DLMSWSHH Chapter 16

TL: Hua

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Chapter 16: Concern

The voice was slightly muffled, devoid of its usual calm indifference, and the tail end of the sentence carried a flicker of emotion.

Zhong Ming even detected a hint of astonishment. He blinked, holding the cookie crumbs as he said, “…It’s a waste.”

His tone was perfectly natural, as if he saw absolutely nothing wrong with picking up and eating something that had fallen on the floor.

After a moment of silence, a deeper voice commanded, “Let go.”

The voice dropped even lower, carrying a touch of pressure.

Zhong Ming instinctively opened his hand, and the crumbs fell back onto the carpet.

“Get up.”

Zhong Ming paused, then scrambled up from the floor and took a small step back. He looked at the back of the chair, only now realizing what he had just done. His breathing faltered for a second as a delayed sense of embarrassment washed over him.

While wasting food was shameful, acting this way made him look greedy.

Zhong Ming lowered his head, staring at his shoes, trying to cool down the heat on his face. He thought to himself that it wasn’t his fault after all, and to be honest, the reason he was too busy to eat was also partly due to the duke in front of him.

A moment later, a sigh drifted through the room.

Zhong Ming stole a glance and saw the figure behind the chair prop up an elbow, seemingly rubbing his temples as if nursing a headache. Eventually, the hand dropped back to the armrest, fingers tapping twice.

“You may go back.”

Hearing this, Zhong Ming nodded submissively and turned to leave, almost impatient to get out. However, as he neared the door, the voice called out from behind him again: “As for the archives, if you don’t want to go, don’t go.”

Zhong Ming’s feet froze. His eyes widened in surprise as he replayed the sentence in his head for a few seconds, trying to decipher what the Duke actually meant.

Usually, when a superior says something like that, there’s a hidden meaning.

Zhong Ming pulled his thoughts together and said cautiously, “The archives are fine.”

Upon hearing this, the person behind the chair fell silent but didn’t dismiss him further. Zhong Ming felt restless. After waiting nearly a minute, he finally couldn’t help but say, “…Your Grace,” he scrambled for an excuse, “Young Master Albert is waiting for me to read him a bedtime story.”

The atmosphere in the room hitched. Zhong Ming saw the silhouette behind the chair turn slightly, casting a faint shadow across the seat.

He felt a gaze linger on him for two seconds.

But quickly, the gaze was withdrawn. The Duke raised a hand and paused in midair.

It was a sign for him to withdraw. Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, turned obediently, and quietly closed the heavy door behind him.

He had only used the bedtime story as a random excuse; his work for the day was officially over once he’d finished serving Albert dinner. Standing at the top of the stairs, Zhong Ming stretched his arms and twisted his neck before heading down.

He didn’t take the day’s events to heart, assuming the Duke was perhaps just acting on a whim or testing his devotion as a servant.

Zhong Ming held onto that thought right up until the next day, when Madam Mary appeared like a ghost at the archive door.

Thud.

When the archive door was suddenly pushed open, Zhong Ming was sitting at the desk. The sudden noise caused him to jump and miswrite a character.

“Hey,” Tao said from behind the desk. He had his long legs propped up on the edge, eyes lifting from his book as he tapped the tabletop. “Focus. Your punishment is still in effect.”

Zhong Ming peeked up and glanced at him; Tao simply arched an eyebrow in return.

By now, Tao seemed to have accepted the fact that Zhong Ming actually had some brains and had started ordering him around quite shamelessly.

Just then, a light cough came from behind them. Madam Mary stepped out of the shadows. She looked at Zhong Ming first, then retracted her gaze to address Tao.

“Lunch is ready,” Madam Mary said coldly, her face expressionless. “Go eat first.”

After speaking, she looked at Zhong Ming again with a hint of disdain. She tossed out a final remark as she walked away, muttering under her breath: “…Needs a personal invitation just to eat a meal.”

Zhong Ming caught her words and froze, his brows knitting as the realization hit him.

Could it be because of yesterday… the Duke told Madam Mary to remind him to eat?

That’s a bit too thoughtful, isn’t it?

