The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 10
Roy was momentarily at a loss for words.
What on earth had she just heard? The rumors she had heard from Harper flashed through her mind.
The story that Vitor had deliberately ruined his own reputation to avoid marriage. The rumor that he had even played the libertine, stirring up all manner of scandals.
Yet his true intentions had been uncovered, and Harper had said it would be hard for him to dodge it this time. So he was trying to cause an even greater scandal…
“I can’t do that.”
Roy spoke firmly.
“Why not? Even if we’re both men, it won’t be that painful. You like my face too, don’t you, Roy-ssi? I’ve seen you stealing glances.”
When did he notice that?
“I like women! No, I mean, I just can’t! It’s strange!”
Feeling she had to refuse right away, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Even without going into lengthy explanations, wasn’t this absurd?
“I know. I hear you even have a lover at the mansion?”
“What?”
Vitor said something bizarre.
“Was her name Hailey? Aren’t you seeing that maid?”
“…….”
It seemed Vitor had looked into Roy, but he appeared to have picked up some ridiculous, baseless rumors along the way.
The mansion’s servants knew Hailey had a crush on Roy, and seeing them together so often afterward, they frequently made that assumption.
‘I didn’t realize that rumor was still going around, though…….’
Roy moved to correct him, but then kept her mouth shut.
“I’m not asking you to date me for real. I just want you to act the part for a while. Only until my leave ends. I won’t let rumors spread around the mansion. I promise.”
Vitor pleaded earnestly. He seemed quite sincere.
‘But will anyone actually believe it?’
They were both straight men. Could they really deceive people?
Well, Roy was actually a woman, so there was nothing strange about it… which made this proposal feel even more dangerous. If something went wrong, the fact that she had been living disguised as a man might come to light.
Imagining the worst-case scenario, she squeezed her eyes shut. Yet the words of refusal didn’t come easily.
Uncle Harper’s frail face and the medicine that was never enough. The mounting piles of debt, and the days spent hiding whenever she stepped outside for fear of running into creditors.
A major reason she had worked at the tavern as a woman was to avoid those creditors. Countless moments of being driven into a corner flashed through her mind, making her hesitate.
“Can you really…… clear all the debt?”
“Yes. I’ll also cover the cost of Harper-ssi’s medicine until he recovers.”
And the Duke standing before her was saying he would resolve all those problems with ease.
She only needed to act for the duration of the Duke’s leave anyway. With just this one arrangement, Harper would no longer be hounded by debt, and Roy could stay by his side.
That fact made this preposterous, fraudulent offer sound sweet.
Frankly speaking, she had been faking her gender for half her life; what was the harm in adding the role of a man’s lover on top of it?
It was no different from placing one more small pebble atop the burden she already carried.
It was just another role to play.
She knew it wasn’t right, but it was something she had to endure if necessary.
Roy turned these rationalizations over in her mind before letting out a soft sigh.
Poverty made people this way. Survival came before dignity, and debt weighed heavier than a clear conscience.
Noticing Roy’s hesitation, Vitor added in a gentle tone:
“Playing lovers will inevitably require physical contact, but I won’t do anything beyond what’s necessary. I won’t follow you around anymore either. And I’ll give you extra pay for each occasion.”
“Why do you hate marriage so much, anyway?”
Roy suddenly found herself wondering why. She couldn’t understand why he was trying so desperately to avoid marriage.
Aristocratic marriage was an emotionless business transaction anyway, something everyone did when the time came.
Vitor stared intently at Roy for a moment before letting out a dry chuckle.
“No particular reason. I just want to enjoy myself a bit longer without being tied down.”
“I heard that playing the libertine was a lie too.”
“So you do know a thing or two about me?”
Faced with his probing remark, Roy answered awkwardly.
“It’s hard not to know when I work here…….”
Vitor gazed steadily at her, then spoke in a light tone.
“So, will you do it?”
He doesn’t want to tell me the reason, then.
Though she still wondered why he would go to such lengths, Roy did not press further.
“Yes, as long as the payment is guaranteed…….”
What did the reason matter anyway? It was enough that they each got what they wanted.
