My Dear Duke(BL)
Chapter 55: The Rumour

Chapter 55: The Rumour

’He was right. It’s...indeed scary.’

Asher kept himself together when Anne brought out a box filled with all kinds of insects from under her bed. It had insects he hadn’t even seen before. It was a pretty big box though.

Individual bugs were glued all around the glass box that was see through. Then the box was filled with some liquid, maybe to keep the bodies unharmed.

It was actually organised well and had more space for more insects. After giving the one he brought her, he watched Anne look at the insect, then carefully placing it and reaching to her big box.

She opened the top of it, then reached her hand and screeched the glass with her finger, a little.

After that, she held the bug, just placed it on the screeched place. The bug was glued and now a member of her bug box.

Anne closed the box and calmly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe her hand.

She looked very serious. But it’s adorable how focused she was.

"I will get a seperate room for them one day. I will give each of them their own jar..."

Anne said and Asher nodded in approval. He was not very excited and didn’t really understand the purpose of such a hobby but he supported her. She needed a little push from someone. It was clear her hobby was also a reason others didn’t like her. But she seemed really passionate about it.

"You can ask your brother to help you."

Asher said and watched Anne get up after pushing the closed box back under her bed.

"No...He has more important things to do."

Anne said and suddenly smiled cunningly.

"Like...being brother Ash’s secret lover!"

’Ugh! Not again.’

Asher smiled and pinched the girl’s cheeks.

"It’s a false rumour, okay? Your brother will kill me if he knows this."

Asher said before taking his hands off her cheeks.

"Brother Ash...Do you think my brother is that bad? He is such a good person. How can you say he will kill you..."

Anne said as she acted pitifully, making Asher stunned.

’Wait! Why am I becoming the bad guy here now?’

Asher rubbed his forehead and then continued to reason with Anne.

"Miss Anne, I know your brother is good. He is kind and very caring."

"I know..."

Anne mumbled.

"But we have nothing that sort of between us. I am his loyal servant."

"..."

"Miss Anne?"

"..."

"Miss Anne?"

"..."

"Sigh...Miss Anne, it’s a false rumour which means someone made it up for attention. So don’t trust everything you hear, okay?"

"...until I see it?"

"...Y-yeah."

"..."

Anne’s intense glare made Asher feel nervous as he felt like she was trying to find a reason to continue their argument.

However, after some time, Anne relaxed and gave a very innocent smile.

"I understand..."

Anne said and Asher unknowingly left a sigh.

"Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. The fact you are together will be forever secret! I know you want to keep it a secret."

"...."

’What did I try so hard for?’

Asher gave up in the end. But he wanted to know when she heard this rumour. How did this start? And before they went overseas, he didn’t hear of this.

However, from the talk of the two servants, this rumour had been going around for sometime. Even before they went overseas..

He just didn’t get it.

"I heard the maids talking about it. I was also sad you two got exposed like this."

Anne said and Asher wanted to sarcastically say he also felt bad. But he restrained himself and thought it was a rumour that went as any other among the maids.

The one who started it?

Who was that?

After Asher left Anne’s room, he stumbled upon a few servants who gave him the same stare from before. It was kind of annoying but it wasn’t much different since from the day he came there, he was ignored or given glances.

’I should ask Mary. I don’t believe she started it. But she was the one who would have something to start this kind of rumour since she knew about our affair.’

The rumour was becoming not funny anymore. As Asher realised it was not just going around lightly but almost everyone was talking about it, he thought it was time to consider this seriously.

Especially since Miss Anne was also talking about it....

It could seriously cause him trouble. This would end up troubling the duke too. If this reaches the outside world, Asher would become a gossip topic, which will eventually happen because people like to brag about what they know to everyone.

Asher didn’t want any attention on him. Nor would the duke. Asher thought of informing the duke of the rumour, but kind of assumed he might already know.

Alas, he was more focused on finding who started it, why and how, so he didn’t go to see the duke at that time.

’I hope the duke wouldn’t be mad to hear such nonsense. I don’t want any trouble.’

...

"There is such a rumour?"

