I Pretended To Be Dead And Ran Away (22 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12
“Huh? But isn’t that cigar meant to relieve pain?”
“Just take painkillers instead.”
Felix said that, yet his expression looked as though he himself couldn’t believe his own words. But I was so happy about what he said that I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m really glad. Honestly, I’ve always thought it wasn’t good for you to keep smoking cigars, my lord.”
“Why?”
“Well, because it’s bad for your health. I’ve often wished you’d quit for the sake of your well-being.”
That was the truth. Cigars were terrible for the lungs, after all.
But the real reason was that the thick cigar smoke lingering in his bedroom was unbearable.
It smelled as if someone had gathered the strongest, foulest substances and turned them into smoke.
And every time he smoked, I had to carefully control my breathing—inhaling and exhaling subtly—so as not to disturb him, which was incredibly exhausting.
So when he said he’d quit cigars, I found myself smiling without even realizing it.
“Is it really that joyful? You’re grinning like a child.”
“Of course! How could I not be happy?”
I beamed and met his gaze, causing him to avert his eyes. Ianathas, who had been nearby all along, stepped closer and spoke.
“Reniel, hurry up and tell us how you managed to get our master to sleep.”
For some reason, Ianathas seemed oddly sharp-edged.
Now that I looked closely, Felix was still wearing his black robe, but Ianathas was fully dressed in his uniform.
Since he’d just come off the night shift, he still seemed to carry that subtle, mysterious diffuser scent from the casino.
“My lord took sleeping pills again today and wandered around the third floor.”
“I’d imagine so.”
“It was dangerous, so I took the sword he was carrying, and then stayed with him in this room. I kept him company until he finally fell asleep.”
“Is that all?”
Remembering how he’d kept me from slipping away, I added,
“I held his hand.”
“…Is that really all?”
“Yes. As soon as I held his hand, he fell asleep quickly.”
I nodded as I said that, and Felix’s expression shifted in a peculiar way.
He looked as if he didn’t quite believe me, yet rolled his eyes slowly, as though chewing over the fact that he had indeed fallen asleep.
It was morning, yet his flawless face—utterly composed—drew my gaze involuntarily.
“You’re telling the absolute truth, right? Not a single word of it is false?”
Ianathas issued that warning as though he wouldn’t let it slide if I were lying.
“Of course. I’m someone who intends to spend my whole life here. Why would I lie?”
I met Ianathas’s eyes as I said that, and he scowled.
“Reniel, whose are you?”
“I belong to my lord.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. My liver and gallbladder both belong to him.”
I said it with a bright smile.
Perhaps because I’d just been promoted to deputy chief steward and my salary had increased significantly, the words came out easily without even needing to lie.
If I could one day become chief steward—if I could just stay alive—I might not even want to run away anymore.
But the biggest problem remained: no matter how hard I worked in this mansion, according to the original storyline, Tanasis would inevitably go on a rampage, and I’d still have to flee.
“Hmph.”
Felix looked at me with a strange smile.
Because he had his arms crossed, the gap in his black robe openly revealed his firm pectorals and thick neck.
“How about this, then? The positions of both the other deputy steward and chief steward are vacant, so Reniel’s duties as deputy chief steward have become overly burdensome.”
“That’s true.”
Surprised that Ianathas—who rarely showed concern for me—had spoken so thoughtfully, I turned to look at him.
When I showed a hint of being touched, he gave a short laugh and said,
“You’ll keep your current title as deputy chief steward, but your salary will be raised. In return, you’ll assist our master with sleeping each evening.”
“Huh?”
“And I’ll help you with your duties as deputy chief steward, Reniel.”
“Why not just promote me to chief steward outright?”
“Because promoting you so rapidly would look bad. You’ll surely become chief steward someday if you remain this loyal—but someone so young advancing too quickly will struggle to command respect from subordinates, my lord.”
Ianathas’s words sounded as though he’d come to that realization himself.
After all, he was still relatively young. He was Felix’s right-hand man, overseeing the Le Pelique ducal family’s casino ventures and other shadowy operations despite his youth.
“I see. Let’s do it that way, then.”
Just as I expected, no one asked for my opinion. But since it wasn’t a bad deal for me, I smiled and said,
“I’ll work hard!”
No matter what happened, the fact remained that I’d be receiving an enormous salary—ten times my original pay.
“Just give it your all for exactly three years. Then the chief steward position will be yours, Reniel.”
As Ianathas said that with a smile, I nodded repeatedly and thanked him profusely.
And so, though I remained deputy chief steward, I received chief steward-level pay—and became bound to years of mandatory overtime.
