Chapter-12

Seeing that he had no way of sending his daughter away, he shook his head and looked at his wife, Duchess for help but all he got was a smile.

Duke then turned his head and looked at Kyle with a stoic expression on his face.

"What do you want to do while coming with my daughter?"

Duke inquired, but from his tone, it was clear that he already know the answer to that.

But, just as Kyle was about to reply, Lilliana butted in.

"He will live with me! He is my friend!"

She spoke like it was already a decided fact and no one could change it.

Duke turned towards his daughter with a helpless smile on his face.

"My dear Lilli, you seemed to be forgetting but we as nobles can't let someone live with us like that."

He tried to explain to Lilliana but the latter just looked at him with teary eyes.

"We..can't..?"

She slowly asked. Desperation filled Duke's heart. He wanted to say yes right this moment to make his daughter happy but some things need to remain as they were.

"I will work for Young Lady as he attendant or butler!"

Kyle spoke out loud. Even though he enjoyed seeing Duke's condition like that, he felt sad to see his Little Lady having tears in her eyes.

Duchess meanwhile speculated everything with a fancy cup of tea in her hand that she slowly sipped. Her every moment was filled with elegance.

Duke turned toward Kyle with a thoughtful look on his face.

Letting a kid from the Slums work in a Duke family like them was not a small matter, and especially if it was related to his daughter.

"You don't have to work for me! You could live with me here as my friend!"

Lilliana retorted. She finally got a friend and now that friend was talking about working for her, it made her feel bad. She wanted a friend who could live happily with her, not to turn that friend into a servant.

Duke paused at what he was about to say and waited to listen to what Kyle's response would be.

"Young Lady, I could be with you for a longer time if I become your Butler."

Kyle thought of many ways on how to calm and manage a kid way too intelligent for their age, but the best solution that came to his mind was using the insecurity felt by that child, no matter how cruel it was.

And it worked too, as a thoughtful look appeared on Lilliana's face.

Duke also looked at Kyle with an appreciative gaze which quickly vanished.

After all, how could he be appreciative of someone who wanted to spend time with his lovely daughter?

Of course, Kyle also hadn't seen that as he was busy looking at the thoughtful look on his Little Lady's face and thought, 'She looks cute like this...but it would be more fun if she had asked her parents permission, they are the ones who would decide whether I could work here or not...'

Even if Lilliana agreed for Kyle to work as her attendant or butler, it still needed her parents' permission for Kyle to work here for real.

After thinking for a while, Lilliana nodded brightly while looking towards Kyle,

"Yes! Then we could spend more time together!"

Kyle nodded but internally, he felt more pity for the girl. She had turned or was about to turn 10 but hadn't had a single friend with whom she could talk and spend time.

'I will be her support till she grows and become able to make her decisions.'

Kyle felt even more determined to help Lilliana in her endeavor to live a life safe from all the bad endings she got.

"Yes, Young Lady, I would be happy to spend time with you."

Kyle smilingly said. Lilliana nodded in reply and turned toward her father who was looking at them conversing like he doesn't even exist.

"Father! Could Kyle please work as my butler?!"

Lilliana excitedly asked. Duke put a serious thoughtful look on his face.

Kyle stared at Duke, 'Please! Don't speak anything foolishly! I am begging you!'

Lilliana also stared at Duke but she had a relaxed expression on her face like she know that her father was not going to reject her which was kinda true.

Lilliana had never asked for too many things from her family, and she had never even complained about whatever happened to her in the mansion, but whenever she had asked for something, her parents had given it to her so she had the confidence in that.

Duke suddenly smiled as he looked at Kyle in the eyes. The golden and black eyes looked at each other.

"No. You can't work for my daughter."

Duke simply answered. Both Kyle and Lilliana gasped in surprise, they never thought that Duke would say no.

Lilliana looked at her father with tears in her eyes, real tears.

"Bad Father! I am not talking to you anymore!!!!"

She screamed loudly with tears falling from her eyes. Duke suddenly panicked.

Lilliana started to run out of the room, 'Why?! I just wanted to have a friend! With whom I could talk! But Father!...'

Duke quickly stood up and ran behind Lilliana, but his speed was too much. Only a blur was seen by Kyle, which he ignored for now as he too stood up.

'Shouldn't Duke accept it...why did he reject it?'

Kyle thought but he remained calm internally. He had seen the worst situations, even though he felt bad seeing his Little Lady crying but he had the heart to think clearly even in that condition.

Duke quickly stopped Lilliana and picked her in his arms and returned to his seat. Lilliana continued to struggle to get out of Duke's arms.

"Release me! Bad Father!!"

Duke ignored that and went back to his seat and placed Lilliana on his lap before trying to calm her down.

"Lilli, you need to hear all of my words. I said he can't work for you like this, but I will give him an opportunity."

Duke calmly tried to explain but Lilliana continued to struggle but after hearing everything, she stopped struggling.

"Really, Bad Father?"

Lilliana asked while lifting her head, looking at Duke in the eyes.

Duke felt anguish washing over him as he saw his daughter's teary eyes filled with hope.

"Yes, but he needs to prove himself."

Duke tried to say that as kindly as possible but his daughter sulked at him and started hitting him in the chest.

"No! He is going to stay with me!!"

Duke looked towards his wife who was unbothered by everything that happened, on the contrary, she felt curious about the little boy who was standing in front of her husband and her daughter, showing a kind and caring smile.

'Huh... What made Evangeline curious about this kid? She even spoke about that... but is he safe for my daughter? If not, I would reject even Evangeline's request...worst could happen was just suffering a little more...'

She was curious but at the same time, she thought about the safety of her daughter. She wanted the best for her daughter to wash the guilt that haunted her heart.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get any reply from his wife, Duke turned toward his daughter, who was still cutely hitting his chest.

"Haa....you win, but I will make a score grade, he needs to score 5 out of 10."

Duke spoke and without even waiting for a reply, he turned toward Kyle.

"And, are you ready for that?"

Kyle, who was showing a warm smile nodded, 'What worse challenge could he give me?'

"Yes, Lord Duke!"

Duke nodded, "Then, you need to do perform as my daughter's butler at her birthday party that will be held in 3 months. I will personally grade every etiquette you will show and your every moment. And in the meantime, Sebastian will teach you everything you need to learn."

Kyle froze.

Duke shook his head seeing that, 'Did he become scared? Well...what should I expect from a kid...'

Lilliana looked at Kyle with determined eyes, 'Even if there is some problem, I will handle that!'

Meanwhile, Kyle was racking his brain for a different reason, 'Wait...so he was talking about this?! I thought Duke would say something excessive like reaching the 50th floor in a year or things like that...'

The worst Kyle had thought was to reach the bottom of Dungeon, which no one had ever reached. But the condition shocked him.

Why? It was simple!

He just needed to put his extra brain into learning some things that he doesn't know.

"I will! I will work hard! Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Lord Duke!"

Kyle quickly bowed his head and expressed his thanks.

This situation was best for him. He could learn from Sebastian, someone who reached 47th Floor along with Duke. He got the ideal situation he had never dreamed to get.

'How many things could Sebastian teach me...' He felt excited by this prospect.

Lilliana smiled brightly. She thought that her new friend give up due to having this much tiring work but seeing his condition, she felt happy.

Duke was surprised. He thought that the black-haired boy would be downhearted hearing the condition but his response was surprising even though the answer was slow.