When the Cruel Dark Lord Tenderly Seduces (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 6
For a moment, the space was engulfed in silence, as if doused with ice-cold water.
“Ohohooho.”
And the first to break that silence was Lily’s laughter.
“Your Grace, you really are quite the joker!”
Hart Duke shook his head at Lily, who waved her hand as she spoke.
“I’m serious.”
Only then did Lily wipe the smile from her face. She asked with a sour expression,
“Really…?”
Hart Duke nodded once again.
Then Sean, who had been silent until now, finally opened his mouth.
“I appreciate your trust in Nellia, but she was always such a carefree child who loved idling about—she won’t be of any help.”
Though she was grateful he’d declined on her behalf, Nellia’s mouth turned bitter at this unexpected truth bomb.
“The maid’s duties aren’t that difficult. I’ve thought this through thoroughly before speaking, so please don’t worry.”
Hart Duke’s tone was gentle, yet carried an unmistakable air of authority.
‘Is this really a suggestion?’
The resolute mastermind behind the scenes seemed utterly determined to take her with him.
That only deepened her confusion.
‘Why on earth…?’
Why does he want me as a maid?
Is it revenge for injuring his foot? Does he plan to keep me close and torment me bit by bit…?
Though the original story’s mastermind was indeed ruthless and repaid every slight, would he really stoop to such pettiness?
Rather than guessing his intentions wildly, she needed to understand them clearly.
“Um… Mother, Father. May I speak with Duke Hart alone for a moment? Is that alright?”
When Nellia hesitated and spoke, Lily and Sean immediately rose from their seats.
“That probably would be best.”
“Please feel at ease discussing things, Your Grace.”
Lily offered a kind smile and stepped aside.
Now only Hart Duke and Nellia remained.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence lingered for a moment.
The Duke appeared to be waiting for her to speak first. Nellia quickly opened her mouth.
“Your Grace.”
“Yes, Nellia.”
She wanted to ask, “What on earth are you thinking?”
—but that would seem far too rude.
So she started with what puzzled her most.
“Why did you lie to my parents?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be embarrassed.”
For a moment, Nellia set aside her doubts toward the Duke and gave him a look filled with gratitude.
His explanation made perfect sense.
Her parents had been so happy lately seeing their once-wild daughter so well-behaved—if they learned she’d caused serious trouble by stepping on the foot of Hart Duke, one of the Empire’s most vital figures, they’d surely be shocked.
Even without knowing these specifics, the fact that he’d go so far as to lie just to spare her feelings—who’d ever find her precious enough to warrant such consideration?
‘…Is this man an angel?’
Nellia shook her head firmly.
No, he’s the mastermind. He might have other motives.
She quickly straightened her momentarily softened expression.
“Is your foot… badly injured?”
“The physician said there might be a hairline fracture on the top of my foot, so I should move carefully for now. We’ll know more once the bandages come off.”
Hart Duke explained the situation calmly, his face showing no sign of pain.
“How long until the bandages come off…?”
“The physician mentioned about a month, and even after that, they’ll need to monitor the condition.”
In her past life, a convenience store manager once came to work in a cast after a heavy book crushed his foot—it took about a month before he could walk properly again after the cast was removed.
If the Duke’s recovery was slow, her time as a maid would lengthen.
That meant she’d have to serve as his maid for at least a month…
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?”
Just then, Hart Duke spoke first. Seizing the moment, Nellia quietly voiced her request.
“Um… I’m sorry to ask this, but…”
Hart Duke tilted his head slightly in confusion.
“Would it be possible to find someone else qualified to be your maid, or compensate you financially instead?”
The Duke’s formerly gentle expression hardened instantly.
“That would be rather difficult.”
He lowered his eyes and gently smoothed the rim of his teacup.
“As I mentioned, the current vacancy is for my head steward—a position that cannot be filled by just anyone.”
But aren’t I exactly that “just anyone”…?
Why on earth does he trust her enough to assign such an important role?
Nellia thought his reasoning made no sense.
“And money isn’t necessary.”
His firm words left Nellia momentarily flustered.
‘Now that I think about it—he’s the Empire’s wealthiest man, isn’t he?’
Though Hart Duke himself was a capable statesman, his family, the House of Hart, had amassed vast wealth over generations of noble tradition.
That’s why he’d so casually offered to restore the “Tears of Elena” necklace himself.
Hart Duke sipped his tea with elegant grace and slowly set the cup down.
“What I want is you, Nellia—no one else.”
His serious silver eyes locked onto hers, leaving Nellia with an odd feeling.
It felt less like a maid offer and more like a marriage proposal.
‘To be precise, what he wants isn’t me, but my labor.’
“So… you absolutely must take me as your maid, is that right?”
“For now, yes. As I said, my foot is giving me trouble, so I need someone to attend to me.”
“In other words, you want me to work off my debt with my own body…”
“Exactly.”
Faced with the Duke’s unwavering certainty, Nellia realized there was no escape.
After all, she’d brought this upon herself—it was only right to take responsibility.
Even if he was the very mastermind she’d hoped to avoid, he’d shielded her twice now, and given how firmly he’d spoken, refusing outright was no longer an option.
Nellia glanced up at Hart Duke.
“Your Grace.”
She swallowed hard. Though the thought of working beside the mastermind still worried her deeply…
“Since I caused you trouble, I’ll serve as your hands and feet for now. If money isn’t needed, then I’ll repay you with my own labor.”
With her own labor… The phrasing felt oddly suggestive once spoken, but the words were already out.
