Chapter 68 So Good

Chapter 68: So Compliant

In an instant, the Grand Duke's gaze turned ice-cold.

Bai Yu remained unflustered and calmly replied, "Yes."

He even kindly added, "They are both very young kittens. The tabby is the older one, and the tortoiseshell is the younger one. They are both quite beautiful."

...Older? Younger?

In just a few days, he's already referring to them so affectionately.

And they're both quite beautiful? Just how beautiful are they?

Imuir's nails dug into his palm, nearly losing control of his expression. He curled his lips into a faint, sardonic smile and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Oh, it seems the doctor is quite fond of these two kittens."

Bai Yu calmly replied, "Of course."

The Duke's fingertips tightened, and another teacup broke.

The entire room fell into silence. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

They exchanged words, each sharper than the last. With every word Bai Yu spoke, the old butler's temple throbbed. The usually composed gentleman appeared to have lost all his decorum. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead as he hastily interrupted, "Bai Yu, stop talking!"

He forcibly stepped between the Duke and Bai Yu, forcing a smile. "Your Grace, this man is new and hasn't been properly instructed. He doesn't understand the etiquette. I'll have him removed immediately. Please consider the others; they are all well-behaved."

As he spoke, the butler grabbed Bai Yu's wrist, intending to forcibly escort him from the scene. But before he could take two steps, Grand Duke Imuir abruptly said, "Wait, did I say he could leave?"

The old butler paused, releasing Bai Yu's wrist, and sighed inwardly, "There's nothing more I can do for him."

In truth, he wanted Bai Yu to leave to avoid the Duke's anger and spare him from punishment.

The Grand Duke stepped down from his seat and approached Bai Yu, standing face to face with him. He scrutinized him for a moment, then raised his hand and reached out toward the doctor.

66 tensed up, "It's coming!"

The system's alert level was at its highest, ready to block the host's senses at any moment.

But Bai Yu neither flinched nor avoided the Duke's hand. He thought it might be a slap or something similar, but instead, Imuir's finger landed on the doctor's chest and plucked off a... cat hair.

Bai Yu: "."

Clothes covered in cat hair were a common issue in multi-cat households. No matter how often you cleaned, the fur would still fly everywhere, especially during shedding season when it felt like dandelions were floating in the air. This particular hair must have gotten on his clothes when he was trying them on.

The Duke's pale fingers held the cat hair up to his eyes, his lake-blue eyes glinting coldly, like polished glass. He examined the hair closely, as if it were evidence in a sealed bag.

—Golden brown, not too long, likely from a short-haired cat.

Imuir narrowed his eyes, "Is this the tortoiseshell's hair or the tabby's?"

Bai Yu: "..."

He paused for a moment, then replied, "The tabby's. Our tortoiseshell's fur is darker."

Our tortoiseshell?

Imuir began grinding his teeth again.

The old butler, observing the Duke's ever-changing expression, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cautiously asked, "Your Grace, what about the selection?"

Duke Imuir sneered, snapped Bai Yu's file shut with a click, and tossed it back into the old butler's arms: "Him, then. He has two cats at home, elderly and young to care for, and an insufficient salary. Let's not starve the kittens. Otherwise, the neighbors might say that in Illyria, we can't even afford to feed a cat."

The old butler: "..."

Bai Yu: "...?"

66: "???"

System: "This isn't right! This isn't how it's supposed to go!"

The Duke's words were laced with sarcasm and innuendo, leaving everyone present baffled about his intentions, even the most seasoned butler.

Fortunately, the old butler reacted quickly, immediately agreeing, nodding and saying, "Indeed, a good choice. Bai Yu is a doctor, perfect for helping you regulate your health. It's convenient to have him around for any midnight headaches or fevers. I'll note his name down now. What about the other candidate?"

Two valets were needed for shift work.

Imuir, disinterested, casually flipped through the resumes and pointed to a young man standing in the corner.

