Premise

For nearly 11 years, Navierre Moreille has served the House Soubourne to the best of his ability.

A diligent, capable servant, Navierre is quiet, thoughtful, and most of all, dutiful. Even to his detriment. Unfortunately, life is not kind to Navierre, not in the slightest. Slowly dying of mana poisoning, Navierre is effectively a slave in all but name, and has been nearly all his life. Unable to use magic, Navierre has instead used his wits, sharpenening his other skills in the hopes of finding his freedom outside of the prison of his duties. Thus, when his latest medical exam reveals that his illness is terminal, however, Navierre is forced to grapple with the reality of his impending death.

With less than 5 years or so left to live, Navierre decides that his tenure of servitude has finally reached its end, and so begins planning his retirement. His intent: to live out his remaining years in relative comfort, before dying quietly in obscurity. To that end, he immediately draws up plans to leave, but is forced to place them on hold for reasons...

Luke Soubourne is heir to the Duchy of Soubourne. Quiet, aloof, and condescending, Luke is one of the shining stars of the kingdom and as such was always destined for greatness. With all eyes on him, it's only natural that his choices greatly affect how the nature of the kingdom runs.

So, when his father temporarily passes on the title to him after being called away to war, Navierre practically jumps at the opportunity to retire.

 

Sadly, there’s just one little problem: his skills as a servant are good— far too good, in fact, that if push comes to shove, the young master Luke would quite literally kill and murder to keep him around.

Unable to leave due to the war, and forced to remain in the service of the Duchy all the while his condition worsens, Navierre desperately tries to free everything in his arsenal to himself of his obligations, all the while doing his best to hide his illness from everyone. Unknowingly, however, his antics and incessant need for freedom garners him unwanted attention from not only the staff, but even the likes of royalty, including the seemingly ignorant Luke.

Can Navierre survive this new wave of attention long enough to die in peace? Or, will a certain, tall, dark, and handsome, young duke stand in his way?