The Duke’s Madness

no running car.

Elin glanced away and glanced at Arthur.

“… Ugh.”

Arthur leaned against the window and had been dozing off for a while.

He must have been very tired, and there were wrinkles between his eyebrows.

‘yesterday… . Did you lose sleep? Why are you so tired?’

That Arthur Bayern who didn’t show any signs of tired even after having classes at 9:00 in the morning?

Along with the worries, Elin is suddenly surprised.

“… .”

Come to think of it, it was the first time I had watched Arthur Bayern’s face for such a long time.

Is it because of that?

Things I hadn’t felt before came into my eyes.

crooked nose.

sharp forehead.

Skin too white for someone who uses a knife.

It was a face that was so different from the old Arthur Bayern that he remembered.

Obviously a change in a good sense.

But for some reason, Elin felt sorry for her.

‘I… . This isn’t the face I’ve been thinking of every day for a year.’

It was the time when Elin continued to peek at Arthur with a murmur.

The car that was running stopped.

At the same time, Arthur, who had been struggling with drowsiness, opened his eyes, but Elin, who was surprised, hurriedly looked away.

“uh… . Elin, did I sleep?”

Erin answered, clearing her voice.

“Did you sleep a lot? What did you do yesterday?”

“ah… . sorry. I couldn’t sleep well last night.”

Elin raises the corner of her mouth slightly.

“what? Didn’t you fall asleep because you were looking forward to meeting me?”

“hmm… . It’s not like that, but it’s for a similar reason.”

Arthur, who was speechless, avoided explaining.

Elin, noticing this fact, raised a smirk.

‘Did you really lose sleep just because you met me?’

Elin, feeling slightly better, asked in a cheerful voice.

“By the way, where are you? It seems to be Area A, but this is the first place I’ve been to?”

“I only came here once for an appointment, and it was okay. I don’t know if Elin will like it.”

“are you okay. I’m not that picky.”

“Really? I don’t want to complain later.”

With the answer, Arthur gets out of the car and enters a building.

Elin, who was walking after him, asked in surprise.

“… ? What are you doing here?”

“This is Natalie’s restaurant. Are you okay?”

Along with Arthur’s explanation, Elin unknowingly opens her mouth.

“Hey, is this a restaurant? Do you have such a big band?”

“I was surprised too. But the taste is good too, here.”

As I entered the restaurant with these words, the waiting chef approached and greeted me.

“Welcome to Natalie’s Restaurant.”

“yes. Do you have a seat?”

At the question, the chef raises his head.

“Have you made a reservation?”

“no? Should I make a reservation?”

“Our restaurant is not available if you have not made a reservation, sir.”

Arthur was flustered and blurted out.

“uh? then… .”

“But the guest is a different case. I’m going to take you to the window, would that be all right?”

Arthur whispered with a small exclamation.

“Are you considerate because of Angelina?”

“… To be honest, yes.”

The chef gently raises the corner of his mouth.

“He is the most important person in running our restaurant. Giving such convenience to a customer who ate with such a person… . In a way, it is natural.”

The corners of Arthur’s lips rose slightly.

‘I took advantage of it unintentionally… . hmm. I still need to see you once.’

At that time, remembering the promise he had made with Angelina as we parted ways, Arthur sat in the seat the chef had given him.

And after belatedly checking Elin’s expression, he tilted his head.

“… Elin? Why are you looking like that?”

“uh?”

“It’s as if you’ve come where you can’t come… . Do you not like it?”

Elin panicked and waved her hand.

“Oh, no, not that… .”

“sure?”

“… Isn’t this a great place?”

Arthur narrowed his eyes and replied.

“…is it a nice place?”

“Yes… . You look so good?”

At Elin’s words, Arthur tilted his head and exclaimed.

“ah! If you’re worried about money, don’t worry. I will shoot them all today.”

“I am not a beggar!”

“… sure?”

Elin hesitated and asked.

“if… . Who are you here with?”

“With whom?”

“that that! It must have been like a date spot… .”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her stuttering look.

“You ate with an older woman, but you didn’t go on a date?”

“… I didn’t ask if you went on a date, but you said you came with a girl anyway?”

“yes.”

Erin’s eyes narrowed at the answer.

‘Who is it? As far as I know, no other girl is close to me… .’

Could it be that the Hazel entrepreneur’s eldest daughter?

But seeing as he said he was older, it didn’t seem like it.

After all, she was the same age as him.

‘then… Who the hell?’

The chef, who had been away at that time, approached and asked a question.

“What would you like for the menu?”

“Do you have any?”

“We recommend the lunch special course.”

“hmm… . Then please do with it.”

“All right. After a simple appetizer, the main dish will be a steak grilled with Southern Premium Beef Sirloin. After that… .”

After explaining this and that about the dish, the chef bowed and stepped back.

Arthur, who was looking at the figure, turned his gaze and asked a question.

“How’s Godfather Holland, Elin?”

Elin, who had been engrossed, was startled.

“…my grandfather?”

“yes. I couldn’t ask how I was doing because I had no way to contact you. How are you?”

Elin hesitated a little before answering.

“How are you… . The northern savages have been quiet lately, and summer is slowly approaching.”

“Well, maybe it’s strange that the sword master didn’t correct it.”

At Arthur’s answer, Elin forgot her worries and opened her mouth.

