Translator: Nox

**Stalker Duchess Episode 25**

 

 

**Stalker Duchess Episode 25**

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, the sound of Damian crunching on the snacks sounded like it was mocking him.

Watching his expression for a moment, Damian set down what he was eating and spoke as if he'd realized something.

"Ah, you didn't get any, did you? Well... that's too bad."

Damian seemed to be trying to hold it back, but a sneer crept onto the corner of his mouth.

In response, Raven tried to maintain a nonchalant expression and said,

"I didn't particularly want any of that suspicious stuff anyway?"

"Still saying that? I get the trauma... Ah, or are you sulking because you didn't get any... Ahaha, sorry. I should go check if any slackers are slacking off. Ahaha."

When Raven glared at him with murderous eyes conveying 'don't talk nonsense', Damian flinched.

He smiled awkwardly, backed away, and disappeared.

As if he was the only one slacking off. Really...

"......"

Raven turned his gaze away from the retreating figure and tried to focus on the documents he needed to process, but stray thoughts kept surfacing, preventing even a single word from registering.

His vision seemed blurred with anger. But he couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

It felt like he knew, yet it slipped through his grasp entirely. He felt frustrated to the brink of madness with himself.

What the hell is it?

...Come to think of it, Serabi had also mentioned Damian when they met that morning.

Serabi had always been lenient with him since childhood but stingy with praising others.

Seeing her praise someone else like that was the first time in 14 years.

Unless she truly liked them, she wouldn't say such things...

As he followed that line of thought, he startled and stiffened at his own realization.

He recalled exactly what Serabi had said about Damian that morning.

-He's objectively a decent guy. He seems frivolous but never crosses the line. Firm principles, good skills. His background is a slight issue, but he's young and capable, so marriage proposals will probably line up. Ah, and his looks are decent too...

At times like this, he resented his unnecessarily sharp memory.

Every word of Serabi's praise for Damian that morning was etched perfectly in his mind, not a single one missing.

He kept taking deep breaths to calm himself, but his hands trembled with anger.

So what if he's objectively decent? Marriage proposals lining up? Does that mean she wants to get in that line too?

When she used to follow me around obsessively saying she liked me, and now...!

"......Haaa."

No, calm down.

Thinking rationally, if her feelings had shifted away from him, wouldn't that be cause for celebration?

If so, after 14 years, they might finally become good friends.

Now that he'd finally glimpsed her true self, it wasn't so bad at all.

No, Serabi was actually quite the catch. Though he still wondered why she'd changed so suddenly.

Her bluntness edging into excessive territory was a flaw, but for Raven, who hated noise, it was a plus.

He knew she pretended otherwise but worked diligently out of sight.

Hiding her wrecked shoulder was still baffling, but perhaps she hadn't wanted to worry him.

Plus, she had the guts to bluff even against the Elf God. Though she ultimately dumped it all on him...

Not soft or gentle, but resolute in character.

He'd thought being together would be awkward, but it wasn't that bad.

He didn't know how she felt about the time they'd spent together, but he found it quite pleasant.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed they could become good 'friends'.

If Serabi had fallen for someone other than him, that is.

That should make him happy, but his mood was anything but.

He didn't know the reason, but something worried him.

Because Serabi, when in love, was the type to charge ahead recklessly.

Would she sneak into Damian's bedroom like she had with him, and sinisterly eliminate rivals without a trace?

"......"

Just one or two months ago, it had been everyday occurrences, but now he strangely couldn't picture it.

If Serabi did such things again, he suspected it would feel twice as repulsive as what he'd endured.

 

The constant crunching sounds echoing all day without end were driving him insane with stress.

The noise itself wasn't that grating, but once he registered from Damian's words that they were snacks made by Serabi, he heard them coming from everywhere.

How much did she hand out?!

Raven approached a group of subordinates chatting during their break.

He planned to ban snacks because the crunching had become unbearable.

"Those from Serabi too?"

"Ah, yes. She often makes them and shares. Her skills are great."

"......"