Come to think of it, she didn’t care to know his private affairs. If feelings became entangled in a contractual relationship, it would only get in the way.
“Then I look forward to working with you, Roy-ssi.”
He offered a radiant smile and extended his hand. Why did the phrase ‘a face so beautiful it could bewitch even a man’ come to mind just now?
‘Well, I’m not really a man anyway.’
Brushing aside a chilling foreboding, Roy took his hand.
Early morning, just as the dawn began to break.
Vitor was running shirtless along the riverbank.
The plush grass rustled beneath his feet, and a breeze carrying the summer humidity brushed against the leaves.
The chirping of birds drifted over it all, completing a perfect morning.
Taking in the tranquil scenery of Elysia Mansion, Vitor paused to catch his breath.
Just as he finished a deep breath and prepared to run again, murmurs drifted over from the far-off entrance.
It was the servants receiving the grocery delivery.
“Oh, this deer was freshly caught. The hind leg is quite meaty.”
“The ingredients are unusually fine today. Is there a special occasion?”
“I hear the Duke is meeting a prospective bride.”
“You mean the Duke of Hermont? So talk of marriage is finally coming up after all.”
“Even if he resists, he’s a duke—what choice does he have?”
While the deliveryman and the servant chatted, a man caught Vitor’s eye as he tried to lift the heavy cut of meat by himself.
“Roy, you’ll break your back. Let’s carry it together.”
“I’m fine carrying it alone. You shouldn’t be lifting heavy things with your bad wrist, Uncle.”
As if it were nothing, Roy slung the deer’s hind leg over her shoulder.
Before anyone could stop her, she carried the meat with ease, then smoothly took a heavy iron milk can from a struggling maid.
“Thank you, Roy-ssi.”
The maid’s cheeks flushed red. Roy’s retreating figure, carrying loads in both hands, looked remarkably dependable.
‘The young gamekeeper is charming all the women.’
Vitor let out a quiet chuckle without realizing it.
With such a pretty face, having that kind of rugged toughness almost felt like cheating.
From what he had observed over the past few days, Roy was manlier than anyone, contrary to his looks.
Not only was he strong, but he was diligent and never shied away from rough labor.
His consideration for others was deep and thoughtful—a steadfast, dependable kind of kindness.
That was no exception even toward Vitor, a burly, grown man.
When Vitor offered to help repair the wire fence, Roy told him it was dangerous and not to touch it; when he offered to act as an assistant at least, Roy told him to just sort out the nails.
Whenever he tried to carry an animal, Roy stepped in, saying the smell would linger on him, treating him like a precious young master to the very end.
He had tagged along claiming he would be the gamekeeper’s slave, yet he ended up feeling more protected instead.
The very same kindness the maids received was directed at Vitor as well.
Apparently, to Roy, the perception of Vitor as an aristocrat and employer was stronger than that of him being a soldier.
Perhaps that was why—finding it amusing to be treated like a fragile glass that might shatter at the slightest touch, Vitor had later even gotten injured on purpose.
Roy’s delicate touch while tending to the injury had been unexpected, and seeing him get flustered and clumsy made him quite fun to tease.
Vitor suddenly thought to himself:
That he liked Roy so much as a person, he would have made him his aide if he could.
Though how he would fare as a contractual lover remained to be seen.
‘How would someone with a personality like that even date…….’
Honestly, he couldn’t quite picture it.
Aside from wanting to dodge marriage, the fact that Roy resembled Natalie had played a massive part in choosing him.
There was no particular reason it had to be Natalie, but it felt as if he had forced the pieces together out of sheer obstinacy.
If she were ever to find out that Vitor was looking for her.
If she even learned that he was seeing a man who looked just like her in order to find her, wouldn’t she appear at least once?
Had it not been for such a petty expectation, he would never have started a fake romance with Roy in the first place.
Loath as he was to admit it, Vitor considered that night with Natalie special. He wanted to see her one more time.
If she had fled because of some unavoidable circumstances, as Roy had said, there was nothing he could do, but…….
The Duke of Hermont’s male paramour.
