The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 25
“This is my newly hired probationary secretary. It is his first banquet, so I brought him along for the experience.”
“I am Louise. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Roy bowed neatly in greeting.
“Well, well.”
Baron Ribelt eyed Roy up and down with keen interest. His gaze felt sharp, but Roy did her best to maintain a composed expression.
“Your probationary secretary certainly looks capable.”
“Indeed. Teach him one thing and he masters ten on his own, so how could I not find him darling?”
Vitor looked down at Roy with sweet, affectionate eyes. Ribelt’s eyes sparkled as a knowing smile crept onto his lips.
“Indeed. With someone like that, not only would the paperwork be sorted early in the morning, but one would naturally want to keep him close late into the night.”
“Now that I have grown used to it, working alone in my study feels rather awkward.”
“Haha, it seems you are thoroughly captivated by your secretary’s competence. I had no idea the Duke possessed such fine taste.”
Ribelt burst into hearty laughter, clearly amused. Roy, unable to fully grasp the undertone of the exchange, could neither laugh nor frown, managing only an ambiguous, polite smile.
“They do say a personal attendant is best kept close. Next time, I shall bring my own apprentice secretary along when we meet. Ah! How about going on a hunt together when the weather is fine?”
“Splendid. I shall look forward to it.”
“Then I hope tonight’s banquet proves to be an unforgettable, romantic evening for Louise-ssi and the Duke of Hermont.”
Raising his glass with a playful wink, Ribelt stepped away with a cheerful demeanor.
Only after he had completely vanished from sight did Roy let out a soft breath and ask Vitor in a low voice:
“Are they all like this?”
“Yes, most likely. Not so frightening, is it?”
“……No. If it is like this.”
When Vitor had said so before, she had thought he was merely trying to reassure her.
Now that she was experiencing it firsthand, it was far more natural and uninhibited than she had imagined.
Not only was there no direct mention of a male lover, but there was also not a single trace of disapproval.
Roy was somewhat taken aback.
The conversation they had exchanged was vaguely veiled yet carried an unmistakable meaning.
Completely free of discomfort or disdain, it flowed so naturally.
To an ordinary bystander, it would have sounded like nothing more than playful praise for a secretary.
Was this how nobles lived, so cleverly disguising topics they dared not utter aloud?
It gave her slight goosebumps, accompanied by a touch of awe.
And the vague fear she had felt upon first stepping into the banquet hall gradually subsided.
Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, a familiar face entered her view.
“Vitor. You actually brought him.”
It was Young Count Alan Quimiller. He glanced at Roy with a look tinged with disapproval. Roy bowed quietly in polite greeting.
“The others are having a field day making up all sorts of stories. If you don’t hurry over and put in your two cents, rumors will be flying that you’ve already set a wedding date.”
“Now, that would be troublesome. Let’s go.”
Vitor followed Alan toward the source where the rumors were actively brewing: a small pavilion draped in climbing roses.
Inside, immature young masters were basking in the attention of several young ladies, spreading tales about Roy and Vitor laced with generous helpings of intrigue and exaggeration.
“Sweetness practically drips between the two of them. They say Vitor has found his true love—that every feeling he’s ever known before was a sham.”
“My goodness! What does this secretary actually do?”
“Well, did they say they met in a tavern? Or that he was a shoeshine boy……? We don’t know all the details because Vitor treasures and shields him so fiercely. But one thing is certain: Vitor has truly fallen in love this time!”
“So the Libertine of Rostria, who wandered the seas, is finally settling down with one person?”
“Perhaps.”
“Ah, to be so sincere. But it certainly won’t be easy for the Duke.”
“Indeed. He’s already agonizing over how to break the news to his family.”
“Just how far are you taking this story, Daniel?”
Vitor had approached unnoticed and smoothly slipped into their circle. Embarrassed at having been caught gossiping behind his back, the young ladies hastily offered excuses.
“Oh, Your Grace! We were just so curious that we asked a few questions. We apologize if we were being rude.”
