great place to view the entire hunting grounds.

Aside from the fact that I knew that Duke Kyron would fall off of his horse, watching the men talking loudly and laughing maniacally at the sight of the barking dogs was a bit exciting.

In the modern world, soccer and baseball were the popular sports that men liked. If I could move this Harpel Hunting Grounds to the modern time, I could bet all my money that hunting could take away the top place for the most popular sport. I could tell that there would also be hunting lottery and bets if that happened.

Once all of the participants had gathered, one of the servants stepped up and played a flute. Then, all the hounds fell quiet. The hounds clearly knew that the event was about to start.

I couldn’t help but gulp when I saw the hunting grounds engulfed in tension.

The servant loosened their holds on the leash of the hounds as soon as Duke Kyron nodded his head. The hounds quickly ran out into the forest as if they were being chased by fire. Some of the horses that were a bit nearer to the hounds got flustered as they shook their heads loudly and neighed in protest. I was so surprised that I jumped out of my seat. But Duke Kyron and his retainers just nonchalantly patted the horse to calm them down as they watched the hounds running happily in the forest

I gazed at the squawking birds that flew up in the sky after they got forcefully invaded by the hounds.

Duke Kyron spurred his horse on with a loud roar akin to a beast’s cry. His retainers ran together with him as they spread from side to side following his signal.

The sound of the hooves of the Duke’s horse seemed to echo in my heart.

Isn’t it normal for someone to die if they fall off of a horse that’s running like that…?

I felt like I couldn’t take my wildly thumping heart as the excitement of the hunt and the nervousness and anxiety of what would happen to Duke Kyron came together.

I quickly ran to a high vantage point and watched the entirety of the hunting ground as Duke Kyron moved away.

Duke Kyron looked like a lead bird guiding his huge flock of birds. The retainers that were running behind him looked similar to the big and black migratory birds.

Duke Kyron whistled long and sharp when he saw the hounds, who disappeared in the forest for quite some time, came back herding a forest fox. Then, their ranks split in half like waves parting from the shore. The fox was running away from the forest after being driven away by the hounds. However, it stopped in its tracks when it saw the people blocking both of its sides.

Duke Kyron’s pack slowed down their pace as they approached the fox. My breath caught in my throat as I watched him get off of his horse. I was only able to breathe when he got off safely.

The hound was only biting the neck of the fox to suppress it. So when Duke Kyron got off his horse and killed the fox, his retainers all applauded and laughed.

Perhaps excited by the commotion brought about by the humans around them, the hounds howled and barked loudly towards the sky.

I sighed in relief wondering if they were finally done now. But I suddenly heard my father’s excited voice roaring from across the field.

“Duke, we should definitely catch something to eat from now on! Wahahahaha!”

Duke Kyron immediately left the fox alone as he mounted his horse again. When he whistled again, the hounds immediately ran and disappeared in the forest once more. Then, a servant ran frantically to bring back the fox.

A passing servant chuckled when they saw me sighing in relief at Duke Kyron’s safe departure.

“Now that they have started, we’ll have plenty of time to prepare.”

When I thought about it, the fox was not edible. And even if they ate it, it was not enough for such a huge amount of people. It seemed like the fox was just some kind of warm-up pitch in baseball. Now that they had warmed up by catching such a small and light animal, it was now time for them to hunt a real beast.

Duke Kyron and his retainers had disappeared beyond the forest that was still in my sight. They were now invisible to me. I couldn’t help but bury my face in my hands as I teared up in anxiety once more.

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Notes

[Parachute Job] – nepotism. Someone who just glided in the job thanks to their parents/connection.