Do the Duke and Alice get together?

The Duke of Death and His Maid might not be the most hyped anime of the season, but the supernatural romantic comedy has proved itself to be really, really good at what it does – even if all it does is depict the day-to-day interaction between the cursed Duke and his maid, Alice. In fact, some would argue this is the best part of the series. So, do the Duke and Alice get together in the end?

For the uninitiated, The Duke of Death and His Maid is based on a manga of the same name, by Koharu Inoue. Combining Gothic and fairytale aesthetics, it follows a young Duke – only known by his title – who is cursed by a witch as a child. Since then, he's been unable to touch any living being without killing it.

The Duke's mother banishes him to a faraway family property where he's only taken care of by his butler, Rob, and his maid, Alice. The latter is the daughter of a maid that used to serve his family and the only childhood friend that didn't abandon the Duke when he was cursed. The Duke had been kind to her when other children bullied her for her social status, hence she remained devoted to him, no matter what.

But Alice no longer sees the Duke as a friend. Growing up, she realizes her romantic feelings for him – which she expresses in endless teasing. Thankfully, the feelings are mutual, but the angst of never being able to touch is a very real problem. Early on, the Duke resolves to do anything in his power to break his curse, so that he can propose to her. So, will they succeed?

Warning: Manga Spoilers Below!

The good news about the Duke and Alice is that they are already together in most ways that matter. As early as Episode 2 of the 12-episode anime, the two confess their love for each other.

Although they can't touch, they still enjoy happy, peaceful, and occasionally adventurous times together. Their friends, Cuff and Zain note that the Duke and Alice are very open about their feelings, and able to talk honestly. Plus, Alice's attempts to break the curse are nothing short of adorable.

So, where's the suspense in that? What suspense there is, comes from whether or not the curse will break, so that the characters can have a physical relationship. So far, this has not happened in the manga, so there's something to look forward to. Even if the curse was never to break, however, I don't think this will stop the characters from being a couple.

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The Duke and Alice have spent so long together that they understand each other better than anyone, and their chemistry is a joy to watch, so, unless something major happened that changed everything we know about the story, they seem unlikely to break up.

For some readers and viewers, the fact that the Duke and Alice get together so early in the series might seem boring, but others will surely find it refreshing to watch. Instead of wasting episodes in silly, pointless misunderstandings or characters dancing around their feelings, we get to see them being cute around each other.

This means that the anime – which is currently available to stream on Funimation – is particularly enjoyable to watch if you like cute couples, but not the drama the precedes their relationship status. Some tropes are still there, but The Duke of Death and His Maid is good fun most of the time, and the relationship between the Duke and Alice is a joy to watch.

The Duke of Death and His Maid has officially ended, but it looks like we won't have to forever question if the Duke will break the curse or if he and Alice will get married as Season 2 has been announced! Meanwhile, in case you had questions about the finale, here's the ending of The Duke of Death and His Maid explained:

The Duke of Death and His Maid Ending Explained: How Was the Duke Cursed?

In the season finale, the Duke's mother gives him until spring of that year to break his curse, if he wants to inherit the family title. Viola takes him to the spot where he was cursed, and the Duke recalls as much as he can about the event.

He was playing next to a gravestone, looking for a four-leaf clover to give to Alice, when someone grabbed him from behind and told him he was never going to love and be loved. Following that, the clover he had just found withered.

The Duke has erased much of the event from his memory, but tells Viola he remembers the softness of the witch's bosom against his back. Fanservice aside, you can't blame him. It was the last time he was touched.

This memory could possibly present a clue. Time and again, Viola, who still has the body of a child, has expressed jealousy for Alice's soft curves. And if Alice has a soft, curvy body, and people keep commenting that she looks just like her mother, it is likely her mother did too.

Of course, this doesn't correspond with everyone's memories of Alice's mother. Sharon was only ever kind to her daughter, and even the Duke's cold, distant mother remembers the woman fondly; it appears the two were actually best friends and her Ladyship was devastated when Sharon died.

For Sharon to curse the Duke, there must have been some motivation. I would guess that, if that were the case, Sharon might have wanted to cause pain to the Duke's mother for some reason. Fond as her Ladyship was of Sharon, she is not a kind woman.

This is just a theory at this point, of course. Daleth told the Duke that the witch who cursed him is dead – which once again would make Sharon, who was apparently friendly with witches and likely a witch herself – a possible candidate. At least, that would be the case if Daleth was trustworthy and if we were entirely sure that Sharon is dead.

But from what we've seen, Daleth is untrustworthy, as she threatens Zain to make him destroy all clues about the manner in which the Duke was cursed. Not to mention that she keeps Sharon's preserved body in a coffin – is she dead, or just asleep? Hard to tell at this point, so we'll have to wait for Season 2 to discover the exact details about the curse.

The Duke of Death and His Maid Ending Explained: Are the Duke and Alice Still Together and Will They Get Married?

We might not have the comfort of seeing the Duke freed from his curse, but seeing him happy with Alice is enough of a reward. The two experienced a bit of a rough time when Alice started worrying that their different social classes would pose a problem. She loves the Duke so much that she doesn't want to see him disinherited because of her.

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When he visited his mother, however, the Duke made his case very clear. He loves Alice, who stood by him as if his curse didn't matter when his mother dumped him in a faraway estate and forgot about him. He believes that if not for Alice we would be long dead and finally stands up to his mother, shouting his case.

While not exactly delicate, the Duke's declaration earns him his siblings' respect. His mother doesn't exactly react, but she seems secretly pleased that her son showed some nerve, so this is the closest we can get to a blessing right now.

Regardless, the Duke and Alice's romance is only beginning, if the credits in the finale are any indication, and we can't wait to see more!

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