“It is quite all right. There is no longer any reason to hide it. I brought him today because I wanted to introduce him formally.”
Saying so, Vitor gently nudged Roy’s back forward. Roy stepped forward naturally and lowered her head.
“I am Louise, secretary to the Duke of Hermont.”
“We’ve heard so much about you. It must be difficult, isn’t it?”
“We’re cheering for you, Louise-ssi. You’ll surely overcome this.”
“Ah, yes…… thank you.”
She was dazed. Somehow, Roy found herself standing at the center of sympathy and attention.
Just what kind of story had been spun for them all to look at her with such pitying gazes?
The situation continued much the same afterward.
Lords and ladies who had been casting curious glances from afar approached one by one to exchange greetings.
“My, to think the Duke of Hermont came all the way south! So Louise-ssi is that famous secretary.”
“So many people accompany fine partners these days. The two of you truly suit each other well.”
Not a single direct word was uttered, yet their true meaning came across loud and clear. The nobility’s trademark circumlocution was astonishingly sophisticated.
Of course, not everyone was well-disposed. Those who found Vitor’s ‘rumors of sodomy’ distasteful did not even come near.
Yet they possessed neither the standing nor the courage to speak rudely to his face.
“Such an outstanding secretary is not something one can find just anywhere. You must be careful not to have him stolen away, Duke.”
“Thank you for the well-meaning advice. However, my secretary serves only one master. He made such a vow, you see.”
“Your bond is even deeper than I imagined.”
Vitor bantered back naturally, as though accustomed to such conversations. Regardless of whether he actually relished this culture, he seemed remarkably adept at navigating it.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak.
“By the way, Your Grace, have you exchanged greetings with Lord Raul?”
“My brother has come to this banquet?”
“You didn’t know? He arrived before you, Your Grace, and they say he’s been looking for you ever since he stepped foot here.”
Vitor’s expression hardened slightly. It was a fleeting tremor, so subtle that none of the surrounding people noticed.
Yet Roy, having stayed close to his side for quite some time lately, caught it immediately.
“I see. I should go pay my respects. However……”
Vitor glanced subtly at Roy.
“I am not yet prepared to introduce him to my family. Would it be all right if I leave Louise-ssi in your care for a moment?”
“Yes, of course! Go ahead. I’ll keep a sharp eye out so no suspicious characters approach him.”
The young lady beside them covered her mouth with a fan and giggled. As Vitor really prepared to step away, Roy caught his sleeve without realizing it.
“A-Are you truly leaving?”
You never mentioned this! How could you just leave me with strangers!
It was a look of protest, yet to the onlookers, it seemed like the sweet sulking of a lover who couldn’t bear to be parted, prompting bashful chuckles from the young ladies.
Reading the room, Vitor leaned in and whispered softly in Roy’s ear.
“I’ll be right back. My brother is unpredictable, so it’s safer to greet him separately. He might have caught a fleeting glimpse of you at the mansion, Roy-ssi.”
She remembered Raul Hermont—fiddling with a gun, babbling as though he were an expert on hunting, only to excuse himself claiming he was tired.
Roy had been right beside him then, and just as Vitor said, he might still remember her face.
“Alan, please look after Louise-ssi.”
“Yeah. Go on.”
Roy watched Vitor’s retreating back with anxious eyes, but he strode into the crowd without hesitation.
“Just where is he……?”
Raul constantly looked around.
In the Viscount Bachen family’s garden, decorated as a ballroom, the music of a string quartet flowed gently, and nobles draped in lace and satin danced elegantly above the lawn.
‘Don’t tell me he’s already left?’
At that thought, Raul grew increasingly anxious. He had traveled all the way back down to the south just to see Vitor’s male lover.
The thought that he might have come on a fool’s errand made him increasingly irritated. Right then, he spotted Vitor strolling leisurely through the crowd.
“Vitor. What brings you here? To run into you by chance like this—how wonderful to see you.”
The Duke of Hermont’s Male Paramour
