The Devilish Duke Can't Sleep

Proofreader: somnium

As Kahel was about to wrinkle his eyebrows at such an unpleasant thought, Lena blushed and said,

“But I think the concerts are really good. I didn’t know there were such beautiful songs. I’ve seen the occasional band of Kerouac play the violin or accordion, but I’ve never seen a piano that big. The songs they played were completely different from the band’s. Are the people who performed or sang today those who studied music professionally?”

“All nobles have studied music at least once from an early age. It’s like an obligation.”

“What? Really? Why?”

“Well. Maybe it’s because there’s nothing else to do? To be honest, I was so busy that it was a waste of time to practice the piano.”

Lena’s eyes widened at those words.

“Your, Your Excellency, you can play…… the piano?”

“Well, I have to do what everyone else is doing.”

“Wow…… ! That’s cool! But I have never seen you play the piano before?”

“Shall I play after a long time?”

Kahel smiled and stood up from his seat. In fact, he hadn’t touched the keys in a long time. But if he had known that Lena liked music that much he would have played it a few times in the meantime. He took Lena and headed to the parlor on the second floor where the piano was placed. Although it was left alone for a long time, the top of the piano cover was clean without a single dust as Arder maintained it.

He opened the lid of the piano and lightly flicked the cold keys. He liked to play the piano quite a bit until he was seven years old. His mother wasn’t terribly ill either, so he did some simple performances in front of his parents, and even if it wasn’t his parents, there were a lot of people who would listen to him.

However, he could not even touch the piano when the devilish powers appeared and until he hung Calia around his neck. He couldn’t invite a piano teacher, and he didn’t have the heart to play the piano. So, Kahel had less time to learn the piano than other nobles of his age. However, as a result of intense practice due to his pride that ‘Luave should be the best’, his piano skills were of a high standard.

Kahel looked at Lena, her eyes twinkling in anticipation, and then began to press the keys. His long, hard fingers were strong and flexible, as if they were made to play the piano, moving quickly and seriously on the keyboard, continuing the enchanting melody.

“Oh my! His Excellency must be playing the piano.”

The maid chief lifted her head and listened to the sound of the piano that began to resound in the mansion. Arder, who was discussing the food budget with her, also stopped what he was doing and quietly listened to the melody.

“I don’t know how long it’s been.”

Arder has been heartbroken. For Kahel, the piano or music was a ‘duty’, nothing more, nothing less. He had no intention of enjoying music at all. In order not to embarrass the Luave name, he honed his skills to the highest level, but it only had the feeling of ‘skill’.

That was reflected in his performance as well, the piano pieces he played were accurate without a single point of error, but it seemed that there was no emotion in it. Arder was always saddened by that. To his young master, it seems that the whole world has nothing but duty…….

But the sound he hears now is completely different. The famous pianist and composer Sedela Armovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was more often called <Confession>. Although Kahel memorized it, it was not a song he played voluntarily. The song that used to be like that is now resonating in the mansion beautifully and heartbreakingly.

‘Ha…… It’s even noticeable with the sound of the piano…….’

He could tell just by listening. This was the performance of a man in love. Just looking at the other person makes one’s heart pound and happy, but on the other hand, they feel anxious and painful, and at the end of it, there was a heart that desperately loved and confessed that I love you.

In fact, Arder knew that Kahel had no choice but to love Lena. In a dark world, how can he not love and neglect the person who has become a light? Although he expected this to happen, Arder was still worried as he did not know Lena’s heart. He can only pray for Lena to stay by Kahel’s side for a long time.

While Arder was thinking about Kahel and Lena, a servant hurried to Arder.

“Butler! A boy asks to see His Excellency. What should I do?”

“A boy……?”

“Yes. He looks really scruffy, but he’s a wizard from Hildebrunn. He said that it is necessary to see Duke Luave, and it is also related to the Duchy of Santella.”

Arder hurriedly approved the food budget and followed the servant to the visitor waiting room. There sat a silver-haired boy in a shabby robe. He doesn’t know how the boy got here, but he looked quite tired. His complexion was also bluish and not very clean.

But Arder thought he was no ordinary boy. The boy seemed urgent, but he did not appear to be daunted by the majesty of the Duchy.

“Hello. My name is Arder Higgins, the butler of the Duchy of Luave. Could you please tell me your name and affiliation?”

At Arder’s polite request, the boy got up from his seat, bowed his head slightly, and opened his mouth.

“Hello. My name is Dashar from Hildebrunn Sage’s Village. I am a wizard. I’ve come to see Duke Luave on a matter related to our village. I must see him.”