By the time I eventually left this place, I’d surely be filthy rich!
****
Rumors within the mansion had no legs—
which was precisely why they spread so fast.
Everyone envied Reniel’s promotion to deputy chief steward, yet no one dared voice any complaints openly.
After all, Reniel had worked flawlessly for over ten years without a single incident.
But being made deputy chief steward while taking on the chief steward’s duties and receiving the same salary was an entirely different matter.
It meant a mere whelp with just ten years of service had risen to become a key figure in the House of Le Pelique.
This was more than enough to threaten the other servants.
Compared to other noble households, the Le Pelique ducal estate was known for its intense workload—but also for its generous pay and strict adherence to rest periods.
Which other noble house would establish holidays for servants, grant vacations, and genuinely care about their welfare?
The House of Le Pelique was the only one.
Word had it that the current Duke Le Pelique, having endured severe hardships in his youth, treated servants as human beings.
Regardless of the backstory, it was clear that for the servants, the House of Le Pelique was the ideal workplace—the place where loyalty naturally grew.
Thus, to those blinded by ambition, Reniel—who’d rocketed up the ranks and now earned ten times the usual pay, practically confirmed as the next chief steward—was utterly unlikable.
“Huh?”
Reniel had come to the annex for lunch.
Servants were busiest at dawn and evening, before and after their master rose.
Thus, lunch was always served generously and deliciously—so much so that no one skipped it, no matter how busy they were.
So even though tired, Reniel had come all the way to the annex for lunch.
But then—
“My meal isn’t here.”
Reniel remarked upon seeing that their usual spot at the large servants’ table was empty.
No one responded to her; instead, the servants continued chatting and eating among themselves.
“Wahahaha! Really? That happened in the stables?”
“You didn’t hear about it?”
“The new horse has such a terrible temper.”
“The grooms are the only ones in trouble now.”
“What about the previous black horse?”
“It died. That’s why they brought in a new one.”
Reniel, though never particularly warm, had always shared in everyone’s daily struggles to some degree. Seeing them suddenly treat her like she was invisible, she finally understood her current predicament.
The reason behind their behavior was painfully obvious.
“Dave, have you happened to see my lunch?”
Reniel asked Dave, the steward seated closest to her.
“Oh, um… No, I haven’t seen it.”
“How about you, Patina?”
“No, I haven’t seen it either.”
The stewards were politely excluding Reniel while pretending to be courteous.
“Why don’t you ask the maids?”
Incidentally, the servants’ dining area was divided by gender; to reach the maids’ dining room, one had to go into the adjacent room.
Reniel nodded at that suggestion and headed toward the maids’ dining room, resigned.
As soon as she entered, the head maid, who had clearly been waiting for her, gave a sharp little laugh.
“Oh, Deputy Chief Steward Reniel. Welcome.”
“Good afternoon, Head Maid.”
Reniel followed the head maid’s nod and looked toward a spot among the young maids—where one seat stood empty.
“From now on, Deputy Chief Steward, you’ll be dining with the ladies.”
Reniel instantly recognized this as a power play and couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.
From the head maid’s perspective, Reniel must have seemed infuriating.
After all, to her, Reniel was a junior who had formerly served under her long-time rival, the former chief steward.
“But why is there only soup at my place?”
Reniel asked, eyeing the generous portions of meat and dishes on everyone else’s plates.
“Well,” the head maid replied, “since you’re always so busy, I thought even this much might take too much of your time.”
“Who decided that?”
“I made that judgment myself.”
The head maid intended to control Reniel, who was poised to become the next chief steward.
Unlike the previous chief steward—who had been a nuisance—Reniel appeared gentle and refined for a man, making her seem like an easier target.
However, Reniel proved far more resolute than expected.
“I see. From now on, please serve my meals alongside my lord’s.”
“…What?”
“I’ve decided to eat beside him while attending to his meals.”
Of course, that was a lie.
But Reniel had no intention whatsoever of playing along with the head maid’s childish antics.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Wait, what? For real? How come the Nuremberg Princess is hiding her gender and work at the mansion of the Duke who technically her archenemy? And Renal is Tanasis’ fiancee? Wow, never expected it to be revealed this early.
Very good story and i do prefer it if any person will give it a try worthy of your time
So apparently Renal is regarded as a threat for imperial family for her purifying ability and decided to make her Tanasias’ fiancee for close monitoring and helped him control his artificial ability. But Renal must’ve sensed or found out something that can put her life in danger. Thus she went into the hiding in the enemy’s nest and disguised as a man with the ring’s help. I wonder what kind of finding Reniel got to the point it threatened her life.