《The secret of the North Duke's aide》


 Chapter 1: The death of a loved one

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    How can he be dead when until yesterday he was alive and well. He was laughing, talking, walking, running. He was alive. No, no! It can''t be true. He can''t be dead. He''s playing a trick on me. That''s it! There''s no way he could have died so suddenly.


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    Grateful? Why? I live locked up and separated from the world.

 Chapter 2: A new begining

    It was only a few hours after Edmund''s death.


    Eleanor''s father had entered the room, and after dismissing her maid he began to speak to her with great earnestness.


    "You are going to the North," said her father in a cold tone.


    "To the North? Why?" her anxiety was evident as she waited for the answer.


    "A few days ago, a letter came from the Emperor telling me to send Edmond to the North to work as an assistant to his brother, Duke of the North Viktos Alaric. You will go in his place."


    "What? Why?"


    Her father''s patience was wearing thin. He couldn''t stand answering questions his daughter asked him, and now Elinora was out of her depth.


    "Elinora, you have to protect your family."


    Her father stepped close enough to her and she flinched.


    "It was an order from the Emperor. What do you think will happen to you and us if he finds out that Edmund, our only heir, is dead? He''ll take the title from us and sell you to some old married nobleman. You must save us all."


    Edmund''s death would certainly bring a lot of problems, but this was hard enough. She knew well that anything the Emperor says is an order and no one can go against him.


    There was something she didn''t understand. Why did she have to save her family? They never treated her like their daughter.


    "And how can I save the family?" she lowered her gaze.


    Her father pulled out his sword, grabbed her hair and cut it. Then there was a scream and Elinora collapsed to the floor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You will only save us if you become your brother. You will go north as Edmond Jaden tomorrow morning and that is not something you can avoid" her father said indifferently and coldly "Make sure you don''t get caught."


    He went away saying this and Elinora still lay on the floor of her room.


    Nancy came in anxiously and seeing Eleanor frozen on the floor, she hugged her.


    She picked her up and made her sit on the chair to fix her damaged hair trying to calm her down.


    When Nancy finished with her hair, Elinora looked in the mirror. Her appearance was different.


    I really do look like Edmund with my hair like this. I wonder if I can make it through this without getting caught?


    Nancy and I didn''t say anything for the rest of the hour. She stayed in the room until Eleanor went to sleep. But as soon as Nancy left, she got up.


    She couldn''t sleep. A lot had happened in those few hours that she still hadn''t realized. She knew the situation was very serious but she had never imagined that her parents would force her to go north disguised as her twin brother.


    What if they caught her? Her parents would surely sell her. But what would happen to her afterwards?


    She had a lot to think about and couldn''t sleep a wink. She knew her father had sent her there never to return. Once she went north she would be alone, so she had to survive.


    She had to come up with a plan and fast, but her mind wasn''t clear. The hour was long gone and morning had come.


    Nancy entered the room. She was holding some clothes and a bandage.


    "These clothes are lord Edmond''s and this bandage is for you to wear around your chest. You will put them on and go out to the manor gate. There will be a carriage waiting for you there and-"


    "My parents will not see me off?" interrupted Elinora.


    Nancy did not answer.


    "It''s all right, Nancy, I knew it would be like this. You can go now."


    Elinora prepared herself without wasting time and went out as quickly as she could. Nancy was there to greet her.


    She hugged her dumbly and told her to be careful. Elinora reassured her that everything would be fine.


    These were the last moments in this mansion. In this house that offered her nothing but bad memories. Yet in this house she lived with Edmund, the brother she loved and admired most in her entire life.


    But ahead of her was a new beginning. At last she would get out of this house, she would know the world. She would do her best at work and try her best not to get caught.


    With these thoughts she got into the carriage to start a new beginning.


    "Good morning, Mr. Edmond Jaden!" a voice greeted her from inside the carriage.

 Chapter 3: The cold wind of the North

    The carriage had started.


    "W-who are you?"


    "Oh, did I scare you? I''m so sorry. I am Sebastian Ronnik, one of Duke Alaric''s counselors."


    "No-" Eleanor said, but then realized she had to deepen her voice "No, don''t worry. But I was not told that they would send someone to accompany me on my journey."


    Elinora had before her a well-dressed man, several years older than her, perhaps 35 or 38. He had light-colored long hair, tied in a low braid.


    She was feeling quite awkward, but not in an unpleasant way. The man across from her finally explained why he was there to pick her up.


    "Well, I thought it would be a good idea to prepare you for a few things you''re likely to encounter."


    She was nervous about what it was that he was going to tell her.


    "No need to be nervous" he told her leaving her surprised "Our Duke has some....peculiarities, that''s all."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, if he does certain things, like locking himself in his room for days or keeping a distance all the time, don''t pay too much attention. Just wait until he''s back to his normal self."


    The atmosphere had become somewhat heavy. Elinora wanted to ask a lot of questions, but she couldn''t risk making a mistake. She remained silent and looked out the window.