The boy’s blue-grey eyes were determined and anxious.

“May I ask what exactly is your business?”

“No. This must be said in person after seeing the Duke. I can’t tell anyone else. If this leaks, the village will be in danger……”

“But it is difficult to see him without accurate identification. You didn’t even apply for an interview in advance…….”

“I can prove right away that I am a wizard!”

Dashar swung his one hand in the air. A swarm of lights from his hand soon spread throughout the waiting room, showing a vision of the forest glistening in the sunlight. Arder and the servant looked around in surprise, but it didn’t change the fact that the place where the walls and ceiling had been until now looked like a thick forest. Even a cool breeze seemed to be blowing from somewhere.

“What, what is this…… !”

“Unbelievable…… ! It’s magic……!”

The two looked blankly at the illusion of the forest and managed to come to their senses. Arder saw the silvery eyes of the boy who had previously been blue-gray, and realized that he was a fairly high-ranking wizard.

“You are truly a wizard. I see. I will inform him right away and arrange a seat, so please wait here…….”

But before Arder could finish his words, the door to the waiting room swung open and Kahel rushed in.

“Who are you? Who dares to use magic in the Duke’s residence…… !”

Sensitive to the movement of magic, he felt the sudden movement of magic while playing the piano and ran.

“Ah, Your Excellency! This person is…….”

“Are you His Excellency, Duke Luave?”

Arder and Dashar opened their mouths at the same time. The illusion that had dazzled the eyes had suddenly disappeared.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Dashar from Hildebrunn’s Sage Village. I must see you, Your Excellency, cough!”

Suddenly, the boy’s body staggered. Arder, who was beside him, hurriedly supported Dashar, but he looked at Kahel eagerly, even with a trembling body.

“Our village is in danger. It has to do with the Duchy Santella. Please help, please!”

Dashar squeezed his last strength and appealed. However, he had come from Hildebrunn to here by forcefully using magical space movement, and his head was dizzy because he had just used magic. And when he saw the formula of the curse that entangled Kahel’s body from a moment ago, his eyes were dizzy.

“Help. help…… please…….”

With that request, Dashar collapsed.

* * *

The illusion of dancing ancient words scattered the dark unconscious mind. It was a dream that Dashar had always dreamed of. To Dashar, the whole world looked like magic, mana, ancient words and formulas. The wind that flows through the branches, the leaves swaying there, the solid trunks and even the soil on the ground…….

So to him, magic was as natural as breathing. What was strange to others was also something that Dashar could understand normally. But even for him, the curse that tightly entangled Kahel’s body was very surprising.

Curses don’t happen naturally. There must be someone who cursed. However, is there anyone in the world who has enough magical powers to put a curse on someone like Kahel? So the curse on him is not the work of just one person…….

“…… It doesn’t seem like it…….”

“……. He will come to his consciousness in a little while.”

Dashar’s eyes widened at the sound of a voice coming through the slowly brightening consciousness. It was an unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar interior.

“Huh? He must have woken up.”

The voice of a young woman, and,

“Are you awake?”

It was the man he saw last.

“Lu, ave…….”

“Right. I am Kahel Luave. It seems that you are very tired, so get some rest.”

It was still dark outside the window. It didn’t seem like much time had passed since his collapse.

“Oh, no! This is urgent!”

Dashar hurriedly removed the blanket that was covering his body and got up. Along the way, his mind was dizzy and he staggered, but did not fall back on his back.

“Duke! Now, wait a minute, please we have to be alone.”

Kahel nodded quietly, noticing the desperation in the young boy’s eyes.

“Everyone, go out.”

His gaze reached the doctor who examined Dashar, Arder, and Lena who looked back with a worried expression in turn. And Dashar’s gaze, which was following his gaze, was fixed on Lena.

‘Oh…… ?’

Although he had only lived for 15 years, there were no laws of nature that went beyond his understanding and expectations. So he did not think that overnight he would meet two new people who violated the general laws of nature.

Kahel’s case was rather difficult to understand. How it was somehow possible that a curse that was difficult to cast on a person, no, even by the best wizard in the Magic Tower, was now wrapped around the body of a person with tremendous magical power.

However, what was wrapped on the body of a woman who was obviously Kahel’s maid was a ‘seal’ of tremendous strength that was incomparable to that of Kahel’s body.

‘Who could put a seal like that? What did they seal?’

It was impossible with normal magic. Dashar was so interested in Lena that he forgot for a moment the urgency of the matter that made him come this far.