Surprisingly, Hart Duke didn’t seem to mind at all—instead, a smile returned to his face.
“Thank you for making such a difficult decision, Nellia.”
She was relieved he understood.
Unconsciously, Nellia swallowed again and stared at the breathtakingly handsome man before her.
‘I’m not sure if this counts as looks-based favoritism…’
But perhaps because of his exquisitely sculpted features, he didn’t seem at all like someone who’d crush her foot in retaliation.
If she ignored his true identity from the original story and simply focused on helping him diligently, his foot would surely heal in time.
Nellia swallowed once more and asked,
“When should I start my duties as a maid?”
In the end, the very next day, Nellia stood before Hart Duke’s mansion.
‘It really is massive…’
It dwarfed the House of Count Benedict’s estate entirely.
‘How vast must his domain be, then?’
She’d heard Hart Duchy lay in the west—surely it was several times larger than Benedict County’s lands.
Nellia walked toward the mansion, marveling inwardly.
“Who are you?”
The gatekeeper halted her and asked.
“I’m Nellia Benedict. I’m to begin serving as Duke Hart’s maid today.”
Since the Duke must have given prior notice, the gatekeeper readily opened the gate.
“Please come in.”
Nellia carefully stepped inside the front gate.
Between the mansion and the gate lay a spacious garden, notable for its meticulous landscaping.
“The butler will greet you at the main entrance.”
Nellia nodded and walked forward, taking in the unfamiliar place where she’d soon be working.
The mansion’s layout was a bit unusual.
From the moment she arrived, she’d noticed the walls were exceptionally high—thickly built from red brick, making the entire structure resemble a sturdy fortress.
Notably, nothing inside could be seen from outside at all.
Beside the main building stood what looked like a warehouse—its rugged, utilitarian exterior clashed starkly with the elegant surrounding architecture, creating a sense of dissonance.
After finishing her observations and stepping into the entrance hall, a middle-aged man wearing a monocle greeted her.
“Are you Lady Nellia?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Thorne, the butler who manages Duke Hart’s household. Please come in.”
The butler, who introduced himself as Thorne, appeared exceedingly rigid and old-fashioned.
His perfectly slicked-back hair—without a single strand out of place—and his monocle alone made that abundantly clear.
“The master hasn’t returned from his outing yet, so please wait in the drawing room.”
“Understood.”
Thorne guided Nellia to the drawing room with sharp, robotic strides.
Watching him, Nellia’s anxiety deepened.
‘I could never work like that—what am I going to do?’
Though she’d done many part-time jobs in her past life, mostly as a server or cashier, she had no confidence in attending to someone personally.
‘But surely there aren’t only me—this huge mansion can’t rely on just one maid.’
Hart Duke had clearly mentioned a “head steward.”
If “head” meant first-in-rank, that implied there were other stewards and maids as well, right?
“I’ll be available if you need anything. Excuse me.”
“Wait!”
Nellia urgently called out, grabbing Thorne just as he turned to leave.
“Yes?”
“Um… may I ask you something?”
Thorne nodded crisply, like a soldier.
“Go ahead.”
“Before Duke Hart arrives, could I meet the other maids or stewards first? It’s my first time doing maid work, you see…”
“There are no other maids or stewards here.”
Thorne’s firm declaration made Nellia blink in surprise.
“Huh…? But surely…”
“Duke Hart keeps only one head steward by his side.”
Then why even call it “head”…?!
“There used to be several maids and stewards, but the Duke dismissed them all recently.”
“…Why?”
“Personal matters concerning the master are strictly forbidden to discuss.”
Thorne was astonishingly resolute.
Apparently, that was all the information he was willing to share.
Thorne took out his pocket watch and glanced at it.
“It’ll still be some time before the Duke returns.”
“Oh… alright.”
“While you wait, I’ll bring you tea. We have jasmine, chamomile, and Earl Grey—which would you prefer?”
“J-Jasmine, please…”
“Very well.”
Thorne bowed precisely ninety degrees and walked off with brisk efficiency.
‘The more I see him, the more robotic he seems.’
Nellia was deeply suspicious of his true nature.
As she stared blankly at the spot where Thorne had stood, she realized that wasn’t what mattered now.
‘Come to think of it… I’m the only maid here?’
Being alone felt rather overwhelming…
Why would Hart Duke dismiss all his perfectly capable maids and stewards?
Nellia, who had been staring downward, shifted her gaze out the drawing room window.
She recalled he’d mentioned the previous head steward had returned to his hometown.
So… does his family live here together? They probably do—no one would live alone in such a vast mansion.
If she’d known this, she would’ve researched Hart Duke thoroughly before coming to this world.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard commotion outside.
“Is Hart Duke here right now?”
“He’s not.”
“Then I’ll wait inside.”
It sounded like an especially loud guest had arrived—even from here, she could sense the usually robotic butler’s fluster.
“My Lord Marquess, there’s already someone waiting inside…”
Burst!
Someone flung the door open and strode in.
The man shared Hart Duke’s exact hair and eye color.
Though undeniably handsome, his features were bolder and more rugged, giving a distinctly masculine impression compared to Hart Duke.
‘Who is he…?’
Could he be Hart Duke’s brother?
As Nellia tried to guess his identity, the man approached her.
“Might you be Miss Nellia?”
He seemed to already know who she was.
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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Going on and on about how scary he is and them deliberately insults him. Ok, then.
Yes, that was ridiculously rude. How could it not be?
Is she genuinely an idiot? An adult man shows no interest in women therefore he’s gay is a common assumption even in Western cultures.