The selection hastily concluded, the butler wiped his sweat, bowed to the Duke, and was about to lead everyone away when Imuir added, "Bai Yu stays."

Bai Yu turned back; the Duke was looking down at the resumes, not at him: "Stay and have dinner with me."

His voice was inexplicably muffled, sounding quite unhappy.

The old butler: "...This?"

He feared Bai Yu might say something shocking again, infuriating the Duke to death.

But Imuir just sipped his tea, showing no intention of changing his mind.

The old butler had to say, "Alright, dinner will be served shortly, please wait a moment."

He led the other candidates out in a file, leaving only Bai Yu and Imuir in the grand hall.

66 was completely confused, asking blankly, "What's going on?"

This isn't what was agreed upon?

66 poked Bai Yu: "So, are you going to stay and have dinner with the Duke?"

Bai Yu: "I guess I have to stay, don't I?"

The final plot point wasn't completed, Bai Yu couldn't leave now, although he didn't know why Duke Imuir wasn't furious, they still had a chance to complete the task.

Survival is hard, but seeking death isn't difficult.

The Duke is capricious, and the Duke's mansion has many taboos. Serving as his valet, one might at any moment offend him and be dragged out for execution. Bai Yu wasn't panicked.

66 calmed down: "True, no rush."

Bai Yu sat down opposite the Duke. Imuir, after flipping through the resumes, still didn't look at him, just stared at the ground and coldly said, "Doctors in Illyria rarely keep cats because cat hair can contaminate operating rooms. Doctor, why do you keep cats?"

The Duke seemed fixated on Bai Yu's cats, mentioning them in every sentence.

Bai Yu, being a veterinarian, naturally couldn't treat ordinary residents and didn't care about hair in the operating room, just coldly replied, "Found them pitiful on the road, picked them up."

To be precise, found while looking for Tuanzi, but there's no need to share these details with the Duke.

Imuir started grinding his teeth again.

——Another stray, he was also a stray. The doctor really is as compassionate as ever.

The Duke let out a noncommittal 'Oh': "A stray wild cat, huh? Should be easy to take care of."

Bai Yu looked up at him, his gaze even frostier: "Goat milk from the morning market, minced fish and beef, and sometimes some mussels."

Though it was indeed a stray cat, the doctor disliked the Duke's patronizing tone.

...

The Grand Duke's pale fingers dug into the edge of the wooden table with a crack, his nails nearly gouging the wood.

Goat milk, beef, and mussels—the same things he ate!

Does the doctor treat every stray cat he picks up like this?

...And even dares to give him the cold shoulder over those two cats!

The Grand Duke's elegant brows furrowed as he gripped the table corner, clearly displeased.

Soon after, the waiter brought several plates, the food artfully arranged, some dishes glazed with syrup, others served cold. Bai Yu scanned the dishes, deducing that Duke Imuir had a sweet tooth and a taste for cold food.

He sat down opposite the Duke, elegantly picking up his knife and fork, then spoke: "Your Grace, forgive my frankness, but with your injuries, you should focus on high-protein foods, as well as zinc-rich options like dried shrimp and seaweed, and iron-rich foods like shellfish and beans. You should avoid cold, sweet, and greasy dishes like these."

Duke Imuir, still recovering from a serious injury, looked pale. Even decked out in jewels, he couldn't mask his weariness. Such a patient shouldn't be eating the kind of food served today.

Bai Yu looked away.

In fact, if Bai Yu had met Imuir in his past life, he would've told him to rest for at least two months and get a full check-up. Behind the Grand Duke's dazzling looks was unmistakable exhaustion. The assassination attempt had clearly taken a toll on him, and he needed proper recovery.

Bai Yu's tone wasn't exactly polite—less like a valet advising a Grand Duke, more like a doctor giving orders to a patient.

66: "Su Zhu, nice job!"

The doctor's asking for trouble again.