    The sky was bright but there was no sun anywhere. As they traveled the weather and the view of nature changed. The vegetation became thicker and the houses slowly became more like houses until no more houses could be seen.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Do you have any more questions?" She heard Ronnik say and was surprised.


    Elinora hesitated again but thought about it.


    "I have a question; what should I do as his assistant?"


    "Your duties are simply to organize the Duke''s daily schedule, deliver the reports he needs, and answer correspondence. You will be required to accompany him to meetings and take detailed notes. You have the proper qualifications I assume."


    Proper education? The only things I''ve learned are reading and writing from Nancy and Edmund used to tell me what he was learning, so I''ve learned some things. Will that be enough? I''m definitely not right for this job but I can''t be wrong.


    "But beyond that," Ronnik continued, watching Elinora lost in thought, "you must be there for the Duke when he needs you and only leave him when he demands it. You must remain calm, even when he is not. Duke Alaric carries a burden that few know and understand."


    That last thing Ronnik said stunned her.


    "Is it true that he is cursed?" she said impulsively, without realizing it.


    Ronnik laughed softly.


    "So you have more questions!"


    Elinora was embarrassed and lowered her eyes anxiously.


    I made a mistake again. Oh, Elinora, why don''t you just keep your mouth shut?


    "That''s a good question" he looked at Elinora with a smile and said to lighten the situation " Cursed? I don''t know, Mr. Edmond, you could say that. You''ll see for yourself when we get to the North."


    After that, neither of them spoke and they continued on their journey.


    Elinora watched the road from the window. As they approached the North the atmosphere grew colder and colder and nature slowly died. But in this drabness, the North seemed beautiful, with its own character.


    She closed her eyes. She hadn''t slept all night from stress and anxiety. She tried not to sleep but in the end she did so because the carriage was too comfortable.


    "Mr. Edmond! Mr. Edmund Jaden!"


    Ronnik patted Elinora''s arm to wake her up.


    "Mr. Edmond, you need to wake up. We''ve arrived."


    "S-sorry, I''m coming."


    Elinora anxiously stepped quickly out of the carriage. In front of her stood Duke Alaric''s villa.


    It surprised her that the drabness she had seen on the drive was made worse at the villa. It was as if the Duke''s mansion was the core of the blackness and coldness of this.


    "This will be your home from now on, Mr. Edmund Jaden." Ronnik said, turning to her.


    Yes, Elinora! It''s a new beginning and this is your new home. Do your best not to get caught.


    She said to herself to give her courage and followed Ronnik as he headed inside.

 An unexpected encounter

    The journey was many hours and by the time they arrived it was already dark.


    Ronnik led Elinora to her room and left her there to rest from the journey.


    "Anything you wish to ask, Mr. Edmond, I am at your disposal. You may rest now and tomorrow I will show you around."


    Elinora thanked him but hesitated to ask what she wanted.


    "Mr. Ronnik, is there a key to my room?"


    "Certainly," he said, and took from his pocket the key which had a string tied to it, "here, it''s yours."


    Ronnik left, leaving Elinora alone.


    It was time to relax from the tension of these days. The death of her twin brother, her disguise, her coming to this place, it all happened so fast that she didn''t even have time to come up with a good plan to get out of this situation.


    After tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep because her belly was growling, she thought she should go to the mansion''s kitchen to get something to eat. But she didn''t want to wake up Ronnik, nor did she know if she was allowed to go there.


    Finally she decided to go to the kitchen. The only problem was that she didn''t know where she was.


    I think I need to see if there is a side of the mansion that is for staff. I''m sure the kitchen would be near the maids'' quarters, she thought and left the room.


    She had seen stairs which were heading downwards.


    She picked up a lamp and began to carefully descend the stairs. It was dark but she was not afraid.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She came to a hallway where there were doors to the right and left. She moved on further when she reached a room that had no door. She had finally reached the kitchen and went straight to open the cupboards.


    Opening the cupboards she noticed that there were a lot of vegetables and fruits but they seemed to have been there for some time. They didn''t look stale but they didn''t look fresh either.


    So she decided to eat an apple so that no one would know that someone had taken from the supplies.


    He opened the cutlery drawer and took a knife to clean the apple when the kitchen light came on and a voice was heard saying: "Are you a thief or are you just really hungry?"


    Elinora jerked in fright, causing the knife to fall from her hands. She turned towards the voice and in front of her she saw a petite old woman who approached her.


    "I am so very sorry! I didn''t know I wasn''t allowed to come. I''ve just been hungry since yesterday and I wanted to eat," Elinora said and put the apple down on the table.


    She didn''t expect any response from the old woman. She was about to leave the kitchen and return to her room. But she held on.


    "That Ronnik! Don''t tell me he left you fasting for so many hours?"


    She nodded.


    "Well, an apple won''t fill you up. I''ll fix you something to eat," the old woman continued.


    "No, no. No need."


    The old woman didn''t hear anything. He made her eat a vegetable soup and the two of them began to talk.


