The first season of "The Duke of Death and His Maid" aired in July 2021, and the second season will air this July. I'm sure there are many people already looking forward to it. And since there may still be some who are unfamiliar with "The Duke of Death and His Maid," I'd like to take a look back at the first six episodes of the first season.
Episode 1: "The Duke and Alice"
The story begins with the Duke playing the piano at night. His tragic upbringing is then revealed. A witch cursed the young master to take his life if he touches anything living. His mother called him "just like the Grim Reaper," and he was forced to live alone in a villa. While wondering why the witch had placed such a curse on him, the young master had another worry: his only maid.
The Only Maid
Alice, the only maid who serves the young master, known as the Grim Reaper, is another source of worry for the young master. Even though she knows that touching him will kill him, she behaves provocatively and seems to enjoy seeing his innocent reaction. This reverse sexual harassment is a source of worry for the young master. However, Alice is the only person who serves him, and he doesn't want to lose her.
The Cursed Witch He Can't Remember
When Young Master was five years old, a witch put a curse on him that would take the life of anyone he touched. He has a vague memory of which witch put the curse on him, or why he was cursed, but he remembers the words the witch told him:
I want you to be loved by no one, love no one, and live a miserable life.
Those are the words the witch said to him.
A Visit from a Childhood Friend
One day, his childhood friend Philip said he wanted to see him. Bochan held a faint hope that they might become friends again. However, Philip had reluctantly come because he had been asked by Bochan's mother to see how Bochan was doing. Bochan was called a monster by Philip and told that he would never come back, leaving him depressed and troubled.
The Young Master Swears to Alice's Feelings
Recalling Philip's words, the Young Master says to Alice, "You hate me, don't you? I'm so insecure about everything, don't you?" "I feel like I don't even deserve to fall in love with you. I can't touch you, and even if I wanted to give you a present, even flowers wither like this." The white rose he picked withered. Alice then picked up the withered rose and...
Young Master, don't you know? The meaning of the withered white rose is "A lifelong promise." This present is enough. Let's break the curse together.
Alice said. With those words, the young master promises to one day place a ring on Alice's ring finger.
Episode 2: "The Young Master, the Butler, and the Stray Cat"
Rob, the butler, has returned from a leave of absence due to a strained back. Rob has been the butler since the young master lived in the main residence, and is the only one who accompanies him, becoming like a parent to him. Returning from injury, Rob is enthusiastic about his first work in a long time.
A Surprise Visitor
Bochan was calmly composing music when a sudden visitor arrived. It was his younger sister, Viola. Viola has a strong and unconventional personality, and she would suddenly show up at the villa to insult and criticize Bochan. However, she also has a side to her that loves sweets and romance. She's actually a lover of older men and has a crush on the butler, Rob. Despite causing trouble for everyone around her this time, she ended up falling head over heels for Rob when he spoke to her, and she left.
The next unusual visitor is...
Suddenly, the voice of the young master calling Alice reverberates. Alice rushes to the scene to find a black cat standing before the young master. It's not that the young master dislikes cats, but he's afraid of accidentally touching them because animals' behavior is unpredictable. The cat is wearing a collar, and Bochan thinks it's a pet, but there's a piece of paper tucked into the collar that reads "Please forgive me." The cat is a stray. Bochan sees his own situation, but the cat has a new family. And behind Bochan are Alice and Rob.
Episode 3: The Little Bot and the Full Moon Meteor Shower
The Little Bot and Alice play billiards, making a bet that they'll do anything you ask them to. The Little Bot was one move away from winning, but Alice's usual reverse sexual harassment resulted in his defeat. The Little Bot was worried about what would happen if Alice made a lewd request, but Alice's request was, "I want you to go out on the town with me." Alice teases the Little Bot, saying, "Aren't you disappointed that it wasn't what you expected?"
Costume Festival
Alice wanted to invite Bochan to a weekend costume festival in town. Bochan decided to wear a thick costume so he wouldn't bump into anyone, but there were more people than he expected and he got separated from Alice. The lost boy was troubled by a lost child who had become attached to him, so he decided to play the street piano to call the child's mother. The child was reunited with his mother thanks to his piano performance, and the boy was also found safely by Alice.
The Two at Night at the Clock Tower
After enjoying the festival, the two climb the clock tower at night. There, the young master confesses his true feelings to Alice: "Even though we're so close, it feels like we're the furthest away," and "I love you so much, but you never even let your shoulders hang open on our date." Just before they got separated, the young master heard Alice say, "It was my dream to go on a date with you." When the young master apologized for not being able to make their time more enjoyable, Alice replied:
It was fun, and I'm happy just to be by your side. Please keep me close to you from now on. Even if we can't physically meet, I want to be the closest person to watch over you.
The Night of the Great Meteor Shower
On the night of the great meteor shower, the young master decided to confess his feelings to Alice. While waiting for the meteor shower in a boat on the lake, the young master's hat flew off, and Alice, trying to retrieve it, fell off the boat. Unable to save him, the young master was dejected. Alice pleaded with him, saying, "Please kiss me." "Isn't it romantic that I could die with your kiss?" The young master, wanting to kiss her, was troubled, but refused, saying, "Sorry, I can't do that." "I knew you'd say that," Alice replied, pushing the young master off the boat. "The meteor shower is over now, isn't it?"