“I often keep in touch with my grandfather, and he is very curious about how you are.”

“A godfather? me?”

“okay. You’re curious more about you than about me?”

Arthur laughed.

“I should say hello. Call me back the next time you call.”

“… So, do we have to come home again?”

“What can I not go to? I already went.”

At this, Elin laughed too.

“Hmm… . yes what come again Let’s have dinner at my house then.”

After that, the two started chatting about things.

“How’s the northern summer, Elin?”

“It’s good… . just fine It’s the only month in the north where the daily blizzards keep the temperature normal. So everyone waits for this day and does various things.”

Arthur put in an appropriate chooimsae.

“What are you doing?”

“hmm… . Farming in preparation for fall, repairing a house that collapsed in the winter north wind… . busy in many ways. And in summer no savages come over from the north. So the soldiers go on vacation, and thanks to that, the commercial district… .”

Elin explains calmly according to the chuimsae.

Arthur listened to the story with great interest.

The story itself aroused interest, but it was because the way he confidently explained about his estate was impressive.

‘Someone like Elin… . You can say this confidently about your own territory.’

The same heir, but different from himself in many ways.

Thanks to the Declaration, Yonel was unexpectedly designated as the duke’s heir, but unlike Elin, he knew nothing about the Bavarian duchy.

‘Not having time to pay attention… . To be honest, it’s an excuse. I could have recognized it as much as I could, but I’m not.’

Because of that, Arthur was worried.

Why was he not particularly interested in his family and did not try to use it?

‘If you borrow the power of the family… . I should be able to move much more easily than now.’

After thinking about it, Arthur realizes one thing.

It’s not that I don’t want to use it, it’s that I don’t intend to use it.

‘… You’re still haunted by the ghosts of the past.’

In the past, he was a failure who was kicked out of the Bavarian family anyway.

The experience at that time left a huge scar on both the past self and the present self.

That’s why he was reluctant to borrow the family’s power without realizing it.

‘but… . Should we do that in the future? Is it really right not to borrow power in a situation where you can borrow it?’

The big frame of my revenge is for my family after all.

Then there was no need to feel guilty about borrowing the power of the family.

It was time to think about what Arthur had newly realized along with his thoughts.

Elin, who was enthusiastically explaining, suddenly shuts up.

“… Oh, did you just talk about me too much?”

Arthur, who came to his senses at her apology, blinked.

“No, Elin. I really enjoyed it.”

“… Is that a lie?”

“Is it true? To be honest, I was amazed.”

This time, Elin narrowed her eyes.

“Admiration? What admiration?”

“hmm… . In fact, I wasn’t very interested in family affairs.”

“… .”

“But looking at Elin, it seemed like something was wrong. For whatever reason… . The successor should be interested in such things, right?”

Elin raised her eyes.

“uh… . It is, but… .”

Arthur grins at her blurry expression.

“thank you. Thanks to Elin, I am learning something again.”

Elin shuts up.

“… You always say difficult things always casually.”

“… ? What do you mean?”

Elin didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked at the glass of water in front of him and murmured.

‘Do I deserve to hear such words?’

I shook my head at the question.

Contrary to Arthur’s words, he did not receive a very good evaluation from the people of his territory.

Compared to the huge mountain of Hollan Leverkusen, it was still lacking in many ways.

So, Arthur was the first to give such a compliment.

‘always… . Let me experience the new, the first time. This man.’

The defeat of Dalian, and the change of oneself.

This man takes a different experience every time it is the first time.

So I’m curious all of a sudden.

‘Arthur… What do you think of me?’

It was when Elin raised her head again with a murmur.

The disappearing chef appeared with food.

“The first dish is crab meat soup.”

With explanations, the chef skillfully started setting up various foods including appetizers.

Arthur, who had been watching the scene quietly, tilted his head at a sudden thought.

‘what? Is something strange?’

Elin Leverkusen.

She was a huge elite even by Arthur’s own standards.

The one and only successor of Holland Leverkusen, who is not only smart but also extremely pretty.

But why did her future self not know about her?

‘If she succeeded the family after Holland Leverkusen… . I must have known?’

However, the story of Elin in the memories of the future didn’t come to mind very much.

The moment he realized that fact, Arthur raised his eyes.

‘… Could it be that Elin can’t inherit the family?’

As soon as the family came to mind, Arthur opened his mouth involuntarily.

Seeing that, Elin, who was sitting in front of him, tilted his head.

“what? Why are you suddenly opening your mouth, Arthur?”

“… That Elin.”

“huh?”

“Do you have any chronic illnesses?”

“A chronic disease? What is the sudden illness?”

“Do you have any chronic illnesses?”

“No! What do you think of me! I am the granddaughter of the sword master!”

Arthur shuts up at her cry.

And just as I was about to ask the question again, Ellen opened her mouth first.

“Arthur.”

“yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

It was because Elin’s expression as she asked the question was somehow spleen.

‘what… . Does that look like that to ask?’

Because of that, Arthur, who had forgotten his worries a moment ago, answered.

“yes. Ask anything, Elin.”

“okay? then… . I will ask without reservations.”

With these words, Elin let out a light sigh.

“What do you think?”

“yes?”

“So what do you think… .”

The neck of Ellen’s throat, who was speechless, slid.

“You think… . What kind of person is Elin Leverkusen?”