Felix didn’t really take it seriously when Bill said there was a weird rumour going among the servants that Asher was a spy, but sent by him to observe the servants. And the most special part was that Asher was rumoured to be his ’secret lover’.

To make it sound like that, the person who started it must have known what kind of relationship they two have. It wouldn’t be such a coincidence, right?

Someone who saw or found out their affair started this rumour maybe really not knowing it would end up becoming a dramatic story like this.

Or something else?There were a lot of possibilities. And it could even be that the rumour was totally baseless.

A spy and that spy was the duke’s secret lover.

"I asked Mary and she had not heard. The maids seem to fear her and always keep it silent when they are around her. She even inquired them but they had said they knew nothing about where it started."

Bill explained further as he went to look for more information about this since this was his job. To save the duke’s reputation from getting ruined like this.

"Find out who started it first. After that, we will see how to deal with this whole thing."

"Okay duke."

"Do you think Anne has heard this rumour?"

"Yeah...Actually, she told me she is happy.’

"...Sigh...Try to stop the rumour from going more wild. If this spread more widely, Asher also would be in trouble. I don’t want him to be in the middle of this mess."

"Yes duke. I will try my best to find information and stop this."

That’s how it went and honestly, Felix didn’t know what to feel.

It was a dumb rumour.

If Asher was really his lover there was no way he would send him to spy on some servants.

’The person who started this definitely must know about our relationship. Maybe that person misunderstood it as us being lovers or is purposely making up stories just for entertainment.’

’Stupid. Why are they so bothered about others’ business? Annoying. Now I have to be careful to meet Asher so they wouldn’t have evidence to make these stories real.’

It was irritating. It was getting in the way.

How to deal with this now?

It’s still better that they don’t know the real relationship between them.

Or else it’s going to become more troublesome to handle.

He wouldn’t be in much trouble.

But Asher would if they were to know he has a speciality like this.

’Now they will be paying special attention because they are curious. We will have to be more careful.’

Felix was disappointed and annoyed so much that he was upset minded the whole day.

So far, as he knows, people don’t know what exactly happens to him every month during that special time period. They do know he faces something but they have no idea what happened to him because he locks himself up and people get no clue.

He had heard people gossip something like him being a half human and half wolf that changed into a wolf every month in those days. He doesn’t want others to see and that is why he stays inside and doesn’t even come out to eat.

That was also why people started addressing him as a monster specially.

It was not that bad. He didn’t really care about it because it kind of made people stay away from him even more. Especially during that time. No one comes knocking on the door or even near his room in that hallway.

And during those days, servants always know it’s that time and they would be leaving to their rooms early as only Mary stays as usual to prepare dinner for Miss Anne since she would still need to eat.

He never got bothered.

But it must have become obvious to them that last month he didn’t face such a problem and was fine the second day.

And they must have noticed Asher missing for days and then suddenly appearing again.

Maybe they saw him coming out of his room?

Or did they assume it like that because they thought he let Asher sleep with him?

There were a lot of ways things could have happened.

It didn’t really matter.

Now that they were almost exposed, Felix was worried they would try to dig more and find out what’s really going on between them.

And, what if Asher gets bullied by those servants because of this?

’Well...I will kill them if they dare to even touch my lover. So it most likely won’t happen. Still...we need to find a solution.’

A rumour could never be stopped.

If he forces and threatens people to stop this, they would use it as this rumour being the truth and would act without any fear trying to make it his weakness.

So...he was actually quite at a loss.

He didn’t want to distance Asher from him for these dumb people either.

But he needed to get Asher out of this mess too.

He still needed him.

And Asher needed him too.

So...what could he do?

He could just not care and continue like how it had always been with Asher.

Or do something.

’Sigh...I think I should talk to Asher since this involve him.’

Felix felt guilty because there was this thought for him to just ignore all those things.

He could do whatever he want with Asher and how would it affect him when other people talk about it? He did not really care.

He already is the topic of worse rumors so this was nothing.

But...it was about Asher.

That’s why he was bothered.

How would this affect Asher?

What are Asher’s thoughts about this situation now?

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