Episode 4: The Little Boy, Alice, and the Snow Memory
On a chilly night, Alice tells the little boy that Rob said it would soon snow. The little boy says he hates the cold and feels even more reluctant to go outside, so Alice asks if he wants to play in the snow tomorrow. The little boy is reluctant to go outside, but Alice gives him a hand-knitted scarf and agrees. The little boy is so happy to receive the scarf that he's ready to go outside. The two make a promise to play with their fingers together.
Snowball Fight and Lost Items
The next day, the Boy, Alice, and Rob spend a fun time building snowmen and having snowball fights. After playing together, they return to the mansion to find that one of Alice's mother's earrings is missing. She dropped it while playing outside. However, it's dark and snowing outside, so Alice gives up. The Boy, who has been watching Alice from the shadows, searches for it alone in the snow. However, it's snowing and very cold outside, and the Boy collapses.
The Witch Who Saved the Young Master
The young master collapsed and was saved by the witch Cuff. Cuff had found the young master when he had become lost after getting separated from his childhood friend. Cuff used her magic to melt the surrounding snow and find Alice's earrings, and the young master invited her to his mansion.
Half-Witch
Cuff's father is half-human, and he was ostracized by both humans and witches. His childhood friend, the witch Zain, also had his parents killed by witch hunters. Intrigued by the young master's feelings for Alice, Cuff decided to help him. The young master asked Cuff about the witch who had cursed him and how to remove the curse, but Cuff had no idea. After eating and having his robe mended by Alice, Cuff flew off into the snowy night sky.
Episode 5: "The Little Prince, the Crow, and Ice Skating"
Viola unexpectedly drops by again. While she's swearing at the little prince, she's actually here to see Rob. This time, she forcefully teaches Alice how to smile in Viola's charming way. Alice skillfully flatters Viola, teasing the little prince with Viola-style charm. On her way out, Viola tries to greet Rob in Viola-style, but she's completely unable to.
Viola's True Feelings
Viola arrived on a completely different day, and was asked by Rob to help with the cooking. While baking bread with Rob, Viola expressed her envy for the young master. "It seems like he's having fun with Rob and Alice by his side. Even though there was a curse, I'm glad that he has someone who can provide emotional support for his brother." Deep down, Viola was worried about the young master.
A White Crow Talks
Bochan and Alice went ice skating at the lake. As the boy was watching Alice skating, a white crow spoke to him. It was Zain, a womanizer who was searching for Kafu. Sensing the power of the boy's curse, he thought he was a kindred spirit and began to speak to him. At that moment, Alice found Kafu, dressed as a bat, who had fallen into the lake and rescued him. Zain and Kafu were safely reunited and enjoyed skating with the boy and Alice.
Invitation to the Sabbath
After enjoying a skating skating session together, Kafu tells Bochan, "I'm going to take you to the Sabbath, the witches' gathering, on the next night of the red moon." Kafu and Zain discuss the matter and decide that they can't talk about witches, so they want to give Bochan an opportunity to find out for himself. They fly off, saying they'll come for him when the moon turns red. Alice then asks Bochan in the Viola style to take her with them because she has something she wants to confirm.
Episode 6: "A Night in the Demon World with Botchan and Alice"
On the night of the red moon, Kafu and Zain come to pick up Botchan as promised. When Botchan worries about whether it's safe for humans to attend a witches' gathering, Kafu gives them witch robes. Wearing them eliminates their human scent, so they decide to take Botchan and Alice as Zain's younger brother and sister. Wondering why Kafu and Zain would go to such lengths for them, Botchan and Alice head toward the entrance Zain made in the mirror.
Gathering of Witches
Once you enter the world of the Sabbath, you'll find a variety of witches and wizards. The leader of the demon world who controls them is a masked witch named Dareth. It was Dareth who called out to Alice at the costume festival, mistaking her for her mother. Alice came to the Sabbath to confirm this. Dareth only told Alice that he was just an acquaintance of Alice's mother.
Dulles, the Boss of the Demon World
Dulles knew about the young master. He also knew about the witch who had cursed him. He told the young master that the witch had died, and asked him questions about why he had died, whether the curse remained even after the witch died, and why she had cursed him. He warned the young master, "I don't know how to break the curse," "Let's stop talking about this now. I hate her," and "That curse is different from the curses cast by a half-baked witch. I recommend you give up quickly," before disappearing.
Bochan's Friends
After returning safely, Bochan thanked Cuff and Zain. He then asked Cuff, "Why are you helping me?" Cuff replied, "When I first met you that day, I saw you trying so hard for someone, and I wanted to become your friend." Hearing this, Bochan confessed that he also wanted to become friends with Cuff and Zain. Cuff then said, "From now on, I'll come over to play as a friend," and left with Zain.
A summary of the first half of Season 1
This was a brief introduction to Episodes 1 through 6. I'd like to recap the second half in a separate article. If you'd like, I'd be happy if you read that as well. Thank you for reading to the end.
