Resident Evil Village's merchant, the Duke, is a friendly but mysterious chap. Yet, Capcom accommodated the fans who want to unjustly throw explosives at him.
He'll cook you meals, buy your excess baggage, sell you an arsenal that puts you on the level of a boulder-punching STARS veteran, and even brings you, while you're unconscious, to the final boss. That's free of charge. So, why would anyone hurt this lovable soul whose only mission is to provide aid at a cost to the playable character? He's like the twisted Tom Nook of the Resident Evil franchise.
Well, if you do want to hurt him, he has a scripted animation and some dialog, recoiling in horror as an explosive goes off at his feet. It's not quite like Dark Souls where you can kill vital NPCs and make everything more difficult, but it's still upsetting to watch all the same. Yet, it does beg the question: if he's annoyed by the bomb but it doesn't actually hurt him, is the Duke truly immortal? Perhaps.
The Duke lets out a whiny, "What are you doing?" He's confused, dazed, and a little peeved, but the shop prices don't go up. He's forgiving that way to his... only customer. Still, in a world where players are trying to swat Lady Dimitrescu's behind, it shouldn't be a surprise that there are those trying out their purchased weaponry on the shopkeeper himself.
In some instances, throwing the pipe bomb doesn't even elicit a response. For instance, when reading his book, he just coughs as though it's a minor disturbance, not even putting down whatever it is that he's reading.
Given that he can magically teleport while also managing to fit all his gear in a room where the door is too small, this isn't the most outlandish of things that the Duke does. He was initially designed as the fifth lord, after all, and bosses in Resident Evil can get a little on the zany side of fantasy horror.