Not the first time?

Often... she'd done that. Then why had he never received any?

As he brought up the snacks, the subordinates' topic had already shifted to Serabi.

"Come to think of it, the Duchess's image has changed a lot."

"We misunderstood at first, only seeing how she acted toward the Commander..."

"Until now, the kitchen staff were all terrified and fleeing, but she doesn't scare them anymore. And she's actually hilarious once you get to know her. She even pulls pranks sometimes..."

Listening quietly, Raven was startled by the unexpected words.

"She pulls pranks? No way. That blunt girl?"

He interrupted his subordinate, asking with a suspicious expression.

He already knew Serabi was better than he'd thought, but she wasn't affectionate enough to joke with others.

Moreover, Serabi definitely hadn't gotten along with the subordinates before.

Rather, they itched to pick fights with each other.

When and what had happened out of his sight for their attitude toward Serabi to flip 180 degrees?

It was a transformation unimaginable just two months ago.

What on earth had Serabi done? How had she tamed these guys?

The subordinates looked back at him as if they couldn't comprehend him instead.

"She's not exactly kind or quick to laugh... but not so blunt as to call her that, right? She's human, so she laughs at funny stories and pulls pranks too."

"......"

He'd never seen Serabi laugh.

Well, in the past he'd seen her smirk sinisterly at him plenty of times, but...

What the subordinates meant was surely a different kind of smile.

It was hard to believe they were talking about the same Serabi he knew.

Damian, who had been listening quietly, glanced at Raven and said,

"......We're also going to the Founding Day festival together."

"What? Just you two?!"

When had those two gotten that close?

Raven looked at Damian with confused eyes.

In response, Damian's red eyes deepened as if peering into his heart, but he was too flustered to notice.

Damian replied with a face like 'what are you talking about?'

"No. Everyone whose schedule is free... She was standing nearby during the talk, so out of courtesy I asked if she wanted to join, and surprisingly she accepted readily..."

He could somehow picture it. Even to Damian's courteous suggestion, she'd probably said blankly, 'Sure. I'll go.'

Just like when she'd accepted the Elf Child's marriage proposal without much thought.

So Damian wasn't lying.

"The Duchess definitely can't refuse requests like that."

One subordinate added to Damian's words with a silly laugh.

Can't refuse requests...? Serabi...?

In Raven's mind flashed today's Serabi rejecting his requests outright.

Ignoring even the casual invitation to eat together or his willing offer to teach her magic...

The fragile thread of reason he'd maintained snapped.

He covered his face with one hand and muttered in a sinister voice like to himself.

"......Can't refuse requests? Founding Day festival? Going to play together? Hilarious."

"......Pardon?"

It really was laughable.

As he muttered to himself, the subordinates voiced confusion, but he wasn't in the mood to answer.

"Keuk. Keukeuk......"

Laughter bubbled uncontrollably from deep in his throat because it was too amusing.

With his head bowed, he muttered sinisterly to himself.

"You've all grown lax in discipline... Can't get your acts together... Thinking of going out to play pointlessly... Right? ...Huhuhu. Hufu."

Those who'd been nonstop gossiping about Serabi moments ago fell deathly silent, as if doused with cold water.

"Keuk... Ahaha."

He clutched his stomach and laughed until his waist bent forward, then abruptly straightened his expression and looked at the subordinates.

Those who met Raven's eyes flinched in shock, trembled, and stared at him with pale faces.

"Co-Commander...?"

One subordinate asked in a voice like seeing something alien.

He wiped away all traces of laughter and spoke to the subordinates in a flat, emotionless voice.

"......Hell training until Founding Day. No one think of going home."

He'd expected backlash to the sudden declaration, but fortunately, no one dared object.

Good thing they were quick on the uptake.

If they'd rebelled without sensing his plummeted mood, it wouldn't have ended with a mere warning.

Feeling much refreshed, he turned and left without a backward glance.

Behind him, one subordinate gulped dryly and muttered in a voice soaked with fear.

"His eyes... were red."