Interfering with the Duke's diet is practically asking for trouble. Although it benefits the Duke's health, Grand Duke Imuir is arrogant and unpredictable. Bai Yu doesn't want to prolong this; he hopes the Grand Duke will soon get fed up with him and have him executed.

With that, Bai Yu put down his knife and fork, quietly watching the Duke, waiting for his reaction.

Grand Duke Imuir didn't react.

He'd been frowning, caught up in the cat issue, but at Bai Yu's words, his pale face broke into a smile. He then looked down and ate, muttering, "...Hmm."

—When he was a cat, the doctor was like this too. On the first day, he couldn't eat much, so the doctor firmly took away Tuanzi's fish paste and milk. Although Imuir was unhappy, he knew the doctor meant well.

"..."

Bai Yu frowned slightly, out of habit, and added, "If Your Grace agrees, I can jot down some dietary tips for the kitchen."

Imuir buried his head in his food, avoiding the dishes Bai Yu had pointed out: "Hmm."

So obedient.

By the time they finished eating, the moon was high in the sky. The valet had a one-month training period, and the trainer was the old butler, who was waiting at the door to take Bai Yu away.

Bai Yu thought to himself: "Troublesome."

He had no interest in learning valet etiquette, but now, aside from following the butler, there was no better option. Bai Yu stood up: "After you."

But the Duke put down his food, elegantly wiped his hands, and said, "Bai Yu doesn't need to learn manners."

The purpose of manners is to regulate behavior, making the servant's every move pleasing enough to delight the master. But Bai Yu is already pleasing enough, and Imuir doesn't want to be apart from him at all, only wishing to keep him within sight, preferably in the same bedroom.

During these days at the Duke's residence, Imuir often woke up in the middle of the night, his hands and feet icy from blood loss, and frequently fell into nightmares. Although the wound had healed, it occasionally ached. The Duke tossed and turned alone, shivering in the night, getting only a few hours of sleep each day. Coupled with a pile of official duties to handle and a loss of appetite, his spirit seemed a bit wilted, not as good as when he first returned.

That feeling was really unbearable.

Imuir terribly missed the times when the doctor held him to sleep.

The doctor's body heat warmed the blanket, and the doctor's fingers stroked his back, running down his fur, making him feel safe.

Of course, he couldn't sleep in the same bed as the doctor now, but the Duke's valet needed to sleep in the room next to the master's. With the door open, Imuir could hear the doctor's steady breathing when he tossed and turned at night, as if he were still lying beside him, protecting the kitten in his arms.

Thinking of that scene, the nightmares seemed to ease a bit.

The Duke lowered his eyes and actually smiled, different from his usual sarcastic or cold smiles, this one was gentle and serene, as if he had thought of something happy.

The butler paused. "No need for etiquette training?"

"Right," Imuir replied. He was about to order Bai Yu to start immediately and move to the room opposite his tonight, when Bai Yu suddenly spoke up, preempting, "Then can I go home for a while?"

The butler was already stunned by this bold young man, his blood pressure spiking, his heart skipping a beat. Just as he was about to sternly reprimand, he heard the Duke Imuir beside him speak slowly, without any sign of anger, "...Sure, did you leave something behind? I can have someone fetch it for you? Or if there's any inconvenience, you can say."

He really wanted to sleep near Bai Yu, even if not in the same bed, just through the door would be fine.

But Bai Yu said, "Nothing left behind."

His expression was as indifferent as ever, continuing to challenge the Duke's bottom line, "It's just that my cat must be hungry, I want to go home to feed the cat."

Crack—

The butler looked up in fear, seeing the last cup in the Duke's hand crack.

The Duke, who had just been gentle and serene, instantly turned gloomy. He gave a fake smile, then said sinisterly, "Is that so... Sir, I've suddenly changed my mind, you'd better go and learn manners with the butler."

Author's note:

Bai Yu activates skill: seeking death.

Seeking death failed.

Bai Yu activates skill: provocation.

Provocation failed.

Bai Yu activates skill: I want to feed the cat.