The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 5
Is this why people say you can’t sleep in peace when you’ve told a lie? Roy was feeling the bitter truth of that old saying right now.
Guilt over deceiving people aside, pretending to be a man wasn’t actually all that difficult for her.
She had always adapted quickly to unexpected situations, and thanks to her sharp wits, she had escaped crises more than once or twice.
No, if she were being completely honest, there were times she had actually enjoyed it.
There were so many things in this world a woman couldn’t do, but simply by being seen as a man, her options had broadened immensely.
On a minor scale, she could walk the streets alone at night or haggle boldly with merchants trying to rip her off.
Even when speaking, words that would often be dismissed or taken lightly if spoken by a woman carried weight when they came from a man.
She could even hold a job as a gamekeeper. In truth, that was the best part of dressing as a man.
Roy genuinely cherished and loved this line of work.
That was why she didn’t mind putting on an act—pretending to pee standing by the riverbank when someone passed by, or showing off her natural strength by hauling heavy loads all by herself.
Though it was awkward when maids occasionally slipped her love letters, stole a quick kiss, and ran away.
Her heart had never fluttered for a man anyway, so she had thought living out her days as a man wouldn’t be half bad.
That was, until she met Duke Vitor of Hermont.
‘Haah. What am I going to do…?’
A heavy sigh escaped her lips without her even realizing it. Roy kept a generous distance, trailing behind Vitor and Alan as they headed toward the entrance of the Evergrove Forest.
Roy simply could not accept this reality. Memories of last night flooded back. Surely…
“Is the young noble gentleman indulging in a secret hobby behind his elders’ backs?”
“Like what?”
“Like martial arts… It’s all the rage among young nobles these days.”
“Ah, martial arts. Well, something like that.”
He meant being a naval officer?! No matter how physical a soldier’s job was, how could that possibly be considered “similar”?
She should have realized it when the other young nobles were chattering about a hero of the Empire. She’d just wanted to fleece him a bit because he looked filthy rich, and now look at the mess she was in. All she could do was sigh.
“Grandmother must hate me. Every time I see her, she nags me about why I’m not married yet. She definitely thinks it’s our fault that you haven’t tied the knot.”
Alan grumbled, resting his rifle over his shoulder.
“By the way, why did Raul even come if he isn’t going to hunt?”
“Because the whole family came?”
“What a delightfully close-knit family.”
Vitor shrugged, lightly spinning his rifle at his fingertips as if testing its weight. Seeing that trademark nonchalant demeanor again, there was no mistaking it: he was definitely that man.
“Oh. And about Natalie.”
Suddenly, Alan brought her up.
‘Wh-what?’
Roy pricked up her ears in tension.
“I looked into her, but there’s no information at all. Where she lives, how old she is, whether she has family—even the townsfolk have no idea. They said she popped up out of nowhere about two years ago, works part-time only at night, and vanishes during the day.”
She had assumed he’d just ask the tavern keeper and leave it at that, but it seemed he had been searching for her quite thoroughly.
‘Why on earth is he looking for me? I thought if I disappeared, the Duke would just consider it a drunken mistake and be glad to let it go.’
Roy swallowed dryly.
“Is that so? Strange.”
“What should we do?”
“Drop it.”
“Huh?”
Vitor spoke in an indifferent tone.
“Stop looking. If she went out of her way to hide, there’s no need to track her down.”
“Then what about your plan?”
“It’s not as if Natalie is the only woman in the world. I can just find someone else.”
“Didn’t you seem pretty fond of her, though? Ah, never mind. You’re right. There are plenty of great women in Clareville besides Natalie. I’ll take my time introducing you to some.”
Alan quickly changed the subject. Roy tilted her head slightly.
‘A plan? What plan?’
It sounded like he had been looking for her because of some plan. For a fleeting moment, Roy wondered what it could be, but quickly shook the thought away.
‘Let’s not get involved. What do I care about high-and-mighty nobles’ plans? If I get tangled up in this for no reason and my disguise gets exposed, then what?’
Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.
“Hey, Gamekeeper.”
Alan called out to Roy. She hurried over with brisk steps.
“Ahem, cough. Yes. Is there something you need?”
She pulled her hunting cap down as low as possible and deepened her voice. Standing before them, her heart flopped wildly like a freshly caught fish.
“How much further do we have to go? I haven’t seen a single beast.”