    "Are you the new guy?"


    "Yes, I''m the Duke''s new aide. My name is El- Edmond Jaden."


    "That''s a nice name! I am Agatha, the housekeeper of the house."


    Elinora was having a good time and the hour passed pleasantly. Before she left, Agatha gave her a piece of advice.


    "Mr. Edmund, don''t abandon Victor. Whatever you hear about him, please stay by his side."


    She was taken aback by this advice.


    Agatha was Duke Alaric''s old nanny and had great affection for him, but Elinora did not understand why he had said such a thing to her. From their conversation it appeared that many helpers had come for the Duke but none stayed more than three days. But Elinora was different. No matter what, she would not leave, she had nowhere to go.


    If she returned home, the same life she had led back then awaited her. Locked in a room to hide, she was her parents'' disappointment because no boy was born.


    She had no intention of leaving. She knew her job here was hard but there was no way she was going to give up easily. She would work hard and try to


    She went to her room and lay down. The next day was very important and held surprises for her.

 First day at work

    She was already awake, she had already gotten ready and as soon as she heard the knock on the door and Ronnik talking to her she went out immediately. They greeted each other formally and somewhat awkwardly.


    "Mr. Edmond, follow me," Ronnik said.


    Elinora followed him into the halls of the mansion and gazed around.


    The duke''s mansion was much larger and brighter than her home. The walls were painted with beautiful light-colored designs and the decorations were expensive but simple.


    Finally, they came to a large door. This must be the duke''s office, Eleanor thought, and her anxiety grew.


    They went in. The room was quite large as well.


    The first thing Elinora noticed was the large desk in the middle of the room, in whose chair the duke sat bent over some papers. There was also a bookcase with shelves of many books, which caught Elinora''s eye and she began to process it further.


    She was so distracted by observing the desk that she didn''t notice that the duke was calling her too only when Ronnik nudged her.


    "Edmond Jaden, 23 years old, son of Count Paul Jaden, a graduate of the Gordian Academy in good standing, chosen by King Davian for his high qualifications," Duke Alaric read from a paper and asked without raising his eyes to look, " Are these all accurate?"


    "What do you mean, Your Grace?" asked Ronnik, obviously confused.


    Duke Alaric looked at Ronnik in silence for seconds before answering.


    "I asked if the man you brought me is indeed Edmond Jaden."


    With that answer, Elinora became so nervous that she lowered her gaze without looking at either of them. She couldn''t understand why the duke would ask such a question.


    What was the matter? Do you think he realized that I''m not Edmund? What would I do if he did? What would happen to me? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Ronnik continued to be confused by this answer.


    "I don''t understand you, Your Grace."


    "He doesn''t look like he''s 23 or particularly clever. He looks younger, he''s small too."


    The Duke looked for the first time at Elinora who was embarrassed by what she had just heard but relieved as well.


    At least she didn''t understand me, she thought.


    "That''s Edmund Jaden, Your Grace. I went myself and picked him up from Count Jaden''s house."


    The duke rose from his chair and approached Elinora. He stood before her and looked at her intensely. She felt very uncomfortable but could do nothing but stay in her seat.


    "I don''t think he''s good enough for the job. He looks stupid."


    Elinora blushed but said nothing. She didn''t disagree with him, she knew she wasn''t right for the job and that she would be completely useless to him but she couldn''t help it.


    She had to protect her family, a family that had never treated her like one of their own.


    The duke stood there waiting for an answer from Elinora.


    "I-I...can prove to you that...I am the right man for the job. I will be quite useful to you," she managed to say at the end with a deep voice.


    The duke smiled, which confused her. She couldn''t understand what he was thinking or feeling, and it scared her. But he didn''t seem to dislike her or want to hurt her. That thought reassured Elinora.


    "I''ll wait for you to prove your worth and a reason to keep you by my side," he turned and returned to his desk "Now, let''s get to work."


    Even at that moment Elinora still didn''t fully understand the job of the aide and what she was supposed to do but as time went on she got more and more used to it.


    Her tasks were not that difficult and the duke was competent enough to do most of it himself. Ronnik also helped her with everything she had to do that day.


    All was going well when a servant knocked on the door and announced that a man was outside asking to see Duke Alaric. He let him pass and then told Ronnik and Elinora to come out.


    In the hallway, Ronnik turned to Elinora.


    "Stay outside the door just in case. I have a job to do outside. If anything happens, get inside and if you need to intervene."


    Elinora agreed and stood by the door. Nothing was done until after some time there was a scream and someone shouted, "You''re lying to me! Stop lying!"


    After that there were louder voices. Elinora couldn''t ignore what was happening and ran inside.


    When she went in what she saw was something she had not expected.


    Duke Alaric was seated in the armchair and the man was standing over him with his hands around his neck.


    Elinora was shocked by the sight but could not sit still and do nothing. It was not a good time to freeze in fear so she ran to remove the man''s hands from the duke''s neck and pull him away from him.


    But she soon realized that this man was much stronger than she was.