An image of a middle-aged, balding boss hovering anxiously over an employee to ask if they’d had lunch popped into Zhong Ming’s head. He shuddered. When a boss shows sudden concern, it’s usually like the fox paying a New Year’s visit to the hen. It comes with ulterior motives.

Though, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t imagine what kind of motives the Duke could possibly have for him.

Tao, seeing Madam Mary arrive, reluctantly pulled his legs down and sat up straight. He checked his pocket watch; it was indeed lunchtime. As one of the few servants in the mansion with a sharp mind, Tao put two and two together and realized Zhong Ming probably hadn’t eaten lunch the day before. He felt a bit sheepish.

“Look at you. If you’re hungry, speak up. Do you not have a tongue?” Tao grumbled lightly. He stood up, walked behind Zhong Ming, and grabbed his arm to pull him up. “Stop writing. Let’s go, time to eat.”

Zhong Ming took the opportunity to stand. He was too tired to argue with Tao; given how Tao had been glaring at him yesterday, when would he have had the chance to ask for a meal?

Once they reached the dining hall, Zhong Ming gently shook off Tao’s hand and went to sit next to Matthew. Tao hadn’t expected the snub. His brow furrowed, and his right hand twitched instinctively; after a brief pause, he tucked it back into his pocket as if nothing had happened and walked around to sit on the other side of the table.

Seeing Zhong Ming sit beside him, Matthew’s face visibly brightened. He sat up straighter, watching the youth’s pale profile. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he said, “…Long time no see.”

He stopped abruptly, realizing they had just seen each other the day before yesterday. Matthew’s face tightened, the skin behind his ears turning a faint red. Zhong Ming glanced at him but didn’t point out the slip-up, instead changing the subject: “I have something to ask you.”

“Go ahead,” Matthew said, immediately relieved. He turned to look at Zhong Ming, his emerald eyes full of sincerity.

Zhong Ming looked away and whispered, “The Duke… does he involve himself much in the affairs down here?”

Matthew replied, “The Duke?” Food was being brought to the table. He ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Zhong Ming, continuing, “Madam Mary handles all the servant matters.”

Zhong Ming looked at the soup, hesitated, then picked up the spoon and took a sip. Seeing this, Matthew smiled. The gloom that had hung over his face for the past few days finally vanished, his gaze lingering on Zhong Ming.

“I see.” Zhong Ming took another sip, acting casual. “So the Duke doesn’t care about anything that goes on in the mansion?”

Matthew’s hand paused. “Well, it’s not exactly like that.”

He seemed to recall something, his expression becoming inscrutable.

“I’ve always felt that the Master knows everything that happens. He just doesn’t easily intervene.”

He gave Zhong Ming an example: “Like before, when the Young Master said he wanted to study, the Duke hired Miss Joan as his tutor. But as for what Miss Joan teaches or how the Young Master is progressing, the Duke never asks a single question.”

Zhong Ming fell silent. Based on the Duke’s behavior, his concern for his son, Albert, seemed very superficial, chilly even, if one thought about it too much.

From Matthew’s description, this Duke didn’t seem like the type of person who would care whether a manservant had eaten lunch or not.

Zhong Ming’s brow furrowed. He put down his spoon and said to Matthew, “Thank you. I’ll be going now.”

He stood up and left immediately. Matthew’s eyes widened in bewilderment. Across from him, Tao let out a cold snort. He turned a page of his newspaper and cast a mocking look at Matthew, sighing as he looked down.

“I told you before, you’re no match for him.”

At the sound of Tao’s voice, Matthew’s face instantly darkened. A sinister glint appeared in his handsome features. He was a completely different person than the one who had been acting so cautiously in front of Zhong Ming.

Tao looked up at him, his narrow eyes behind his glasses squinting. He gave a mirthless smile. “What? Want to fight?”

The corner of Matthew’s eye twitched, his jawline tightening. The tension between them was a powder keg. Just then, Madam Mary set her porcelain cup down on the table with a heavy thud.

The two men froze. Matthew clenched his fists and looked away. Tao snorted again, folded his newspaper, and stood up to leave, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.

The wrinkles between Madam Mary’s brows deepened. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, telling herself to stay calm. She couldn’t understand how these two, who usually seemed so bright, were falling all over themselves to be led in circles by Zhong Ming.

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