“The hunting grounds of Elysia Mansion are quite a bit larger than standard grounds. The total area is close to five hundred hectares. It’s likely because we haven’t ventured far from the entrance yet…”
“Why does it have to be so ridiculously massive? If I knew this, I would’ve brought a horse.”
Alan made no effort to hide his boredom.
‘Seriously, how much have we even walked?’
He clearly never exercised, which was why a short walk had him exhausted.
Recalling Alan’s frail wrist flopping over like a paper doll during their arm-wrestling match, Roy swallowed a laugh and continued.
“If we go just a bit further, you’ll find plenty of birds like pheasants and quails in the meadows and wetlands, and you might come across larger game such as deer and wild boars in the oak groves. Or would you like me to have the other servants prepare horses even now?”
“Forget it. We’d just have to wait again.”
Then what did he want her to do…? Carry him on her back and run?
“You can wait and ride one up if you want.”
Vitor, who had been silently watching, chimed in. Roy cast a subtle glance up at him.
“Given how much you’re whining already, it seems you won’t even make it halfway up the mountain on foot. Wouldn’t you agree, Roy-ssi?”
“Kh-khm, I wouldn’t know…”
At the unexpectedly gentle tone calling her name, Roy hastily adjusted her hunting cap. Cold sweat trickled down her back.
“I’m not that pathetic, you know!”
“Anyway, just hunting is dull. How about a wager?”
“Are you seriously obsessed with bets? Is your brain soaked in dopamine? There are only two of us—what kind of hunting bet is that?”
“Three.”
Vitor gestured toward Roy with his chin.
“Roy-ssi should join in too. His Majesty was boasting about how exceptional the marksmanship of the Elysia Mansion gamekeeper is. Let’s see your skills.”
Flustered by the sudden turn of events, Roy was thrown into complete disarray.
“I beg your pardon, but the gamekeeper His Majesty mentioned surely isn’t me. Until recently, I only worked as an assistant. Due to certain circumstances, I am merely guiding you in his stead today…”
“If you were that gamekeeper’s assistant, surely you must shoot well. Lacking confidence?”
“…”
In that instant, the words she had said to Vitor on the day they first met flashed through her mind.
‘So this is how it feels…’
Even so, she couldn’t let herself take the bait here. Roy scratched the back of her head in silence, pretending to be troubled.
“Ugh, why are we hunting with a servant? It’s beneath us.”
Fortunately, Alan, who had been listening to their conversation, threw cold water on the idea.
“And you’re a naval officer while he’s a gamekeeper! How on earth am I supposed to win?!”
“I’ll give you a handicap. You start with three deer.”
“Whoa. Absolutely not! Aren’t you looking down on me a bit too much?”
“Let’s say whoever brings back the largest game wins. If they’re similar in size, we count by quantity.”
“Then if either of you just bags a wild boar, I lose automatically!”
“How about the loser becomes the winner’s slave for a week?”
“That’s childish. Not fun at all!”
“If you actually end up as the gamekeeper’s slave, I doubt it’ll be boring.”
“That’s why I’m asking—why are you dragging him into this?!”
“Let’s split up and meet back in three hours.”
“Hey! I said I don’t want to do it!”
Vitor ignored Alan’s squawking and strode away with long, measured strides.
“Argh, that stubborn bastard never listens!”
Alan punched the air in frustration, flailing his arms in a truly pathetic display.
She had wondered why two men with seemingly nothing in common were close friends, but now she felt like she understood.
‘Wow, he really just does whatever he wants…’
Vitor was just as reckless in his own way as Alan. Once his mind was set on something, he plowed straight ahead without paying the slightest mind to anyone around him. His stubbornness was off the charts.
“Hey. You’d better read the room, got it?”
Alan glared fiercely, warning Roy.
“Understood, sir.”
Roy bowed obediently. Alan took a few servants with him and headed in the opposite direction from Vitor.
’Not like I had any intention of taking this seriously from the start anyway.’
This wasn’t a tavern where stepping over the line would be laughed off with good humor. Roy wasn’t foolish enough to lack tact and wound an employer’s pride, earning herself their resentment.
Still, just how much should she hunt to lose by a razor-thin margin? She couldn’t make it obvious that she had thrown the match on purpose.
Aristocrats really had an endless variety of ways to torment people.
“I’m so exhausted…”
Wait, he really didn’t notice… did he?
The Duke of Hermont’s Male Paramour
